Sturtevant,    ^^  ^ 

The    preacher    s    m 


^  \\u    iihcologiQ/  ^^ 


^^/A 


''/./>. 


PRINCETON,     N.     J. 


iyAe^w  cAo^f^ 


Division ..      /     *  •  M-^ 

Sfction    ..       W.V  jd.i.O 
A'umber 


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:^/.  /j/7/ 


J'i'O- 


THE 


PEEACHER'S    MANUAL: 


LECTURES  ON  PREACHING. 


FURNISHING 


RULES  AND  EXAMPLES  FOR  EVERY  KIND  OF  PULPIT  ADDRESS. 


REV.    S.   T.    STURTEVANT. 


'  Vive,  vale !  si  quid  novisti  rectius  istis, 
Candidas  imperii ;  si  non,  his  utere  mecum." 


REPRINTED   ENTIRE    FROM   THE   LAST   LONDON  REVISED  EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 
J.    C.    RIKER,     129     FULTON     STREET 

1846 


PREFACE. 


The  most  perfect  science  is  but  a  well-ordered  arrangement  of  thoughts 
and  observations  framed  for  practical  utility ;  or,  as  Dr.  Chalmers  says, 
"  it  is  a  record  of  observed  phenomena."  Science  had  birth,  not  in  theo- 
retical books,  but  in  the  anima  and  genius  of  competent  experimentaUsts, 
which  must  necessarily  direct  to  the  safest  and  readiest  way  to  practice. 
The  science  of  preaching  thus  arose  to  view,  furnishing  valuable  facilities 
to  the  gospel  publisher  ;  for  with  the  advantage  of  an  arranged  system,  and 
any  tolerable  ability  for  communication,  great  superiority  must  be  acquired 
over  the  desultory  preacher. 

The  first  preachers  of  the  gospel  did  not  follow  the  rules  of  art ;  but  in 
succeeding  ages,  as  learning  rose  or  decUned,  attention  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  several  parts  of  a  discourse  was  encouraged  or  neglected.  Yet  as 
the  declensions  had  longer  periods  than  the  revivals  themselves,  which 
were  partial  and  slow  in  gaining  strength,  so  no  science  suffered  more  in- 
terruptions in  its  progress  toward  perfection  than  that  of  preaching ;  other- 
wise it  would,  ere  this,  have  attained  to  such  strength  and  beauty  as  wholly 
to  supersede  the  necessity  of  new  works  to  teach  it.  Many  great  and 
learned  men  have  lived  and  died  leaving  the  work  of  improvement  where 
they  found  it ;  while  preachers  of  an  inferior  order  have  contented  them- 
selves with  antiquated  rules,  and  have  been  satisfied  to  perform  their  work 
as  well  as  their  predecessors — so  fatal  to  improvement  is  the  want  of 
emulation. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  state  that  no  .attempt  has  been  made  to  raise  the 
standard  of  preaching.  Bishop  Wilkins  wrote  an  elaborate  treatise  suited 
to  his  own  times  ;  and  he  remarks  that  others  had  done  the  same.  Valu- 
able extracts  from  this  work  are  to  be  found  in  WilHams's  Christian 


4  PREFACE. 

Preacher.  The  only  work,  however,  that  has  sumved  the  lapse  of  time, 
and  preserved  its  reputation,  is  the  essay  of  Monsieur  Claude,  a  French 
protestant  divine,  who  flourished  ahout  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  in  an  age 
which  might  he  called  the  Augustan  age  of  Christian  preaching,  at  lea^t  in 
France  and  Holland.  Attention  to  pulpit  composition  was  then  greatly 
encouraged.  Bossuet,  Bourdaloue,  and  Massillon,  shone  in  tlie  catholic 
church ;  while  Claude,  Saurin,  and  Superville,*  rose  to  eminence  among 
the  protestants.  These  men  boldly  seized  upon  the  treasures  of  Grecian 
and  Roman  eloquence  and  made  them  subservient  to  the  Christian  cause, 
and  to  this  may  be  traced  the  superiority  which  the  French  school  obtained. 

England,  whose  characteristic  has  often  been  to  be  the  last  in  improve- 
ment, suffered  tliis  superiority  to  prevail.  The  homiletical  style  of  preach- 
ing, a  method  calculated  to  inform  the  judgment,  but  by  no  means  to  affect 
the  heart,  was  for  a  long  time  generally  adopted.  The  textual  style  was 
subsequently  introduced,  and  finally  triumphed,  but  still  the  method  was 
dull,  prolix,  and  wearisome. 

Claude's  Essay  on  the  Composition  of  a  Sermon  was  at  length  intro- 
duced into  this  countr}' ;  and  it  is  supposed  that  Dr.  Blair,  of  Edin- 
burgh, obtained  his  high  reputation,  which  spread  over  both  Scotland  and 
England,  by  adopting  the  rules  of  that  celebrated  essay.  He  understood 
the  French  language,  and  no  doubt  derived  great  advantage  from  Claude 
long  before  an  English  translation  was  printed. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  11.  Robinson,  a  baptist  minister  of  Cambridge, 
for  the  first  English  translation  of  that  celebrated  work.  It  appeared  wiih 
a  mass  of  heterogeneous  notes,  of  which  he  says,  in  his  preface,  that  they 
"  might  appear  a  strange  farm  go  i(  iho  circumstances  were  not  considered 
which  gave  birth  to  them."  Some  of  tliese  notes  were  learned  and  judi- 
cious ;  but  the  greater  part  were  of  a  cast  by  no  means  suited  to  the  gravity 
and  purity  of  a  Christian  minister;  which,  added  to  the  acrimony  with 
which  he  assailed  all  national  religious  establishments,  prevented  the  work 
from  obtaining  that  general  circulation  which  it  would  otherwise  have  de- 
9er\'ed.  Mr.  Simoon,  of  Cambridge,  aware  of  the  objections  to  Robin- 
son's edition,  puhlitjhcd  the  essay  without  his  notes,  and  he  has  since 
republished  It  with  great  amendments.  Desirous  that  the  Claudian  scheme 
of  sermonizing  might  supersede  all  others,  he  has  also  published  twcnty- 

'  Tbcro  ia  in  excrllrnt  tranalation,  in  one  rolamc,  aelcctcd  from  Sapcnrillo  bjr  Mr.  Allen,  of  Hack- 
ney.     It  ia  tu  b«  regrcucd  that  the  wbolo  of  bis  woriia  aro  not  tranalated. 


PREFACE. 


two  thick  volumes  of  closely -jprinted  sJceletons  of  sermons  to  exemplify  its 
principles,  and  to  furnish  assistance  to  the  junior  clergy  on  entering  upon 
their  respective  charges.  Such  a  work  in  its  kind  was  never  before  at- 
tempted ;  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  suppose  that  the  rapid  increase  of 
evangelical  preachers  in  the  estabUshment  is  in  a  great  measure  owing  to 
this  performance. 

The  author  of  the  present  work,  though  with  very  humble  pretensions, 
thinks  with  Mr.  Simeon  that  the  rules  of  Claude  are  by  no  means  perfect, 
and  indeed  under  the  circumstances  perfection  was  not  to  be  expected. 
Claude's  essay  was  not  published  in  his  lifetime,  but  was  found  by  his 
son  among  a  great  number  of  manuscripts,  after  his  decease,  and  by  him 
published,  bearing  evident  marks  of  an  unfinished  work.  It  is  certainly  a 
sketch  drawn  by  a  masteriy  hand,  in  some  parts  finished,  but  in  others 
furnishing  a  mere  outline.  Another  disadvantage  arises  from  the  great  num- 
ber of  abstract  rules  of  sermonizing  with  which  the  essay  abounds,  many 
of  them  having  no  illustration  whatever  which  could  answer  the  proposed 
end.  It  is  true,  at  the  same  time,  that  this  defect  might  be  overcome  by 
a  vigorous  intellect  and  great  application. 

The  author  certainly  ought  to  apologize  for  saying  Mons.  Claude's  work 
is  "  imperfect,"  a  "  mere  outline."  He  feels  the  highest  respect  for  this 
author ;  and,  if  his  work  be  imperfect,  the  harassing  life  he  passed  among 
fierce  catholics,  and  the  many  demands  that  were  made  on  his  time  and 
labors,  form  a  sufficient  excuse.  One  of  the  imperfections  alluded  to  re- 
spects subdivisions.  He  says,  "  As  for  subdivisions,  it  is  always  necessa- 
ry to  make  them  ;  for  they  very  much  assist  composition."  In  this  short 
account  is  comprised  the  whole  doctrine  of  subdivisions,  as  he  has  stated 
it.  But  is  this  enough  for  a  noviciate  in  composition?  Certainly  not. 
Had  he  revised  his  work  for  the  press,  this  important  point  would  not  have 
escaped  his  intelligent  mind.  For  the  supply  of  this  defect,  the  author  of 
the  present  work  has  had  recourse  to  justly-celebrated  writers  of  the  pres- 
ent and  past  ages  ;  and  to  these  he  has  added  a  few  ideas  of  his  own,  which 
the  reader  will  receive  or  reject  as  he  thinks  proper.  He  has  also  gener- 
ally given  the  preference  to  sermons  of  English  preachers,  rather  than 
those  which  Claude  furnished.* 

•  Those  who  wish  to  receive  more  information  respecting  Mons.  Claude  will  find  an  account  of  his 
life  prefixed  to  bis  "  Defence  of  the  Refoi-mation,"  translated  and  published  by  the  late  Her.  John 
Townsend,  in  two  volumes.  The  theological  works  published  by  Claude  himself  are  of  great 
value. 


6  PREFACE. 

The  design  of  tliis  work  is  to  assist  those  preachers  who  are  destitute 
of  better  help  in  the  preparation  of  their  own  discourses,  to  furnish  them 
with  the  means  of  giving  an  original  cast  to  the  divisions  and  discussion, 
an  objcrt  to  which  it  is  presumed  the  following  pages  are  fully  adequate, 
and  thus  to  relieve  them  from  the  painful  and  mortifying  necessity  of 
adopting  the  outlines  and  skeletons  of  others,  or  of  preaching  printed  dis- 
courses, which  may  be  in  the  possession  of  some  of  their  hearers,  to  the 
discredit  of  the  preacher,  thus  convicted  of  delivering  the  sermons  of 
another  as  his  own. 

This  work,  however,  is  not  designed  entirely  to  supersede  the  use  of 
such  valuable  iielps  to  composition  as  Simeon's  Skeletons,  Hora;  Homi- 
leticae,  and  Appendix,  Short  Discourses,  Village  Sermons,  &c.  If  the 
author's  opinion  were  of  any  value,  he  would  not  recommend  their  disuse  ; 
he  would  rather  advise  the  young  preacher  to  procure  them,  if  he  possess 
the  means  of  doing  so,  as  these  works  furnish  a  rich  treasury  of  thought 
upon  many  important  subjects,  which,  on  occasion,  may  be  so  judiciously 
incorporated  witli  his  otcn  reflections,  and  so  arranged  under  the  distinct 
heads  of  his  own  formation,  as  greatly  to  add  to  the  value  of  his  discourse, 
always  remembering  that  ideas  only  are  to  be  borrowed,  not  words.  No 
congregation  ought  to  be  offended  with  a  preacher  for  availing  himself  of 
such  aids.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  trace  all  the  bad  consequences  which  re_ 
suit  from  a  preacher's  entire  adoption  of  borrowed  ylans  without  remodel- 
ling them  ;  his  reputation  as  a  preacher  lies  at  the  mercy  of  others ;  his 
talent  for  invention  and  love  for  study  are  left  to  dwindle,  till  they  expire ; 
he  is  limited  in  his  choice  of  texts  to  the  list  of  sermons  he  possesses ;  and 
he  is  not  unfrequently  exposed  to  tlie  hazard  of  delivering  sentiments  which 
do  not  accord  witli  his  own. 

To  this  improper  practice,  it  is  plain,  too  much  encouragement  has  been 
given,  and  idleness  has  availed  itself  of  the  furniture  provided  by  others 
instead  of  endeavoring  to  stir  up  the  energies  of  the  mind,  and  to  seek 
•'the  wisdom  that  comeUi  down  from  above,"  those  unceasing  supplies  of 
the  Spirit  of  grace  which  ever  await  the  humble  suppliant.  Anain,  does 
not  such  profuse  furniture,  ready  pnj)arc(l  for  the  pulpit,  throw  a  reflection 
on  the  rising  ministry,  and  on  the  education  and  tutorage  received  i  Are 
tlie  several  matters  which  ought  to  be  brought  before  plain  people  so  ab- 
struse that  none  but  experienced  ministers  can  find  them  out  ?  Or  are  we 
to  fall  into  the  common  error  of  iiiankiiul,  to  be  ever  looking  deep  for  that 


PREFACE.  7 

which  after  all  is  on  the  surface  ?  We  will  be  thankful  to  them  for  making 
plain  "  hard  sentences,  and  dissolving  doubts,"  and  for  giving  valuable 
leading  thoughts  ;  but  they  might  let  plain  things  alone  to  speak  for  them- 
selves :  speak  they  will,  we  have  no  doubt,  in  sufficient  plenitude. 

But  as  to  family  uses,  or  village  instruction  where  no  preacher  can  be 
procured,  such  assistances  are  indispensably  necessary.  And  it  is  further 
admitted,  that  good  has  come  out  of  evil,  and,  by  the  overruling  provi- 
dence of  God,  the  gospel  has  been,  and  now  is,  preached  in  many  hun- 
dreds of  pulpits  by  the  furniture  so  provided  ;  and,  by  whatever  means  the 
people  are  so  blessed,  the  author,  with  every  well-wisher  to  Christ's  king- 
dom, rejoices,  "yea,  and  will  rejoice."  The  author  also  rejoices  that  the 
enlightened  sentiments  of  the  venerable  Simeon  are  now  before  the  whole 
religious  public,  and  that  a  permanent  testimony  is  now  recorded  by  him 
that  the  surest  way  of  establishing  public  morals  is  by  the  diffusion  of 
evangelical  doctrines — as  offering  the  most  powerful  motives  to  action,  as 
Lord  Herbert,  the  prince  of  modern  deists,  has  candidly  acknowledged. 

The  author  also  acknowledges  that  he  is  under  great  obligations  to  Mr. 
Simeon,  for  without  his  copious  works  it  would  have  been  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  collect  a  full  supply  of  examples  of  the  several  kinds  of  sermoni- 
zing. Upon  examination  he  has  found,  in  this  author,  every  possible 
variety,  which  is  certainly  not  to  be  found  in  any  other.  Thus  let  truth 
and  candor  join  hand  in  hand.  Mr.  Simeon's  plan  will  meet  the  views  of 
many,  and  some  may  prefer  a  different  one,  and  may  give  a  candid  atten- 
tion to  the  following  work. 

The  author  does  not  think  it  necessary,  in  this  edition,  to  repeat  a  great 
number  of  apologies  before  made  on  account  of  his  insufficiency  for  such 
an  undertaking,  as  these  would  only  add  to  the  bulk  of  the  work  without 
contributing  anything  to  its  value.  Taking  the  work  "  for  all  in  all,"  it 
will,  he  thinks,  be  impossible  for  any  young  preacher,  in  any  state  and 
degree  of  education,  to  study  it — he  does  not  mean  merely  to  read  it — 
without  great  enlargement  of  ideas  relevant  to  his  sacred  work  ;  his  future 
labors  will  be  more  happily  applied  in  proportion  as  the  whole  is  studied, 
or  at  least  such  parts  as  shall  appear  best  suited  to  particular  talents  and 
differently-constituted  congregations  ;  while  the  individual  who  has  acquired 
the  philosophy  of  all  the  important  subjects  of  collegiate  degrees,  but  who 
is  not  yet  initiated  into  the  discipline  of  the  pulpit,  may  spare  himself  a 
great  deal  of  labor,  and  will  arrive  sooner  at  fitness  for  the  pulpit,  by  con- 


8  PREFACE. 

suiting  a  work  of  tliis  nature— cither  Claude's  original  essay  or  Simeon's 
with  notes,  or  this  work  of  larger  compass — tlian  he  will  by  his  own  undi- 
rected toil ;  and  tlie  time  so  saved  may  be  beneficially  devoted  to  the  glory 
of  God  in  earlier  and  more  active  labors.  If  such  a  highly-advantaged 
person  should  think  meanly  of  the  earlier  lectures,  yet  if  he  addict  himself 
to  philosophy  and  learning,  after  quitting  the  seat  of  the  muses  and  of  sci- 
ence, there  are  some  subjects  in  these  lectures  worthy  of  his  elevated  mind, 
and  in  the  study  of  which  the  greatest  characters  in  the  church  have  gone 
before  him.  On  this  account,  though  such  persons  may  not  be  convinced 
by  the  author's  statements,  yet  he  tliinks  it  discreditable  to  the  liberality 
of  a  learned  man  to  depreciate  initiator}'  works  of  this  description  ;  and 
since  such  persons  do  usually  give  tlie  tone  to  common  opinion,  it  is  iiighly 
detrimental  to  general  improvement  if  those  who  want  instructive  assist- 
ance are  told  that  such  tuitive  things  are  beneath  their  notice,  or  at  best 
worth  no  more  than  cursory  attention  when  time  and  leisure  will  allow  of 
a  perusal. 

Those  who  have  occasioned  these  remarks,  and  to  whom  the  church 
and  the  public  are  highly  indebted,  will  no  doubt  upon  reflection  join  in 
recommending  such  preparatory  works,  which  may  possibly  do  much  good 
by  extending  tlie  means  of  public  instruction  and  improving  those  means 
to  their  designed  end.  No  other  motive  induced  the  author  to  undertake 
the  work  ;  and,  as  he  said  on  a  former  occasion,  "  he  has  no  vanity  to 
gratify,  no  gain  in  view  ;  and,  if  his  own  feelings  were  consulted,  he  would 
rather  go  off  the  stage  of  life  unobserved  and  unheard-of,  than  appear  in 
the  character  of  an  author,  if  a  sense  of  duty  did  not  impel  him  to  suppress 
Buch  feelings." 

It  only  remains  to  be  stated,  that  this  third  edition  has  undergone  a  thor- 
ough revision,  and  evcr\'tliing  has  been  done  which  the  author's  malurest 
reflections  and  cxporicncc  could  accomplish  to  render  tlie  work  worlljy  of 
its  title  Q-s  "  The  Preacher's  Manual."  Such  as  it  is,  he  now  com- 
mends it  with  all  affection  to  the  attention  of  his  brctliren  and  to  the 
blessing  of  the  great  head  of  the  church. 


CONTENTS 


Preface page  3 

Introduction 13 

LECTURE  I. — The  Choice  of  a  Text  and  its  General  Management. 

General  Advice 19 

Management  of  a  Text  in  reference  to  Words  and  Phrases 20 

A  Sermon  should  clearly  explain  a  Text 22 

It  must  give  the  entire  Sense  of  the  whole  Text = 23 

The  Preacher  must  be  wise,  sober,  chaste,  simple,  and  grave 23 

The  Understanding  must  be  informed  in  a  manner  that  affects  the  Heart 24 

Excess  must  be  avoided 25 

LECTURE  IL — General  Elements  of  a  Discourse. 

Five  Parts  of  a  Discourse 28 

Technical  Signs  of  Division 29 

The  Character  and  Spirit  of  a  Text  must  be  considered 31 

On  Subdivisions 33 

Directions  for  filling  up  a  Discourse 39 

Tracing  out  a  single  Idea 43 

LECTURE  III. — Different  Methods  of  Division. 

General  Remarks 46 

The  natural  Division 46 

The  accommodational  Division 48 

LECTURE  IV. 

The  Exegetical  or  Expository  Division 55 

LECTURE  V. 

The  Regular  Division '. 70 

LECTURE  VI. 

The  Interrogative  Division 82 

LECTURE  VII. 

The  Observational  Division 98 

LECTURE  VIII. 

Profositional  Discourses « 113 

LECTURE  IX. 

Uniform  Application 137 

The  nine  kinds  of  Division  exemplified  on  one  Text 161 

LECTURE  X.— The  Topics. 

General  Account  of  the  Topics 162 

Topic  I.  Rise  from  Species  to  Genus 163 

Topic  II.  Descend  from  Genus  to  Species • 167 


JO  CONTEXTS. 

LECTURE  XI. 

Topic  III.  Divers  Characters  of  Virtues  and  Vices page   173 

Descriptive  Discourses 175 

LECTURE  XII. 
Topic  IV.  The  Relation  of  one  Subject  with  another 193 

LECTURE  XIII. 
Topic  V.  Things  Supposed  or  Implied 2J1 

LECTURE  XIV. 

Topic  VI.  Person  Spenkin?  or  Actin? 518 

Topic  VII.  Stale  of  Persons  Speaking  or  Acting ^4 

LECTURE  XV. 

Topic  VIII.  The  Time  of  a  Word  or  Action 243 

Topic  IX.   Observe  Place 249 

LECTURE  XVI. 
Topics  X.  and  XI.  Persons  addressed,  and  the  State  of  Persons  addressed 259 

LECTURE  XVII. 

Topic  XII.  Principles  of  a  Word  or  Action 269 

Exposure  of  False  Principles 275 

Principles  of  Scripture  Interpretation 283 

LECTURE  XVIII. 

Topic  XITI.   Consider  Consequences 293 

Application  of  the  Topic  to  Personal  Conduct 299 

LECTURE  XIX. 
Topic  XIV.  End  proposed  in  an  Expression  or  Action 306 

LECTURE  XX. 

Topic  XV.  Manner  of  a  Speech  or  Action 321 

Importance  of  .Manner  in  Preachini? 32H 

Expression  of  the  Passions 334 

LECTURE  XXL 

Topic  XVI.   Comparison 342 

Synonymous  Expressions 344 

Stu.ly  of  Parnli.ls .144 

Compare  Thr<-atcnint;s  with  their  Execution S.M 

Compnrr  th*-  CommnndH  of  Scripture  with  its  I'romises 3^^4 

Compar'-  IVr)mi<<es  with  th<'ir  I'liKilmfnt ^'il 

Compare  the  Works  of  Go<l  with  his  Word 361 

LECTURE  XXII. 

Topic  XVII.   Difference  of  Wonis  and  Actions  on  different  Occasions 374 

Topic  XVIII.  Contrast 379 

LECTURE  XXIII. 

Topic  XIX.  Grounds  of  nn  Action  or  Expression 3R9 

Grounds  of  Christianity 395 

LECTURE  XXIV. 
Topic  XX.  Remark  the  Good  and  Bad  in  Expressions,  kc 420 

LECTURE  XXV. 

Topic  X\I.  Suppooition 433 

Topic  XXII.  Guard  against  Objections 438 


CONTENTS.  11 

LECTURE  XXVI. 

Topic  XXIII.  Character  of  a  Text  or  Subject page  451 

Majesty 451 

Meanness  and  Infirmity 452 

Necessity  452 

Utility 453 

On  Qualities  in  General 453 

LECTURE  XXVII. 

Topic  XXIV.  Remark  Degrees 457 

Topic  XXV.  Observe  different  Interests 460 

Topic  XXVI.  Distinguish,  Define,  Divide 461 

Topic  XXVII.  Compare  different  Parts  of  the  Text  together  470 

LECTURE  XXVIII.— The  Exohdium  or  Introduction. 

General  Rules 472 

Narrative  Exordiums 478 

Expository  Exordiums 481 

Argumentative  Exordiums 485 

Observational  Exordiums 485 

Applicatory  Exordiums 487 

LECTURE  XXIX.— Topical  Exordiums. 

Topic  I.  Rise  from  Species  to  Genus 489 

II.  Descend  from  Genus  to  Species 491 

III.  Characters  of  a  Virtue  or  Vice 491 

IV.  Relation 492 

V.  Things  implied 493 

VI.  Persons  Speaking  or  Acting 494 

VII.  State  of  Persons  Speaking  or  Acting 495 

VIII.  Time ^ 497 

IX.  Place 498 

X.  Persons  Addressed 499 

XI.  State  of  Persons  Addressed 501 

XII.  Principles 501 

XIII.  Consequences 503 

XIV.  End  Proposed 503 

XV.  Manner 506 

XVI.  Comparison 506 

XVn.  Difference 508 

XVIII.  Contrast 508 

XIX.  Grounds 510 

XX.  The  Good  and  the  Bad 511 

XXI.  Supposition 512 

XXIL  Objections 513 

XXIII.  Qualities 515 

XXIV.  Degrees 517 

XXV.  Different  Interests 517 

XXVI.  Distinction,  Definition,  &,c 518 

XXVII.  Compare  different  Parts  of  a  Text 518 

LECTURE  XXX.— Extra-Topical  Exordiums. 

I.  Propriety 519 

II.  Occasion 520 

III.  Direct  Comment 521 

IV.  Critical  or  Historical  Illustration 521 

V.  Literal  Sense 521 

Various  Methods  of  introducing  a  Topic — 

As  involving  an  admitted  Truth 522 

By  Interrogatives 523 

By  Exclamations 524 

In  Scripture  Language 524 

By  Quotations  from  Authors 524 

By  Historical  Facts 525 

By  a  Suitable  Anecdote 525 


12  CONTENTS. 

LECTl'RE  XXXr.— The  Pcboration  or  Cokclcsiok. 

Dtttcrext  Methods  or  Formiku  Pkrorations page  527 

Deduce  InArtnces 527 

Make  Reflections 528 

Raise  Propositions 530 

Address  dilltrent  Characters 530 

Apply  the  ^•ubJect  in  ditFercnt  Views 532 

Recapitulate 533 

JhTrv.Ki.sT  Kinds  ok  Address 535 

The  Appellator)' 535 

The  Enlreatinir 536 

The  Expostnlntory 536 

The  Remedial...'. 539 

The  Directive 539 

The  Encourapini; 5-10 

The  Consoling.. 5-11 

The  Elevating 542 

The  Alannine 542 

The  Tender.. 543 

The  Indiirnnnt 543 

The  Abrupt 543 

LECTURE  XXXII.— Comment. 

Introductory-  Remarks 545 

Nature  of  Comment 553 

Eulogistic  Comment 557 

Dislogistic  Comment 562 

Argumentative  Comment 570 

Contempintivc  Comment 572 

Hyperbolical  Comment 572 

Interrogative  Appeal 573 

Contrast 573 

Expositor)'  Comment 574 

APPENDIX. 

No.  I.    On  Plain  Langnngc 580 

No.  II.  Connexion  between  Theological  Study  and  Pulpit  Eloquence 5R6 

No.  in.  On  Extempornneous  Preaching 5!»7 

No.  IV.  Key  to  the  Student's  Librnr) 611 

ScRirruRK  I.sDEx fil5 

Index  to  NAMr-<(  or  Authors 6 IS 

Gkmejlax  Indkx 619 


I 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  gospel  Is  of  a  restorative  or  remedial  character,  its  design  being  to 
remove  defects  which  once  had  no  place  either  in  man's  body  or  mind. 
Our  Lord  opened  his  ministry  in  this  precise  view.  He  was  moved  with 
compassion  for  the  diseased  bodies  of  men,  but  especially  for  the  ruin  of 
their  minds  ;  hence  his  holy  teaching  and  his  opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind, 
with  its  spiritual  signification.  Jesus  saw  the  mind  all  confusion,  "  waste 
and  wild." — "  Darkness  covered  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people." 
The  mischiefs  that  were  perpetrated  in  this  state  of  darkness  constitute  the 
subject  of  history,  and  the  foul  blot  of  that  record.  The  darkness  that 
prevailed  at  the  first  creation  (Gen.  i.  2)  was  original,  and  Ught  was  to  be 
created ;  but  the  darkness  of  men's  minds  was  not  original  but  incidental, 
for  man  was  created  in  the  image  of  Him  who  is  eternal  light.  It  is,  how- 
ever, an  undoubted  fact  that  the  perfect  intelligence  with  which  man  was 
originally  endowed  passed  away  with  his  innocency :  his  understanding 
became  in  a  great  degree  darkened,  and  all  the  faculties  of  his  mind  en- 
feebled. In  his  present  state,  indeed,  there  is  a  kind  of  after-light  remain- 
ing, like  that  which  continues  after  sunset,  and  he  is  still  blessed  with  the 
power  of  thought  and  reflection,  which  he  can  exercise  upon  various  sub- 
jects ;  he  is  able  to  consider  their  nature  and  ascertain  their  tendency  to 
produce  good  or  evil ;  he  can  trace  consequences  back  to  the  causes  which 
produced  them,  or  compare  one  thing  with  another,  or  with  some  real  or 
imaginary  standard  of  excellency.  This  process  of  the  mind,  to  which 
tlie  moral  sense  lends  its  powerful  aid,  supphes  in  some  measure  the  place 
of  intuitive  knowledge.  To  divine  revelation  he  is,  however,  wholly  in- 
debted for  just  ideas  of  his  present  character  and  for  all  his  knowledge  in 
relation  to  his  future  destiny.  Guided  by  this  unerring  standard,  his  in- 
vestigations are  preserved  within  the  boundaries  of  truth,  and  a  wide  range 
is  presented  for  the  exercise  of  his  mental  powers.  Possessmg  these  ad- 
vantages, he  is  able  to  enrich,  improve,  or  correct,  his  thoughts.  Thus  he 
becomes  more  and  more  rational,  recovers  something  of  his  loss  by  the 
fall,  acquires  more  extensively  the  pleasures  of  imagination,  and,  by  a 
divine  blessing,  becomes  increasingly  fitted  to  enjoy  intellectual  and  heav- 
enly contemplations. 


14  IN'TRODUCTION. 

* 

Assisted  by  the  contrivance  of  art,  he  is,  moreover,  enabled  to  record 
his  thoughts  for  future  insportion,  or  to  publish  them  for  the  benefit  of 
others.  This  is  a  happy  circumstance  ;  for,  as  all  do  not  possess  equal 
degrees  of  information,  the  more  intelligent  may  thus  convey  many  valu- 
able ideas  to  their  less  favored  brethren.  Thus  man  becomes  extensively 
a  greater  blessins:  to  man,  by  conmiunicating  tliat  which  brings  them  more 
on  a  level  in  the  knowledge  of  the  things  of  God  and  of  virtue,  thereby 
being  instrumental  in  bringing  many  into  a  social,  godly,  and  happy  state, 
who  were  before  lost  to  such  enjoyments. 

But  it  is  the  power  of  speech,  uith  which  man  is  blessed,  that  furnishes 
the  most  effective  means  of  communicating  instruction.  By  this  he  can 
make  known  his  thoughts  to  his  fellow-men  instantaneously,  without  the 
tedious  process  of  writing  or  making  signs.  And  here  the  pleasures  of 
society,  of  social  intercourse  and  sweet  enjoyment,  begin  ;  here  we  take 
sweet  counsel  together,  by  an  immediate  interchange  of  thought  and  sen- 
timent. Thus  also  instrurtion  may  be  imparted,  not  only  with  the  great- 
est facility,  but  in  the  most  interesting  form.  This  is  particularly  the  case 
with  regard  to  religious  instruction,  in  which  oral  communications  possess 
a  decided  superiority  over  all  other  human  means.  Hence  infinite  wis- 
dom has  appointed  the  public  proclamation  of  the  gospel  tivd  voce  as  the 
grand  engine  for  evangelizing  the  world.  Otlier  means  are  undoubtedly 
employed.  Early  education,  pious  example,  religious  tracts,  and  espe- 
cially th(!  perusal  of  the  written  word,  arc,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  ren- 
dered valuable  auxiliaries  in  the  dissemination  of  truth  ;  but  it  is  the  preach- 
ing of  the  cross  which  is  more  especially  characterized  as  "  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation." 

Here  then  the  intelliirent  preacher  stands  confessedly  distinguished  as 
the  most  important  character  on  earth  :  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  that  gos- 
pel which  be  is  commissioned  to  declare,  and  replete  with  capacity  for 
thought  and  ability  for  utterance,  he  pours  upon  the  waiting  ear  the  treas- 
ures of  wisdom  and  knowledge  drawn  from  the  fountain  of  eternal  truth, 
by  Christ's  own  appointment :  and  what  is  so  uttered,  in  the  purity  of  the 
•'  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  there  is  reason  to  trust  will  by  his  Spirit  be  made 
effectual  for  saving  purposes.  This,  I  ho|w\  is  a  just  view  of  the  scheme 
and  importance  of  public  preaching. 

Preaching,  then,  it  appears,  becomes  the  unchangeable  province  of  the 
Christian  minister,  but  not  his  only  duty,  not  even  when  c«)mbine(l  with 
his  pastoral  oflice  ;  as  ever,  so  now  especially,  he  is  to  bo  "  ready  to  every 
good  work"  that  presents  itself.  There  were  times,  now  happily  gone  by, 
when  penal  statutes  impo>»ed  restraints  upr)n  the  fidl  range  f)f  njinisterial 
exertions.  The  minister  then  concentrated  his  care  upon  his  innuediate 
congregation,  like  the  mariner  in  stonny  wealljer,  who  takes  in  hi»  sails 
and  just  bears  up  to  the  wind.     In  this  position  llicy  wailed  and  prayed 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

for  better  times.  Answers  to  their  prayers  were  long  in  coming,  but  they 
came  at  last :  and  we  now  enjoy  the  benefit  of  their  fervent  petitions,  and 
of  many  excellent  works  which  they  have  left  on  printed  record.  But  now 
the  peculiar  character  of  the  age  requires  us  to  enlarge  our  solicitudes,  to 
spread  our  sails,  and  push  our  purposes  more  extensively.  The  times 
then  had  a  tendency  to  contract  the  minds  of  God's  servants ;  but  now 
expansion  must  ring  in  your  ears.  Now  you  must  cherish  a  truly  calhoUc 
spirit ;  for,  besides  tlie  love  of  God  and  your  immediate  church-member- 
ship or  parochial  charge,  you  owe  universal  love  to  all  mankind.  Let 
your  regard  to  your  own  religious  society  be  only  a  part  of  your  universal 
love.  This  affection  will  be  cherished  by  considering  the  benevolent  de- 
sign of  human  redemption,  the  personal  labors  of  Jesus  to  publish  it,  and 
the  humiliation  and  sufferings  to  which  he  submitted  for  its  accomplish- 
ment— by  reading  tlie  travels  of  St.  Paul,  and  tracing  his  arduous  and 
successful  labors — by  perusing  missionary  documents — and  by  your  at- 
tendance at  our  public  religious  meetings.  This  spirit,  when  acquired, 
will  lead  you  in  your  public  prayers  to  intercede  very  earnestly  for  all  and 
each  of  our  religious  societies,  now,  happily,  so  numerous  ;  and  this  again 
will  kindle  a  like  spirit  in  the  people  among  whom  you  labor. 

The  cause  of  foreign  missions,  now  assuming  an  aspect  so  interesting, 
can  not  but  insure  a  portion  of  your  attention,  while  objects  nearer  home 
will  not  be  lightly  regarded.  You  will  be  led  pai'ticularly  to  cherish  a  very 
affectionate  feeling  for  poor  Ireland,  both  in  public  and  private,  a  great 
majority  of  whose  inhabitants  are  under  the  dominion  of  an  infatuated  and 
infuriated  priesthood.  You  will  pray  for  your  active  brethren  there,  who 
are  exposed  to  the  chief  force  of  this  priestly  fury ;  nor  will  you  forget  the 
persecuted  who  dare  to  listen  to  the  gospel.  It  is  indeed  pleasing  to  re- 
flect that  evangelical  rehgion  and  the  cause  of  education,  both  in  Ireland 
and  England,  are  making  great  progress,  "  though  with  much  coiltention." 
It  is  hoped  that  the  papacy  in  the  former  country  will  not  be  able  to  coun- 
teract or  impede  such  powerful  efforts,  and  that  her  boasted  majority  of 
Ireland's  population  will,  in  a  few  yeai's,  be  exchanged  for  a  minority. 
The  truth  is  great,  and  must  prevail. 

The  benevolent  spirit  now  recommended  will  induce  you  to  take  a 
lively  interest  in  all  Sunday  and  other  schools  throughout  the  district  you 
occupy.  These  are  the  nurseries  of  our  churches.  The  plants,  being 
young  and  much  exposed,  require  the  tenderest  care  and  protection. 

The  same  spirit  will  also  prompt  you  to  use  all  your  influence  with  your 
people  to  unite  in  every  Christian  undertaking.  You  must  aim  to  infuse 
into  their  minds  a  public  spirit,  that  they  may  be  "  ready  to  every  good 
word  and  work,"  and  thus  become  your  auxiharies ;  for  by  multiplying 
means  you  produce  increased  effects. 

It  is,  however,  impossible  to  state  in  detail  all  tlie  objects  to  which  you 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

should  direct  your  attention,  for  in  every  six  months  a  new  scheme  of  be- 
nevolence commences  its  course.  While  I  am  writings  Christian  instruc- 
tion societies  and  city  missions  rise  to  view,  the  agents  of  which  are  em- 
ployed in  making  domiciliary  visits — giving,  or  rather  lending,  tracts — 
conversing  witli  the  ignorant  and  wretched  poor,  and  endeavoring  to  lead 
them  to  the  long-neglected  house  of  God.  The  city  mission  in  fact  prom- 
ises to  become  the  most  powerful  aid  of  the  public  ministr}'.  The  idea 
was  started  some  time  ago  by  Dr.  Chalmers,  then  of  Glasgow ;  and  al- 
ready the  cause  is  proceeding  in  London  and  its  vicinity,  as  well  as  in 
other  places.  Even  before  you  will  be  able  to  read  this  introduction,  other 
plans  may  commence  to  engage  the  attention  of  Christians,  and  in  which 
your  exhortations  will  be  very  needful.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that,  in  the 
multitude  of  different  designs,  the  general  effect  is  not  weakened.  God 
does  not  suffer  one  plan  to  destroy  another,*  but  all  are  evidenUy  under 
his  divine  favor,  and  receiving  the  seal  of  his  approbation. 

As  the  ministers  of  Christ,  you  arc  justly  expected,  not  only  to  preach 
tlie  gospel,  but  also  to  be  leaders  and  patrons  of  benevolence  in  its  univer- 
sal sense.  Is  not  this  love  *'  tlie  fulfilling  of  the  law" — the  first  of  virtues  ? 
Does  it  not  bring  us  into  the  nearest  point  of  resemblance  possible,  in  such 
weak  and  frail  creatures  as  we  are,  to  "  Him  who  is  love  V"  This  principle, 
therefore,  will  carry  you  comfortably  through  all  your  labors,  give  die  tone 
to  all  your  public  services  and  co-operations  with  your  beloved  people,  and 
shed  a  lustre  over  all  your  other  qualifications  for  the  Christian  ministry. 

Again,  this  universal  love  must  bo  associated  or  blended  with  a  large 
and  COMPREHENSIVE  MIND  for  your  own  good  government.  Not  such  a 
mind  a.s  directed  Alexander  to  conquer  the  world,  but  a  mind  mider  the 
highest  influence — I  mean  a  gracious  mind,  a  mind  tliat  is  renewed  in  all 
its  faculties  (Eph.  iv.  23;  Col.  iii.  10) ;  for  however  great  and  excellent 
man^s  powers  once  were,  or  however  much  of  that  greatness  is  loft  since 
the  fall,  we  know  that  by  nature  they  are  all  depraved,  and  not  adapted  for 
God's  work.  It  is,  then,  a  gracious,  a  renewed  mind,  ll»:it  we  are  con- 
templating, renewed  in  knowledge  aftir  the  image  of  Him  that  created 
him  :  this  is  termed  n  crcatioJi,  or  llu"  renewal  of  our  holinrss  lost  in  Adam. 
But  still  tliis  is  too  general  a  term,  as  this  belongs  to  all  believers  as  such. 
The  Christian  ministry  requires  such  a  mind  as  tliat  of  Paul,  the  prince  of 
preachers  ;  we  sec  evcrylliing  in  him  that  was  gracious,  large,  and  rompre- 
hensive,  vet  correct  in  govenimcnt,  superior  to  difficulties  or  sufferings. 
Here  is  an  adaptation  of  the  mind  to  the  work,  formed  upon  fixed  princi- 
ples and  set  upon  great  objects.  It  is  true  you  are  not  called  to  such  ex- 
traordinary services,  nor  are  you  so  highly  gifted  ;  but  a  share  of  rnul's 

•  There  in  no  rtilo  witlioat  »n  exception  :  in  it  few  in»tanro«  weaker  •ocictic*  <Io  •cc-m.  in  •onto 
degree,  lo  •ufTcr  by  »urh  ■*  ore  rtrongcr  and  more  highly  palnmixed.  Whal  arc  railed  "  tick  aocio- 
tiea,"  for  ioalaocc,  ans  crwnpcd  Tory  much  b  their  cxcrtioM  for  wmnt  of  better  support 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

spirit  will  fall  upon  you  as  the  spirit  of  Elijah  rested  on  Elisha.  If  we 
are  not  called  to  foreign  climes,  let  us  extend  our  labors  at  home.  We 
ought  no  longer  to  wait  for  unconverted  sinners  to  come  to  our  churches 
and  chapels.  We  have  waited  too  long :  we  should  follow  them  into  the 
fields,  their  places  of  resort ;  and,  as  to  the  indolent  and  the  infirm,  we 
should  carry  the  gospel  into  their  very  houses,  and  thus  compel  as  many 
as  possible  to  come  in,  that  God's  house  may  be  filled. 

We  see  that  the  eneigies  of  the  mind,  even  when  unassisted  by  that  in- 
fluence which  the  gospel  preacher  is  warranted  to  expect,  are  capable  of 
wonderful  exploits :  the  histories  of  our  military  and  naval  heroes  afford 
numerous  instances ;  and  the  perseverance  of  many  travellers  in  exploring 
the  very  interior  of  barbarous  countries  is  truly  astonishing.  The  discov- 
eries of  a  Newton  show  us  what  the  human  mind  is  capable  of.  The  poet 
of  Stratford-upon-Avon  "  exhausted  worlds,  and  then  imagined  new." 
The  conceptions  of  Homer  and  Milton  transcend  all  ordinary  bounds. 
The  persevering  application  of  men  to  obtain  wealth  has  in  many  instances 
been  most  wonderful.  How  much  more,  then,  will  the  mind  expand  and 
strengthen,  under  divine  wjiucnce,  with  such  amazing  objects  to  excite  its 
diligence  as  eternal  things  present  to  it !  But  we  must  all  confess  that  we 
have  not  yet  attained  to  this  excellence.  "  What  do  we  more  than  oth- 
ers?" We  are  all  guilty;  we  have  not  fulfilled  the  ministry  which  we 
have  received  as  we  ought.  There  are  weapons  sufficient  in  the  gospel 
armory ;  but  we  have  not  used  them,  and  perhaps  not  even  applied  for 
them.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  promised  to  strengthen  us,  and  to  give  success 
to  our  warfare  ;  but  we  have  not  properly  sought  his  assistance.  Motives 
abound  on  every  hand,  but  we  have  not  felt  their  influence.  Examples 
have  been  left,  but  they  have  not  been  followed.  The  command  of  Christ 
stands  upon  record,  but  we  have  disregarded  his  authority.  The  promise 
of  his  presence  has  been  vouchsafed  to  assist  us,  but  we  have  not  depend- 
ed upon  it.  Souls  perish  for  lack  of  knowledge,  but  we  have  no  compas- 
sion upon  them.  We  have  consulted  our  ease,  our  secular  interests ;  we 
have  lived  too  much  to  ourselves  ;  we  have  ourselves  escaped  the  pit  of 
destruction,  but  have  been  criminally  inattentive  to  those  who  are  dailv 
sinking  into  it.  O  God  !  the  residue  of  the  Spirit  is  with  thee.  O  send 
out  thy  light  and  thy  truth !  let  them  lead  us  to  live  and  act  as  men  and 
Christians,  that  we  may  do  all  that  we  can  to  promote  the  salvation  of  men 
and  the  glory  of  the  Savior,  who  designed  by  his  being  lifted  up  to  draw  all 
men  to  himself!  Still  lam  most  ready  to  acknowledge  that  we  have  many 
happy  exceptions,  who  fall  not  under  any  censure  of  this  nature. 

The  usual  routine  of  the  ministerial  office  does  not  change  with  the  age. 
The  stated  duties  of  a  minister  call  for  the  exercise  of  great  wisdom,  a 
strong  and  piercing  insight  into  human  nature,  through  all  its  labyrinths, 
and  all  the  varieties  under  which  it  appears.     Every  minister  should  be  a 

2 


18  INTRODUCTIOX. 

discerner  of  the  spirits  of  men,  that  he  may  beneficially  adapt  his  discourses 
so  as  to  take  a  fast  hold  of  every  variety  of  character — to  show  to  each  his 
own  image — to  reprove,  correct,  or  comfort,  j)ro  re  nata,  thus  becoming, 
not  only  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  but  also  a  casuistic  divine.  Persons  so 
skilled  have  often  so  described  the  heart  of  the  hearer,  and  spoken  to  him 
or  her  so  effectually  to  the  purpose,  as  to  raise  suspicion  of  previous  secret 
conununicaiions.  This  is  excellent.  This  province  of  the  ministry  will 
be  well  understood  by  reading  Blackwell's  Metftodus  Evangelicae,  and 
Baxter's  Saint's  Kest.  ^^^.  Walker  of  Edinburgh  has  many  searching, 
discriminating  discourses,  well  worthy  attention,  particularly  his  sermon 
on  2  Cor.  vi.  1.  Owen  on  Ps.  cxxx.,  and  Jameson's  Sermons  on  the 
Heart,  are  also  in  this  view  highly  valuable.  Some  ideas  may  be  found  in 
the  following  lectures,  under  the  index  words  "  Casuistic  divinity." 

I  may  be  allowed  a  few  concluding  sentences  to  this  short  adilress  be- 
fore we  enter  on  the  ensuing  lectures.  I  will  not  write  of  my  anxieties,  of 
my  love,  of  my  hopes  and  my  fears  for  the  rising  ministr}',  of  my  prayers 
every  day  that  the  world  may  be  benefited  by  more  efficient  servants  than 
we  are  and  have  been,  who  are  ready  to  leave  active  service,  either  as  in- 
valids or  to  give  account  of  our  stewardship  in  the  unknown  state,  '*  from 
whose  bourne  no  traveller  returns."  I  shall  be  permitted  to  hope  that 
thoughts  or  sentiments  unseason^ibly  elevated,  or  habits  of  indulgent  ease, 
will  not  obstruct  our  junior  ministers  in  the  acquisitions  necessary  to  make 
lliem  successfid  preachers. 

The  general  scheme  of  these  lectures  is  developed  in  the  first  nine  of 
them.  The  several  kinds  of  discourse  are  placed  as  nearly  as  possible  in 
an  ascendant  scale — die  easiest  first,  and  most  difilcult  last ;  the  lowest  is 
not  to  be  despised,  die  highest  not  to  be  despaired  of.  The  closest  at- 
tention to  the  nature  and  quality  of  subdivisions  will  be  well  repaid,  for  the 
Strength,  beauty,  and  propriety  of  a  discourse,  are  seen  iiere. 

The  topies  are  auxiliaries  to  our  nine  kinds  of  discourses,  and  form  a 
magazine  of  rieh  treasure,  a  mine  whirji  can  not  be  exhausted  ;  and  the 
classified  examples  of  exordiums  and  perorations,  selected  from  the  high- 
est names  in  our  language,  can  not  fail  to  afford  valuable  instrurtion.  Af- 
ter Uiese,  we  arrive  at  a  lecture  on  Comment,  die  study  of  which  will,  1 
trust,  tend  to  promote  strength  and  efficiency  in  pulpit  discourses. 

In  th<'  appendix  will  be  found  three  short  treatises,  which  will  well  repay 
an  attentive  perusal  :  one  on  J'/din  Lanrrtiafrr,  a  second  on  the  Connexion 
bcturcn  T/icologinit  Siudij  and  Pulpit  Eloquence,  and  a  third  on  Extem- 
poraneous Prcachinfr.  It  may  not  be;  improper  to  add,  that  my  attention 
was  directed  to  the  American  articles  by  ver)'  conqM-tent  judL'*"*  "f  their 
literary  and  theological  value,  and  I  can  not  but  hope  that  dieir  publication 
in  this  country  will  be  productive  of  salutary  cffecta  on  the  present  and 
rising  ministry. 


LECTURES. 


LECTURE  I. 

ON  THE  CHOICE  OF  A  TEXT,  AND  ITS  GENERAL  MANAGEMENT. 

The  choice  of  texts  is  a  point  of  considerable  importance.  In 
making  your  selections,  you  should  be  careful  to  choose  such  as  you  fully 
understand  ;  and,  in  composing  and  preaching  your  sermon,  to  explain  its 
literal  meaning  to  the  congregation.  The  spiritual  application  of  a  text 
should  flow  naturally  from'  the  literal  interpretation  ;  for  to  affix  a  fanciful 
(not  to  say  fantastical)  meaning  to  a  passage  of  God's  word,  under  an  idea 
of  spiritualizing  the  text,  is  abominable.  By  such  a  method,  errors  have 
been,  and  still  are,  propagated  ;  and  many  congregations  are  kept  in  igno- 
rance of  the  very  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God.  You  ought  to 
avoid  the  fashionable  error  of  selecting  a  portion  of  scripture  merely  as  a 
motto.  Every  passage  chosen  for  a  text  ought  to  contain  at  least  one  dis- 
tinct proposition,  and  that  proposition  should  be  the  subject  of  the  dis- 
course. Nor  should  passages  be  selected  from  which  no  important  matter, 
having  a  direct  bearing  on  the  .spiritual  and  eternal  interests  of  the  people, 
can  be  drawn.  A  minister  of  no  ordinary  celebrity  once  preached  irom 
1  Kings  X.  22  :  "  Gold  and  silver,  ivory,  and  apes,  and  peacocks."  An 
ano-el  might  have  wept  over  the  woful  prostitution  of  an  office  expressly 
instituted  to  beseech  sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and  to  build  up  the 
church  of  Christ  in  the  foith  and  hope  of  the  gospel. 

In  the  choice  of  texts  we  see  the  importance  of  a  sou7id  judgment,  to  ^x 
upon  such  as  the  wants  of  the  people  require.  Indeed,  we  need  Divme 
direction  here.  I  have  invariably  succeeded  best  in  preaching  upon  texts 
suggested  to  my  mind  in  secret  prayer  ;  but  this  has  not  been  very  fre- 
quently flie  case.  Perhaps  some  of  these  arose  out  of  the  feelings  of  my 
own  heart ;  and  such  were  likely  to  suit  the  feelings  of  others.  Here  I 
have  never  been  deceived  ;  nor  do  I  recollect  that  I  ever  put  aside  texts 
so  suggested  to  me  :  they  have  always  been  appropriate,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected. 

The  difficulty  of  choice  increases  with  the  years  of  a  preacher's  resi- 
dence in  one  station.  I  need  not  say  anything  to  you  on  this  point,  as 
your  own  experience  will  teach  you  what  to  do.  For  myself,  I  may  ob- 
serve that  I  never  undertook  to  preach  on  a  text  till  I  saw  clearly  my  way, 
nor  till  I  saw  clearly  my  duty,  as  to  such  text. 

Texts  should  be  neither  too  sJiort  nor  too  lo7ig.  In  the  former  case, 
extraneous  and  irrelevant  matter  must  be  introduced  into  the  discourse  ; 


90  LECTURE    I. 

and,  in  the  latter,  much  that  b  important  must  in  general  remain  untouched. 
Some  pas>?auc?,  however,  tlioiii;h  lont:,  may  be  advantaircouslv  treated  in 
a  single  discourse.  Walker,  of  Edinburtrh.  in  his  sermon  on  Col.  i.  16— 
19,  disriisst's  tliis  coinpreliensive  passai,a'  thus  :  I.  Wjiat  Christ  is  in  him- 
self. II.  Wiiat  he  is  to  us,  or  the  church.  HI.  His  qualifications  for  the 
dischari;e  of  what  belon<js  to  that  station.  Farquhar,  in  his  twelfUi  and 
fifteenth  discourses,  also  furnishes  schemes  as  comprehensive  a-s  they  are 
appropriate. 

I  would  reconunond  you  to  avoid,  at  first,  those  texts  which  almost  ne- 
cessarily lead  to  the  discussion  of  the  more  dinicult  and  abstruse  parts  of 
tlieolopy,  and  to  confine  yourself  principally  to  those  which  treat  on  the 
original  state  of  man — the  full,  and  its  consequences — the  total  depravity 
of  man,  his  guilt,  corruption,  helplessness,  and  niin — the  redemption  of 
man  by  Jesus  Chnst — the  plan  by  which  that  redenij)ti()n  was  procured 
and  is  applied — the  <:l<>ry  of  Christ's  person,  the  riciies  of  his  grace — in 
short,  all  he  did,  and  all  he  suffered,  what  he  is  now  doing,  and  what  he 
will  do  at  the  end  of  time — the  personality  and  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit — 
the  nature  of  his  work  on  the  human  heart,  and  its  effects — man's  duty, 
and  his  responsibility.  The  Psalms  will  alwavs  fiirnish  passaires  descrip- 
tive of  the  experience  of  the  saints  ;  and  the  Epistles  will  direct  to  those 
distiniruishing  doctrines  of  tlic  gospel  which  are  the  foundation  of  the  sin- 
ner's hope. 

Avoid,  likewise,  all  words,  phrases,  or  even  allusions,  of  an  indelicate 
nature.  The  language  of  scripture  itself  is  not  always  to  be  quoted  liter- 
ally.  The  same  meaning  would  occasionally  have  been  expressed  in 
other  language  had  the  translation  been  made  in  the  present  day  ;  hut 
whether  refinement  in  language  has  been  accompanied  by  a  corresponding 
purity  of  mind  is  a  question  I  am  not  competent  to  detennine. 

Tlie  time  of  the  congregjition  is  not  to  be  taken  up  with  cr'itiral  re- 
marks. These  may  sometimes  be  necessary,  but  sjiould  alwavs  be  intro- 
duced with  trreat  caution.  LearncMl  quotations  are  seldom  required  ;  and  a 
young  man  who  frequently  introduces  them  is  generally  considered  as  more 
desirous  of  showinij  his  extensive  reading  than  of  benefiting  the  people. 
Dr.  Doddridire  in  his  Icctun^  furnishes  some  valuable  cautions  on  this 
subject,  as  well  as  on  the  choice  of  texts. 

When  called  tqjon  to  prefich  in  stranije  churches,  1.  Do  not  choose 
texts  uhich  ajipcar  odd,  the  choice  of  which  vanity  may  be  suj)posed  to 
dictate.  2.  \or  a  text  of  censure  :  this  is  assuming.  3.  Nor  a  text  Irad- 
infr  to  ntrioiis  ami  kiiottij  ffucstions  :  then  it  woidd  be  saitl  that  you  preached 
yourself.  4.  Do  not  aim  to  eclipse  the  minister  of  ihe  place  by  an  extra- 
ordinary disjdai/  of'  talrnt :  this  is  imkind.  IJut,  !>.  Choose  a  text  of  an 
ordinary  'difyiii<^  nature,  connecting  doctrine  and  j)raclicc  together,  still 
not  a  doctrine  in  respect  of  which  there  may  he  at  thai  lime  much  division 
amont;  the  j)eoph' ;  this,  I  think,  does  not  belong  to  a  stranger.  Deliver 
llje  discour>*e  with  urbanity  and  Christian  feeling;  you  will  then  Ik;  wel- 
come a  second  lime. 

In  the  MANAf;i:MKNT  OF  A  Ti:xT  the  first  diing  to  be  considered  is, 
whether  there  bo  anything  which  requires  explanation.  In  particular, 
single  words  must  be  explained — 

1.  If  they  be  of  foreign  derivation,  and  not  sufficiently  familiarized  to 
plain  people ;  as  unction,  charity,  ami  many  jither?. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    A    TEXT.  2fl 

2.  When  a  word  is  used  in  scripture  in  a  sense  well  understood  two  or 
three  hundred  years  ago,  but  now  obsolete,  as  prcvcjit,  Ps.  Ixxix.  8. 

3.  When  a  word  has  several  significations,  and  you  mean  to  confine  it 
to  one. 

4.  When  a  term  is  compounded  of  t^vo  or  more  words  in  any  unusual 
way,  especially  if  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  a  foreign  language. 

5.  When  a  word  has  become  quite  obsolete  ;  as  leasing,  Ps.  iv.  2. 

6.  But  especially  proper  and  appellative  names  which  we  find  untrans- 
lated in  our  bibles. 

7.  Single  words  are  often  key-words  to  the  sense  of  the  text,  as  the  word 
so,  John  iii.  16,  for  which  see  Index  of  Texts. 

8.  Doctrinal  words  ;  as  salvation,  justification,  adoption,  sanctification, 
&c.  Such  terms  should  he  explained  with  clearness,  that  the  most  igno- 
rant may  understand :  with  brevity,  that  it  may  not  occupy  the  time  which 
the  discussion  will  require :  and  scrijHurally,  because  the  same  terms  are 
employed  in  a  variety  of  senses.  A  good  biblical  dictionary  will  render 
considerable  assistance  in  fixing  the  true  meaning  of  a  term. 

9.  This  method  may  also  be  adopted  in  preaching  from  such  passages 
as  Acts  ii.  27,  28,  when  the  terms  soul,  hell,  life,  must  be  clearly  defined, 
and  their  meaning  fixed. 

Scripture  yhrases  frequently  require  explanation,  sometimes  on  account 
of  their  reference  to  the  customs  of  the  Jews  and  other  eastern  nations,  not 
generally  understood  among  us,  and,  at  other  times,  because  of  the  prone- 
ness  of  the  more  illiterate  to  affix  to  them  a  false  meaning,  which  leads  to 
errors  most  destructive  in  their  consequences. 

I  will  subjoin  a  list  of  several,  with  their  explanation.  The  number 
might  be  considerably  increased ;  but  these  comprise  some  of  the  most 
frequent  occurrence. 

2  Cor.  v.  17.  Jn  Christ — United  to  him  by  living  faith. 

Matt.  xi.  28.   To  come  to  Christ — To  believe  in  him  as  the  appointed  Savior. 

viii.  34.  To  cnme  after  Christ — To  be  his  disciple — to  follow  his  direction  and 
example. 
Rom.    i.    17.  From  faith  to  faith — From  one  degree  of  faith  to  another. 

viii.  13.  To  live  after  the  flesh — To  live  according  to  the  dictates  of  unrenewed 
nature. 
Rom.  viii.  1.   To  live  after  the  Spirit — To  yield  to  his  teaching  and  sanctifying 

influences. 
2  Cor.  iii.  18.  From  fflory  to  s^lory — From  one  spiritual  excellence  to  another. 
Ephes.  iv.  22.   The  old  man — Our  sinful  nature. 

24.   The  new  man — Our  nature  renewed  in  the  imaijc  of  God. 
Rom.  viii.  10.  Christ  in  you — Christ  ruling  in  the  soul,  by  his  Spirit. 

xiv.    7.   To  live  to  ourselves — To  be  actuated  by  selfish  prin:iples. 
Gal.   vi.    14.  Crucified  to  the  world — Dead  to  its  allurements. 

World  crucified  to  us — Lost  its  power  or  influence  over  us. 
John    XV.    5.  Abiding  in  Christ — Continually  exercising  faidi  in  him  and  love  to 

him." 
1  John  iii.  14.  Abiding  in  death — Destitute  of  the  inward  life  of  God. 
John   iii.   16.   To  believe  in  Christ — To  rely  on  him  for  salvation. 
Acts  viii.  23.   To  be  in  the  gall  of  bitterness — To  be  wholly  under   the  dominion 
of  sin. 
21.  Part  or  lot — Right  of  inheritance. 
xi.  23.   To  cleave  to  the  Lord — To  adhere  to  his  doctrine  and  service. 
1    Cor.    V.    5.   The  day  of  the  Lord — The  final  coming  of  Christ. 
Ps.  xxvii.   4.   The  beauty  of  the  Lord — The  glorious  manifestations  of  Jehovah's 
presence. 
cxi.  10.  The  fear  of  the  Lord — The  filial  affection  of  a  gracious  heart. 


22  LECTURE    I. 

Ps.     Ivii.     8.  Aicakf  up,  my  ^lory — My  loiyjuo.  or  my  powers  of  praise. 

ix.  10.   The  name  of  the  Lord — His  perftTlions  and  attributes. 
Gal.    V.      12.   To  be  cut  off — Excuiuiuunicuted,  accursed. 
Matt.  xxii.  13.  Outer  darkness — The  uncheered  pliHini  and  hopeless  anj^sh  of  hell. 

1  Peter  ii.  9.   To  he  called  cut  of  darkness — Out  of  a  state  nf  spiritual   iijnorance. 

It  sumetiines  refers  to  pagan  darkness — sometimes  to  the  Jewish 

dispensation. 
Eph.   iii.    17.  Christ  diccllini^  in  our  hearts — \s  a  principle  of  life,  to  quicken  ;  as  a 

teacher,  to  instruct ;  as  a  guide,  to  direct ;  as  a  friend,  to  help  ;  as  a 

kinij,  to  rule. 
Rom.  vii.  24.   The  body  of  sin  and  death — The  corrupt  sinful  nature  of  man. 
John    vi.    54.   To  eat  Christ's  jlesh — To  derive  spiritual  nouri.-hnunt  from  him  by 

faith. 
Matt.  vi.  33.   To  seek  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness — The  state  of 

jjrace  under  the  gospel,  and  its  accompanying  privileges. 
Heb.   vi.    18.   To  flee  for  refuse — To  Hee  to  Christ,  from  pursuing  wrath,  in  allu- 
sion to  the  Cities  of  refui^e  under  the  law. 

2  Cor.  v.   12.  Christ  made  sin  for  us — An  offering  for  sin. 

Made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him — Freely  jtistified,  on  believing, 
in  virtue  of  what  Christ  has  done  and  suffered. 

1  PeL  iii.  IS.  Put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit— Tul  to  death 
in  his  humanity,  but  (juickened  by  his  divinity. 

iThess.  V.  19.  Quench  not  the  Spirit — Act  not  in  opposition  to  his  enlightening,  sanc- 
tifying, and  qu!ok»'niiig  influences. 

Eph.  iv.  30.  Grieve  not  the  Spirit — by  indulging  desires,  affections,  &c.,  conirary 
to  his  purity. 

Acts  vii.  51.  Resist  in  n  the  Holy  Ghost — Not  yielding  to  the  evidences  of  divine  au- 
thority in  the  Scriptures ;  not  receiving  the  truth  at  the  hands  of 
(iod's  ministers. 

Matt.  xii. 31, '2.  Sin  ai^ainst  the  Holy  Ghost — Ascribing  to  the  agency  of  Satan  those 
miracles  which  Christ  wrought  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  (ihost.* 
xvi.  21.    To  deny  ourselves — To  forego  those  pursuits  and  indulgences  which 
are  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  and  militate  against  oiu 
spiritual  prosperity. 
"  Taktnij  up  the  cross,  ii(c. — Patiently  suhmittin?  to  the  reproach  conse- 

quent upon  our  profession  of  attachment  to  Christ  and  his  cause. 

Whenever  yon  meet  with  surli  pa.ssa{jes  a.s  ihe.'^e,  you  must  not  j);is3 
litem  lightly,  for  perhaps  ihc  (li.'icourse  will  turn  very  mncli  upon  iJiem. 
Apain  :  ifihc  force  of  a  pa.ssajje  depends  on  the  form  of  exjjres.sion,  or  any 
word  in  it,  trreat  care  must  he  taken.  Hut  on  thi.s  point  I  refer  you  to  the 
early  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Topic,  in  the  ensuiiiir  paj,'es.  Almost  any  com- 
mentator will  throw  light  enou::h  on  these  suhjrcts. 

The  following  ffcncuil  ohsirvafions  on  the  vuina^rrmcnt  of  ti  text  siioidd 
he  <lecply  imj)ressed  on  the  .student's  mind  and  memory.  M.  Claude  very 
judiciously  ohscrves — 

•'  I.  A  .sermon  should  clnirly  nui\  purely  rr]»/ain  a  trrt,  make  the  sense 
ca.sy  to  he  comprehended,  and  place  things  hcfore  the  people's  eye.'*  .so  that 
they  may  he  understood  without  diflicidty.  Thi.s  rule  coiulemns  emhar- 
ra-s.Hment  and  obscurity,  the  most  disagreeahle  things  in  the  worlil  in  n  go.-*- 
pcl  pidpit.  It  ought  to  be  remembered  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  hearers 
are  simple  people,  whf)se  profit,  however,  must  be  aimed  at  in  preaching  ; 
but  it  is  inipossihie  to  edify  them  unless  you  be  very  cicar.t  As  to  learned 
hparers,  it  is  certain  that  they  will  always  prefer  a  clear  before  an  ob.scuro 

*  Th«  Jews  rommillivl  lliii  ain  amtinat  Uic  rvi<lrnro  nf  ><>u^  •  ii  fine*  not  appoar  to  ho  {>o«MJblo  for 
uny  man  tu  romniil  it  now  in  thai  prin-iae  fomi ,  ypt  cnniiiy  aofl  tnalim  afrainal  (h<i  Initli.  tn  iIkmw 
who  once  arknowltsigcU  and  prufcMcd  il,  cvimo  a  drf,*mc  uf  chniiitaiily  njuaJ  lo  (Ital  of  ibo  I'hah- 
au(!«. 

t  The  uM'  of  plain  SaxooKuKliah  >vonla  will  fprntly  cuuirihutc  u>  tbi«.  See  ibfl  oaMy  on  pl&in 
languago  at  tlie  end  of  thia  work. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    A    TEXT.  33 

sermon  ;  for,  first,  they  will  consider  the  simple,  nor  will  their  benevolence 
be  content  if  the  illiterate  be  not  edified  ;  and,  next,  they  will  be  loath  to  be 
driven  to  the  necessity  of  giving  too  great  an  attention,  wdiich  they  can  not 
avoid  if  the  preacher  be  obsure.  The  minds  of  men,  \\-hether  learned  or 
ignorant,  generally  avoid  pain  ;  and  the  learned  have  fatigue  enough  in  the 
study,  without  increasing  it  at  church.* 

"  II.  A  sermon  must  give  the  entire  sense  of  the  whole  text,  in  order  to 
which  it  must  be  considered  in  every  view.  This  rule  condemns  dry  and 
barren  explications,  wherein  the  preacher  discovers  neidier  study  nor  in- 
vention, and  leaves  unsaid  a  great  number  of  beautiful  things  with  which 
his  text  would  have  furnished  him.  Preachments  of  this  kind  are  extreme- 
ly disgustful :  the  mind  is  neither  elevated  nor  informed  ;  nor  is  the  heart 
at  all  moved.  In  matters  of  religion  and  piety,  not  to  edify  much  is  to 
destroy  much  ;  and  a  sermon  cold  and  poor  will  do  more  mischief  in  an 
hour  than  many  rich  sermons  can  do  good.  I  do  not  mean  that  a  preach- 
er should  always  put  forth  his  utmost  efforts,  or  that  he  should  always 
preach  alike  well ;  there  are  extraordinary  occasions  for  which  all  his  vigor 
must  be  reserved.  But  I  mean  that,  in  ordinary  and  usual  sermons,  a 
kind  of  plenitude  should  satisfy  and  content  the  hearers.  The  preacher 
must  not  always  labor  to  carry  the  people  beyond  themselves,  nor  to  ravish 
them  into  ecstasies  ;  but  he  must  always  satisfy  them,  and  maintain  in  them 
an  esteem  and  an  eagerness  for  practical  piety. 

"  III.  The  preacher  must  be  wise,  sober,  chaste.  I  say  loise,  in  oppo- 
sition to  those  impertinent  people  who  ufter  jests,  comical  comparisons, 
quirks,  and  extravagancies ;  and  such  are  a  great  part  of  the  preachers  of 
the  church  of  Rome.  I  say  sober,  in  opposition  to  those  rash  spirits 
who  would  penetrate  all,  and  curiously  dive  into  mysteries  beyond  the 
bounds  of  modesty.  Such  are  those  who  make  no  difficulty  of  delivering 
in  the  pulpit  all  the  speculations  of  the  schools  on  the  mystery  of  the  Trin- 
ity, the  incarnation,  the  eternal  reprobation  of  mankind  ;  such  as  treat  of 
questions  beyond  our  knowledge,  viz.,  What  would  have  been  if  Adam 
had  abode  in  innocence  ?  what  is  the  state  of  souls  after  death  ?  or  what 
the  resurrection,  and  our  state  of  eternal  glory  in  paradise  ?  Such  are 
those  who  fill  their  sermons  with  the  different  interpretations  of  a  term,  or 
the  different  oj)inions  of  interpreters  on  any  passage  of  scripture,  who  load 
their  hearers  with  tedious  recitals  of  ancient  history,  or  an  account  of  the 
divers  heresies  which  have  troubled  the  church  upon  any  matter  :  all  these 
are  contrary  to  the  sobriety  of  which  we  speak,  and  which  is  one  of  the 
most  excellent  pulpit  virtues.  I  say,  further,  chaste,  in  opposition  to  those 
bold  and  impudent  geniuses  who  are  not  ashauAcd  of  saying  many  things 
which  produce  unclean  ideas  in  the  mind.  A  preacher  can  not  be  called 
chaste  who,  speaking  of  the  conception  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  virgin's 
womb,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  without  the  intervention  of  man, 
is  not  careful  of  saying  anything  that  may  shock  the  modesty  of  some,  and 
give  occasion  of  discourse  to  the  profanity  of  others.  There  are  I  know 
not  how  many  subjects  of  this  kind  ;  as  when  the  eternal  generation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  spoken  of;  when  the  term  regeneration 

*  Bisliop  Burnet  saj's  :  "  A  preacher  is  to  fancy  himself  as  in  the  room  oi  the  most  unlearned  man  in 
the  uliolc  parish,  and  must  tliereforu  put  sucli  parts  of  his  discourses  as  he  would  have  all  understand 
in  so  plain  a  form  of  words  that  it  may  not  be  beyond  thv  meanest  of  them.  This  he  will  certainly 
mudy  to  do  if  his  desire  be  to  edify  them,  rather  than  to  make  them  admire  himself  as  a  learned  and 
bighspoken  man," — Pastoral  Care,  ch.  ix. 


24  LECTURE    I. 

a  cxj)laine(l,  which  srrij)tiire  uses  U)  express  our  conversion  ;  or  when  we 
treat  of  lliat  seed  of  (Jod  of  whirh,  acrortlini;  to  St.  John,  we  are  horn  ;  or 
when  wc  enforce  the  duties  of  hushancl.s  to  wives,  or  of  wives  to  hushands  ; 
or  when  we  speak  of  the  lore  of  Jesus  Christ  lo  his  churcli,  under  the  no- 
lion  of  a  conjugal  relation  ;  or  when  eternal  felicity  is  spoken  of  under  the 
iinaije  of  a  IhiiujucI  or  of  a  marriagt-feast.  On  all  such  sidijects,  chastity 
should  weii,'h  the  expressions,  and  make  a  judicious  choice,  in  order  to 
keep  the  hearer's  mind  at  tlie  /greatest  distance  from  all  sorts  of  canial  and 
terrestrial  ideas.  The  likeliest  way  of  succeedinn;  in  tliesc  cases  is  to  be- 
ware of  pressing  metaphorical  terms  too  far,  to  adhere  to  general  consid- 
erations, and,  if  possible,  to  explain  the  metaphorical  terms  in  few  words, 
and  aftenvard  to  cleave  entirely  to  the  thinfr  itself. 

"  I\'.  A  preacher  must  ho  simple  and  grnre.  Simple — spcakinir  thin^ 
full  of  j^'ood  natural  sense,  without  metaphysical  speculations  ;  for  none  are 
more  impertinent  than  those  who  deliver  in  the  pulpit  abstract  speculations, 
definitions  in  form,  and  scholastic  (piestions,  which  thev  pretend  to  derive 
from  their  texts  ;  as,  on  the  maimer  of  the  existence  of  auircls,  the  means 
whereby  tliey  communicate  their  ideas  to  each  other,  the  maimer  in  which 
ideas  eternally  subsist  in  the  divine  understanding,  with  many  more  of  the 
game  class,  all  certainly  opposite  to  simplicity.  To  simple  I  add  grare^ 
because  all  sorts  of  mean  thouirhts  and  expressions,  all  sorts  of  vulpu"  and 
proverbial  sayinirs,  ou;:ht  to  be  avoided.  The  pul|)it  is  the  seat  of  pood 
natural  sense,  and  the  good  sense  of  L'ood  men.  On  the  one  liaiid,  then, 
you  are  not  to  philosophize  too^tnuch,  and  refine  your  subject  out  of  sight ; 
nor,  on  the  other,  to  abase  yourself  to  tlie '  language  and  thoughts  of  the 
dregs  of  the  people. 

"  V.  The  understanding  must  be  informed,  but  in  a  manner,  however, 
which  olfrcts  the  heart,  either  to  comfort  the  hearers  or  to  excite  them  to 
acts  of  piety,  repentance,  or  holiness.  There  are  two  ways  of  doing  this  : 
one  formal,  in  turning  the  subject  to  practical  uses,  and  so  applying  it  to 
the  hearers  ;  the  othiT  in  the  simple  choice  of  the  things  spoken  ;  f«)r  if 
they  be  good,  solid,  evangelical,  and  edifyint:  of  themselves,  thouirh  no 
appiicatifMi  should  be  formally  made,  the  auditors  would  niake  it  them- 
selves, because  subjects  of  this  kind  are  of  such  a  natun*  that  they  can 
scarcely  enter  tlie^understandinir  without  penetrating  die  heart.  I  do  not 
blame  the  metlKxiof  some  preachers,  who,  when  tln'y  have  opene<l  some 
point  of  doctrine,  or  ma«le  some  important  »)bsen'atie»ii,  immediately  turn 
it  into  a  briff  moral  application  lo  the  ln-arers  ;  this  Mr.  I)aillc  frequently 
did:  yet  1  think  it  shoidd  not  be  made  a  constant  practice,  because,  1st, 
whal  the  hearer  is  used  to  he  will  be  prepared  for,  and  so  it  will  lose  its 
effect  ;  and,  2dly,  because  you  would  thereby  interrupt  your  explication, 
nnd  consequently  also  the  attention  «>f  the  hearer,  which  is  a  great  incon- 
venience. Nev«'rtheless,  when  it  is  done  but  seldom,  nnd  seasonably, 
great  advantage  may  be  reaped. 

"  Hut  then;  is  another  way  of  luniing  doctrines  to  practical  uses  which 
in  my  opinion  is  far  more  excellent,  authoritative,  ^rand,  and  cfTectnal  ; 
tliat*is,  by  tn-ating  the  doctrine  contained  in  the  text  in  a  way  oC  jtrrprtiiol 
ovpliaition.  This  method  produces  excellent  elFrcts,  f(»r  ii  pleases,  in- 
structs, and  affects  all  ttt^cther.  But  neither  must  this  be  made  habitual, 
for  it  would  fati;;ue  the  hearer,  nothint:  being  more  delicate,  nor  sooner 
diseouiaged,  ihuu  tlic  human  mind.     Th'  r.-  arc  faxt-tiays,  Lord's-suppcr- 


MANAGEMENT    OF    A    TEXT.  25 

days,  and  many  such  seasonable  times  for  this  method.  This  way,  as  I 
have  said,  is  full  of  admirable  fruits  ;  but  it  must  be  well  executed,  with 
power  and  address,  with  choice  of  thoughts  and  expressions,  otherwise 
the  preacher  will  make  himself  ridiculous,  and  provoke  the  people  to  say, 

"  '  Ciuid  di^nm  tanto  feret  hie  promissor  liiatu  ? 
I'artariiuit  moutes  ;  nascetur  ridicolua  mas.' 

"  VI.  One  of  the  most  important  precepts  for  .ae  discussion  of  a  text, 
and  the  composition  of  a  sermon,  is,  above  all  things,  to  avoid  excess : 
Ne  quid  7iimis. 

*'  1.  There  must  not  be  too  much  genius — I  mean,  not  too  many  bril- 
liant, sparkling,  and  striking  things ;  for  they  would  produce  very  bad  ef- 
fects. The  auditor  will  never  fail  to  say,  '  The  man  preaches  himself, 
aims  to  display  his  genius,  and  is  not  animated  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  but 
by  that  of  the  world.'  Besides,  the  hearer  would  be  overcharged.  The 
mind  of  man  has  its  bounds  and  measures  ;  and,  as  the  eye  is  dazzled  with 
too  strong  a  light,  so  is  the  mind  offended  with  the  glare  of  too  great  an 
assemblage  of  beauties.  Further,  it  would  destroy  the  principal  end  of 
preaching,  which  is  to  sanctify  the  conscience  ;  for,  when  the  mind  is  over- 
loaded with  too  many  agreeable  ideas,  it  has  not  leisure  to  reflect  on  the 
objects,  and  without  reflection  the  heart  is  unaffected.  Moreover,  ideas 
which  divert  the  mind  are  not  very  proper  to  move  the  conscience ;  tliey 
flatter  the  imagination,  and  that  is  all.  Such  a  preacher  will  oblige  people 
to  say  of  him,  '  He  has  genius,  a  lively  and  fruitful  imagination  ;  but  he  is 
not  solid.'  In  fine,  it  is  not  possible  for  a  man  who  piques  himself  on 
filling  his  sermon  widi  vivacities  of  imagination  to  maintain  die  spirit  all 
along  ;  he  will  therefore  become  a  tiresome  tautologist :  nor  is  it  hard  in 
sUch  sermons  to  discover  many  false  brilliances,  as  we  see  daily. 

"  2.  A  sermon  must  not  be  overcharged  ivith  doctrine,  because  the 
hearers'  memories  can  not  retain  it  all,  and  by  aiming  to  keep  all  they  will 
lose  all  ;  and  because  you  will  be  obliged  cither  to  be  excessively  tedious 
or  to  propose  the  doctrine  in  a  dry,  barren,  scholastic  manner,  which  will 
deprive  it  of  all  its  beauty  and  efficacy.  A  sermon  should  instruct, 
please,  and  affect ;  that  is,  it  should  always  do  these  as  much  as  possible. 
As  the  doctrinal  part,  which  is  instructive,  should  always  be  proposed  in 
an  agreeable  and  affecting  manner,  so  the  agreeable  parts  should  be  pro- 
posed in  an  instructive  manner ;  and  even  in  the  conclusion,  which  is  de- 
signed wholly  to  affect,  agreeableness  must  not  be  neglected,  nor,  alto- 
gether, instrucdon.  Take  care,  then,  not  to  charge  your  sermon  witli  too 
much  matter. 

"  3.  Care  must  also  be  taken  never  to  strain  aiiy  'particular  jiart,  either 
in  attempting  to  exhaust  it  or  to  penetrate  too  far  into  it.  If  you  aim  at 
exhausting  a  subject,  you  will  be  obliged  to  heap  up  a  number  of  common 
things  without  choice  or  discernment ;  if  at  penetrating,  you  can  not  avoid 
falling  into  many  curious  questions  and  unedifying  subtleties ;  and  fre- 
quently, in  attempting  it,  you  will  distil  the  subject  till  it  evaporates. 

"4.  Figures  must  not  he  overstrained.  This  is  done  by  stretching  meta- 
phor into  allegoiy,  or  by  carrying  a  parallel  too  far.  A  metaphor  is  changed 
into  an  allegory  when  a  number  of  things  are  heaped  up  which  agree  to 
the  subject,  in  keeping  close  to  the  metaphor.  As  in  explaining  this  text, 
God  is  a  sun  and  a  shield,  it  would  be  stretching  die  metaphor  into  an  al- 


20  LECTURE    I. 

loirorv  to  make  a  great  collection  of  wjial  God  is  in  liim>oir,  what  to  us, 
wiiat  lie  docs  in  the  under.-tandinf;  and  conscience  of  the  believer,  what  he 
operates  on  the  wicked,  what  his  absence  causes,  and  all  lliese  under  terms 
which  had  a  perpetual  relation  to  the  sun.  Allcfjories  may  be  sometimes 
used  very  ajjrceably  ;  but  they  ujust  not  be  strained  :  that  is,  all  that  can 
be  said  on  them  must  not  be  said.  A  parallel  is  run  too  far  when  a  f^reat 
number  of  conformities  between  the  fi^^ure  and  the  thinjij  represented  by 
tl>e  fijjure  are  heaped  together.  This  is  almost  the  perpetual  vice  of  mean 
and  low  preachers  ;  for  when  they  catch  a  figurative  word,  or  a  metajjlior 
— as  when  God's  wonl  is  called  n  Jirc,  or  a  sworil,  or  the  church  a  house, 
or  a  (love,  or  Jesus  Christ  a  light,  a  sun,  a  vine,  or  a  door,  they  never  fail 
making  a  long  detail  of  conformities  between  the  figures  and  the  subjects 
themselves,  and  frequently  say  ridiculous  things.  This  vice  must  be  avoid- 
ed, and  you  must  be  content  to  explain  the  metaphor  in  a  few  w(jrds,  and 
to  mark  the  ])rincipal  agreements,  or  order  afterward  to  cleave  to  the  tiling 
it^self. 

"  5.  Reasoning  must  not  be  carried  too  far.  This  may  be  done  many 
ways  ;  as  by  long  trains  of  reasons,  composed  of  a  number  of  propositions 
chained  together,  or  of  princi|)les  and  consequences,  whirh  way  of  reason- 
ing is  embarrassing  and  painful  to  (he  auditory,  or  by  making  many  branch- 
es of  reasons,  and  establishini;  them  one  after  another,  which  is  tiresome 
and  fati'Tuin'T  to  the  mind.  The  mind  of  man  loves  to  be  conducted  in  a 
more  smooth  and  easy  way  ;  all  must  not  be  proved  at  once  ;  but  supposing 
principles  which  are  true  and  plain,  and  which  you,  when  it  is  necessary, 
are  capable  of  proving  and  sujiportinir,  you  must  be  content  with  using 
them  to  prove  what  you  have  in  hand.  Vet  I  do  not  mean  that,  in  rea- 
soning, arguments  should  be  so  short  and  dry,  and  proposed  in  so  brief  a 
manner,  as  to  divest  the  truth  of  half  its  force,  as  many  authors  leave  them. 
I  onlv  mean  that  a  due  medium  should  be  prescr\-ed  ;  that  is,  that,  without 
fatiguing  the  miml  and  .attention  of  the  iiearer,  reasons  should  be  placed  in 
just  as  much  force  and  clearness  as  are  necessary  to  produce  the  eflect. 

"  Iteasoning  may  also  be  overstrained  by  heaping  great  numbers  r)f 
proofs  on  the  same  subject.  Numerous  proofs  are  intolerable,  except  in 
a  principal  matter,  which  is  likely  to  be  much  questioned  or  controverted 
bv  the  hearers.  In  such  a  case,  you  would  be  obliged  to  treat  the  subject 
fullv  and  r.r  j/ro/two,  otherwise  the  hearers  woulil  consider  your  attempt  to 
prove  the  matter  as  a  useless  digression.  liiit  when  you  are  f)ltlii,'ed  to 
treat  a  subject  fully,  when  tliat  subject  is  very  important,  whin  it  is  doubt- 
ed and  conlroverteil,  then  a  great  number  of  j)roofs  are  proper.  In  such 
a  case,  you  must  propose  to  convince  and  bear  down  the  oj)ponent's  judg- 
ment, by  makini;  truth  triumph  in  many  difTeri'nt  manners.  In  such  a 
case,  manv  proofs  associated  toirdher  to  jiroduce  one  efTcct  are  like  many 
rays  of  light,  which  naturally  strengthen  each  other,  and  which  altogether 
form  a  body  of  brightness  which  is  irresistible. 

"  G.  You  must,  as  much  as  possible,  abstain  from  all  sorts  of  observa- 
tions foreign  from  thrology.      Ill  this  class  I  place — 

"(1.)  (irammafiral  observations  of  every  kind,  which,  not  being  within 
the  peojile's  kiunvlcdge,  can  only  weary  ami  disgust  them.  Tlicy  may, 
nevertheless,  be  used  when  ihey  furnish  an  agreeable  sense  of  the  word, 
or  open  some  important  obscnation  on  the  subject  itself,  provided  it  be 
done  very  seldom  and  very  pertinently. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    A    TEXT.  27 

"  (2.)  Critical  observations  about  different  readings,  different  punctua- 
tions, &c.,  must  be  avoided.  Make  all  the  use  you  can  of  critical  knowl- 
edge yourself;  but  spare  die  people  die  account,  for  it  must  needs  be  very 
disagreeable  to  them.     I  add, 

"  (;J.)  Avoid  philosophical  and  historical  observations,  and  all  such  as 
belong  to  rhetoric  ;  or,  if  you  do  use  them,  do  not  insist  on  them,  and 
choose  only  those  which  either  give  some  light  to  the  text  or  heighten  its 
pathos  and  beauty  :  all  others  must  be  rejected. 

"  LasUy,  I  say  the  same  of  passages  from  profane  authors,  or  rahbics,  or 
fathers,  with  which  many  think  they  enrich  their  sermons.  This  farrago 
is  only  a  vain  ostentation  of  learning,  and  very  often  those  who  fill  their 
sermons  with  such  quotations  know  them  only  by  the  relation  of  others. 
However,  I  would  not  blame  a  man  who  should  use  them  discreetly.  A 
quotation  not  common,  and  properly  made,  has  a  very  good  effect." 

I  shall  close  this  lecture  with  a  ^e\v  words  on  the  management  of  a  text 
in  reference  to  its  connexion.  The  connexion  is  the  relation  of  your  text 
to  the  foregoing  or  following  verses.  To  find  this,  consider  the  scope  of 
the  discourse,  and  consult  commentators  ;  particularly  exercise  your  own 
good  sense,  for  commentators  frequenUy  trifle,  and  give  forced  and  far- 
fetched connexions,  all  which  ought  to  be  avoided,  for  they  are  not  natural, 
and  sometimes  good  sense  will  discover  the  scope  and  design  of  a  passage 
far  better  than  this  class  of  writers. 

There  are  texts  the  connexions  of  which,  I  own,  it  will  be  sometimes 
difficult  to  perceive.  In  such  a  case,  endeavor  to  discover  them  by  fre- 
quent and  intense  meditation,  or  take  that  which  commentators  furnish  ; 
and,  among  many  which  they  give,  choose  that  which  appears  most  natu- 
ral. If  you  can  find  none  that  appears  of  any  importance  in  relation  to  the 
text,  the  best  way  will  be  to  let  the  context  alone.  In  many  Psalms,  and 
in  the  book  of  Proverbs,  there  is  really  no  connexion  whatever.  I  may 
add  that  the  connexion  is  a  part  which  must  in  general  be  very  little  insist- 
ed on,  because  the  hearers  almost  always  pass  it  over,  and  receive  but  little 
instruction  from  it. 

When  the  coherence  will  furnish  any  agreeable  considerations  for  the 
illustration  of  the  text,  they  must  be  put  in  the  discussion  ;  and  this  will 
very  often  happen.  A  very  popular  preacher,  in  the  days  of  his  strength, 
used  frequently  to  take  such  a  text  as  had  in  its  surrounding  verses  a  sup- 
ply of  particulars  for  the  illustration  of  the  text  itself.  This  method  gives 
variety,  and  is  both  agreeable  and  edifying.  I  have  occasionally  adopted 
it  with  success.  Sometimes  the  context  will  supply  suitable  materials  for 
an  introduction.  Blair  furnishes  some  beautiful  examples  of  exordiums 
in  which  the  context  is  judiciously  thrown  into  the  form  of  a  continuous 
narrative. 

Mr.  Simeon  says :  "  There  is,  however,  one  point,  in  relation  to  the 
connexion,  to  which  very  especial  attention  should  be  paid,  and  it  is  this  : 
the  text  should  always  be  taken  according  to  the  pirecise  sense  which  it  bears 
in  connexion  ivith  the  context,  and  be  always  treated  in  that  precise  view. 
For,  in  addition  to  this  being  far  more  satisfactory  to  the  audience,  it  will 
give  an  inexhaustible  variety  to  the  subjects,  and  infuse  into  every  one  of 
them  a  force  and  a  spirit  which  nothing  else  could  impart." 


28  LECTURE    II. 


LECTLltE  II. 

GENERAL  ELEMENTS  OF  A  DISCOURSE. 

The  several  parts  of  which  a  sermon  should  he  composed  require  some 
statement.  In  a  well-constructed  discourse,  five  parts  are  usually  reck- 
oneil,  viz.,  the  exordium,  or  introduction  ;  the  ro/j/icx/on,  which  is  the  rela- 
tion the  text  hears  to  the  prccedinf]:  and  following  verses  ;  the  division,  or 
the  part-*  into  which  the  discourse  is  distrihutcd  ;  die  discussion,  or  the  mat- 
ter introduced  to  illustrate  and  estahlish  tlic  suhject  of  tlie  text ;  and  tJ>e 
jtcroration,  or  application  of  the  whole.  As  the  connexion  of  the  passage 
is  penerally  ohvious,  and  the  division  is  merely  technical,  there  are,  gen- 
erally speaking,  hut  three  principal  parts  to  an  expository  discourse — the 
exordium,  discussion,  and  application — though  the  middle  part  of  these, 
llie  discussion,  may  emhrace  a  great  many  suhdivisions,  or  minor  parts. 

The  design  of  the  exordium  is  to  introduce  the  subject  to  the  minds  of 
the  auditory  ;  it  should  insensibly  conduct  them  to  tlie  j)oints  to  be  dis- 
cussed, fix  their  attention,  and  interest  their  feelings.  For  this  j)urposc  it 
should  be  short,  pertinent,  and  just ;  suitable  to  the  text,  and  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  auditor)-.  The  context,  as  we  have  seen,  will  frequently  sup- 
ply an  introduction  well  calculated  to  fix  the  attention  by  interesting  the  heart. 
An  historical  fact,  taken  from  scripture,  or  an  interesting  anecdote,  may  be 
occasionally  employed.  A  recent  occurrence  which  has  excited  the  jmb- 
lic  attention  may,  but  with  great  caution,  be  introduced.  The  subject  of 
discourse  is  often  made  to  supply  the  introduction  ;  but  no  topic  should 
be  employed  for  this  purpose  which  would,  if  introduced  into  the  discourse 
itself,  confirm  or  illustrate  any  of  its  j)ro|)ositions.  The  sermons  of  Jay, 
Walker,  Lavington,  and  Robinson,  furnish  instances  of  introduction  in  all 
the  forms  1  have  specified,  in  some  cases,  the  exordium  may  be  entirely 
omitted. 

Discussion,  or  the  substance  of  the  discourse,  next  claims  die  attention. 
It  is  called  the  discussion,  from  the  Latin  discutio,  to  examine  or  search  out 
a  thini:.  This  very  filly  illustrates  the  dcsii^n  of  preaching.  Truth  some- 
times lies  deep,  and  can  not  be  obtained  by  superficial  investigation.  The 
word  sometimes  signifies  to  dcbalc  ;  and  this  definition  also  illustrates  tlie 
design  of  preaching.  The  preacher  of  the  gospel  has  to  combat  strong 
prejudices,  deep-rooted  errors,  and  sophistical  but  destructive  heresies  ;  to 
employ  argument,  and  n<v  entreaties,  that  those  who  hear  him  niay  como 
to  the  knowletlge  of  the  truth.  Discussion  may  be  conducted  hy  erjdica- 
tion,  observation,  propositiun,  or  iKrpetual  application.  The  amplication, 
or  peroration,  recapitulates  the  strongest  argument"^,  and  appeals  to  the 
passions  of  the  audience. 

For  the  convenii'uce  of  discussion,  a  sermon  or  oration  is  commonly 
divided  into  parts.  .Some  ideas,  which  agree  among  themselves,  have  a 
certain  place  assigned  them  ;  other  ideas,  sijcgestetl  by  the  text,  range 
next  to  them  in  due  order  :  and  perhajis  a  third  class  also  claims  a  place 
in  the  discussion.  These  several  parts  are  not  to  be  consitlered  as  ranged 
ai:ainst  each  other,  but  are  thus  placed  in  order  to  give  mutual  assistance, 
and  to  combine  Uieir  energy  in  producing  .some  one  principal  eflecU     Like 


GENERAL    ELEMENTS    OF    A    DISCOURSE.  29 

the  cavalry,  the  artillery,  and  the  infontry  of  an  army,  they  have  but  one 
object  in  view,  though  different  in  operation.  I  hope  the  gravest  among 
our  fatliers  will  not  object  to  this  allusion,  as  both  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  his  apostle  Paul  refer  to  military  affairs  in  illustrating  to  us  the  doc- 
trine of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  Luke  xiv.  31  ;  2  Cor.  x.  4,  5  ;  and  Eph. 
vi.  11-17. 

Ther«flre  certain  technical  signs  employed  to  distinguish  the  several 
parts  of  a  discourse.  The  first  class  consists  of  the  principal  divisioiis^ 
marked  in  Roman  letters,  thus  :  L,  IL,  IIL,  IV.,  &c.  Next,  the  subdi- 
visions of  the  first  class,  in  figures,  1,  2,  3,  &c.  Under  these,  subdivisions 
of  the  second  class,  marked  widi  a  curve  on  the  right,  as  1),  2),  3),  &c. 
Then,  subdivisions  of  the  third  class,  marked  with  two  curves,  as  (1),  (2), 
(3),  &c. ;  and  under  these,  subdivisions  of  the  fourth  class,  in  crotchets, 
tlms:  [1],  [2],  [3].     As— 

I.  Principal  division. 

1.  Subdivision  of  first  class. 

1.)   of  second  class. 

(1.) of  third  class. 

[1.] of  fourth  class. 

The  use  of  these  marks  of  distinction  may  be  illustrated  by  giving  the 
plan  of  a  discourse  on  the  diversities  of  ministerial  gifts,  \v\i\\  the  principal 
divisions,  and  several  subdivisions  under  each,  marked  distinctly — 
1  Cor.  xii.  4.  "  Now  there  are  diversities  of  gifts,"  &c. 

I.  Exemplify  the  truth  of  the  text. 

1.  In  preaching. 

1.)  Some  excel  in  beauty  of  design. 
2.)  Some  excel  in  neatness  and  perspicuity. 
3.)  Some  have  peculiar  depth  and  profundity  of  judgment. 

4.j  Some  excel  in  a  clear  and  happy  illustration  of  the  several  parts  of  a  discourse. 
5.)  Some  in  compressing  into  a  small  compass  much  important  matter. 
6.1  Some  in  a  strong,  nervous,  and  forcible  communication  of  truth. 
7.)  Some  in  a  lively,  animated  delivery. 
8.)  Some  in  a  gentle,  insinuating  delivery. 

9.)  Some  in  rendering  particular  parts  of  a  discourse  striking,  and  introducing 
new  ideas. 
10.)  Some  in  a  close  application  of  truth  to  the  conscience  and  the  heart. 
11.)  Some  excel  in  treating  one  class  of  subjects,  and  some  another.     For  instance — 
(1.)  In  treating  doctrinal  subjects. 

[1.]  As  Bates  on  the  Harmony  of  the  Divine  Attributes. 
[2.]  Polhill  on  Faith. 
(2.^  In  describing  Christian  experience  ;  as  Owen  on  Indwelling  Sin. 
(3.)  Some  in  unmasking  Satan's  devices,  as  Brooks. 
\\.\  Some  more  general,  as  Howe. 
^5.)  Some  in  the  precepts  of  Christianity^  as  Evans. 
(6.)  Some  on  solemn  subjects,  as  Baxter,  AUeine. 
(7.)  Some  in  promises  and  invitations,  as  Flavel. 
12.)  Others  excel  in  brilliancy  of  thought,  as  Du  Bosque. 
13.)  Some  in  beauty  of  language,  as  Saurin. 
(1.)  Some  in  simple  beauty,  as  Bates. 
(2.)  Others  are  more  ornamental,  as  Hervey. 

2.  In  prayer. 

1.)  Some  have  great  fertility  of  invention. 

2.)  Some  unite  fulness  and  conciseness. 

3.)  Some  excel  in  peculiar  propriety  of  matter  adapted  to  pecvliar  occasions. 

4.)  Some  have  a  wonderful  variety. 


30  LECTURE    II. 


5.^  Some  excel  in  fervor  and  aflfection,  and  draw  ever)'  heart  after  them. 

6.)  Some  have  a  peculiar  uncliun. 

7.)  Some  have  great  tkill  in  making  allusions  to  particular  cases  which  are  pre- 
sented to  them. 

8.)  And  some  employ  the  language  of  scripture  with  happy  appropriateness  in 
llieir  public  devotions. 

II.  Derive  some  lessons  of  instructiox  from  the  strsjECT. 

1.  Make  it  your  business  to  contemplate  the  diversity  of  gifts  with  the  Most  atten- 
tive  eye. 

2.  Endeavor  to  know  the  particular  gift  which  God  has  bestowed  upon  you,  and 
cultivate  it  with  sedulous  attention. 

3.  Endeavor  to  acquire  such  a  measure  of  all  gifts  that  you  mav  not  offend  by  an 
inexcusable  want  of  any  of  them. 

•1.  Follow  that  mode  which  is  suited  to  your  talents. 

5.  Beware  of  attempting  the  higher  parts  of  eloquence  if  you  do  not  possess  a 
genius  for  them. 

6.  Humility,  zeal,  affection,  and  prudence,  will  go  far  toward  the  attainment  of 
those  gifts  which  are  most  necessary  to  a  proper  discharge  of  ministerial  duties. 

7.  A  minister  of  inferior  talents  who  labors  to  improve  them  by  study,  exercise, 
and  prayer,  will  far  surpass  one  of  much  superior  gifts  who  allows  them  to  languish 
for  want  of  culture. 

8.  Perhaps  there  is  not  a  man  who  knows  the  extent  of  his  gifts,  nor  to  what  ex- 
tent they  might  have  been  cultivated  by  diligent  application  and  suitable  nirthodsctf 
improvement,  nor  to  what  eminence  in  usefulness  he  might  have  attaiiicil  ;  wbile 
sloth  and  misdirected  application  are  the  ruin  of  many. 

You  may  perhaps  be  of  opinion  that  I  have  attached  more  importance 
to  the  mechanical  arrangement  of  a  discourse  than  it  really  merit-s,  and  that 
in  the  forc<j()inir  exaiiij)le  I  have  needlessly  multiplied  the  divisions  under 
tlie  general  heads.  I  admit  that  tlie  divisions  in  tiiat  example  are  more 
numerous  than  will  ])e  required  in  ordinary  cases.  It  shoidd,  however,  he 
observed,  tiiat  though  such  a  method  will  materially  assist  in  the  compo- 
sition of  a  sermon,  it  is  wholly  unnecessary  to  mention  the  minor  divisions 
in  preaching  ;  and,  if  a  discourse  contain  a  considerable  ninnher  of  divis- 
ions and  subdivisions,  care  should  be  taken  to  fill  up  the  respective  j)arts 
with  suitable  matter,  or  it  will  be,  indeed,  a  mere  skchtun — bones  strung 
together,  "  very  many,  and  very  dry." 

I  must  apprize  you  that  I  am  about  to  pass  over  a  great  many  pages  of 
Claude,  but  not,  I  hope,  without  adequate  reasons  for  the  omission  ;  for, 
first,  the  pages  omittrd,  treating  of  the  manner  of  discussing  difffrent  kinds 
of  texts,  are  strictly  and  learnedly  crilirul,  though  illustrated  greatly  by 
Mr.  Simeon  ;  and  I  think  such  nice  points  may  be  waived  for  the  present. 
And,  secondly,  I  propose  to  give  ample  extracts  of  examples  in  all  kinds; 
and  I  think  such  examples  may  in  a  great  degree  supersede  all  dry  rules 
whatever,  though  acknowledticd  to  be  good.  But,  with  .^Ir.  Simeon's  per- 
mission, I  will  presiMit  you  with  a  few  rules  for  comjiosition  which  appear 
to  me  to  embrace  tlii'  very  pith  or  marrow  of  the  subject. 

The  nature  of  texts  is  extremely  various,  and  many  of  them  are  very 
difTiciilt  to  divide,  except  in  a  commonplace,  hackneyed  way.  Some  are 
doctrinal,  historical,  prophetical,  or  typical ;  some  contain  a  promise,  oth- 
ers a  threatening  ;  some  a  wish,  others  a  moliv««  to  action  ;  some  a  parable  ; 
some  a  reason  ;  some  a  coin|)arison  of  two  tliini;s  together  ;  some  a  vision  ; 
some  a  thanksgiving  ;  some  a  description  of  the  wrath  or  majesty  of 
God,  of  the  sun,  or  some  other  created  object ;  some  a  commendation 
of  the  law,  or  of  a  person,  (jtlicrs  a  prayer  or  meditation,  a  patlielic  excia- 


ON    MARKING    THE    SPIRIT    OF    A    TEXT.  31 

mation  of  anger,  sorrow,  admiration,  imprecation,  repentance,  confession 
of  faith,  and  soon.  They  must  therefore  be  examined  upon  such  points, 
carefully  distinguishing  all  their  characters,  that  you  may  see  what  course 
ought  to  be  pursued.     However — 

"  1.  Take  for  your  subject  that  which  you  believe  to  be  the  mind  of 
God  in  the  passage  before  you. 

"  Be  careful  to  understand  the  passage  thoroughly ;  and  regard  nothing 
but  the  mind  of  God  in  it. 

"  2.  Mark  the  character  of  the  passage,"  as  intimated  above. 

"  It  may  be  more  simple  (as  a  declaration,  a  precept,  a  promise,  a  threat- 
ening, an  invitation,  an  appeal),  or  more  complex  (as  a  cause  and  effect,  a 
principle  and  a  consequence,  an  action  and  a  motive  to  that  action) ;  and, 
whatever  be  the  character  of  the  text,  especially  if  it  be  clearly  marked,  let 
that  direct  ijou  in  the  arrangement  of  your  discourse  upon  it. 

*'  For  instance,  1  John  iv.  18  :  '  There  is  no  fear  in  love  ;  but  perfect 
love  casteth  out  fear,  because  fear  hath  torment.  He  that  feareth  is  not 
made  perfect  in  love.' 

"  This  passage  should  not  be  treated  in  a  commonplace  way  of  show- 
ing— 1.  What  this  love  is  ;  2.  What  is  the  fear  which  it  casts  out ;  and, 
•3.  How  it  casts  out  this  fear.  The  passage  is  intended  to  show  the  in- 
jluence  of  the  love  of  God  upon  the  soul,  and  to  set  it  forth  as  a  test  of 
our  attainments  in  true  piety ;  and  therefore  the  scope  and  intent  of  it 
should  be  seized  as  the  groundwork  of  the  division.  Thus — Consider 
the  love  of  God  :  1.  Its  influence  as  a  principle  (casting  out  all  slavish 
fear) ;  and,  2.  Its  importance  as  a  test  (enabling  us,  by  means  of  its  influ- 
ence in  this  respect,  to  estimate  the  precise  measure  of  our  attainments.)* 

"  3.  Mark  the  spirit  of  the  passage. 

"  It  may  be  tender  and  compassionate,  or  indignant,  or  menacing :  but, 
whatever  it  be,  let  that  be  the  spirit  of  your  discourse.  To  be  tender  on 
an  indignant  passage,  or  indignant  on  one  that  is  tender,  would  destroy 
half  the  force  and  beauty  of  the  discourse.  The  soul  should  be  filled  with 
the  subject,  and  breathe  out  the  very  spirit  of  it  before  the  people.  As 
God's  ambassadors,  we  should  speak  all  that  he  speaks,  and  as  lie  speaks 
it.     God  himself  should  be  heard  in  us  and  through  us. 

"  The  true  meaning  of  the  text  should  be  the  warp,  which  pervades  the 
whole  piece ;  and  the  words  should  be  tlic  woof  ihdX  it  is  to  be  interwoven, 
so  as  to  form  one  connected  and  continued  whole. 

The  spirit  of  the  words  should  pervade  the  discourse  upon  them.f 
Whatever  peculiarity  there  be,  eidier  in  the  matter  or  manner  of  the  text, 
that  should  be  transfused  into  the  discourse,  and  bear  the  same  measure  of 
prominence  in  the  sermon  as  it  bears  in  the  text  itself. 

"  Take,  for  instance,  Ps.  cxlvii.  11:  'The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in 
those  that  fear  him,  in  those  that  hope  in  his  mercy.'  You  would  give 
the  sense  of  the  text  if  you  were  to  set  forth,  1.  The  characters  described; 
and,  2.  God's  favor  toward  them  :  but  if  you  were  to  show  from  that  text, 

*  See  Simeon's  Works,  on  1  John  iv.  8. 

t  Mr.  Simeon  appears,  by  his  idea  of  gaining  the  very  spirit  of  his  text,  to  resemble  Robert  Hall, 
who  "  was  never  pleased  witii  any  scheme  of  a  .lermnn  in  which  he  could  not  at  the  outset  say  ex- 
actly what  ho  meant  to  do  with  it." — "  He  could  do  nothing  with  a  text,  or  subject,  til!  it  resolved  and 
shaped  it.self  into  a  topic  of  which  he  could  see  the  form  and  outline."  Surely  he  could  not  mean  the 
mechanical  division  of  a  text  as  his  form  and  outline :  no,  he  meant  something  similar  to  what  Mr. 
Simeon  designates  the  spirit  of  a  text ;  and  this  idea  can  never  be  too  highly  valued  nor  too  closely 
followed. 


32  LECTURE    II. 

1.  How  low  God  descends  /or  the  objects  ofhisfator,  and,  2.  How  high  he 
soars  in  his  rcgartls  touard  ihiin,*  you  would  mark,  and  every  one  of 
your  audienrc  would  feel,  (he  spirit  of  tlieni.  If  the  reader  consult  the 
discourse  on  John  i.  45, t  he  will  find  that  the  spirit  of  the  text,  that  is, 
the  joy  expressed  in  it,  serves  as  a  foundation  for  one  half  of  the  discourse. 
So,  also,  if  he  will  consult  the  discourse  on  Jer.  v.  23,  24,J  he  will  find 
that  the  spirit  of  that  text  jjives  the  entire  tone  to  the  suhject.  The  com- 
mon way  of  trealint;  it  would  he  to  consider,  1.  The  mercies  which  God 
has  vonrhsafed  to  us  ;  and,  2.  The  effect  which  they  ou£;ht  to  produce  upon 
us.  But  with  such  a  division  of  die  suhject  the  vituperative  sj)irit  of  it 
would  be  comparatively  lost.  These  words  of  die  prophet  reprove  the 
Jews — 

"  I.  For  their  contempt  of  God's  authority. 
"  II.  For  their  insensibility  to  his  love." 

^fatthew  Henry,  in  his  invaluable  exposition,  furnishes  numerous  .speci- 
mens felicitously  iinhodyiuL!;  the  spirit  of  the  text  in  the  very  terms  of  his  di- 
visions. I  shall  here  (piote  two,  which  will  sufiiciently  illustrate  the  rule  :  the 
first  is  on  Ps.  xxiv.  6,  6  :  "  He  shall  receive  the  blessinj^  from  die  Lord, 
and  righteousness  from  the  God  of  his  salvation.  This  is  the  generation  of 
those  that  seek  him,  that  seek  thy  face,  O  Jacob  !"  On  tliis  Mr.  Henry 
obser\es — 

I.  How  lii^hly  the  pj^lmist  matmiCcs  fiotl's  pracious  vciuchsaftTnents  to  him. 

II.  How  confidently  he  counts  upon  the  continuance  of  God's  favors. 

The  oUier  example  I  will  give  more  at  length :  it  is  on  Isa.  xlviii.  1,2: 
*'  Hear  you  this,  (3  house  of  Jacob  !  who  are  called  by  the  name  of  Is- 
rael, and  have  come  forth  out  of  the  waters  of  Judah,  who  swear  by  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  make  mention  of  the  God  of  Israel,  but  not  in  truth, 
nor  in  righteou.«ness.  For  they  call  themselves  of  the  holy  city,  and  stay 
themselves  upon  Uie  God  of  Israel ;  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name."  Mr. 
Henry  observes,  in  regard  to  the  people  of  Israel — 

I.  Ifoir  hit^h  their  profrstion  of  rrln^ion  soared.  What  a  fair  show  they  made  in 
the  tU'hU,  ami  how  far  tJjey  went  toward  heavm  I  what  a  pjkhI  livery  they  wort-  and 
what  a  p(K«d  hcv  iluy  put  upon  a  very  l»ad  heart  !  1.  They  were  "  the  house  of 
J;ic-..h  ;"  they  had  a  plan-  and  a  name  in  tlie  visible  church.  "Jacob  have  I  lov«-d." 
Jacob  is  tJ«>d'«  chosen  ;  and  thrv  arr  not  only  retainers  to  his  family,  hut  dt^'endants 
from  him.  2.  Tliey  werr  "  called  by  the  name  of  Israel."  an  Ijonoralde  name  :  they 
were  of  that  proplr  to  whom  ptTtained  both  the  giviui;  of  the  law  and  the  promise*. 
Israel  ftii^nifies  a  prince  ictth  (ioJ  ;  and  they  prided  thtniM-lves  in  heinc  of  tiiat  princi-. 
Iv  race.  3.  "Thi-y  came  forth  out  of  tlie  waters  of  Judivli,"  and  thence  were  called 
Jetcs  ;  thi-y  Were  of  the  roynl  tribe,  the  tribe  of  which  Shiloh  was  to  come,  the  tribe 
that  adhered  to  (iod  whi-n  the  real  revolted.  4.  They  "swore  by  the  name  of  the 
Lord,"  and  thereby  owned  him  to  be  the  true  G(hI,  and  their  (Jod,  and  jfave  plory  to 
him  as  the  ripht«'ou«  Judjje  of  all.  They  stcore  to  the  name  of  the  Lord  (s<t  it  may 
be  read)  :  they  XmtV.  an  oath  of  allejjiancc  to  him  a«  their  Kinij.  and  joints!  themsrires 
to  him  in  covenant,  .O.  Th«'y  "  made  mention  of  the  God  of  Israel"  in  their  prayers 
and  praiM-s:  they  often  Hpoke  of  him,  obsiTVitl  liis  memorials,  and  prelend«tl  to  be 
Very  mindful  of  him.  •'..  They  "calh-d  theniM-lvrs  of  thr  holy  city."  and.  when  they 
were  captives  in  Habylon,  nurrly  from  a  principle  of  honor,  and  j«"nlou.«y  for  their 
native  country,  they  valued  themM-lv»i»  upon  their  interest  in  it.  Many,  wh<»  are 
themsclvrt  unholy,  are  proud  of  their  relation  to  the  church,  the  holy  city.  7. 
They  "  stayed  thems<'lTes  upon  the  God  of  Israel,"  and  Umsted  of  his  promises  and 

*  Vido  Appetidix  in  Hor.  llofnU.  roi.  U..  p.  445,  or  Works,  new  od.,  m  toeo. 
t  Ibid.,  vol   It.,  p.  817.  or  Worlw  m  loco. 
\  Ibid.,  Tol.  iiL,  p.  Z3G,  or  Works  m  toco 


ON    SUBDIVISIONS.  33. 

his  covenant  with  them  ;  they  "  leaned  on  the  Lord,"Mic.  iii.  11.  And,  if  they  were 
a^ked  conrernin-  tlieir  God,  thev  could  say,  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name,  the 
Lord  of  all :  hapi'V  are  we,  therefore,  and  very  great,  who  have  relation  to  hnn. 

II  How  low  their  profession  of  religion  sunk,  notwithstanding  all  this.  It  was 
all  in  vain  •  for  it  was  all  a  jest ;  it  was  "not  in  truth  and  righteousness."  Their 
hearts  were  not  true  nor  riglit  in  these  professions.  Note.— All  our  religious  profes- 
sions avail  nothing  any  further  than  thev  are  made  in  truth  and  risfhteousness.  If 
we  be  not  sincere  in  them,  Ave  do  but  "  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  m 
vain." 

If  the  fore'^oin"-  hints  be  thoroughly  understood,  and  duly  attended  to, 
the  coiiipositu)n  of  a  sermon  on  passages  which  are  supposed  to  he  very 
difficult  to  manage  with  effect  will  become  extremely  easy.  And  I  can  not 
render  the  student  a  greater  service  than  by  entreating  him  to  fix  these 
short  rules  deeply  in  his  mind,  and,  when  studying  for  the  pulpit,  carefully 
to  seize  the  sense,  the  character,  and  the  sinr'il  of  his  text. 

Above  all  things,  in  division,  take  care  of  putting  anything  in  the  first  part, 
which  supposes  an  understanding  of  the  second,  or  which  obliges  you  to 
treat  of  the  second  to  make  the  first  understood,  by  disengaging  one  idea 
from  the  other  as  well  as  you  can. 

ON  SUBDIVISIONS. 

The  management  of  siihdivislnns  is  not  less  important  than  that  of  the 
jirvicipal  ones  ;  and  it  is  evident  that  a  clear  and  sound  understanding, 
united  with  a  fertile  invention,  is  here  absolutely  necessary.  Tlie  princi- 
pal divisions  are  generally  in  the  text  itself,  and  require  merely  a  logical 
arrangement;  but  texts  do  not  always  furnish  subdivisions:  the  iiiiagination 
must  Suggest  them,  and  the  judgment  must  determine  their  suitableness. 
Rules  w-iU  therefore  here  be  less  available,  yet  they  are  not  altogether  use- 
less. Subdivisions  are  to  be  considered  either  as  a  specification  of  the 
parts  contained  in  the  division  itself,  or  an  enumeration  of  such  particiilars 
as  are  necessary  to  make  the  division  answer  the  end  designed  by  it.  The 
following  are  a  few  of  the  general  characters  under  which  they  fall :  1. 
The  minute  jjarts  of  the  text,  arising  out  of  it,  as  the  smaller  boughs  of  a 
tree  proceed  from  the  principal  branches.  2.  Illustrative  i^/cfls,  serving  to 
make  the  subject  more  clear  and  iamiliar.  3.  Rcaso?is  and  argume?its  to 
explain  and  confirm  a  proposition.  4.  Subdivisions  may  be  formed  of 
nca-atives.  5.  The  several  circumstances  of  the  text,  and  sometimes  those 
of°the  context.  Such  circumstances  will  frequently  suggest  very  appro- 
priate exordiums,  but  they  may  occasionally  be  employed  as  subdivisions 
with  much  advantage.     6.  We  may  admit  a  miscellaneous  class  : — 

1.  The  minute  parts  of  a  text.  Ps.  iv.  6,  7,  will  exemplify  the  point : 
"  There  are  many  that  sav,  Who  will  show  us  any  goodV"  Suppose  the 
principal  head  to  be  an  ilhistration  of  the  anxiety  and  folly  of  worldly  men, 
we  might  observe — 

1.  TheanTjf/y  of  worldlings.  This  is  often  very  manifest:  their  countenances 
discover  their  cares;  they  are  running  about  in  haste  and  perplexity  in  quest  of  car- 
nal pleasures.  .,,     ,  j  9»> 

2.  It  is  some  sensible  kind  of  good  they  want—"  Who  will  show  us  any  good  J 
Spiritual  or  even  intellectual  good  is  of  no  value  with  these  uneasy  men. 

3.  Ahhouiih  they  may  have  select  objects  in  view,  yet  they  are  not  fastidiously 
nice;  thev  are  for  a«y  carnal  g^ood. 

4.  They  inquire  only  of  mortals  like  themselves,  who  in  tlieir  turn  have  sutteroci 


34  LECTURE    II. 

disappointments  and  vexations.     So  the  blind  are  actually  requesting  the  blind  to 
lead  them  to  happiness. 

5.  There  are  not  a  few  only,  but  many,  who  are  making  these  inquiries,  the  great 
bulk  of  the  world.  It  was  so  in  the  psalmist's  time  ;  it  is  so  still.  Crowds  are  hur- 
rying to  court,  crowds  to  the  theatre,  crowds  to  the  exchange,  to  obtain  the  means  to 
gratify  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life. 

Simeon  on  Gen.  vi.  5,  on  antediluvian  depravity,  remarks  that  the  dis- 
positions of  their  hearts  were — 

1.  Evil  without  exception.     Every  imagination  was  evil. 

2.  Without  mixture — only  evil. 

3.  Without  intermission — continually. 

Tn  these  instances  you  see  the  very  words  of  the  respective  texts  furnish 
subdivisions. 

Also  on  Isa.  xxxv.  8-13.     This  way  is — 

1.  A  highiuay,  established  by  royal  authority. 

2.  A  holy  ivay :  "It  shall  be  called  the  Avay  of  holiness." 

3.  A  plain  ivay :  "  A  wayfaring  man  shall  not  err  therein." 

4.  A  safe  way  :  "  No  lion  shall  be  there." 

Sketches  of  Sermons,  vol.  i.,  p.  40. 

2.  In  some  cases  subdivisions  may  be  formed  of  several  illustrative  ideas. 
When  properly  introduced,  these  have  an  excellent  effect,  as  in  Luke  vi. 
19  :  "  There  went  virtue  out  of  him"  (i.  e.  Christ). 

Position. — All  fulness  of  saving  benefits  emanates  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It 
proceeds  from  him  : — 

1.  As  a  copious  stream  from  a  liberal  fountain.  Christ's  blessings  are  compared 
to  streams,  Isa.  xxxv.  7  ;  Ps.  xlvi.  4.     All  spiritual  blessings  flow  from  him. 

2.  As  the  earth  itself  is  full  of  life-giving  energies,  a  secondary  creative  power,  re- 
ceived from  God  (Gen.  i.  11,  24),  so  Christ  is  full  of  spiritual  life,  John  xi.  25;  xiv. 
5 ;  Col.  iii.  3.     It  is  he  who  creates  the  fruit  of  our  lips,  Isa.  Ivii.  19. 

3.  As  the  glorious  sun  is  full  of  light,  as  the  virtues  of  light  and  heat  emanate  from 
him,  without  exhausting  him,  so,  and  much  more,  does  saving  light  emanate  from  our 
more  glorious  "  Sun  of  righteousness,"  Mai.  iv.  2. 

4.  As  the  very  clouds  which  obscure  the  sky,  and  for  a  season  cover  the  heavens 
with  blackness,  and  yet  drop  down  fatness  (Ps.  Ixv.  11,  12 ;  Ixviii.  9),  so  Christ  sends 
a  plentiful  rain  to  refresh  his  weary  inheritance  (Ps.  Ixviii.  6),  and  by  his  mercy  causes 
them  to  take  root  downward  and  bear  fruit  upward,  making  them  fruitful  in  every 
good  word  and  work. 

5.  As  food  is  replete  with  life-sustaining  power  for  the  support  of  our  bodies,  so 
there  is  virtue  in  Christ  to  sustain  the  soul.  He  is  the  bread  of  life,  and  the  ivater 
of  life,  to  all  who  believe  in  him.     But  more  immediately  in  the  sense  of  the  text — 

6.  As  the  touch  of  his  garment  healed  all  manner  of  bodily  diseases,  so  Christ,  as 
the  balm  of  Gilead,  heals  all  the  diseases  of  the  soul.     See  2  Kings  xiii.  21. 

3.  Subdivisions  to  form  the  argument  or  evidence  of  a  text  are  very 
valuable.  John  iii.  16  :  "  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave,"  &c.  One 
categorical  proposition  arising  out  of  this  text  is  this,  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
really  the  gift  of  God  : — 

1.  He  did  not  come  by  principles  of  nature. 

2.  There  was  nothing  among  men  to  merit  it. 

3.  Nothing  in  mail  to  excite  the  least  regard. 

4.  Not  the  least  proportion  between  us  and  so  great  a  gift. 

5.  There  was,  on  the  contrary,  an  injinite  disproportion,  and  not  only  a  dispropor- 
tion, but  an  opposition  and  a  contrariety. — Claude. 

4.  Again  :  subdivisions  may  be  formed  o(  negatives  ;  as,  for  instance — 

1.  We  are  not  to  expect  the  uninterrupted  continuance  of  any  measure  of  health, 
property,  prosperity,  or  comfort,  which  we  now  enjoy. 


ON    SUBDIVISIONS.  35 

2.  We  are  not  to  expect  from  our  social  intercourse  all  the  satisfaction  which  we 
fondly  desire. 

3.  We  are  not  to  expect,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  human  affairs,  constant  grati- 
tude from  those  whom  we  have  mosi  obliged  and  served. 

I  add  another  example,  on  John  xvii.  15.  Believers  ought  not  to  be 
taken  out  of  the  world — 

1.  On  the  worlefs  account ;  for  saints  are  beneficial  to  it. 

2.  On  Godfs  account ;  they  are  living  testimonies  to  the  power  of  his  grace,  &c. 

3.  On  their  own  account ;  for  all  things  are  in  this  world  working  together  for 
their  good. — Jay  and  Simeon. 

5.  The  several  circumstances  of  a  text  sometimes  supply  suitable  subdi- 
visions ;  as  Luke  iv.  18  :  "  To  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives." 

I.  Illustrate  the  captivity  we  are  under  by  nature : — 

1.  The  sinner  is  under  arrest  to  the  law  of  God. 

2.  He  is  in  darkness.  Prisons  are  dark  and  gloomy,  fit  emblems  of  a  sinner's  mind ; 
Isa.  xlix.  9  ;  Eph.  iv.  18  ;  v.  8  ;  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  &c. 

3.  He  is  bound  tvith  fetters.  These  are  called  "bonds  of  iniquity."  Whosoever 
committeth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin,  John  viii.  34  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  19. 

4.  Sinners  are  exiles  ;  Eph.  ii.  11,  12  ;  Luke  xv. :  "  Those  that  are  far  from  God 
shall  perish." 

5.  They  are  in  a  state  of  want,  like  the  prodigal. 

6.  Their  whole  state  is  wretched  ;  Isa.  i.  5,  6  ;  Rev.  iii.  17. 

II.  State  the  deliverance  which  Christ  effects  for  his  people. 

1.  He  delivers  them  from  confinement  (Isa.  Ixi.  1),  pays  their  debts,  and  pours  oil 
and  wine  into  their  bleeding  hearts,  Zech.  xi.  11  ;  Rom.  viii.  1. 

2.  Upon  the  darkness  of  their  state  he  causes  the  dayspring  from  on  high  to 
shine.  Upon  those  that  sat  in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  the  light  arises, 
2  Cor.  iv.  6. 

3.  He  proclaims  their  liberty  before  all  the  world,  and  declares  them  free  ;  John 
viii.  36.  This  a  greater  honor  than  to  do  it  secretly.  He  says  to  the  prisoners, 
"  Go  forth,"  Isa.  xlix.  9. 

4.  Though  once  afar  off,  sinners  are  brought  nigh,  Eph.  ii.  19,  20  ;  John  xv.  15 ; 
1  John  iii.  1. 

5.  Though  formerly  in  a  state  of  want,  feeding  on  husks,  yet  now  they  are  restored 
to  plenty :  the  fulness  of  Christ  is  opened  to  them. 

6.  All  kinds  of  wretchedness  are  removed. — Lavington. 

I  just  add  an  example  from  Watts  on  Rev.  vi.  15-17.  It  is  an  argu- 
mentative address  in  subdivisions. 

The  question  is,  "  Why  will  the  wrath  of  the  great  day  be  so  terrible  to 
sinners  ?"     The  following  reasons  are  assigned  :-^ 

1.  It  is  wrath  arising  from  the  clearest  view  of  neglected  love,  mercy,  &c. ;  Luke 
xiii.  34 ;  Heb.  ii.  2,  3. 

2.  Wrath  awakened  by  the  rejection  of  the  most  precious  and  most  expensive 
method  of  salvation,  grace  slighted  and  despised. 

3.  Wrath  that  must  avenge  the  affronts  and  injuries  done  to  the  prime  minister 
of  God's  government,  and  the  chief  messenger  of  his  mercy. 

4.  Wrath  excited  by  the  long-tried  patience  of  God,  Ps.  1.  1,  3,  21,  23. 

5.  Wrath  that  shall  be  attended  with  the  fullest  conviction  of  sinners,  and  their 
self-condemnation.  , 

6.  Wrath  that  shall  be  executed  immediately  and  eternally,  without  any  mixture 
of  mercy. 

6.  As  to  ideas  of  a  miscellaneous  kind,  I  may  observe  that  whatever  has 
a  generality  of  expression  falls  easily  into  subdivisions  ;  of  this  the  Scrip- 
tures afford  examples  almost  endless  ;  as,  "  I  can  do  all  things  through 
Christ  who  strengtheneth  me,"  Phil.  iv.  13.  This  will  appear  by  consult- 
ing Cruden's  Concordance,  under  the  word  ^'' every,'''*  or  "  a/^  things,'''* 


36  LECTURE    II. 

These  all  things  admit  of  specification  in  distinct  parts.*  Such  words 
must  be  carefully  taken  up,  unless  the  preacher  pass  ov^er  words  and  ideas 
strictly  textual,  to  discuss  the  subject  of  the  text,  or  the  principles  upon 
which  it  is  founded.  Again  :  the  idea  may  be  general  where  no  such 
words  appear ;  and  where  the  words  of  the  text  are  not,  strictly  speaking, 
general,  they  may  refer  to  a  variety  of  particulars  deserving  of  distinct  no- 
tice. Reference  may  be  made  to  Cruden  under  such  words  as  many 
("  there  be  i?W7iy  that  say,"  &c.,  Ps.  iv.  6),  more,  most :  these  must  have 
particulars  under  them ;  and  they  may  be  taken  up,  if  they  be  of  sufficient 
importance.  Again  :  many  plural  nouns,  and  nouns  of  multitude,  include 
particulars  ;  as,  ahominat'ions,  ajflictions,  multitude,  &c. 

When  the  text  itself  expresses  the  enumeration  (which  is  the  reverse  of 
the  last  article)  the  several  parts  may  be  discussed  in  subdivisions,  so  far 
as  such  particulars  have  any  kind  of  dissimilarity  or  unlikeness  in  any  of 
their  subjects  or  attributes.  Thus,  if  I  were  to  preach  from  Col.  i.  15,  19, 
I  should  prepare  the  way  for  subdivisions  by  examining'  whether  the  sev- 
eral great  things  said  of  Christ  were  of  one  or  more  kinds  ;  and  here  I  find 
them  different  in  their  nature,  for  some  things  relate  to  the  personal  great- 
ness of  the  Redeemer,  some  have  respect  to  us,  and  others  respect  his 
mediatorial  qualifications  and  ability  to  save  us.  Now  under  each  of  these 
there  are  textual  subdivisions.  The  same  method  may  be  taken  with  Isa. 
ix.  6,  7.  Again,  those  parts  of  the  text  which  appear  as  the  principal, 
and  are  commonly  by  preachers  so  discussed,  may  be  drawn  into  subdi- 
visions by  an  artificial  principal ;  thus,  instead  of  dividing  John  i.  17,  as 
Claude,  viz. — 

I.  The  ministry  of  the  law, 

II.  The  ministry  of  the  gospel. 

You  might — 

I.  Contrast  the  two  dispensations. 

II.  Draw  some  important  inferences. 

By  this  plan,  Claude's  principal  divisions  are  thrown  into  subdivisions,  and 
the  way  is  prepared  for  the  improvement  of  the  subject.  Be  careful  to  ex- 
press in  few  words,  and  with  the  utmost  possible  precision,  the  principal 
heads.     This  is  always  desirable. 

I  must  not  omit  to  natice  such  nouns  as,  though  singular,  admit  of  am- 
plification, and  easily  fall  into  subdivisions  of  considerable  beauty.  An 
instance  or  two  will  suffice.  The  word  mercy  is  sometimes  in  the  singu- 
lar, as  in  Ps.  Ixxxv.  7:  "Show  us  thy  mercy."  In  a  familiar  style'of 
preaching  there  would  be  no  impropriety  in  deriving  from  this  word  a  con- 
siderable number  of  subdivisions  ;  as,  saving  mercy,  prcve7ititfg  mercy,  suc- 
coring mercy,  &c.  Or  such  a  word  as  evil ;  as,  "  Deliver  us  from  evil." 
This  word  will  furnish  opportunity  for  nodcing  various  kinds  of  evil,  from 
which  we  should  pray  for  deliverance.  Though  such  a  mode  of  division 
may  be  considered  puerile  by  the  logician,  no  good  reason  can  be  given 
why  its  occasional  adoption  should  -be  unfavorable  to  the  communication 
of  substantial  instruction.  The  truth  is,  as  the  generality  of  hearers  pos- 
sess but  plain  intellects,  they  require  truth  in  a  plain  dress,  and  will  com- 

*  Great  care  must  be  taken,  in  looking  into  the  Concordance  for  illustrative  passages,  Ibat  we  be 
not  led  by  the  mere  similarity  of  words  to  adopt  such  as  in  tbeir  proper  sense  bave  no  suitability  for 
the  purpose. 


ON    SUBDIVISIONS.  37 

prehend  a  subject  thus  treated  better  than  a  course  of  abstract  reasoning,  or 
the  logical  solution  of  a  metaphysical  question.  I  do  not  say  that  the 
preacher  should  so  stoop  to  the  understandings  of  the  people  as  to  lower 
the  dignity  of  sacred  subjects  ;  but  certainly  he  ought  to  be  cautious  lest  he 
soar  above  their  reach. 

I  observe,  further,  that  whatever  belongs  to  relation  or  description  will 
admit  of  subdivisions  ;  as  creature  belongs  to  all  living  animals,  and  must 
be  divisible ;  vegetable  is  the  common  name  for  everything  that'  grows  out 
of  the  earth,  and  is  divided  and  subdivided  by  Linnaeus  into  an  astonishing 
variety ;  so  every  description  of  person  or  thing,  and  the  relation  it  sustains, 
admits  of  subdivisions.  Suppose  the  scripture  account  of  David  be  the 
subject.  His  character  will  form  the  first  or  principal  division  :  then,  as 
subdivisions,  may  be  introduced  his  descent — his  early  life — his  call  to  an 
important  office  in  the  state — his  private  character — his  public  worth — the 
chief  acts  of  his  reig?i — his  insyiration  and  prophetic  spirit — his  imjjejfec- 
tions — his  e7id.  We  might  also,  as  the  second  principal  division,  consider 
him  as  an  eminent  type  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  the  points  in  which  he 
so  typified  him  would  form  subdivisions,  and  be  highly  interesting  to  a 
Christian  auditory.  Not  only  may  this  plan  be  adopted  with  respect  to 
eminent  characters,  but  also  in  illustrating  those  qualities  or  attributes 
which  belong  to  intelligent  beings  ;  as  conscience,  understanding,  reason, 
will,  &c.  Whatever  dignifies  or  degrades  the  mind,  whatever  belongs  to 
man  through  the  dispensations  of  grace  and  mercy,  may  be  so  described, 
and  perhaps  can  not  be  contemplated  in  one  view  so  well  as  in  subdivisions  ; 
and,  even  where  these  subdivisions  are  not  named,  regard  must  be  had  to 
them  in  the  order  of  discussion. 

The  terms  expressive  of  profit  or  loss,  advantage  or  disadvantage  (as  1 
Tim.  iv.  8  ;  Mark  viii.  36  ;  Rom.  viii.  13,  IS),  must  have  separate  and 
distinct  particulars,  which  may  be  given  in  the  form  of  subdivisions  ;  also 
whatever  can  be  traced  as  consequences  from  some  known  cause,  as  Prov. 
xiv.  14.  The  numerous  evil  consequences  of  apostacy  may  thus  be 
affectingly  illustrated,  and  the  happy  consequences  of  holy  fear ;  Psalm 
xxxiv.  9,  10. 

Those  terms  which  convey  the  idea  of  pleasure  or  pain  furnish  matter 
applicable  to  this  purpose. 

.  The  terms  expressive  of  activity  or  motion,  as  in  Ps.  Ixxxiv.  7 ;  cxix. 
32 ;  Heb.  xii.  1.  There  must  be  many  qualities,  aids,  &c.,  necessary  to 
the  attainment  of  a  good  end,  and  these  furnish  subdivisions,  which  flow 
naturally  from  the  nature  of  the  subject. 

Things  which  agree  or  harmonize  together  may  be  discussed  in  subdi- 
visions, as  Eph.  V.  27.  There  are  many  things  which  become  saints,  and 
belong  to  their  character  as  such.  This  leads  to  the  instructive  observa- 
tion that  there  is  a  train  of  exalted  virtues  which  belong  to  sai?its  ;  and  a 
wide  field  is  opened  for  their  description.  Also  Col.  i.  12  ;  the  mectiiess 
referred  to  by  the  context  includes  a  great  variety  of  graces,  each  of  which 
may  be  distinctly  named  and  defined.  Again  :  though  Jehovah  can  have 
no  equal,  yet  he  must  necessarily  possess  some  things  in  common  with  the 
saint,  upon  which  to  establish  and  maintain  that  concord  of  which  the 
Scripture  speaks.  Gen.  vi.  9  ;  Amos  iii.  3.  This  harmony,  or  agreement, 
admits  of  specification  in  subdivisions.  See  also  Col.  iii.  14  :  The  bond 
of  perfectness. — Gill  in  loco.     I  may  add  that  which  is  the  most  perfect 


38  LECTURE    II. 

of  all  harmony,  the  harmony  of  the  divine  attributes  in  the  scheme  of  salva- 
tion. Not  only  mercy  and  truth,  but  every  divine  perfection,  perfectly 
concurs  in  man's  salvation. 

Whatever  is  connected  with,  or  flows  from,  the  reception  of  any  spir- 
itual blessing,  or  the  possession  of  certain  dispositions  of  mind,  may  be 
thrown  into  the  form  of  subdivisions.  For  example  :  if  we  inquire.  What 
influence  has  the  reception  of  salvation  on  the  mind  of  the  recipient  ?  or 
what  arc  the  effects  of  divine  grace  on  his  personal  conduct?  the  reply  is, 
Universal  holiness  in  character  and  conduct,  in  the  family,  in  the  church, 
in  the  closet,  and  in  the  world :  the  very  reverse  of  a  worldling,  or  of  an 
apostatizing  professor. 

Whatever  is  necessary  to  a  certain  end,  usually  termed  the  connexion 
of  the  end  with  the  means,  will  suggest  subdivisions,  as  1  Cor.  ix.  24 : 
"  So  run  that  you  may  obtain." 

I.  It  is  obvious  that  all  the  means  of  grace  are  intended  ;  and  each  of  these  deserves 
separate  consideration. 

II.  The  chief  obstructions  to  such  an  end  might  be  enumerated. 

III.  The  several  grounds  of  encouragement  to  our  so  running  as  to  obtain  the  end  ; 
and, 

IV.  A  series  of  directions  might  be  given,  not  comprehended  in  the  first  head  ;  and 
these  also  would  furnish  subdivisions.  Each  of  these  general  heads  furnishes  many 
subdivisions. 

Whatever  conveys  the  idea  of  immensity  or  diminutiveness  will  furnish 
subdivisions. 

Immensity  ;  as  God,  and  his  works  of  providence  and  grace.  These 
can  not  be  considered  as  a  whole,  but  must  be  viewed  in  parts.  Upon  this 
plan  theological  writers  form  their  systems  of  divinity ;  on  this  plan,  also, 
systems  of  natural  philosophy  are  written. 

In  the  discussion  of  some  subjects  subdivisions  must  be  parts  of  the 
grand  whole,  judiciously  conceived  and  arranged  ;  and  in  others  they  may 
be  introduced  as  illustrations,  at  once  calculated  to  instruct  the  mind  and 
fill  the  heart  with  gratitude  and  love.  Booth  adopted  this  method  in  his 
Reign  of  Grace. 

Viminutiveness  will  also  furnish  subdivisions.  Those  objects  and  pur- 
suits which  the  Christian  regards  as  contemptible,  in  comparison  with  his 
nobler  employment  and  better  portion  ;  such  is  the  world's  great  trinity — 
*'  tlie  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life."  The  un- 
satisfying nature  and  momentary  duration  of  these  may  be  set  forth  by  a 
variety  of  particulars  of  a  most  instructive  kind,  so  as  to  exhibit  their  httle- 
ness  as  in  a  concave  mirror,  and,  in  the  hands  of  a  judicious  preacher,  this 
may  be  rendered  very  effective,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  in  producing  ha- 
tred to  sin  and  love  to  holiness. 

The  examples  furnished,  and  the  remarks  made,  on  divisions  and  sub- 
divisions, have,  I  should  imagine,  sufficiently  illusti'atcd  their  use.  I  have 
but  one  other  observation  to  make  here ;  and  it  is  tiiis :  that  the  names  by 
which  the  parts  of  a  discourse  have  been  designated  are  not  fixed  and  un- 
changeable, rrinciind  divisions  are  only  such  when  the  plan  of  the  dis- 
course places  them  in  the  rank  of  general  propositions.  Subdivisions  are 
so  called  because  they  are  illustrations  of  the  principal  divisions.  In  some 
cases,  by  a  change  of  method,  the  subdivisions  might  form  principals  and 
the  principals  be  introduced  for  illustration.     Your  own  subdivisions  on 


METHODS    OF    FILLING    UP    A    DISCOURSE.  39 

particular  branches  of  one  discourse  may,  if  important,  be  transferred  to 
such  parts  of  another  discourse  as  are  of  a  similar  character,  if  not  lately 
used.     This  is  often  done  by  some  eminent  preachers. 

PRELIMINARY  DIRECTIONS  FOR  FILLING  UP  A  DISCOURSE. 

Having  considered  the  outlines  of  a  discourse,  the  most  copious  direc- 
tions and  assistance  will  be  found  for  filling  them  up  in  the  subsequent 
parts  of  these  lectures,  during  our  progress  through  the  different  kinds  of 
discourses,  in  the  various  points  to  be  discussed,  assisted  by  the  article 
on  Comment :  yet  I  shall  here  offer  you  a  few  previous  thoughts  for  this 
purpose. 

That  which  takes  precedence  of  everything  else  is  unquestionably  the 
assistance  of  divine  teaching.  I  hope  the  times  will  never  return  when  it 
will  be  necessary  to  place  this  article  in  a  defensive  attitude.  James  i.  5  : 
"  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God."  So  prayed  the  mar- 
tyr. Bishop  Ridley :  "  O  heavenly  Father,  the  author  and  fountain  of  all 
truth,  the  bottomless  sea  of  all  understanding,  send  down,  we  beseech  thee, 
thy  Holy  Spirit  into  our  hearts,  and  enlighten  our  understandings  with  the 
beams  of  thy  heavenly  grace."  So  must  we  pray  for  this  blessing  if  we 
would  engage  it  for  our  own  benefit  and  the  benefit  of  our  hearers.  Here 
see  Bridge's  Christian  Ministry,  p.  72  ;  and  Bickersteth's  Christian  Stu- 
dent, p.  610,  second  ed.,  chap.  20.  But,  in  defence  of  this  reflection,  I 
may  here  add  the  words  of  Dr.  Jortin,  who  says,  "  If  it  be  required  why 
we  should  expect  divine  assistance,  we  answer,  that  it  is  one  of  those 
doctrines  which  by  the  Ijght  of  nature  we  could  not  have  known.  We 
might  have  thought  it  probable,  but  could  not  have  proved  its  certainty. 
It  rests  on  the  authority  of  revealed  religion.  But  it  seems  to  have  been 
an  opinion  among  the  heathen  that  the  gods  put  men  on  certain  actions, 
suggested  to  them  certain  thoughts,  and  inclined  them  in  a  secret  manner. 
We  find  this  frequently  in  their  oldest  writer,  Homer.  Afterward,  when 
philosophy  was  cultivated,  some  of  their  wise  men  were  of  opinion  that 
there  was  a  divine  afflatus,  or  interposition,  acting  on  exalted  and  purified 
minds,  and  assisting  them  in  doing  well."  Now  that  which  they  only  im- 
agined in  reference  to  their  gods  comes  to  us  with  all  divine  authority  with 
respect  to  God's  Holy  Spirit :  that  God  will  give  his  Holy  Spirit  to  those 
that  ask  him  ;  and  so  said  our  blessed  Savior,  John  xiv.  26.  I  wish  you 
the  most  ample  supply  of  this  teaching  in  ordering  your  discourses. 

The  next  means  to  be  recommended  for  filling  up  a  discourse  is  the 
careful  study  of  the  divine  word.*  This  is  hke  Goliath's  sword  to  David, 
and  it  is  appropriately  styled  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  There  is  a  treasure 
in  the  Scriptures  which  can  never  be  exhausted  ;  and  that  this  must  be  pre- 
eminently the  best  no  one  will  venture  to  dispute.  Apollos  was  mighty  in 
the  Scriptures,  and  therefore  cloquefit ;  Acts  xviii.  24.  But  skill  in  the 
ready  application  of  scripture  can  not  be  acquired  without  great  diligence, 
indefatigable  reading,  and  close  meditation.  To  shorten,  however,  this 
labor,  you  may  avail  yourself  of  the  works  of  those  valuable  men  who  have 
formed  parallels,  as  Canne,  Brown,  Crutwell,  Scott,t  &c.     Such  parallels 

*  It  is  not  here  intended  to  insinuate  that  the  Scriptures  are  second  in  authority  to  the  Spirit's 
teaching,  as  some  have  maintained.  Dr.  VVardlaw  has  amply  refuted  this  dangerous  notion  in  a 
recent  publication. 

t  See  also  the  sentiments  of  Bishop  Horsley,  quoted  in  Lecture  xxix. 


40  LECTURE    II. 

are  calculated  to  illustrate  numerous  passages  of  scripture ;  and  it  is  now- 
received  as  an  incontrovertible  axiom  that  the  Scriptures  are  best  interpre- 
ted by  scripture.  Undoubtedly  there  are  various  ways  of  usinj^  scripture 
in  preaching  the  word  ;  and  every  man  must  adopt  that  method  which  he 
iinds  by  experience  to  be  the  best :  perhaps  different  methods  ought  to  be 
tried.  But  I  will  venture  to  describe  a  method  that  has  been  practised 
with  some  success  ;  and  I  really  think  that  a  minister  may  preach  accepta- 
bly and  usefully  in  this  way  with  no  other  help  in  study  than  parallels,  a 
concordance,  and  a  dictionary  of  the  Bible.*  This  must  be  very  encour- 
aging to  preachers  who  have  few  books  and  less  leisure. 

The  method  is  this  :  Suppose  my  text  to  be  Ps.  xxvi.  8  :  "  Lord,  I 
have  loved  the  habitation  of  thy  house,"  &c.  After  briefly  expounding 
the  text,  I  should  state  the  subject  to  be  imhlic  ivorshij),  and  then  divide 
as  follows : — 

I.  The  nature  and  importance  of  public  worship. 

II.  Its  various  attractions  to  a  good  man. 

III.  The  force  of  example,  as  furnished  by  the  text. 

IV.  The  guilt  and  danger  of  neglect. 

I  then  select  the  parallel  passages  from  such  works  as  I  have  named  , 
and  that  I  may  receive  the  full  benefit  of  them,  and  have  the.  whole  of  them 
in  view,  I  form  a  hst  of  them  on  paper,  in  die  following  manner  : — 

Exodus  XX.  24 ;  In  all  places  where  I  record  my  name,  &c. 
Matt,  xviii.  20 :  Wherever  two  or  three  are  gathered  together,  &c. 
1  Chron.  xix.  3  :  I  have  set  my  affections  upon  the  house,  &:c. 
Ps.  xxiii.  7  :  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  &c. 

xxvii.  4-6:  One  thing  have  I  desired  of  the  Lord^&c. 

xlii.  4:  For  I  had  gone  with  the  multitude,  &:c. 

Ixxiii.  17  :  Until  I  went  into  the  sanctuary  of  God. 

Ixxxiv.  1  :  How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles. 

xcv.  throughout ;  and  Ps.  xlviii.  9. 

exxxii.  13  :  The  Lord  hath  chosen  Sion. 
Isa.  iv.  2 :  1  he  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be,  &c, 

XXV.  6:  And  in  this  mountain  the  Lord  will,  &:c. 

Ivi.  7  :  I  will  make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer. 
Luke  ii.  4G-49  :  Christ  honored  the  temple. 

xix.  4G  :  Christ  quoted  Isa.  Ivi.  7. 
Acts  ii.  46 :  The  primitive  Christians  honored  the  temple. 
Ileb.  X.  25  :  Paul  dehorted  from  forsaking  public  worship. 
Ps.  Ixxiii.  27:  Those  that  are  far  from  God  shall  perish. 
Zech.  xiv.  17,  18:  Threatening  of  drought  and  plague. 
Ps.  xcv.  11  :  Unto  whom  I  swore,  &c. 
Isa.  Ivi.:  Those  are  blessed  that  keep  God's  sabbaths. 

Iviii.  13,  14  :  Similar  promises. 
Sam.  ii.  3(1:  Those  that  honor  me  I  will  honor. 
Matt.  iv.  10:  Thou  shah  worship. 
Ps.  Ixxxvii.  2:  The  Lord  loveth  the  gates  of  Zion. 

Many  scriptures  may  occur  to  my  mind,  while  in  the  art  of  composing, 
that  were  not  in  the  list.  These,  as  being  aj)propriate,  I  adopt ;  wliilo,  on 
the  other  hand,  many  quotations  on  my  list  do  not  suit  my  subject,  and  are 
consequciuly  rejected.      1  now  commence  the  discourse  as  follows  : — 

I.  The  nature  and  importance  of  public  worship. 

It  is  in  a  united  and  .tonal  capacity  that  it  is  here  to  be  considered,  tliouirb  private 
worshij)  is  not  to  be  dispi'used  with:  therefore  (st-e  Ps.  xlii.  4),  s;iid  David,  "I  bad 
gone  with  the  multitude."     It  is  happiness  indeed  when  the  multitude  press  to  God's 

*  Besides  Back's  and  Brown's,  wc  ore  now  favored  with  one  from  the  late  E.  Watson. 


METHODS    OP    FILLING    UP    A    DISCOURSE.  41 

house  to  express  their  praises,  to  utter  their  prayers,  to  hear  God's  holy  word,  to  be 
publicly  instructed  in  divine  things. 

1.  Viewed  with  respect  to  God. 

1.)  Nothing  is  more  rational ;  Acts  xvii.  28. 
2.)  God  requires  it;  Matt.  iv.  10  ;  Zech.  xiv.  16. 
3.)  He  directs  its  performance  ;  John  iv.  24. 

2.  With  respect  to  the  world.  Take  away  the  sabbath  and  its  advantages,  and 
there  must  be  confusion  and  every  evil  work. 

3.  With  respect  to  individuals.  Every  one  has  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  pay,  peti- 
tions to  offer,  a  soul  to  be  fed  :  most  truly  might  it  be  said  that  the  "  sabbath  was  made 
for  man,"  Mark  ii.  27. 

IT.  Its  various  attractions  to  a  good  man : — 

1.  The  house  of  God  is  the  place  of  promise  ;  Exod.  xx.  24 ;  1  Sam.  ii.  30  ;  Matt, 
xviii.  20  ;  Isa.  ii.  2  ;  Ps.  cxxxii.  13-17  ;  Isa.  xxv.  6 ;  vi.  7  ;  Iviii.  13  ;  Ps.  Ixxxvii.  2. 
These  may  be  severally  expatiated  upon  by  annotation  and  comment ;  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  are  all  furnished  by  the  list.  • 

2.  It  is  the  place  oi  inslruclion,  where  gifts  are  exercised  for  this  end ;  Eph.  iv.  8 ; 
Acts  ix.  31  ;  Cant.  ii.  34  ;  nay,  even  a  dispensation  of  Providence  could  not  be  under- 
stood till  a  visit  was  made  to  the  house  of  God  ;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  13. 

3.  It  is  the  place  of  delight  and  satisfaction;  1  Chron.  xxix.  3  ;  Ps.  xxiii.  6  ;  xxvii. 
4-6  ;  xlii.  4  ;  Ixxxiv.  1,  2. 

III.  The  force  of  example : — 

1.  David  :  see  text,  and  Ps.  xxvii.  4  ;  xxiii.  6,  &c. 

2.  Our  Lord  himself;  Luke  iv.  16  ;  Acts  ii.  46. 

3.  The  first  Christians ;  Acts  ii.  46  ;  and  xx.  7. 

IV.  The  guilt  and  danger  of  neglect.  The  more  excellent  a  thing  is,  the  greater 
the  folly  and  guilt  of  neglecting  it.  For  this  part  see  list;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  27  ;  1  Sam.  ii. 
30 ;  Zech.  xiv.  17,  .19  ;  Ps.  xcv.  11 ;  Heb.  x.  25. 

The  next  means  to  be  recommended  is  the  sUidy  of  the  works  of  'p'lous 
authors.  Although  this  is  objected  to  by  some  in  our  day,  as  being  un- 
necessary and  anti-scriptural,  yet  you  should  undoubtedly  acquaint  your- 
self with  the  opinions  of  commentators.  These  are  generally  sound  in 
doctrine,  for  no  one  essentially  corrupt  would  venture  on  a  commentary. 
None  can  object  to  such  works  as  those  of  Dwight,  Henry,  Gill,  Fuller, 
and  those  enumerated  in  Bickersteth's  catalogues,  &c.  Nor  should  print- 
ed sermons  be  disregarded  ;  for,  if  we  are  not  "  to  despise  prophesyings" 
viva  voce,  why  despise  them  in  a  printed  form  ?  But  in  sermonizing  you 
should  think  for  yourself  before  you  consult  the  works  of  others  ;  this  is  a 
general  and  an  important  rule. 

A  convincing  proof  of  the  benefit  of  reading  the  works  of  others  is  fur- 
nished in  our  judges  and  leading  counsellors,  who  appear  to  have  succeed- 
ed in  the  attainment  of  true  eloquence  above  any  order  of  men  in  the  world,* 
and  this  because  they  are  the  most  jjcnetrat'mg  and  diligent  readers  of  the 
laws  of  nations,  the  ancient  constitutions,  laws,  and  customs  of  their  coun- 
try, and  of  the  commentaries  and  adjudged  cases  that  have  been  published 
upon  these  laws.  Their  reading  is  never  remitted.  Some  new  law  work 
is  perpetually  making  new  demands  upon  their  diligence,  and  wealth  and 
honor  crown  their  labors  at  last,  if  Providence  spare  their  lives.  The  ma- 
turity of  their  powers  raises  them  to  eminence,  not  only  in  their  own  pro- 
fession, but  also  in  the  hotises  of  parliament,  and  even  in  the  cabinet, 
where  also  they  often  rise  superior  to  other  men.  We  attribute  much  to 
native  talent,  but  more  to  the  improvement  of  that  talent  by  reading  and 
study.     Let  the  Christian  minister,  therefore,  keep  these  men  in  his  eye, 

*  From  this,  rather  than  for  their  classical  acquirements,  they  have  the  title  of  learned. 


42  LECTURE    II. 

and  imitate  their  diligence,  not  for  the  sake  of  worldly  wealth  and  honor, 
but  for  the  good  of  souls  and  the  honor  which  cometh  from  God. 

Finally,  I  recommend  meditation.  You  will  find  great  advantage  in 
reading  Bridge's  Christian  Minister  on  this  subject,  p.  S-il  of  first  edition, 
chap,  ii.,  sect.  2  :  and  I  may  here  quote  the  directions  of  the  late  Mr.  Ful- 
ler, of  Kettering,  which  are  truly  valuable.  The  method  recommended  is 
that  of  obtaining  the  chief  part  of  a  sermon  by  mcditatioii.  The  mind  will 
never  know  its  own  resources  unless  properly  exercised  ;  the  habit  of 
thinking  closely  will  present  many  things  to  it  which  would  not  otherwise 
have  been  thought  of,  and  the  more  the  invention  is  exercised  the  more 
fertile  it  will  become. 

Upon  the  subject  of  thus  meditating  a  sermon,  he  observes :  "  When 
your  text  is  selected,  meditate  on  the  context,  and  by  it  get  clear  notions 
of  your  text.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  consult  expositors  :  if  their  opin- 
ions appear  the  best,  take  them  ;  at  any  rate,  do  not  proceed  till  you  are 
satisfied  that  you  perceive  the  mind  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  passage. 
Then  examine  the  force  of  each  word  or  term  of  importance  in  the  text ; 
do  this  by  observing  the  use  of  tlie  same  expression  in  other  places  of 
scripture  by  a  concordance  ;  but  take  care  of  an  injudicious  use  of  this 
book,  for  it  may  be,  by  misuse,  a  great  sermon-spoiler ;  that  is,  when  a 
jingle  of  sounds  is  put  for  expository  sense.  Words  and  terms  may  be 
examined  to  great  advantage  by  a  judicious  use  of  contrast,  a  placing  them, 
one  at  a  time,  in  opposition  to  those  which  are  intended  to  convey  a  dif- 
ferent meaning.  The  following  may  serve  as  an  example':  Suppose  your 
text  be  Ps.  cxlv.  16  :  '  Thou  openest  thy  hand,  and  satisfiest  the  desire  of 
every  living  thing.'  Begin  with  the  term  ojpenest :  '  Thou  openest  thy 
hand.'  What  an  idea  does  this  convey  of  the  paternal  goodness  of  God 
toward  his  creatures  !  how  opposite  to  the  conduct  of  many  of  his  crea- 
tures toward  one  another,  whose  hearts  and  hands  are  shut  !  What  an 
idea  docs  it  convey  of  the  case  with  which  tiic  wants  of  the  whole  creation 
are  supplied  !  Let  me  pause  a  moment,  and  think  of  these  wants.  What 
a  quantity  of  vegetable  and  animal  food  is  daily  consumed  in  one  town,  in 
one  large  city,  in  a  nation,  in  the  whole  world  !  yet  mankind  only  com- 
pose a  small  part  of  this  vast  family  ;  it  includes  '  every  living  thing,''  O 
what  innumerable  wants  throughout  all  animate  nature,  in  the  air — on  the 
earth — in  the  waters  !  Whence  come  their  supplies  ?  '  Thou  openest 
thy  hand,'  and  all  are  satisfied.  And  can  these  various  necessities  be  sup- 
plied i)y  only  opening  his  hand  ?  What  tiicn  must  our  salvation  be  ?  This 
is  a  work  of  wondcrfid  expense.  The  Lord  opens  his  hand  in  providence  ; 
but  he  has  '  purchased  the  church  with  his  own  blood.'  And  then  medi- 
tate on  the  variety  of  ways  used  for  our  supply.  The  earth  is  made  fruit- 
ful, the  air  is  full  of  life,  the  clouds  empty  themselves  upon  the  earth,  the 
sun  j)ours  forth  its  genial  rays  ;  but  the  oj)cration  of  all  these  second  causes 
is  only  the  '  opening  of  his  hand.'  Parents  sustain  us,  ways  arc  opened 
for  our  future  subsistence,  connexions  are  formed,  &t.  ;  but  all  these  are 
but  the  '  oi)cninf;;  of  his  hand;'  sec  Ps.  civ.  27-29.  You  may  next  notice 
the  pronoun  Thou:  '  Thou  openest,'  &c.  Here,  in  contrast,  as  I  said, 
it  is  easy  to  infer — If  thou  openest  thy  hand,  I  ought  not  to  shut  mine 
against  my  poor  brother.  [And  here  we  arc  provid(Nl  with  an  excellent 
application  of  the  subject.]  Next  consider  the  term  hand :  there  is  a  dif- 
ference between  the  hand  and  the  heart.     God  opens  his  hand  in  provi- 


METHODS    OF    FILLING    UP    A    DISCOURSE.  43 

dence  to  his  worst  enemies  ;  he  gave  Nebuchadnezzar  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  (see  Jer.  xxvii.  6) ;  but  he  opens  his  heart  in  the  gospel  of  his 
Son.  This  is  the  better  portion  of  the  two.  Let  us  pray,  with  Jabez,  to 
be  blessed  indeed,  that  we  may  have  Joseph's  pordon,  not  only  the  pre- 
cious things  of  the  earth,  but  also  the  good-will  of  Him  that  dwelt  m  the 
bush.  Proceed  :  '  Thou  satis/lest  the  desire,'  &c.  Here  I  see  God  does 
not  give  sparingly  [this  is  the  contrast].  It  seems  to  be  the  characteristic 
of  the  divine  nature,  both  in  the  natural  and  moral  world,  to  excite  desires, 
not  to  disappoint,  but  to  satisfy  them."  ^       ^ 

This,  then,  is  my  author's  method  of  meditating  a  discourse,  and  it  brings 
to  our  minds  similar  turns  of  thought  in  Matthew  Henry. 

"  Next,"  my  author  says,  "  endeavor  to  dispose  of  these  thoughts  to  ad- 
vantage, by  placing  them  in  due  order.  Many  sermons  are  little  better 
than  a  mob  of  ideas  ;  they  contain  some  good  sentiments,  but  have  no  ob- 
ject in  view  which  is  steadily  pursued  for  two  minutes,  nor  any  order  in 
the  parts  that  can  assist  either  speaker  or  hearer,  nor  any  unity  of  the 
whole.  Upon  an  inspection  of  these  thoughts  it  will  be  plain  the  subject 
must  be  Divine  Providence ;  and  this  will  thus  divide  :  I.  Explain  the 
doctrine  of  providence.  H.  Establish  it.  HI.  Improve  it."  Under  these 
principal  divisions  the  thoughts  produced  by  meditation  are  to  be  arranged, 
and  such  other  thoughts  added  as  are  apposite  to  the  subject. 

To  those  whose  pecuniary  resources  are  limited,  or  whose  business  de- 
nies them  the  necessary  time  for  reading  extensively,  the  plan  of  pure  medi- 
tation offers  its  valuable  aid.     I  readily  grant  that  to  arrive  at  our  object 
solely  by  meditation  is  very  difficult  in  our  first  attempts.     There  is  so 
great  a  degree  of  obtuseness  in  the  mind  that  it  may  not  at  first  penetrate 
into  the  subject ;  or,  if  we  perceive  something  of  the  meaning  or  excellence 
of  a  passage,  yet  it  is  but  dimly,  and  not  sufficiently  to  guide  us  to  its  ful- 
ness ;  but  let  us  think  again  and  again,  and,  by  degrees,  we  shall  obtain 
those  discoveries  which  will  amply  reward  our  labor.     "  Those  works  of 
God  which  are   most  plain  have  wonders  in  them,  if  we  "could  find  them 
out ;  so   in  the  plainest  text  of  scripture  there  is  a  world  of  holiness  and 
spirituality  ;  and  if  we,  in  prayer  and  dependence  upon  God,  did  sit  down 
and  consider  it,  we  should  behold  much  more  than  appears  to  us.     It  may 
be,  at  once  reading  or  looking,  we  see  little  or  nothing,  as  Elijah's  servant : 
he  went  out  once,  and  saw  nothing;  therefore  he  was  commanded  to  look 
seven  times.     '  What  now  V  says  the  prophet.     '  I  see  a  cloud  rising  like 
a  man's  hand ;'  and  by-and-by  the  whole  surface  of  the  heavens  was  cov- 
ered with  clouds.     So  you  may  look  lightly  on  a  scripture,  and  see  noth- 
ing ;  look  again,  and  you  will  see  a  litde ;  but  look  seven  times  upon  it, 
meditate  often  upon  it,  and  then  you  shall  see  a  hght  like  the  light  of  the 
sun."*     1  Kings  xviii.  43,  45. 

I  may  here  add,  let  the  student  consuh  Owen  on  Hebrews,  vol.  iv.,  p. 
178,  and  some  pages  forward  in  the  same  volume.  If  meditation  be  con- 
sidered a  part  of  study,  then  see  Mr.  Bridges,  p.  43,  or  his  Index,  word 
Study. 

In  connexion  with  the  plan  of  meditating  a  sermon,  I  may  here  offer 
you  a  few  hints  for  tracing  out  an  idea.  The  following  litde  scheme  has 
been  particularly  useful  to  myself;  and  I  can  therefore  put  my  probatunt 

*  Caryl  on  Job.— Caryl  confirmed  the  excellency  of  his  own  rule  throughout  his  whole  exposition 
on  Job.    His  observations  discover  a  fecundity  of  thought  that  must  surprise  every  attentive  reader. 


44  LECTURE    II. 

est  to  it.  It  would  be  of  essential  service  to  those  who  use  Simeon,  and 
who  find  a  difficulty  when  they  arrive  at  his  breaks  or  ledger  hnes — the 
marks  for  enlargement.  Indeed,  it  has  been  justly  observed  that  as  much 
talent  is  required  to  fill  up  the  breaks  as  to  construct  the  outline.  1  will 
give  you  an  instance  of  Mr.  Simeon's  breaks  : — 

"  There  is  nothing  more  injurious  to  ourselves  or  others  than  prejudice  : 

while  it  operates  as  a  bar  to  our  own  improvement,  it  leads  us  to  put  a  perverse  con- 
struction on  everything  we  sec  or  hear. It  will  extract  matter  for  censure 

even  from  the  most  innocent  or  laudable  actions. This  malignity  can  not 

be  seen  in  more  striking  colors  than  in  the  conduct  of  the  Phariseqs  toward  our  Lord. 


It  must  be  evident  that  some  one  or  more  of  the  plans  employed  for 
constructing  a  whole  discourse  must  be  resorted  to  for  the  management  of 
a  single  idea,  and  the  only  difference  lies  in  the  longmn  or  the  brcvum  of 
the  case.  It  will  be  equally  necessary  if  the  thought  to  be  expanded  be 
your  own,  which  is  the  more  honorable  of  the  two  instances.  •  To  proceed  . 
the  rules  must  be  something  like  the  following : — 

1.  State  the  idea  in  the  clearest  form  of  words,  as  in  Mr.  Simeon's  ex- 
ample. 

2.  If  it  should  require  a  sentence  or  two  to  make  it  better  understood 
by  the  ignorant,  this  must  be  yielded  to,  or  all  that  you  say  afterward  will 
be  lost ;  and,  even  when  not  absolutely  required  in  order  to  render  the 
subject  intelligible,  judicious  amplijication  may  often  be  employed  with 
excellent  effect ;  and  this  is  the  more  necessary  at  the  beginning  of  a  dis- 
course, because  it  may  give  an  aspect  to  all  that  follows  throughout  the 
whole  discussion.  The  want  of  such  amplification  may  give  the  hearers 
an  opportunity  to  say,  "  You  have  brought  us  to  the  portico  of  a  fine  build- 
ing, and  left  us  there,  instead  of  showing  the  different  apartments  contained 
in  the  building  itself,  and  the  magnificent  fiirniture."  The  Scriptures  fur- 
nish many  beautiful  examples  of  amplification,  as  the  songs  of  Moses  and 
of  Deborah,  and  Ecclesiastes  iii.,  where  the  first  verse  contains  the  state- 
ment of  which  the  seven  following  verses  are  the  amplification.  Caryl,  the 
celebrated  expositor  of  the  book  of  Job,  having  to  expound  cli.  xxxiv.  29, 
"  When  he  (God)  givcth  quietness,  who  then  can  make  trouble?"  on  the 
5th  of  November  (the  day  of  the  gunpowder  plot,  which,  at  that  time,  was 
kept  with  great  zeal,  though  now  almost  forgotten),  availed  himself  of  the 
circumstance  in  the  following  amj)lification  : — 

"Would  it  not,"  says  lie,  "have  made  trouble  to  destroy  the  king,  the  chief  gover- 
nor of  these  nations,  with  his  royal  issue,  in  one  day  ?  Would  it  not  have  made  trou- 
ble  to  blow  up  the  representatives  of  the  nation,  the  parliament,  in  one  day  ?  Would 
it  n(jt  have  made  trouble  to  throw  theAvhole  body  of  the  people  intoa  complete  heap, 
without  a  head,  in  one  day?  Would  it  not  have  made  trouble  in  the  nation  to  have 
seen  i)apal  power,  with  popish  doctrines  and  worship,  brought  in  airain  in  a  few 
days?  Would  it  not  have  made  trouble  to  have  seen  poor  souls  imprJMined,  perse- 
cuted, and  consumed  to  ashes,  for  their  conscientious  witiiess-bearin<r  to  ilic  truth  of 
the  gospel?  Would  it  not  have  made  troulile  to  have  lost  our  civil  liberties,  and  to 
liave  had  a  yoke  of  spiritual  botidage  laid  upon  our  necks,  by  far  worse  than  Egyp- 
tian tjiskmasters  ?  Would  it  not  have  made  trouble  to  sj)!!!  the  blood  of  thousands? 
Was  it  not  to  attempt  all  these  things,  which  probably  would  have  been  the  issue  of 
tliat  plot,  if  it  had  succeeded  ?  Let  us  praise  the  Lord,  who  was  pleased  to  prevent 
it,  and  said,  //  shall  not  be.  They  did  everything  to  make  trouble  but  prosper  in 
their  designs.  They  took  secret  counsel — they  took  oaths — yea,  they  took  the  .«acra- 
meiit,  to  insure  the  secresy  of  those  counsels:  all  this  they  did  to  the  making  of 
trouble;  but  they  could  not.  God  said,  at  that  tinu>.  Let  En<^land  bem  quietness."* 
"  See  also  Blair's  Letters  on  Rhetoric,  vol.  i.,  p.  118  ;  edit.  1803. 


METHODS    OF    FILLING    UP    A    DISCOURSE.  45 

3.  If  the  idea  has  still  any  difficulty,  it  may  require  illustration.  Mr. 
Simeon  illustrates  the  passage  referred  to  and  quoted  by  commenting  on 
the  circumstances  which  gave  rise  to  it.  The  first,  sixteenth,  and  eigh- 
teenth topics  in  these  lectures  show  the  fecundity  of  the  illustrative  field. 
Scripture  illustrations,  however,  will  be  most  efficient,  and  especially  those 
of  our  blessed  Savior.  Jeremy  Taylor,  Dr.  Manton,  Chalmers,  &c.,  have 
been  very  eminent  in  this  almost  sublime  art. 

4.  An  idea  may  also  require  confirmation  ;  the  short  and  good  old  way 
is  to  bring  in  scripture  proofs,  with  short  and  pithy  reasoning,  managed 
with  good  sense  ;  but  great  extension,  for  the  present  occasion,  is  not  to 
be  expected. 

5.  A  short  comment,  of  a  select  and  suitable  kind,  maybe  very  forcible 
and  popular  :  for  which  see  general  index  on  the  woxd  comment.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  our  best  writers  excel  in  this  management  of  an  idea  ;  and  the 
best  preachers  obtain  their  popularity  in  this  way. 

Let  us  now  try  whether  we  can  apply  these  rules  to  the  filling  up  of  Mr. 
Simeon's  breaks  in  the  foregoing  specimen. 

There  is  nothing  more  injurious  to  ourselves  or  others  than  prejudice,  by  which  I 
would  be  understood  to  mean  a  state  of  mind  often  imperceptibly  attained  in  favor  of 
any  system  to  which  we  may  have  been  accustomed,  without  any  definite  or  distinct 
recognition  of  the  reasons  on  which  such  preference  is  founded.  Many  persons  en- 
tertain very  strong  religious  opinions,  not  because  they  have  examined  the  grounds 
of  those  opinions,  and  arrived  at  a  settled  conviction  from  a  full  perception  of  the 
solid  and  scriptural  basis  on  which  they  rest,  but  because  they  have  been  accustomed 
to  hear  ihem  urged  with  frequency  and  warmth,  and  the  contrary  opinions  denounced 
as  fraught  with  every  species  of  mischief ;  and,  while  they  are  totally  unable  to  give 
a  satisfactory  reason  for  their  sentiments,  they  are  nevertheless  prevented  by  this  state 
of  mind  from  feeling  the  weight  or  appreciating  the  force  of  opposing  evidence. 
Hence  the  maxim  of  the  wise  man :  "  A  fool  is  wiser  in  his  own  conceit  than  seven 
men  that  can  render  a  reason."  If  the  evil  consequences  of  prejudice  were  confined 
to  ourselves,  still  we  could  not  be  too  much  on  our  guard  against  it,  but  unhappily 
this  is  not  the  fact ;  for,  while  it  operates  as  a  bar  to  our  own  improvement,  it  leads  us 
to  put  a  perverse  construction  on  everything  we  see  or  hear,  as  the  ey£  of  a  person 
afflicted  Avith  the  jaundice  is  said  to  give  a  yellow  tinge  to  every  object  at  which  he 
looks.  It  loill  extract  matter  for  censure  even  from  the  most  innocent  or  laudable 
actions  ;  for,  since  the  very  same  actions  may  be  performed  from  a  great  variety  of 
motives,  nothing  is  more  easy  than  to  attribute  that  which  is  most  commendable  to 
base  and  unworthy  principles,  contrary  to  the  sacred  rule  of  charity,  which  requires 
us  to  put  the  best  construction  which  the  case  will  admit  upon  the  conduct  of  others. 
It  was  thus  that  the  enemies  of  Daniel  treated  his  scrupulous  adherence  to  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah,  ascribing  his  conduct  to  disloyalty  and  perverseness.  The  malignity 
of  such  a  practice  can  not  be  seen  in  more  striking  colors  than  in  the  conduct  of  the 
Pharisees  toward  our  Lord. — Woodrow. 

In  offering  so  great  a  variety  of  assistance,  I  hope  there  is  no  danger 
of  perplexing  instead  of  helping  you.  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  see  that 
each  aid  has  its  peculiar  office.  A  skilful  mechanic  is  not  perplexed  by 
viewing  a  large  chest  of  tools  of  great  variety,  because,  at  the  same  time, 
he  sees  the  separate  use  of  each.  So  I  wish  you  to  see  the  separate  use 
and  application  of  each  distinct  article,  "  that  you  may  be  a  workman  thit 
need  not  be  ashamed." 


46  LECTURE    in. 

LECTURE  III. 

DIFFERENT  METHODS  OF  DIVISION. 

The  various  kinds  of  division  to  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  advert 
I  will  now  present  to  you.  They  are  textual  or  topical.  The  textual  are 
guch  as  fall  into — 


1.  The  natural  kind  of  divis- 

ion. 

2.  The  accommodational. 

3.  Tiie  cxposifonj. 

4.  The  distributive. 


5.  The  regular. 

6.  The  interrogative. 

7.  The  observational. 

8.  The  iiropositional. 

9.  Tliat  of  continued  application. 


The  topical  kinds  of  division  are  extremely  numerous,  and,  as  you  will 
see,  are  such  as  sustain  a  real  distinctiveness  of  character.  The  topics 
form  a  very  valuable  acquisition  to  the  divinity  student,  as  will  at  once  be 
evident  on  inspection.  In  addition  to  their  use  as  a  basis  for  division,  they 
will  also  lend  their  aid  in  furnishing  a  part  or  parts  of  textual  discourses, 
and  su"-2;esting  ideas  for  enlargement  and  amplification  ;  so  that  these  top- 
ics are  cither  principals  or  auxiliaries,  p?-o  re  nata,  and  sources  of  thought 
in  an  almost  endless  variety. 

The  first  nine  kinds  of  division  I  have  called  textual,  for  on  the  text 
they  are  established.  And  it  is  necessary  to  remind  you  that  they  take 
their  distinctive  names  from  the/>?7/?  of  the  outline  they  present  more  than 
from  any  peculiarity  in  the  mode  of  discussion.  Thus  only  one  kind  is 
called  expository,  yet  several  others,  and  particularly  the  interrogative,  may 
be  very  suitable  for  an  expository  discourse  ;  indeed,  in  whatever  method 
a  text  is  examined,  explained,  and  enforced,  it  comes  into  tiie  expository. 
You  will  also  perceive  that  die  observational  plan,  so  (iir  as  die  division  is 
concerned,  is  nearly  allied  to  the  propositional.  Yet  I  allow  these  imper- 
fections to  pass,  to  preserve  the  names  and  kinds  as  they  stand,  being  sat- 
isfied that  utility  is  to  be  preferred  to  the  niceties  of  critical  and  logical 
accuracy.  The  several  forms,  witii  the  remarks  and  illustrations  of  each 
respectively,  will,  I  trust,  show  the  propriety  of  distinguishing  them  by 
such  names  as  I  have  adopted. 

THE  NATURAL  DIVISION. 

The  order  in  which  the  words  of  many  passages  of  scripture  stand  is  so 
natural,  and  die  arrangement  of  tiie  subject  so  obvious,  that  no  art  can 
place  them  in  a  clearer  point  of  view.  In  such  case  you  have  only  to  di.s- 
lingui.sh  die  several  members  of  the  text  by  ajipropriate  names. 

Claude  furnishes  an  instance  of  this  order  on  Eph.  i.  3.  His  divisions 
are  a-s  follows  : — 

I.  Hero  is  a  grateful  acknowledgment — "  Blessed  be  God." 

II.  The  title  xinder  whirl.  Paul  blesses  God— "  The  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

III.  The  reason  why  ho  l)lcsses  God— "Tie  hath  blessed  us." 

IV.  Thv  plenitude  n'f  this  hlessinij- "  With  all  hlrssincs." 

V.  The  nature  or  kind  of  them — "  Spiritual  blessings." 


THE    NATURAL    DIVISION.  4:7 


VI.  The  place  where,  &c.— "  In  heavenly  places." 

VII.  In  whom  he  has  blessed  u^-"  In  Christ  Jesus. 

There  are  many  instances  of  beautiful  simplicity  in  the  divisions  adopt- 
ed by  our  modern  preachers,  somewhat  resembling  the  above.  Generally 
speaking,  such  divisions  will  admit  of  subdivisions  ;  as  in  Walker  s  sermon 
on  1  John  v.  11 : — 

I.  God  hath  given  us  eternal  life. 

II.  This  life  is  in  his  Son. 

1.  As  Mediator. 

2.  As  he  is  the  source  of  life. 

3.  As  secured  in  him. 

Another  from  the  same  author,  on  Heb.  ix.  28 : — 

I.  The  particulars  respecting  his  first  appearance. 

II.  He  shall  appear  the  second  time  unto  salvation. 

1.  To  raise  the  dead  bodies  of  the  saints. 

2.  To  complete  his  body  the  church. 

3.  To  publicly  acquit  his  followers,  as  their  Judge. 

4.  To  complete  their  happiness. 

ITT    He  "shall  appear  a  second  time  without  sin.  .  .„  ,     .  i, 

IV.  The  characters  of  those  to  whom  this  second  commg  will  be  joyous:  such  as 

look  for  him  : — 

1.  With  a  firm  belief  of  the  event. 

2.  With  desire. 

3.  With  patience. 

4.  With  habitual  preparedness. 

•  From  the  Cripplegate  Morning  Exercises.     2  Peter  i.  14  :  "  Knowing 
that  shortly  I  must  put  off,"  &c.     We  have  here— 

I.  A  description  of  our  mortal  ^art—"  A.  tabernacle."  ^^ 

II.  The  maimer  in  which  we  part  with  it—"  We  put^tt  off. 

III.  The  time  when  this  event  shall  occur—"  bhortly.  ^^ 

IV.  The  means  of  our  knowing  it—"  Our  i^ord  has  shown  us. 

From  Burder's  Village  Sermons.     Titus  ii.  11,  12  : — 

I.  The  gospel  of  Christ  is  the  grace  or  gift  of  God. 

II.  It  brings  salvation. 

III.  It  has  appeared  to  all  men. 

IV.  It  teaches  us  to  live  a  holy  life. 

From  Beddome,  on  Rev.  iii.  20  : — 

I.  If  any  man  hear  my  voice— (with  three  subdivisions). 

li.  And  open  the  door— (with  three  ditto). 

III.  I  will  come  in  to  him— (with  three  ditto). 

IV.  I  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me. 

There  is  still  another  form  of  the  natural  division,  which  I  will  attempt 
to  elucidate  by  the  following  example.  I  adduce  it  now  for  a  particular 
purpose,  though  I  shall  refer  to  it  again.  It  is  from  Mr.  Simeon.  The  text 
is  Ezek  xxxvi  25-27  :  "  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and 
vou  shaif  be  clean,"  &c.,  &c.  On  this  he  observes  that  the  greatprom- 
ise  of  the  New-Testament  church,  which  was  to  follow  the  ascension  ot 
Christ,  was  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who,  in  the  dispensations  ot 
grace — 

I.  Cleanses  from  sin  :  "I  will  sprinkle,"  &c.  ^^ 

II.  Renews  the  heart :  "  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you.^      ■ 

III.  Sanctifies  the  life  :  "  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you. 


48  LECTURE    III. 

It  will  be  observed  that,  in  the  former  instances,  single  members  of  a 
text  or  verse  are  made  to  form  so  many  parts.  In  this  last  instance  sev- 
eral are  classed  together  and  titled  ;  yet  the  original  conception  of  natural 
division  is  preserved. 

1  sliall  add  but  one  more  example  under  this  head,  and  this  also  is  taken 
from  Mr.  Simeon.  The  text  is  2  Cor.  v.  10,  11  :  "  We  must  all  appeal- 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,"  &c.     Here  we  have — 

1.  The  apostle's  account  of  the  day  of  judgment  (ver.  10). 
.  II.  The  improvement  which  he  made  of  it  (ver.  11). 

Here  we  have  a  division,  but  no  interruption  is  given  to  the  natural 
order  of  things.  The  statements  are  assumed  as  facts,  and  commented 
on  in  the  most  serious  and  impressive  manner  that  the  preacher  can  pos- 
sibly assume,  without  critical  explanation  or  regular  proofs,  which,  however, 
might,  if  thought  needful,  be  brought  in,  as  a  subdivision  of  the  first  head. 

Now,  as  a  general  idea  respecting  the  preceding  kinds  of  the  natural 
division,  it  is  obvious  that  they  owe  something  to  theyb^-m  of  division,  but 
more  to  the  vse  that  is  made  of  them.  Their  excellence  consists  in  their 
simplicity,  and  they  are  valuable  in  proportion  as  this  simplicity  is  pre- 
served. "  This  plain  and  easy  way  of  preaching  without  divisions,"  says 
one  (that  is,  without  artificial  division),  "  is  wonderfully  adapted  to  the 
capacities,  and  inclinations  too,  of  a  multitude  of  hearers  ;  and  such  a 
method,  purged  of  artificial  logic,  will  one  day  or  other,  it  is  hoped,  uni- 
versally prevail." — Robinson'' s  Notes  on  Claude. 

I  am  decidedly  of  opinion  that  a  great  number  of  passages  are  admira- 
bly adapted  to  this  kind  of  division,  especially  long  texts  having  a  number 
of  alBrmative  particulars*  en  suite,  notwithstanding  the  ridicule  so  often 
thrown  upon  this  method  of  treating  them,  provided  such  discourses  are 
closed  by  a  suitable  and  fervid  address :  this,  I  think,  is  always  indispen- 
sable. 

The  followihg  passages  may  be  specified  as  examples  :  Isa.  xli.  17,  IS ; 
Micah  vii.  18-22;  Hos.  xiv.  5,  7.t  Sometimes  a  climax  is  found  in 
such  passages  ;  I  think  in  two  of  those  now  referred  to,  viz.,  Micah  vii. 
18-22,  perhaps  in  Isa.  xli.  17,  18  ;  at  least  every  additional  clause  adds 
new  weight  to  the  subject,  or  heightens  the  sense  of  the  grace  recorded. 

In  closing  this  part  of  the  present  lecture  I  may  observe  that  tliis  kind 
of  discourse  is  well  suited  to  week-day  evening  lectures,  or  to  small  con- 
gregations of  a  serious  character,  when  the  preacher  has  no  design  to  as- 
sume the  orator,  but  rather  to  consider  himself  as  a  friend  among  friends, 
desirous  of  imparting  "  some  spiritual  gift"  for  the  establishment  of  their 
faith.  Ministers  certainly  require  occasional  relief;  they  can  not  always 
keep  the  powers  of  their  minds  on  the  full  stretch  ;  and  this  simple  method 
will,  I  think,  be  found  to  afford  them  a  suitable  relief.  Care  must,  how- 
ever, be  taken  that  they  do  not  degenerate  into  dulness,  nor  permit  them- 
selves to  indulge  too  frequently  in  any  one  method  as  a  refuge  for  idleness. 

THE  ACCOMMODATIONAL  DIVISION. 

A  just  and  perspiciious  arrangement  of  any  subject  is  the  beauty  of 
science  ;  and  a  classification  of  the  several  kinds  of  division,  connecting 
with  it  theu-  appropriate  style  and  manner,  must  possess  both  beauty  and 

•  See  Henr>''«  Commcniar)'  on  Phil.  i.  9-11,  and  many  other  pawagcg. 
t  Sec  Simcou's  WurUs,  uu  the  above  poasagcs. 


THE    ACCOMODATIONAL    DIVISION.  W 

Utility  The  differences  of  things  exist  in  nature,  but  art  discovers  and 
arranges  them.  Here,  however,  a  difficulty  is  confessed,  and  also  my  m- 
ability  to  surmount  it ;  for  as  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  blend  mto  each 
other,  and  defy  our  marking  exactly  where  one  ends  and  another  begms, 
so  will  one  kind  of  discourse  frequently  mingle  with  that  bordermg  upon 
it  •  and  we  must  either  put  up  with  a  little  imperfection  or  throw  thmgs 
together  in  an  undistinguished  heap.  It  is  highly  desirable  that  appropri- 
ate names  should  be  given  to  the  several  kinds  of  division  ;  and  one  would 
think  that  this  were  easily  done,  since  the  family  is  not  immensely  large  ; 
but  here,  even  in  the  second  article  we  are  beset  with  a  difficulty— the  very 
second  branch  of  the  family  must  either  go  without  a  name  or  receive  one 
of  an  indistinctive  character.  I  shall  therefore  now,  as  m  my  former 
work,  denominate  this  kind  of  division  the  accommodational.  1  he 
specimens  which  I  shall  give  of  this  kind  of  division  are,  with  one  excep- 
tion, in  two  parts  only ;  they  are  general  expressions  which  embrace  the  ob- 
vious sense  of  the  text,  or  general  ideas  furnished  by  the  text.  If  there  be 
anythino-  in  the  text  that  requires  explication,  or  anything  that  would  not 
fall  in  with  the  preacher's  train  of  thought  in  the  body  of  the  discourse, 
such  particulars  may  be  assigned  to  the  exordium.  But  where  much  ex- 
plication is  necessary  this  form  must  be  abandoned. 

I.,  this  kind  of  division  the  preacher  is  not  bound  by  those  strict  rules 
which  some  other  kinds  of  division  necessarily  impose  upon  him.  Here 
he  is  emancipated  from  every  rule  but  that  of  good  sense.  If  we  except 
the  explicatory  division,  this  takes  the  largest  range  ;  or,  we  may  say,  it 
describes  the  largest  circle,  for  it  will  be  found  apphcable  to  an  immense 
number  of  texts.  It  also  takes  the  shortest  time  for  its  arrangement,  varies 
the  most  in  form  and  structure,  borrows  most  freely  of  other  divisions  as 
to  secondary  purposes,  is  most  assisted  by  topical  ideas  m  reference  to  the 
matter  to  be  introduced,  allows  the  most  excursive  range  of  thought,  and, 
finally,  suits  the  talents  of  the  greatest  number  of  preachers.  Neverthe- 
less, it  should  not  be  adopted  except  when  it  is  evidently  the  best,  or  tor 
some  special  reason.  A^e  quid  nimis,  says  the  old  adage—"  Do  not  take 
too  much  of  anything." 

But  there  is  an  important  observation  to  be  here  made,  and  which  will 
be  also  necessary  with  respect  to  some  other  kinds  of  division— viz.,  that, 
as  it  is  not  strictly  regular,  its  irregularity,  in  whatever  it  may  happen  to 
consist,  must  be  carefully  remembered  and  supplied  by  the  skill  ot  the 
preacher.  For,  though  the  form  of  this  discourse  is  irregular,  yet  we 
must  preserve  as  much  regularity  as  possible.  Care  must  be  taken,  when 
technical  or  topical  expressions  are  introduced,  that  to  uneducated  people 
they  be  well  explained,  or  that  these  school  forms  of  expression  be  put 
into  common  language.  This  will  be  a  very  good  exercise  for  the  stu- 
dent. A  preacher's  own  discretion  must  direct  him  in  such  cases  :  he 
should  not  be  fond  of  showing  his  learning  ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  be 
quite  ashamed  of  it,  and  thereby  lower  the  credit  of  preaching.  _  ^ 

Although  I  have  opened  a  very  wide  space  to  this  sort  of  division,  yet, 
in  point  of  fact,  its  claims  are  not  satisfied.  Its  nature  will  be  found  in  my 
examples.  Many  divisions,  which  I  shall  hereafter  call  topical,  might, 
with  equal  propriety,  be  classed  under  the  accommodational.  It  is  not, 
therefore,  extraordinary  that  I  was  unable  to  find  a  more  appropriate  name 

for  it. 

4 


50  LECTURE    III. 

In  constructing  a  discourse  of  this  species  it  will  be  proper  to  consider 
whether  the  text  requires  a  supplement — that  is,  whether  the  sermon  would 
be  incomplete  without  the  introduction  of  some  idea  not  contained  in  the 
words  of  the  text.  Should  such  addition  be  necessary,  it  must  be  sup- 
plied according  to  the  judgment  of  the  preacher  ;  for,  whatever  form  a 
discourse  may  assume,  there  must  be  some  approach  to  completeness. 
The  immediate  context  of  the  passage  will  frequently  furnish  all  that  is 
necessary  for  the  purpose.  But  my  meaning  will  probably  be  more  fully 
understood  by  referring  to  some  examples. 

Sometimes  the  first  part  is  supplied,  but  not  the  third  :  this  is  the  case 
in  Rev.  iii.  17,  18  :  "  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,"  &c.  This  text 
suggests — 

I.  The  state  of  self-deceived  Christians.     This  is  a  regular  first. 

II.  The  advice  which  our  Lord  gives  them  (while  in  that  state). 

The  second  is  the  main  burden  of  the  text ;  but  there  is  no  third.  Mr. 
Simeon  supplies  this  by  his  improvement ;  but  in  such  case  the  preacher 
should  take  care  to  show  the  awful  consequences  of  refusing  Christ's 
counsel ;  and  though  it  be  done  but  briefly,  and  without  professedly  doing 
so,  yet  the  end  of  the  regular  plan  of  discussion  is  answered.  But  in 
another  instance  we  find  the  first  part  wanting,  and  then  it  must  be  intro- 
duced in  the  exordium.  As,  for  instance,  Mr.  Simeon's  outline  on  Rev. 
iii.  20  :  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock,"  &c.  Mr.  S.  on  this 
remarks — 

I.  The  wonderful  condescension  of  Christ  to  sinners. 

II.  The  mercies  he  desires  to  impart  to  them. 

This  almost  inimitable  accommodational  division  is  not  regular;  for 
there  is  nothing  particularly  said  about  Christ  as  the  speaker,  in  the  text, 
as  the  person  speaking  or  acting,  as  you  will  hereafter  learn  when  I  come 
to  treat  of  the  regular  division  ;  yet  here  Mr.  S.  has  judiciously  supplied 
this  in  his  exordium,  as  follows  :  "  It  is  usual  for  inferiors  to  wait  upon 
their  superiors ;  and,  the  greater  their  inferiority,  the  more  patience  is  ex- 
pected from  them.  But  here  the  God  of  heaven  waits  upon  his  sinful 
creatures."  This  he  marks  as  a  passage  for  enlargement,  and  the  requi- 
site amplification  might  be  thus  supplied  :  "  He  who  was  rich  for  our  sakes 
became  poor.  He  to  whom  every  knee  shall  bow,  himself  supplicates 
admission.  He  who  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost,  dis- 
dains not  any  means  to  accomplish  his  all-benevolent  purpose."  Now 
this,  I  say,  answers  the  end  of  a  first  regular  head,  without  any  occasion 
to  mark  it  as  such,  and  the  second  and  third  parts  arc  suflicicntly  regular. 

I  will  give  another  case  wherein  the  third  part,  whicii  is  the  object  or 
end,  is  wanting :  John  xii.  27 :  "  Now  is  my  soul  troubled,"  &c.,  &c. 
Here  wc  have — 

I.  The  depth  of  Christ's  trouhlos. 

II.  The  grounds  of  his  suhmission  to  them. 

This  may  remain,  as  to  its  division,  an  accommodational  division,  with- 
out the  object  or  end  being  expressed  in  the  third  part,  whicli  would  be 
done  by  our  supplying  diis  defect  in  the  application,  by  adding :  "  Do  we 
not  see  in  the  reality  of  Christ's  sufferings,  as  their  end,  the  ground  of  all 
our  hopes  V  Were  they  not  for  .'  us  men  and  for  our  sidvation'  V  "  &c. 
Now,  by  expatiating  on  this  topic,  we  obtain  the  purpose  of  a  third  part  or 
head  of  di-scussion. 


THE    ACCOMMODATIONAL    DIVISION.  4^ 

With  such  cautions  as  those  now  mentioned,  the  accommodational  plan 
may  be  pursued  with  great  advantage,  and  the  additional  variety  of  exam- 
ples which  I  shall  now  produce,  will,  I  hope,  contribute  something  toward 
securing  that  advantage.  The  selection  has  been  made  with  the  greatest 
care,  and  with  the  strictest  possible  regard  to  my  own  rule.  Let  the  stu- 
dent advert  to  Mr.  Simeon,  in  his  221st  skeleton,  wherein  he  treats  of 
conversion  to  God,  from  John  iii.  3  :  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he 
can  not  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  Mr.  Simeon's  exordium  is  very  beau- 
tifully formed  upon  the  twenty-sixth  topic.  Distinguish,  a  very  important 
topic,  indeed,  though  it  is  by  Claude,  like  Evidence,  but  just  hinted  at. 
"  There  is,"  says  Mr.  S.,  "  an  essential  difference  between  divine  and 
human  knowledge,"  &c.  Having  confirmed  this  idea  very  briefly,  yet 
very  effectually,  he  proposes  to  consider — 

I.  The  nature  of  regeneration. 

II.  Its  necessity. 

These  two  heads  are  evidently  formed  on  the  accommodational  plan. 
They  open  the  subject  well,  as  far  as  he  designed  it  to  be  opened.  The 
first  part  he  treats  both  negatively  and  positively  :  in  the  negative  part  he 
shows  that  neither  is  baptism  nor  any  partial  change  of  life,  regeneration. 
I  should  have  added  a  caution  against  persons  satisfying  themselves  with 
a  little  melting,  or  a  slight  moving  of  the  affections,  under  a  sermon,  and 
against  mere  proselytism  from  one  set  of  opinions  to  another.  For,  though 
I  would  cheerfully  admit  the  very  lowest  mark  of  conversion  that  the 
ScrijJtures  declare  to  be  such,  yet  I  can  not  forget  that  nature  alone  may 
weep  for  a  moment.  This  remark  I  introduce  because  I  think  ministers 
and  Christian  societies  sometimes  err  in  receiving  members  upon  these 
slight  grounds  ;  and,  what  is  worse,  they  encourage  the  persons  so  slightly 
affected  for  years  afterward  to  reckon  themselves  converted  to  God. 
Preachers  ought  to  be  very  clear  in  their  manner  of  stating  this  point. 
Mr.  Simeon,  in  his  second  subdivision,  very  clearly  lays  it  down  that  it  is 
"  a  new  creation" — a  renewing  of  the  faculties,  passions,  affections,  appe- 
tites, desires,  &c. ;  that  this  is  a  supernatural  work  ;  it  is  to  be  "  born  of  the 
spirit."  So  far  Mr.  Simeon  is  right ;  but  then  ministers  should  remember 
that  this  work  has  a  beginning.  If  tender-hearted  young  converts  are  told 
that  the  whole  of  these  effects  must  be  produced  before  they  can  be  con- 
sidered in  a  state  of  safety,  they  will  be  thrown  into  a  state  of  despair. 
Insisting  on  so  much  is  inadvertently  "  breaking  the  bruised  reed."  The 
great  difficulty  then  is,  in  preaching  upon  this  subject,  to  save  the  doctrine 
without  destroying  (so  to  speak)  the  new  creature,  as  it  comes  into  the 
world  of  grace,  as  Pharaoh  destroyed  the  Israelites'  infants  ;  for  as  yet  the 
babe  of  grace  only  begins  to  see,  to  feel,  to  taste,  and  to  understand. 
One  would  think  it  not  very  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the  work  of 
God,  and  the  mere  natural  movang-  of  the  affections.  God's  work  is  seen 
in  many  scripture  instances  ;  we  find  that  these  always  end  in  complete 
renewal,  though  from  slight  beginnings  ;  and  I  repeat  that  too  much  atten- 
tion can  not  be  paid  to  these  distinctions. 

The  text  is  an  awakening  declaration  to  the  legalist,  to  the  self-righteous, 
to  the  secure,  and  the  profane.  In  this  sense  it  is  a  merciful  and  gracious 
monition  that  in  their  present  state  they  can  neither  see  nor  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God  ;  that  is,  the  gospel  state.  They  can  neither  see  its  glory 
and  beauty,  nor  enjoy  its  blessings.     But  "  the  humble  shall  hear  thereof 


52  LECTURE    III. 

and  be  glad  ;  they  shall  be  exalted  to  safety."  True  it  is,  there  is  much 
work  to  be  done  before  the  complete  believer,  the  full-grown  Christian,  is 
exhibited  ;  yet  the  work  is  begun,  and  this  is  the  only  point  to  be  con- 
sidered in  the  passage.  The  infant  in  grace  begins  to  breathe  celestial  air, 
longs  for  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  he  may  grow  thereby,  and 
discerns,  though  imperfectly,  some  objects  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  feels 
these  things  to  be  absolutely  necessary,  and  is  excited  strongly  to  the  use 
of  means.  Christ  is  precious  to  him  ;  he  mourns  over  the  power  of  sin, 
and  often  cries  out  under  a  sense  of  his  guilt.  We  here  fall  in  with  thai 
striking  illustration  of  the  text  which  our  Lord  has  given  us  in  the  ISth  chap- 
ter of  Matthew :  "  Except  you  be  converted  and  become  as  little  chil- 
dren, you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  In  the  early  days 
of  grace,  a  childlike  simplicity,  docility  of  mind,  and  submission,  must  be 
regarded  as  the  characteristics  of  a  Christian,  and  things  in  which  the  un- 
renewed are  not  partakers. 

Much  beyond  this  representation  I  do  not  recommend  students  and 
younger  ministers  to  advance  on  this  subject ;  but  if  such  elaborate  treati- 
ses as  those  of  Charnock.  Witherspoon,  or  Dwight,  should  fall  in  your 
way,  read  them  by  all  means  ;  but  in  addressing  young  converts,  care- 
fully avoid  whatever  might  tend  to  throw  them  into  distress  and  perplexity. 

It  is  now  time  to  notice  Mr.  Simeon's  second  part,  viz.,  "  The  neces- 
sity of  regeneration."  This  part  agrees  with  its  first,  and  completes  the 
accommodational  division.  His  subdivisions  are  :  1.  We  can  not  without 
it  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  grace.  2.  We  can  not  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  glory.  Now,  although  the  discussion  of  these  points  assumes 
something  of  the  propositional  form,  it  is  proper  and  unavoidable.  For  I 
have  already  observed  to  vou  that  the  accommodational  plan  borrows  from 
all  kinds  ;  that  is,  it  borrows  a  little,  yet  not  so  much  as  to  alter  its  charac- 
ter. Mr.  Simeon's  point  in  this  part  is  to  demonstrate  that,  in  an  uncon- 
verted state,  we  can  neither  fulfil  the  requirements  of  the  gospel  here  nor 
be  fitted  for  heaven  hereafter.  Christ,  in  the  text,  annuls  all  hopes  of  the 
kind,  even  the  fairest;  all  the  fallacies  on  which  the  mind  of  man  is  prone 
to  j)lace  dependence  must  be  abandoned — monkish  austerities,  philosoph- 
ical refinement,  natural  virtue,  with  all  its  loveliness — all  nmst  be  sacrificed 
at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  of  which  we  have  an  example  in  the  aposde  Paul, 
Phil.  iii.  May  I  be  allowed  to  add  that  the  whole  state  of  nature  is  di- 
rectly at  variance  with  a  state  of  grace  :  there  is  no  spiritual  life  ;  there 
is  an  luisubducd  spirit,  an  ignorance  of  spiritual  things  which  no  mere 
head-knowledge  can  supply,  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  Again,  there  is  in  the  unre- 
newed heart  a  delight  in,  an  enjoyment  of,  those  things  which  God  abhors. 
The  natural  man  lives  to  the  flesh,  and  after  die  flesh.  These  things  are 
fully  prf)ve(l  by  sfripture,  observation,  and  cxj)cricncc  ;  so  that  the  neces- 
sity is  so  uiulcniable  that  a  stronger  case  can  not  be  made  out. 

Mr.  Simeon  then,  by  way  of  peroration,  addresses,  1.  The  imregcner- 
ate,  alleging  that,  upon  the  evidence  produced,  they  can  not  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  (Jod  here,  nor,  dying  in  that  state,  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
liereaftor  ;  consequently  their  repentance  is  called  for  by  reason,  by  scrip- 
ture, for  self-preservation,  and  as  yet,  not  without  hope.  2.  He  addres- 
ses the  converted,  or  such  as  are  born  again,  nMiiinding  them  that  they  are 
laid  under  the  highest  obligations  to  show  forth  the  praises  of  him  who 
has  "  called  them  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  liirht."     1  Pet.  ii.  9. 


THE    ACCOMMODATIONAL    DIVISION.  53 

I  have  already  intimated  that  this  mode  of  division  comprehends  within 
its  grasp  general  expressions  which  embrace  the  obvious  sense  of  the  text, 
or  general  ideas  furnished,  or  suggested,  or  justified  by  it,  as  a  means  of 
instruction.  If  my  examples  are  carefully  examined,  or  analyzed,  we 
shall,  1  presume,  obtain  the  key  which  will  open  to  us  the  principles  of 
these  divisions,  or  which  will  show  us  the  sources  from  which  such  ex- 
pressions are  derived.  They  appear  to  contain  the  sense  or  ideas  of  the 
text  in  descriptive  or  declarative  forms,  very  often  in  technical  or  topical 
language.  Or  in  some  parts  they  comport  with  the  preacher's  design, 
though  not  at  all  expressed  in  the  text;  in  other  words,  they  are  supple- 
mentary to  it.  I  shall  for  the  present  adduce  a  few  instances,  just  suffi- 
cient for  explanation,  and  no  more. 

Some  of  these  contain  the  sense  of  the  text  in  a  descriptive  manner, 
as  Simeon  on  Jer.  ix.  22—24: — 

I.  Remove  false  and  insufficient  grounds. 

II.  Propose  such  as  are  true. 

Zechariah  xii.  10:  "I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David,"  &c.: — 

I.  The  history  of  the  promise. 

II.  Its  blessedness. 

1.  In  its  general  character. 

2.  In  the  effects  produced. 

This  is  a  most  simple  and  beautiful  division :  the  author  enters  on  the 
description  or  portraiture  of  the  two  leading  circumstances  of  the  text, 
and  his  plan  is  highly  worthy  of  imitation. 

Others  give  the  meaning  of  the  text  declaratively ;  that  is,  they  merely 
declare  what  the  sense  is,  but  divided  into  its  parts.  See  Simeon  on 
Eph.  V.  14.     Here,  says  Mr.  S.,  we  have — 

I.  A  command. 

II.  A  promise. 

The  discussion  is  to  unfold  these  in  their  order. 

Again :  There  are  texts  which  contain  the  end  and  the  means,  the 
cause  and  the  effect,  the  principle  and  the  consequence  deduced  from  the 
principle,  the  action  and  the  principle  of  the  action,  the  occasion  and  what 
led  to  it.  Now  these  I  call  technical  or  school  phrases,  and  the  ideas 
included  in  a  text  will  very  frequently  and  justly  be  discussed  by  means 
of  these  terms,  as  Claude  on  Isa.  Iv.  6 : — 

I.  What  is  implied. 

II.  What  is  expressed. 

Mr.  Simeon,  2  Cor.  vii.  10,  11: — 

I.  The  cause  of  repentance. 

II.  Its  effects. 

Again,  we  sometimes  find  a  part  introduced  to  fill  up  the  preacher's 
design  in  the  text,  and  this  is  sometimes  really  necessary,  even  in  the  first 
part,  but  often  in  the  last,  as  in  Exodus  xxxiii.  14: — 

I.  The  blessings  promised.     This  includes  the  whole  text. 

II.  The  means  of  obtaining  them. 

Sometimes  the  preacher  supplies  two  parts.  This  seems  like  taking  too 
much  liberty;  but  Mr.  Walker  (no  mean  authority)  adopts  it.  Acts 
xi.  23 : — 


54  LECTURE    III. 

I.  Explain  the  exhortation. 

II.  Enforce  it. 

III.  Offer  some  directions. 

Ps.  Ixxxix.  15,  16  :— 

I.  The  character  of  God's  people. 

II.  Their  blessedness. 

Gen.  iii.  15: — 

I.  Some  remarks  on  the  prophecy. 

II.  Trace  its  accomplishment. 

I  consider  that  I  should  fail  in  my  duty  if  I  did  not  urge  the  study  of 
this  kind  of  discourse — so  easy  to  be  understood,  so  useful  and  pleasant 
in  practice.  Let  the  student  make  an  experiment  on  its  principles,  on 
several  passages  of  his  own  selection,  by  the  rules  laid  down.  There  are 
almost  innumerable  passages  that  may  be  treated  in  this  manner;  perhaps 
they  are  more  numerous  in  the  Psalms  than  in  any  other  book,  particu- 
larly in  the  119th  Psalm.  Short  and  pithy  truths  are,  in  general,  suitable 
to  this  division,  though  sometimes  long  ones  may  be  accomplished  by  it, 
as  that  on  p.  20  in  this  volume.  Now,  by  way  of  experiment,  observe  such 
instances  as  the  following: — 

Jer.  xiii.  21:  "What  wilt  thou  say  when  he  shall  punish  thee?" 

I.  State  some  previous  facts. 

II.  Institute  the  inquiry. 

Again,  2  Cor.  v.  19,  20:— 

I.  The  declaration  of  an  important  fact. 

II.  An  exhortation  founded  upon  it. 

Deut.  xxxii.  6:  "Is  he  not  thy  father?" 

I.  A  fact. 

II.  An  inference. 

Rom.  viii.  13:  "If  you  through  the  spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of 
the  body,  you  shall  live." 

I.  The  end  of  the  believer's  profession — eternal  life. 

II.  The  means  by  which  it  is  secured — mortifyini?,  &c. 

Having  analyzed  the  above,  you  will  now  put  into  fonn,  by  way  of 
further  exercise,  the  following,  which  are  on  the  rule:  "Cause  and  effect." 
Isa.  lix.  2:  "Your  iniquities  have  separated,"  &c. ;  1  John  iv.  19:  "We 
love,"  &c. ;  1  Cor.  xv.  33:  "Evil  communications,"  &c. ;  James  i.  14, 
15:  "Lust,"  &c.;  James  i.  18:  "Of  his  own  will,"  &c. ;  Ps.  I.  15:  An 
encouragement  and  a  direction;  Rom.  iv.  7,  S:  The  evil  alluded  to  and 
the  blessedness  of  the  remedy. 

The  following  are  on  the  rule :  "  The  j)rincii)lc  and  the  consequences 
de(lucil)le  from  it."  2  Cor.  v.  13-15:  "For  whctiier  we  be  i)oside  our- 
selves," &c.;  2  Cor,  v.  11:  "Knowini!;,  therefore,  the  terror  of  the 
Lord,"  &c.;  Ps.  xxxvi.  7:  "How  excellent,"  &c. ;  Ps.  cxi.  14:  "Be- 
cause he  hath  set,"  &c. ;  1  Cor.  vi.  20:  "You  are  bought  with  a  price," 
&c. 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  55 

LECTURE  IV. 

THE  EXEGETICAL  OR  EXPOSITORY  DIVISION. 

It  is  of  great  importance  to  have  clear  and  distinct  ideas  of  the  terms 
that  are  used  by  theological  writers.  The  former  of  the  above  terms  is 
found  in  the  writings  of  our  old  divines,  and  signifies  that  a  work  or  ser- 
mon is  explanatory.  It  comes  from  the  word  e^r,ytofxai,  I  explain,  or  I  de- 
clare. It  occurs  in  this  sense  in  John  i.  18,  and  Acts  x.  8.  It  is  used 
very  much  as  Sifaaxctf,  to  teach ;  so  that,  literally  translated,  it  is  the  teach- 
ing method.  The  name  therefore  should  remind  you,  my  dear  friends, 
that  you  ought  to  study  diligently,  in  order  that  you  may  be  able  to  teach, 
for  it  is  a  melancholy  thing  for  a  teacher  to  stand  in  need  of  teaching; 
Heb.  v.  12.  Sometimes  a  treatise  or  a  sermon  is  called  explicatory,  from 
the  Latin  word  explicare,  to  unfold ;  that  is,  to  unfold  the  subject,  or  lay  it 
open,  as  the  ancient  rolls  of  parchment  were  unfolded  to  be  read.  Some- 
times works  or  sermons  were  called  expository,  from  exposui,  the  preter- 
perfect  tense  of  expono,  to  lay  open  the  subject  proposed.  Here,  then, 
there  is  a  general  concurrence  of  idea  as  to  the  purport  of  this  lecture, 
which  is  to  recommend  teaching  sermons,  in  distinction  from  other  kinds, 
which  may  be  called  preaching  sermons.  That  these  two  kinds  of  dis- 
course are  quite  distinct  will  appear  by  a  reference  to  Matt.  iv.  23: 
"Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preaching 
the  gospel  of  the  kingdom."  The  late  learned  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  insists 
upon  this  distinction,  which  I  think  to  be  just:  and  though  the  teaching  is 
not  so  lively  as  the  preaching  style,  yet  it  is  not  less  necessary. 

I  take  this  occasion  to  introduce  to  your  attention  Dr.  Clarke's  Com- 
mentary, as  now  republished  by  Messrs.  Tegg.  I  am  fully  aware  of  the 
doctor's  foibles  on  the  one  hand  and  of  his  bold  assertions  on  the  other; 
but  he  has  his  excellences.  His  sentiments  on  Neh.  viii.  8,  are  most  ju- 
dicious: "  '  *S^o  they  (viz.,  the  heads  of  the  returned  captives,  of  whom 
Ezra  was  chief)  read  in  the  hooks,  in  the  law  of  God,  distinctly,  and  gave  the 
sense,  and  caused  them  (viz.,  the  people)  to  understand  the  reading.'  The 
Israelites  having  been  lately  brought  out  of  the  Babylonish  captivity,  in 
which  they  had  continued  seventy  years,  according  to  the  prediction  of 
Jeremiah,  xxviii.,  11,  12,  were  not  only  extremely  corrupt,  but  it  appears 
that  they  had,  in  general,  lost  the  knowledge  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  to 
such  a  degree  that  when  the  book  of  the  law  was  read  they  did  not  under- 
stand it;  but  certain  Levites  stood  hy  and  gave  the  sense — i.  e.,  translated 
it  into  the  Chaldee  dialect;  and  perhaps,  the  mode  of  preaching  from  a 
text,  and  the  elevation  of  a  preacher  in  the  pulpit,  had  their  origin  here : 
what  the  matter  of  the  preaching  was  we  learn  as  above." 

I.  They  read  in  the  book  of  the  laio  of  God— the  words  of  God.  The  doctrines 
thereof  contain  the  wisdom  of  the  Most  High.     2  Tim.  iii.  1(3, 17. 

XL  They  read  distinctly.  The  Hebrew  signifies  to  expand.  They  analyzed  and 
expounded  it  at  large,  showing  the  import  and  genuine  meaning  of  every  word. 

in.  They  gave  the  sense  (Hebrew,  to  put  weight  to  it);  showed  its  value  and 
utility. 

IV.  They  caused  them  to  understand  the  reading.  They  understood  ;  had  a  mu- 
tual taste  and  perception  of  the  things  that  were  in  the  reading — i.  e.,  In  the  letter 


'56  LECTURE    IV. 

and  spirit  of  the  text ;  as  Rom.  ii.  18.     This  was  the  ancient  method  of  expounding 
the  word  of  God ;  and  this  mode  is  still  necessary. 

This  method  of  instructing  the  people  is  rendered  venerable  by  a  host 
of  able  divines,  who  arose  about  the  time  of  the  reformation,  all  of  whom 
adopted  it  in  practice,  and  continued  it,  with  various  degrees  of  refinement, 
till  the  systeiu  gave  way  to  a  more  popular  species  of  preaching,  very- 
different  indeed  from  teaching.  And,  if  it  had  not  encroached  too  far, 
almost  to  the  exclusion  of  teaching,  I  would  have  gone  with  the  common 
sentiiuent  in  its  favor.  But,  whenever  the  preaching  plan  supersedes  the 
teaching,  it  leaves  our  youth  and  the  general  mass  of  the  people  in  com- 
paradve  ignorance  of  scripture.  Thus  preaching  has  nearly  driven  teach- 
ing out  of  fashion.  Were  Drs.  Owen  and  Manton  to  revisit  our  world  at 
the  present  moment,  methinks  tliey  would,  in  their  pious  zeal,  take  a  whip 
of  small  cords  and  drive  us  out  of  our  pulpits.  Formerly,  whole  sermons 
explained  or  taught  the  meaning  of  die  word  of  God;  iioiv  it  is  well  if  the 
people  are  favored  with  but  a  few  sentences  of  explanation.  Now  all  that 
I  mean  by  these  observations  is  this :  that  the  good  old  fashion  should  be 
kept  up,  and  take  its  turn;  not,  indeed,  to  form  ridiculous  comparisons, 
but  to  induce  us  to  keep  our  sober  senses,  and  not  to  suffer  the  people  to 
be  refined  out  of  their  religion. 

The  advantages  of  teacliing  are  many,  great,  and  important;  and  no 
minister  can  fulfil  his  duty  to  Christ  unless  he  does  it  after  the  example  of 
Christ,  and  soberly  teach  the  people  what  are  "the  fu-st  principles  of 
Christianity."  This  plan  of  preaching  would  stimulate  the  people  to  think 
for  themselves,  and  to  read  the  word  of  God  more  dian  they  do.  They 
do  not  now  read  the  Holy  Scriptures  so  much  as  they  ought,  because  they 
do  not  understand  them.  But,  if  they  had  a  better  insight  into  their  beau- 
ties, their  pleasure  in  examining  them  would  increase;  tliey  would  "grow 
in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Savior" — in  the  "  knowl- 
edge of  the  only  true  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ."  By  this  alone  can 
Christians  become"  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light."  Nay,  I  appeal  to  common  sense,  whether  any  medmd  can  so  ef- 
fectually enable  them  "to  give  a  reason  of  die  hope  that  is  in  them," 
whedier  any  other  method  can  enable  the  heads  of  the  famiUes  to  instruct 
their  children  and  servants  in  die  "good  ways  of  die  Lord."  Is  it  not  to 
be  feared,  also,  that  the  neglect  of  teaching  will  involve  the  habit  of  neg- 
lect in  the  teacher  to  inform  himself?  whereas,  if  he  put  himself  upon  the 
habit  of  teaching,  it  would  oblige  him  to  study  the  doctrines  which  are  ne- 
cessary to  be  taught ;  and  this  study  would  be  a  great  benefit  to  himself. 
Besides,  we  have  in  our  days  many  Uiousands  of  young  people  very  laud- 
ably engaged  as  teachers  in  Sunday-schools ;  and  if  diese  young  people 
are  themselves  ignorant,  what  must  dieir  scholars  be?  Possibly  a  few  out 
of  our  congregations  may  go  hereafter  into  the  mini.-stry:  but  how  are  they 
to  undcr^^o  tlieir  previous  examinations  without  solid  instruction?  and  if 
an  individual  present  himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  ofilce  of  a- preacher, 
and  be  found  shamefully  deficient,  what  a  reproach  it  would  be  to  the  min- 
istry which  he  had  attended?  Referring  to  my  own  experience,  I  can 
truly  sa}-  that  the  little  ability  I  possessed,  at  my  first  entrance  into  the  pul- 
pit, I  acquired,  by  God's  blessing,  under  tlie  ahh;  teaching  of  a  certain 
minister,  now  no  more  as  to  diis  world.  To  him  1  owed  my  comprehen- 
sion, such  as  it  was,  of  the  connected  trndis  and  doctrines  of  divine  reve- 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION. 


57 


lation,  in  which,  by  the  same  blessing,  I  became  so  fixed  that  I  have  not 
been  moved  from  them. 

May  I  be  allowed  to  add  that  a  people  continually  under  a  popular 
strain  of  preaching  acquire  a  vitiated  taste,  which  they  call  a  refined  taste, 
to  such  a  degree  that  they  become  disgusted  at  an  instructive  discourse  and 
an  instructiv°e  preacher.  But,  I  ask,  will  pulpit  orations,  however  fine,  or 
declamation,  however  elegant,  comfort  them  in  affliction  or  in  death  ?  Can 
any  knowledge  but  that  which  is  solid  preserve  the  people  from  infidelity, 
from  the  vain  philosophy  of  Socinianism,  or  the  blandishments  of  the 
world?  Surely  I  may  answer  this  in  the  negative.  You  will  see  Paul's 
sentiments  on  the  subject.  Col.  ii.  6-8,  and  Heb.  xiii.  9;  the  last  verse  is, 
"Be  not  carried  about  with  divers  and  strange  doctrines,  for  it  is  a  good 
thing  that  the  heart  be  estabUshed  with  grace,"  where,  1  conceive,  he 
means  the  doctrines  of  divine  grace,  or  the  grace  that  accompanies  sound 
and  saving  knowledge.  But,  in  the  neglect  of  this,  the  people  become  an 
easy  prey  to  any  artful  sophistical  enemy  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

Now  I  repeat  to  you,  my  friends,  that  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  always 
engaged  in  mere  didactic  teaching ;  but  come  to  the  point  of  sufficiency. 
Let  ''Inter  alia  rnemento  doctrmai'  be  your  motto;  and  when  you  have 
informed  the  understanding  of  your  hearers,  strive,  by  all  the  consecrated 
arts  and  weapons  of  Christian  oratory,  to  assail  the  heart,  and  carry  the 
afiections.  This  by  all  means  you  ought  to  do,  but  leave  not  the  other 
undone.  Then  shall  you  be,  indeed,  "workmen  that  need  not  to  be 
ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth." 

My  introduction  has  been  rather  long,  because  I  have  yielded  to  the 
ardent  feelings  of  my  mind.  But  I  now  proceed  to  observe  that  in  our 
expository  plan  (for  so  I  think  we  must  at  last  call  it)  all  the  rules  of  the 
other  kinds  of  division  and  discussion  must  be  laid  aside.  This  scheme 
is  no  borrower,  it  being  complete  in  itself.  In  other  schemes  we  some- 
times make  the  text  bend  to  our  plan,  but  here  our  scheme  must  entirely  ■ 
bend  to  the  text.  Here  no  limitation  can  be  permitted  to  a  certain  number 
of  heads ;  nay,  very  often,  the  arrangement  will  appear  barbarous.  That 
skeleton  will  be  the  best,  in  this  matter,  which  best  lays  the  subject  before 
the  people ;  and  the  preacher  is  left  to  the  best  exercise  of  his  genius  and 
judgment  what  course  to  pursue.  He  is  quite  at  liberty  to  pursue  his  own 
course,  provided  he  keep  from  entanglements,  embarrassments,  obscurities, 
useless  repetition,  and  useless  divisions  and  subdivisions.  This  last  caution 
is  the  more  important,  as  this  kind  of  teaching  produces  a  great  deal  of 
branching;  and  here  good  taste  must  direct.  It  might  be  expected,  from 
the  respect  I  have  paid  to  antiquity,  that  I  should  furnish  a  standard  of 
expository  preaching  from  the  earliest  of  our  reformers,  or  their  succes- 
sors, the  puritans ;  but  this  task  I  shall  decline.  I  propose  for  your  imi- 
tation and  practice  those  authors  who,  in  later  times,  were  expository  tex- 
tuarians ;  for  these  best  suit  my  purpose :  and  after  presenting  you  with  a 
few  examples  from  them,  I  shall  add  some  directions,  calculated  to  afford 
you  assistance.  I  hope  my  specimens  will  be  found  adapted  to  convey 
instruction,  and  a  knowledge  of  scripture. 

Doctrinal  subjects,  and  those  in  which  reasoning  is  particularly  needful 
to  establish  a  controverted  point,  are  best  treated  in  the  expository  method. 
The  preacher  should  commence  the  discussion  by  defining  the  terms  of 
the  text,  as  salvation,  justijication,  &c.     If  he  neglect  to  do  so,  many  of 


58  LECTURE    IV. 

his  hearers  will  remain  ignorant  of  his  meaning.  Now  because,  as  I  hav^e 
already  hinted,  examples  are  better  than  rules  and  precepts,  I  will  give  you 
some  of  the  best  character  that  I  know  of. 

I  commence  with  the  outline  of  a  discourse  by  Dr.  Gill,  which,  though 
of  course  a  mere  abridgment,  affords  a  good  specimen  of  exposition. 
Col.  i.  19:  "  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  [Christ]  should  all  ful- 
ness dwell." 

I.  Show  what  fulness  of  Christ  is  here  intended. 

1.  There  is  a  personal  fulness  in  Christ — the  fulness  of  the  Deity,  Col.  i.  19. 
There  is  no  perfection  essential  to  Deity  but  is  found  in  him — Eternity,  Rev.  i.  8 ; 
Omniscience,  Matt,  xviii.  20,  and  xxviii.  20  :  Immutability,  Heb.  xiii.  8.  Though, 
as  man  and  Mediator,  he  has  a  life  communicated  to  him  from  the  Father,  yet,  as 
God,  he  owes  his  being  to  none.  If  it  were  not  so,  he  could  not  be  equal  with  God, 
which  the  Jews  understood  him  to  declare,  and  which  he  neither  qualified  nor  de- 
nied. 

2.  There  is  a  relative  fulness  in  Christ.  This  is  his  body,  the  church,  the  fulness 
of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all,  Eph.  i.  23.  This  was  ever  a  fulness,  in  the  design  and 
purpose  of  God  ;  it  is  a  gracious  fulness  as  saints  are  called  in ;  it  will  be  a  fulness 
absolutely  complete  when  the  Mediator  shall  deliver  up  his  kingdom  to  the  Father, 
when  he  will  say,  "  Here  am  I,  and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given  me." 

3.  There  is  a  fulness  oi  fitness  and  ability  in  Christ  for  the  due  discharge  of  his 
mediatorial  Avork,  which  consists  in  his  being  God  and  man  in  one  Mediator.  Hence 
he  is  a  daysman  between  Jehovah  and  his  people,  able  to  lay  his  hand  upon  both 
(Job  ix.  33),  a  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest,  &c. — As  man,  he  has  something  to 
oflfer  as  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  us,  and  was  thereby  capable  of  making  satisfaction  in 
the  very  nature  which  had  sinned,  which  the  law  and  justice  of  God  seem  to  have 
required  ;  also  of  conveying  the  blessings  of  grace  procured  by  him  to  his  ovni  people. 
Hence,  "  He  took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham."  His 
purity  and  holiness  fitted  him  for  the  office  of  High  Priest,  Advocate,  and  Interces- 
sor, points  on  which  the  Scriptures  constantly  insist,  1  John  ii.  1  ;  Heb.  ix.  14;  1  Pet. 
i.  19  ;  Heb.  vii.  26.  Being  God  as  Avell  as  man,  there  is  a  sufficient  virtue  in  all  his 
actions  and  sufferings  to  answer  what  they  were  designed  for ;  and  thus  he  as  ef- 
fectually preserves  the  honor  of  the  divine  character  as  he  secures  the  salvation  of 
man. 

4.  There  is  also  a  communicative  fulness,  which  is  of  the  Father's  good  pleasure 
and  will  committed  to  Christ  to  be  distributed  to  others;  and  this  is  of  large  extent 
and  considerable  importance. 

1.)  A  fulness  oi nature :  he  is  the  "head  of  every  man,"  and  the  "head  over  all 
things  to  his  church  :"  he  is  appointed  "  heir  of  all  things  ;"  everything  even  in  na- 
ture is  deposited  in  Christ  for  the  benefit  of  his  people. 

2.)  A  fulness  of  ^jrace  (John  i.  14,  16),  Avhence  believers  receive  "  grace  for  grace." 
This,  again,  consists  in  (1.)  A  fulness  of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  and  of  all  the  gifts  of 
the  Spirit.  In  Rev.  v.  6,  seven  is  introduced  as  a  number  of  perfection  (further 
proved  from  Ps.  xlv.  7  ;  John  iii.  34).  Hence,  all  tbie  extraordinary  gifts  conveyed 
to  the  apostles  and  brethren  (mentioned  Acts  chap,  ii.)  were  properly  the  gifts  of 
Christ.  For  this  purpose  he  is  said  to  have  ascended,  Eph.  iv.  8.  (2.)  A  fulness  of 
justifying  grace,  which  also  is  in  Christ.  To  him  it  belonged  to  bring  in  an  ever- 
lasting righteousness,  Sec.  (Dan.  ix.  24),  satisfyinir  the  demands  of  law  and  justice,  to 
be  placed  to  the  account  of  all  believers.  With  it  God  is  well  pleased,  Isa.  xlii.  21  ; 
and  by  it  his  people  are  filled  with  joy,  Jer.  xxiii.  6.  This  blessing  is  free,  exten- 
sive, substantial,  and  unalterable.  (3.)  A  i\i\nv^?:0^ pardoning  grace.  The  covenant 
of  Cfracehas  larijely  and  fully  provided  for  the  fdrcfiveness  of  the  sins  of  all  believers, 
Heb.  viii.  12.  The  Savior's  blood  was  shed  for  many,  fir  the  remission  of  sins.  Matt, 
xxvi.  28.  Hence  "we  have  redemption  thrcjugli  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
through  (or  acc(jrdin2;  to)  the  riches  of  his  grace."  (4.)  A  fulness  oi  adopting  grace. 
This  springs  oriijiiially  from  the  love  of  the  Father,  1  John  iii.  1.  The  enjoyment 
of  it,  however,  comes  from  Christ;  he  came  to  redeem  those  that  were  under  the 
law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons.  Gal.  iv.  6.  (5.)  A  fulness  of  sancti- 
fying grace.  The  abundance  of  sanctifvin?  fjrace  is  in  the  hands  of  Christ ;  he  is  the 
sanctification  of  his  people,  as  Avell  as  their  riijhteousness,  1  Cor.  i.  30.  It  is  out  cf  his 
fulness  that  we  receive  one  grace  as  well  as  another,  John  i.  10.  Part  of  this  is  received 
in  this  life,  and  the  residue  at  death ;  so  strictly  will  that  scripture  be  fulfilled,  Heb.  xii. 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  59 

14.  As  he  is  the  author  and  finisher  of  their  faith,  so  is  lie  of  their  sanctification. 
(6.)  There  is  a  fulness  of  a//  grace  in  Christ,  for  every  purpose  and  for  every  season. 
A  fulness  of  light  and  life,  of  wisdom,  strength,  joy,  peace,  and  consolation.  "  In  him 
are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  ;"  and  from  him  these  are  given 
to  us ;  though  without  him  we  can  do  nothing,  yet  by  him  we  can  do  all  things. 

3.)  And,  besides  the  fulness  of  nature  and  grace,  there  is  in  Christ  a  fulness  of 
glory  and  eternal  happiness.  The  glory  of  his  people,  as  well  as  their  grace,  is  in 
him ;  as  their  life  of  grace,  so  their  life  of  glory ;  as  well  for  safety  and  security  as 
for  conveyance  and  gift.  He  himself  will  be  the  great  similitude  of  their  glory,  Col. 
iii.  3.  He  was  the  purchaser  of  their  eternal  inheritance.  He  fits  them  for  it ;  se- 
cures them  in  it. 

Thus  all  the  fulness  of  nature,  grace,  and  glory,  is  deposited  in  Christ,  and  flows 
to  us  through  him.     So  much  reason  have  we  to  glory  in  Christ  Jesus,  Phil.  iii.  3. 

II.  Give  some  account  of  its  nature  and  properties,  particularly  of  the  fulness  of 
grace. 

1.  It  is  a  very  ancient  one,  for  though  it  is  said  he  received  at  his  ascension  a  ful- 
ness of  gift*,  yet  it  only  means  that  extraordinary  effusion  for  that  extraordinary  oc- 
casion ;  the  Father  bestowed  it  without  measure  long  before,  for  Isaiah  saw  his 
glory,  chap.  vi.  and  chap.  xlv.  14.  All  the  ancient  saints  drank  water  from  the  well 
of  salvation,  Isa.  xii.  1,  2.  Nay,  this  "grace  was  given  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the 
world  began."     He  was  set  up  from  everlasting  for  this  end,  Prov.  viii.  23. 

2.  This  fulness  is  very  rich  and  very  enriching— a  fulness  of  truth,  as  well  as  of 
grace.  Fvery  page  of  scripture  largely  exemplifies  this  point,  bringing  to  light  this 
pearl  of  great  price ;  and  the  whole  constitutes  an  inestimable  treasure,  far  more 
valuable  than  all  the  riches  of  India.  Here  are  promises  of  grace,  like  apples  of  gold 
in  pictures  of  silver.     "  You  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Cor.  viii.  9. 

3.  This  fulness  is  extensively /ree  with  respect  to  its  spring,  source,  and  distribu- 
tion, the  persons  concerned  in  it,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  blessed  by  it. 
The  source  is  the  sovereign  good-will  and  pleasure  of  God :  no  inducements  on  our 
part,  either  with  respect  to  good  works  or  naturally  amiable  qualities,  produced  this 
disposition  on  the  part  of  God.  The  scripture,  mdeed,  seems  in  many  places  to 
countenance  such  ideas,  as  direct  promises  made  to  holy  fear,  obedience,  love  ;  but 
these  expressions  merely  point  out  the  characters  who  enjoy  them,  and  are  exhibited 
as  effects  proceeding  from  divine  grace  as  a  cause.  They  are  then  purely  of  gift, 
and  so  declared:  "Come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money,"  &c.  Isa.  Iv.  1,  2; 
Rev.  xxii.  17. 

4.  This  fulness  is  inexhaustible,  and,  like  himself,  unchangeable.  It  is  a  well,  a 
spring,  a  river,  that  will  ever  make  glad  the  city  of  God. 

IIT.  ShoAV  in  what  sense  this  fulness  may  be  said  to  divell  in  Christ. 

1.  The  term  imports  that  it  has  an  absolute  being  in  Christ.  It  is  given  to  him 
— put  into  his  hands,  and  hence  communicated  to  the  saints ;  because  it  is  in  him 
they  receive  it.  It  is  in  him,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  source.  We  are  to  re- 
gard him  alone  as  the  fountain,  &c.     Jer.  ii.  13. 

2.  It  denotes  its  continuance  there,  which  is  the  daily  encouragement  of  the  saints. 
They  may  apply  in  every  time  of  need.  He  is  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for 
ever,"  Heb.  xiii.  8.  As  the  same  sun  gave  light  to  Abraham,  to  Paul,  to  ourselves, 
yesterday,  so  we  know  that  he  will  give  light  to-morrow,  and  to  the  end  of  time. 

3.  It  denotes  its  safety  and  security.  It  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  can  not  be  lost 
or  wrested  from  us. 

IV.  Make  it  appear  that  the  being  and  dwelling  of  this  fulness  in  Christ  is  owing 
to  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Father :  "  It  pleased  the  Father,"  &c.,  who  is  the  first 
source  of  every  saving  benefit. 

1.  It  is  owing  to  the  Father's  good-will  to  Christ ;  so  we  read,  John  iii.  35;  as  a 
proof  of  this,  he  has  given  all  things  into  his  hands,  &c..  Col.  i.  18. 

2.  It  is  owing  to  the  good-will  of  the  Father  to  his  people.  It  is  for  their  sake, 
and  on  their  account. 

3.  Because  he  considered  Christ  as  most  suitable  to  be  intrusted  with  it.  Adam, 
who  was  our  former  federal  head,  betrayed  his  trust ;  it  could  not  be  committed  to 
angels,  therefore  to  Christ. 

4.  It  so  pleased  the  Father  that  all  grace  should  come  to  us  through  Jesus  Christ: 
if  he  would  commune  with  us,  it  should  be  from  the  mercy-seat  of  Jesus  Christ.  If 
we  have  any  grace,  it  must  come  from  him  who  is  the  way,  &c.  (John  xiv.  6),  not 
only  the  way  of  access,  but  of  conveyance  also. 

My  second  example  is  from  2  Cor.  iv.  7  :  "  We  have  this  treasure  in 


GO  LECTURE    IV. 

earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  God  and  not 
of  us. 

The  text  consists  of  two  parts.  We  have  the  apostle's  assertion,  with  the  end  and 
reason  for  it. 

I.  The  apostle's  assertion — "  We  have  this  treasure"  (the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ, 
see  ver.  4)  "  in  earthen  vessels."     Here  Ave  must  notice — 

1.  The  properties  of  this  treasure.  It  is  with  the  utmost  propriety  denominated  a 
treasure. 

I.)  On  account  of  its  worth  and  excellency;  for  what  can  be  so  valuable  as  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ? 

2.)  Because  of  its  abundance  ;  for  here  are  infinite  riches. 

3.)  For  its  truth  and  reality  ;  for  indeed  it  is  a  heavenly  treasure,  which  this  world 
can  not  afford,  which  grace  alone  gives,  and  gives  only  to  suitable  objects:  in  this 
sense  the  gospel,  in  the  parable  (Matt.  xiii.  44),  is  likened  to  "treasure  hid  in  a 
field  ;"  and  to  a  "  pearl  of  great  price." 

4.)  It  is  a  treasure  which  can  not  be  possessed  without  joy,  and  which  we  must 
strive  to  retain  with  caution  and  holy  jealousy. 

5.)  Referring  to  the  context  (see  verse  6),  it  may  be  called  a  treasure  of  light — of 
glory — of  knowledge,  &:c. 

6.)  Consider  it  as  to  its  degrees;  some  possess  it  less  and  some  more;  every  real 
Christian  is  a  depositary  of  it ;  ministers  in  a  greater  degree  (at  least  it  ought  to  be 
so) ;  the  apostles  in  the  greatest  degree.  (1.)  They  possess  it  in  all  its  extent,  not 
being  ignorant  of  any  of  its  mysteries,  &c.  (2.)  In  all  its  degrees,  penetrating  even  to 
the  bottom  of  divine  mysteries,  &:c.  (3.)  In  all  its  purity,  without  any  mixture  of 
error ;  this  treasure  was  in  them  as  stores  in  a  public  magazine,  or  as  the  waters  of 
a  fountain  are  in  its  basin,  or  reservoir. 

7.)  This  treasure  was  long  hid  in  the  counsels  of  Jehovah  ;  but  it  is  now  displayed 
in  the  preached  gospel. 

2.  Consider  the  place  of  its  deposite — "  in  earthen  vessels."  It  is  not  committed  to 
angels,  for  these  would  have  been  golden  vessels ;  no,  the  wisdom  of  God  did  not 
direct  this.  It  is  in  this  case  like  Gideon's  lamps  of  victory,  which  were  to  be 
placed  in  earthen  pitchers,  or  like  the  precious  law  of  God,  which  was  to  be  placed 
in  a  wooden  chest.  A  small  quantity  of  the  wonderful  manna  that  fell  in  the  wil- 
derness was,  for  a  memorial,  to  be  preserved  for  future  generations,  yet  to  be  placed 
in  nothing  better  than  an  earthen  pot.  So  sometimes  the  word  of  life  is  now  put  into 
pots  very  common  indeed,  yet  the  quality  of  the  word  is  the  same.  But  the  apostles, 
as  well  as  ordinary  ministers,  are  called  earthen  vessels  because — 

1.)  The  apostles  were  not  the  authors  of  the  gospel,  but  only  instruments  appointed 
by  God  to  communicate  it  to  the  world. 

2.)  For  the  meanness  of  their  condition,  1  Cor.  i.  26-29. 

3.)  On  account  of  their  frailties,  both  of  body  and  mind.  Their  bodies  were  frail, 
subject  to  disease  and  death:  their  minds  were  subject  to  infirmities,  as  their  history 
testifies;  but,  however  mean  in  themselves,  they  were  honored  by  their  office,  and 
this  ought  to  have  shielded  them  from  contempt. 

II.  The  end  and  reason  assigned — "  that  the  excellency,"  &c.     We  must  notice — 

1.  The  excellency  of  the  power  here  spoken  of,  power  in  a  superlative  degree. 
1.)  To  effect  n)iracles. 

2.)  To  convert  the  world. 

3.)  To  throw  down  all  opposition,  2  Cor.  x,  4,  5. 

In  otiicr  words,  the  excellency  of  the  gospel  consists  in  its  complete  cfliciency,  both 
to  purify  and  save.  It  was  powerfully  accompanied  with  miracles ;  it  is  impressed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  men.  The  gospel  is  the  wisdom  of 
God  ;  and  by  this  wisdom  the  power  is  directed. 

2.  The  desiirn  of  this  procedure — "  that  the  excellencyof  the  power  might  be" 
(that  is,  might  fully  appear  to  be)  "of  God,"  and  not  of  us,  "that  no  flesh  should 
glory  in  his  presence,"  that  second  causes  should  not  usurp  the  place  of  the  first — a 
misconception  very  frequently  formed,  but  always  pernicious.  This  is  not  an  un- 
necessary precaution,  as  an  attention  to  the  following  passasjes  Avill  evince:  Acts  iii. 
10,  11,  k.c. ;  Acts  xiv.  11  ;  Acts  xxviii.  fi.  The  church  of  Rome  has  done  all  in  its 
power  to  confer  dignity  on  man,  and  it  is  doing  all  it  can  to  retain  it.  In  short, 
whenever  human  nature  has  anything  to  do  with  the  institutions  of  religion,  and  the 
appointments  of  God,  she  always  invents  something  to  confer  honor  on  that  which 
has  no  honor  in  itself,  and  wnich  God  will  eventually  overthrow.  But  God,  in  order 
to  prevent  this  abuse,  did  in  the  early  age  of  the  gospel  commit  this  treasure  to  such 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  61 

lowly  characters  as  the  apostles ;  he  suffered  them  to  appear  "  earthen  vessels,"  as 
they  really  were,  in  order  that  their  dust  and  ashes,  their  weaknesses  and  imperfec- 
tions, might  serve  as  a  corrective  or  a  counterpoise  to  the  glory  of  such  a  great  and 
admirable  ministry.  The  weaker  the  instrument,  the  greater  the  power  required  to 
render  it  efficient.  The  more  contemptible  the  rams'  horns,  the  more  honor  to  God 
that  by  them  he  overthrew  Jericho.  The  Aveaker  the  apostles,  in  themselves,  the 
greater  the  superadded  power  that  by  their  ministry  overthrew  the  hierarchies  of  the 
world.     Here  all  must  own  "  the  finger  of  God." 

Never  did  the  divine  power  appear  more  conspicuously  than  when  Moses  by  a 
mere  rod  did  all  his  miracles,  when  Jericho's  walls  fell  at  the  sound  of  rams'  horns, 
and  when  Jesus  by  his  gospel  overcame  principalities  and  powers,  when  by  the 
preaching  of  it,  committed  to  the  fishermen  of  Galilee — without  friends,  without 
money,  or  learning,  or  philosophy — idols  fell,  temples  were  demolished,  oracles  were 
struck  dumb,  the  reign  of  the  devil  was  abolished,  the  strongest  inclinations  of  na- 
ture were  turned  from  their  course,  ancient  habits  Avere  changed,  and  the  people 
flocked  in  crowds  to  receive  the  pure  gospel  from  such  earthen  vessels  as  are  men- 
tioned in  the  text. 

This  example,  which  I  consider  completely  explicatory,  furnishes  a  fine 
lesson  for  ministers  of  the  gospel,  who  never  appear  to  such  great  advan- 
tage as  when  manifesting  the  character  of  servants  for  Christ's  sake,  con- 
scious of  their  own  nothingness,  sensible  of  their  frailties,  and  dependent 
on  sovereign  goodness  for  continual  supplies  of  heavenly  treasure.  The 
apostle  has  well  said,  "Not  that  we  are  sufficient  of  ourselves  to  think 
anything  as  of  ourselves,  but  our  sufficiency  is  of  God."     2  Cor.  iii.  5. 

There  is  an  affecting  and  lamentable  weakness  in  human  nature — we  are 
always  fearful  of  sinking  in  human  estimation,  and  we  imagine  that  some 
exterior  embellishments  are  required  to  secure  our  reputation ;  but  in  the 
proper  discharge  of  our  duty  we  should  commit  our  reputation  entirely  to 
Christ,  the  master  whom  we  serve.  If  it  is  true,  as  a  general  axiom,  that 
*'He  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased,  but  he  that  humbleth  himself 
shall  be  exalted,"  it  is  especially  true  in  reference  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry. Christ  will  take  special  care  of  those  whose  only  concern  is  to 
honor  him  and  magnify  the  treasure  committed  to  them.  See  the  honor 
that  posterity  has  put  upon  these  poor,  despised  apostles.  The  most 
learned  panegyrics  are  written  and  spoken  of  them.  The  chisel  and  the 
pencil  have  vied  with  each  other  to  immortalize  their  names.  In  like  man- 
ner, even  if  we  fail  of  being  honored  here,  our  memory  shall  be  blessed, 
which  is  surely  reward  enough.  "Those  that  honor  me  I  will  honor; 
and  those  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed."     1  Sam.  ii.  30. 

There  is  one  point  in  expository  sermons  to  be  sedulously  attended  to, 
and  that  is,  accuracy  in  developing  the  true  sense  of  the  text.  I  think  if 
there  be  one  thing  in  which  Mons.  Claude  excels,  rather  than  in  another, 
it  is  in  this.  Indeed  he  has  taken  more  pains  to  inculcate  this  point  than 
any  other,  on  the  minds  of  students.  Perhaps  a  specimen  of  this  accu- 
racy may  be  given  you  in  the  place  of  his  numerous  and  extended  exam- 
ples. I  will  select  an  instance  from  the  second  division*  of  his  expository 
discourse  on  John  i.  17 :  "  The  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and 
truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ." 

You  must  explain  what  grace  is  and  what  truth  is.  You  may  apply  both  these 
terms  to  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  manner  of  his  conversation  here  up- 
on earth  ;  for  there  were  two  qualities  perpetually  diffused  through  all  his  converse — 
affability  and  sincerity :  affability  or  sweetness,  expressed  by  grace,  and  integrity  or 
sincerity,  expressed  by  truth.     Sinners  are  generally  governed  by  anger  and  deceit, 

*  See  p.  36  of  this  volume. 


62  LECTURE    IV. 

as  the  poet  says  :  "  Astutnm  gcstant  rabido  sub  pectore  vultum.^^  They  are  profound, 
mysterious,  dnd  impenctraljle  ;  and  under  specious  appearances  they  hide  the  most  fa- 
tal designs,  like  those  cluuds  which  under  luminous  aspects  conceal  thunder  and  light- 
ning, hail  and  storm.  The  heart  of  Jesus  Christ  Avas  all  love,  peace,  and  benevo- 
lence, toward  men  ;  and  all  his  exterior  deportment  was  sincerity  and  sweetness. 
But,  although  this  be  true,  yet  this  is  not  the  sense  of  the  words.  "  Grace  and 
truth"  are  here  put  for  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ — grace  in  opposition  to  the  rigor 
of  the  law,  truth  in  opposition  to  prophecies,  types,  figures,  and  imperfect  begmnings. 
I.  The  gospel  is  called  grace — 

1.  Because  God  has  manifested  himself  to  us,  not  with  the  pompous  and  majestic 
grandeur  of  Mount  Sinai,  but  in  a  mild  and  gentle  manner — "  God  manifested  in  the 
tiesh,"  in  such  a  manner  as  to  quiet  all  alarms. 

2.  Because  it  is  only  a  revelation  of  mercy,  a  declaration  of  the  remission  of  sins,  &c. 

3.  Because  it  comes  to  us  by  the  pure  good  pleasure  of  God,  without  our  having 
contributed  anything  to  it,  &c. 

4.  Because  it  not  only  comes  as  an  outward  invitation,  which  reaches  the  ear,  but 
also  with  divine  eflficacy,  converting  the  soul. 

5.  Because  the  spirit  of  grace  docs  not  hurry  us  into  violent  transports,  but  works 
gently  upon  our  natural  powers,  enlightening  our  understanding,  &;c. 

II.  As  to  truth,  such  is  the  gospel — 

1.  In  opposition  to  falsehood  and  errors  of  all  kinds. 

2.  In  opposition  to  the  vanity  of  human  knowledge,  as  Solomon  testifies :  "  Van- 
ity of  vanities,"  &:c. ;  and,  as  Persius  exclaimed :  "  0  curas  hominum !  O  quanttun 
est  in  rebus  inane  !"  Hence  says  the  prophet  Isaiah  (xxix.  8),  "It  shall  even  be  as 
when  a  hungry  man  dreameth,"  &:c. 

3.  In  opposition  to  prophecies,  chiefly  such  as  were  of  a  promissory  kind.  The 
gospel  is  the  accomplishment  of  these  ;  therefore  Jesus,  on  the  cross,  said,  "  It  is  fin- 
ished," as  he  had  before  said — "  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do." 

I  shall  next  offer  to  you  the  outhne  of  Wither.spoon's  searching  dis- 
course on  the  deceitfulness  of  sin,  from  Heb.  ill.  13. 

I.  Illustrate  the  deceitfulness  of  sin. 

1.  Its  deceitfulness  appears  from  its  disguising  itself,  and  wholly  concealing  its 
nature.  Though  the  law  is  a  light  to  discover  it,  yet  its  attempts  at  concealment 
have  sometimes  been  successful.  Hence  David  prays  that  tlie  evil  of  his  heart  may 
be  revealed  to  him,  Ps.  xix.  12,  13.  There  is  a  mystery  in  miquity  which  eludes  all 
human  research,  2  Thess.  ii.  7. 

1.)  Sometimes  it  hides  itself  in  the  prevalence  of  loose  'principles — infidel  tenets 
under  the  flimsy  name  of  liberality  of  sentiment.  We  call  them  loose  principles, 
because,  so  far  as  they  prevail,  they  slacken  all  obligations  to  duty,  oppose  the  re- 
monstrances of  the  gospel  and  the  law  of  God,  stifle  the  voice  of  conscience,  and 
furnish  a  seat  for  scorners  in  which  to  sit  and  scoff"  at  religion  and  its  followers. 
Thus  the  eyes  of  the  sinner  are  blinded,  and  his  heart  is  hardened  by  the  deceitful- 
ness of  sin. 

2.)  Proceed  from  principles  to  practices,  from  generals  to  particulars.  Sinful  prac- 
tices are  disguised.  Hence  intemperance  is  termed  only  encouraging  a  social  dispo- 
sition ;  pride  is  called  honor  ;  passion,  dignity  of  mind ;  vain  pomp  is  elegance  and 
refinement ;  avarice  is  prudence ;  levity  is  cheerfulness.  So  deceitful  is  sin  that  a 
minister  may  preach  against  sin  Avhile  he  cherishes  it  in  his  heart  and  indulges  it  in 
his  life.  On  tbe  contrary,  piety  is  ridiculed  under  the  name  of  fanaticism  ;  a  tender 
conscience  is  called  narrow-mindedness;  zeal  is  moroseness.  In  short,  the  prophet's 
account,  Isa.  v.  20,  is  completely  verified. 

3.)  But  the  deceitfulness  of  sin  is  most  aff'ectingly  exemplified  when  it  assumes  the 
garb  of  pictt/,  2  Cor.  xi.  14.  A  man  may  imagine  that  he  is  doing  God  service 
when  be  is  the  cliihl  of  the  devil  and  the  persecutor  of  saints,  John  xvi.  2. 

2.  The  deceitfulness  of  sin  further  ajipears  from  \\.»  forming  excuses  for  itself, 
or  extenuating  its  guilt.  IIow  early  in  life  is  tliis  ac(iuired  !  llow  early  was  it  prac- 
tised !  Gen.  iii.  13. 

1.^  One  excuse  is,  the  commonness  of  the  evil  :  it  is  the  practice  of  the  multitude. 

2.)  Others  plead  tliat  their  sin  is  comparatively  venial.  Even  upon  a  dying  bed, 
some  people  console  themselves  with  this  refuge  of  lies. 

3.)  Otiiers  institute  a  comparison  between  their  good  deeds  and  their  bad  ones, 
and  so  garble  the  account  as  to  make  the  balance  in  their  favor.  Thus  it  is  often 
contended  that  he  who  has  more  virtues  than  faults  is  a  good  man.  Self-righteous- 
ness  stands  upon  this  foundation  :  "  I  am  not  as  other  men."     Luke  xviii.  11. 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  63 

4.)  There  are  persons  to  be  found  who  will  plead  original  sin  in  extenuation,  ac- 
tual sin  being  only  the  necessary  effect  of  it.  Sinners  look  upon  themselves  as  de- 
void of  blame,  as  those  who  receive  a  disease  from  others,  and  no  more  criminal. 
So  did  not  David,  Ps.  li.  5.  It  ought  to  increase  our  lamentation,  but  not  to  diminish 
our  estimation  of  its  guilt. 

5.)  Some  will  even  take  refuge  in  the  doctrine  of  predestination.  Fate  so  deter- 
mines things:*  but  God  can  not,  in  the  remotest  manner,  be  chargeable  with  man's 
sin,  James  i.  13.  All  these  excuses  only  aggravate  sin,  and  serve  to  harden  the  heart 
against  repentance. 

3.  The  deceitful  nature  of  sin  is  apparent  from  its  leading  men  insensibly  from 
one  degree  of  wickedness  to  a  higher,  so  that  they  are  by  this  means  hardened, 
which  they  would  not  be  all  at  once.  If  Satan  were  to  exhibit  the  whole  of 
sin,  in  all  its  deformities  and  consequences,  it  would  startle  the  sinner :  sin  is  discov- 
ered by  degrees.  Even  Hazael  once  abhorred  cruelty,  2  Kings  viii.  13.  Let  us, 
therefore,  notice  some  of  these  steps  or  gradations  in  sin. 

1.)  Little  sins,  as  they  are  called,  are  indulged,  as  Lot  said  of  Zoar,  "Is  it  not  a 
little  one  ?"     But  a  small  leak  will  sink  a  large  ship. 

2.)  After  a  time  these  little  sins  appear  less  still,  and  the  deluded  victim  ventures 
further  ;  there  is  something  desirable  in  such  a  bait,  and  this  is  swallowed  also.  So 
sin  is  added  to  sin. 

3.)  Sinful  company  is  kept  and  delighted  in ;  and  thus  evil  communication  cor- 
rupts good  manners. 

4.)  The  next  stage  is  confirmed  habit  in  sin  ;  and  (Jer.  xiii.  23)  habits  become 
rooted  ;  every  act  of  intemperance,  of  sensual  pleasure,  of  sinful  indulgence,  gives 
new  strength  to  sin. 

5.)  The  sinner  next  loses  a  sense  of  shame,  that  strong  guard  which  the  God  of 
nature  has  placed  within  us;  Jer.  vi.  15;  Isa.  v.  18. 

6.)  Then  the  remonstrances  of  conscience  are  silenced,  Eph.  iv,  19. 

7.]  The  next  step  is  to  boast  of  sin ;  Phil.  iii.  18,  19. 

8.)  At  length  the  sinner  becomes  an  enticer  to  sm,  an  active  agent  of  Satan,  and 
in  this  resembles  him. 

II.  The  exhortation  to  duty,  founded  on  the  deceitful  nature  and  hardening  influ- 
ence of  sin  :  "  Exhort  one  another  daily."     Observe — 

1.  The  persons  to  whose  lot  this  falls.  Christians  in  general,  not  ministers  only: 
"  Exhort  one  another." 

2.  The  season  :  "Daily,"  while  life  lasts,  Eccles.  ix.  10. 

3.  The  manner.  It  must  be  done  as  becometh  Christians,  not  upon  bare  suspicion, 
not  when  the  offender  is  in  an  ill  state  to  receive  exhortation ;  in  no  case  when  the 
exhortation  would  exasperate,  Prov.  ix.  7  ;  Matt.  vii.  6. 

1.)  It  should  be  mad  to  appear,  as  much  as  possible,  to  flow  from  love  to  the 
offender,  as  its  principle. 

2.)  It  should  be  conducted  with  meekness,  Gal.  vi.  1. 

3.)  With  zeal  and  earnestness,  in  order  to  show  the  sense  you  have  of  the  fault 
complained  of. 

4.)  Lead  the  sinner  to  consider  the  cause  of  all  sin,  of  which  that  complained  of 
is  only  a  part. 

5.)  It  must  be  accompanied  by  circumspection  in  your  own  conduct,  Luke  vi.  41, 42. 

III.  Make  some  practical  observations. 

1.  Hence  we  see  the  great  corruption  of  our  nature. 

2.  Young  persons  should  beware  of  the  beginning  of  sin. 

3.  Let  hardened  sinners  consider  this  solemn  scripture,  Prov.  i.  24-31. 

Walker  also  delineates  the  progress  of  sin,  in  his  sermon  on  Eccles. 
viii.  11.  Its  nature  is  delineated  by  Owen  on  Indwelling  Sin  ;  and  by 
Jamieson,  in  his  Sermon  on  the  Heart. 

The  following  brief  specimens  of  expository  discourses  will  serve  as 
a  praxis  for  your  improvement. 

Archbishop  Tillotson,  vol.  i.,  p.  569,  folio  edition,  on  Matt.  v.  48: 
"Be  you  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect." 

I.  Consider  how  we  are  to  conceive  of  the  divine  perfections. 

*  It  is  well  known  that  thieves  and  other  profligate  characters  often  speak  oi  fate  as  bringing  them 
to  this  condition  of  profligacy. 


64  LECTURE    IV. 

II.  Lay  down  some  rules  by  which  we  govern  and  rectify  our  opinions  concerning 
these  attributes  and  affections. 

III.  How  far  we  are  to  imitate  these  perfections ;  as  per  context. 

IV.  Show  the  true  meaning  of  this  perfection. 

V.  Conclude  with  suitable  inferences. 

Take,  also,  a  division  of  Ralph  Erskine,  vol.  i.,  p.  169,  on  Isa.  xlii.  6. 

I.  Offer  some  remarks  concernmg  the  covenant  in  general.*" 

II.  Show  how  Christ  is  the  covenant,  and  in  what  respects  he  is  so. 

III.  Inquire  for  Avhose  benefit  he  is  so. 

IV.  By  whose  authority  he  acts. 

V.  Offer  some  reasons  for  the  doctrine. 

VI.  Draw  some  inferences. 

Psalm  li.  11  :  "  Take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me."     Inquire — 

I.  What  particular  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  here  meant. 

II.  In  what  degree  these  may  be  lost. 

III.  The  causes  of  this  partial  loss. 

IV.  The  particular  reasons  for  solicitude  on  this  subject. 

V.  The  course  to  be  pursued  for  recovery. 

Many  of  Mr.  Simeon's  sermons  are  of  the  teaching  kind ;  and,  although 
his  division  is  modern,  much  of  his  filling  up  is  ancient.  His  ninth  and 
thirteenth  skeletons  are  of  the  expository  kind,  though  without  naming 
any  division  whatever. 

An  immense  number  of  examples,  in  which  passages  are  laid  out  in 
logical  order,  are  to  be  found  in  Burkitt  on  the  New  Testament,  and  more 
especially  in  Henry,  and  these  may  often  be  turned  to  good  account.  Some 
ministers  are  very  cautious  of  using  any  of  these  plans,  because  the  vol- 
umes of  Burkitt  and  Henry  are  possessed  by  many  families ;  but  surely 
some  new  casting  might  easily  be  devised  that  would  give  the  air  of  nov- 
elty, and  please  the  fostidious,  if  they  be  thought  worth  the  pleasing. 
However,  in  some  edifying  manner,  a  whole  parable  or  miracle,  a  relation 
of  facts,  or  a  short  psalm,  might  be  thus  explained.  This  method  is  very 
much  revived  by  evangelical  ministers  of  the  establishment ;  and,  from 
the  great  numbers  that  attend  their  ministry,  it  is  evidently  acceptable.  As 
to  a  short  psalm,  the  following  is  an  example  from  Henry  on  the  first 
psalm  : — 

I.  Here  is  a  description  of  a  godly  man. 

1.  To  avoid  evil,  he  utterly  renounces  evil-doers,  Ps.  cxix.  115. 
1.)  He  does  not  walk  in  tlieir  counsels,  but  shuns  their  principles. 
2.)  He  stands  not  in  the  way  of  sinners,  Ps.  xxxvi.  4. 

3.)  He  sits  not  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful,  Ps.  Ixix.  12 ;  Hos.  vii.  5. 

2.  He  submits  himself  to  the  guidance  of  the  word  of  God,  Ps.  xvii.  4. 
1.)  His  delijjht  is  in  it,  Rom.  vii.  16-22. 

2.)  Hl'  uu-ditates  in  it,  Ps.  cxix.  97. 

3.  He  is  declared  l)li'sscd  in  upper  and  nether-spring  mercies. 

4.  By  all  these  means  he  becomes  fruitful  as  a  tree  by  the  waters,  &c. 
II.  The  sad  contrast  in  the  character  of  the  wicked. 

1.  Their  sUate  is  the  very  reverse.     "  The  ungodly  are  not  so,"  &c. 

2.  Observe  thfir  doom. 

1.)  They  shall  not  stand  in  the  day  of  trial. 
2.)  They  shall  be  utterly  cut  off. 

This  is  a  very  excellent  oiuline  ;  hut,  if  it  be  desirable  to  give  a  new 
cast  to  the  discourse,  the  following  outline  may  serve  for  want  of  a  better 
as  a  specimen  for  such  a  cast.     1  do  not  wish  to  draw  you  from  your  inde- 

•  It  if  of  the  utraoBt  consp.iuonro  for  ovory  prcarhcr  to  know  well  the  nature  of  the  two  cove- 
nanis.  viz..  of  the  Law  and  tlu-  Oo^pol.  He  may  c....sult  BoHtoua  Fourfold  State,  and  ibc  Covcnaul  of 
Grace  ;  also  Wilsius,  or  even  Buck's  Theological  Dictionary. 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  65 

pendent  study  and  the  resources  of  your  own  minds ;  but,  if  at  any  time 
you  feel  indisposed  toward  mental  labor,  or  time  will  not  allow  you  to  en- 
ter on  it,  regard  it  as  perfectly  lawful  to  avail  yourself  of  the  materials  fur- 
nished by  such  an  author  as  Henry. 

This  psalm  is  generally  viewed  as  a  beautiful  preface  to  the  whole  book  of  Psalms. 
The  subiect  of  it  very  much  resembles  what  is  found  m  Jer.  xvu.  5-8;  but  this 
psalm  comprises  a  more  ample  description— a  perfect  picture  of  the  two  great  class- 
es of  mankind— the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  which  are  to  receive  their  respective 
sentences  at  the  last  day.  The  manner  ot  representation  is  by  contrast  (so  usual  in 
scripture) — 

I.  Of  their  characters.     Observe, 

1.  The  character  of  the  righteous. 

1.)  His  judgment  is  correct.  ,.      „     -n         •      nc/*     . 

(1.)  He  has  a  clear  sense  of  honor  and  dishonor,  Gen.  xlix.  6 ;  Ps.  cxix.  115  (text, 

(k)  He  perceives  the  excellency  of  truth  and  obeys  its  dictates,  Phil.  i.  10  (text, 

ver  2) 

2.)  His  affections  are  correct  also,  and  follow  his  judgment.  Hence  his  delight 
in  the  word  of  truth,  which  is  manifested,  ••    .     -d  ••   oo 

(1.)  By  reading  it  with  devout  attention,  Ps.  cxix.  97  ;  Ps.  xvu.  4;  Kom.  vu.  d^. 

(2.)  Bv  making  it  the  subject  of  incessant  meditation. 

3.)  His  whole  character  resembles  a  tree  by  the  water-course,  exhibitmg  both 
beauty  and  utility,  Jer.  xvii.  8 ;  Phil.  iv.  8. 

2.  The  sad  c6ntrast,  in  the  character  of  the  wicked  man.  He  exemplifaes  a  cli- 
max of  wickedness;  ior  nemo  repente  fit  turpissinms. 

1.)  He  walks  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  or  associates  with  the  wicked  and  acts 

on  their  principles.  .  .  -^    •    *i,  • 

2.)  He  stands  in  the  way  of  sinners,  or  watches  opportuniUes  to  unite  m  their  proj- 
ects, which  is  bolder  still,  Ps.  xxvi.  4.  •  ,         .        »  u        ••  n 
3.)  He  sits  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful,  or  treats  godlmess  with  contempt,  Hos.  vu.  5. 
Thus  verifying  the  sentence,  2  Tim.  iii.  13.     He  waxes  worse  and  worse. 

II.  In  the  cognisance  which  God  takes  of  both.  tt      u  n    ♦     j 

1.  The  Lord  knows,  with  approbation,  the  way  of  the  righteous.     He  shall  stand 

in  the  judgment,  "when  God  appeareth,"  and  in  the  congregaUon  of  the  righteous 

°  2^""  But  the  wicked  man  shall  be  "  like  the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away," 
and  shall  eternally  perish. 

Here  is  difference  enough  from  Mr.  Henry  in  appearance ;  and  yet,  in 
point  of  fact,  there  is  none.  The  most  manifest  difference  is  m  transfer- 
ring some  things  that  are  negatively  expressed  of  the  godly  to  the  charac- 
ter of  the  wicked  in  a  positive  sense.  This  is  takmg  a  license,  but  1 
hope  none  of  the  spirit  of  the  psalm  is  thereby  lost. 

As  to  Burkitt,  he  is  full  of  both  long  and  short  skeletons ;  that  is,  skele- 
tons upon  long  and  short  passages,  which  a  little  pains  would  so  modern- 
ize, that  when  our  knowing  people  saw  their  old  friend  with  a  new  iace, 
they  certainly  would  not  recognise  him  again.  This  is,  I  suppose,  what 
we  wish,  when  we  find  ourselves  out  of  condition  for  close  study,  or  have 
not  time  for  it.  It  is  necessary  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  Burkitt's  key- 
words, his  Observe,  his  Note,  his  Learn.  When  he  says  Observe,  he  is 
about  to  give  you  a  head  or  division  of  the  passage  in  an  expository  view. 
Here,  then,  you  will  generally  find  afterward.  Observe  2dly,  and  3dly,  6cc. 
See  on  Col.  i.  28  :  "  Whom  we  preach,"  &c. 

I.  Observe  what  was  the  principal  subject  of  Paul's  preaching.  It  was  Christ: 
"  Whom  we  preach."  .  „  „ 

II.  Observe  the  manner  of  Paul's  preaching  :  "  Warnmg  every  man,    &c. 

*  This  retrograde  character  is  excellently  drawn  by  Bishop  Jeremy  Taylor,  qiioted  by  Mn  Simeon  : 
"Vice  is  first  pleasing;  then  easy;  U,en  dehghtfal ;  then  frequent;  ^l^^n  habitual ;  th^  confirmed 
then  the  man  is  impenitent ;  then  he  is  obstinate  ;  then  he  resolves  never  to  repent ,  and,  fanauy,  ne 
is  daoiufed." 

5 


66  LECTURE    IV. 

ITI.  Observe  the  end  of  his  preaching :  "  That  we  may  present,"  &c. 

IV,  Observe  his  indefalisable  diligence  and  labor  :  "  Striving,"  &c. 

V.  Observe  the  gracious  helps  and  blessed  encouragements  he  experienced,  the 
"  mighty  working"  of  the  Spirit  with  him. 

Having  laid  out  his  subject  in  the  above  manner,  which  is  purely  ex- 
pository, Mr.  Burkitt  proceeds  thus  : — 

I.  Learn,  hence,  what  was  the  sum  of  Paul's  preaching,  and  ought  to  be  the  sum 
of  ours to  bring  men  to  repentance  and  faith  in  Christ,  to  promote  their  advance- 
ment in  knowledge  and  obedience. 

II.  Learn  that  faithful  ministers  of  Christ  judge  no  labor  too  great  that  they  may 
attain  these  ends. 

III.  Learn  that  such  ministers,  so  laboring,  may  expect  divine  assistance;  Christ 
will  strive  with  them. 

IV.  Learn  that,  when  ministers  meet  with  success,  they  are  to  ascribe  such  success 
to  the  divine  hand  alone. 

This  double  laying  out  of  this  and  a  thousand  other  of  his  passages  per- 
plexed me  at  the  first ;  but  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  was  no  more  than  the 
manner  of  preaching  which  obtained  in  earlier  times,  and  which  was  first 
to  expound  the  text  and  divide  its  parts,  and  afterward  to  subdivide  it  into 
propositions,  which  gave  more  scope  or  latitude  to  the  preacher.  For  here 
he  drew  the  subjects  deducible  from  the  text,  to  be  expatiated  on  from 
other  souir.es  besides  the  text. 

Here,  then,  you  see  what  Burkitt  means  by  his  Observe  and  his  Learn, 
and  you  are  at  liberty  to  take  which  course  you  please,  whether  exposition 
or  proposition.  Frequently,  however,  he  lays  down  but  one  plan  ;  some- 
times the  former,  and  sometimes  the  latter.  Now,  if  you  were  disposed  to 
take  his  expository  plan  to  preach  on,  you  might  briefly  employ  his  propo- 
sitions as  inferences,  &c. ;  and,  if  you  were  to  adopt  his  propositional  plan, 
you  must  take  the  substance  of  his  exposidon  into  your  exordium.  His 
propositions  are  generally  expressed  in  too  many  words  :  this  must  be 
avoided. 

That  you  may  study  Burkitt  with  as  much  advantage  as  possible,  it  will 
also  be  necessary  to  pay  particular  attention  to  his  key-word  Note.  He 
uses  it  in  very  indefinite  senses,  and  for  various  purposes  :  sometimes  as 
a  reflection,  such  as  the  passage  suggests,  or  as  an  observation  ;  and  some- 
times the  same  as  his  propositions,  as  on  Col.  iii.  4  ;  so  that  here  you 
must  judge  by  circumstances. 

Now,  instead  of  adopting  Burkitt's  divisions  on  Col.  i.  28,  29,  let  us  see 
whether  we  can  not  avail  ourselves  of  the  hints  which  diey  suggest,  and 
tlirow  tiie  whole  into  a  new  form.  We  may  entitle  the  discourse,  "  A  De- 
scription of  the  Gospel  Ministry."      This  is  described — 

I.  In  its  detail  or  constituent  parts. 

1.  As  to  its  subject,  or  principal  subject:  "Whom  we  preach." 

2.  As  to  the  niaiuuT  of  jtreaching  :  "Warning,  teaching,"  &c. 

3.  As  to  the  <  lul  ami  design  :  "  That  we  may  present,"  &c. 

II.  In  its  diflicullies:  "Wherein  I  labor,  striving" — 

1.  As  a  laborer  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  1  Cor.  xv.  10. 

2.  As  one  that  strives  fur  mastery,  viz.,  agonizes  (see  2  Cor.  vi.,  kc,  as  a  proof) 
even  to  death. 

III.  In  its  encouragements  and  success:  "According  to  his  working  who  workelh 
in  me  mightily  ;"  1  Thess.  i.  5  ;  Rom,  i.  16  ;  Isa.  Iv.  10,  11. 

This  sclieme  is  in  cfli'ct  the  same  as  Burkitt's,  but  differently  arranged. 
His  first  three  parts  are  here  assigned  to  one  general  head,  which  they  will 
very  well  bear ;  and  the  whole  is  brought  to  Uiree  general  particulars,  with 


THE    EXPOSITORY    DIVISION.  67 

their  subdivisions.  I  can  not  think  there  is  any  difficulty  in  effecting 
an  alteration  of  this  or  any  of  a  similar  kind ;  and,  if  there  be,  a  little  prac- 
tice will  smooth  the  way.  Should  such  a  metamorphosis  be  thought  al- 
lowable, we  may  possess  ourselves  of  an  inexhaustible  fund  for  sermons, 
even  beyond  what  is  requisite. 

In  consulting  Henry  and  Burkitt,  you  may  pretty  safely  rely  upon  their 
logical  correctness,  as  far  as  this  is  available  ;  but  many  parts  of  scripture 
will  not  yield  to  these  regulations,  and  every  attempt  must  be  futile  as  to 
certain  parts.* 

Other  expositors  and  commentators  on  the  Scriptures  will  help  you  in 
your  expository  discourses,  though  perhaps  in  a  different  manner,  or  in  a 
less  degree.  Brown  and  Scott  will  help  you  to  parallels.  Brown  on  the 
epistles,  and  Scott  on  the  whole  body  of  scripture,  will  assist  you  in  refer- 
ence to  the  meaning  of  the  sacred  text;  so  will  Dodd,  Poole,  Gill,  &c. 
But,  whatever  help  you  may  derive  from  such  sources,  it  would  be  folly 
to  expect  that  you  could  succeed  in  expository  preaching  without  an  ex- 
tensive knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  of  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  the 
gospel,  and  of  the  wants  of  your  people,  with  respect  to  these,  that  you 
may  "  fill  up  that  which  is  lacking"  in  them,  contriving  in  your  exposi- 
tions, as  well  as  in  the  choice  of  texts,  to  suit  their  various  wants  and  ex- 
periences. 

You  will  probably  possess  some  of  the  works  of  our  puritan  authors,  of 
the  nonconformist  divines  of  England,  and  such  as  immediately  followed 
them,  or  some  of  the  Scottish  ministers,  as  Ralph  Erskine  and  others. 
They  will  give  you  much  assistance  in  your  expository  discourses.  You 
will  find  in  them  great  depth  of  thought,  much  casuistic  divinity,  and  elab- 
orate discussion.  The  people  that  heard  these  men  were  probably  some 
of  the  best-informed  Christians  since  the  apostles'  time.  The  points  pur- 
sued by  these  ministers  were  exposition,  illustration,  and  solid  proofs.  In 
application  they  were  very  extensive.  They  often  appropriated  an  entire 
sermon  to  this  purpose  ;  they  gave  what  they  called  uses  of  infonnadon, 
examination,  exhortation,  reproof,  encouragement,  and  many  other  heads. 
Sometimes,  previously  to  the  exposition,  they  would  invite  their  audience 
to  follow  them  into  certain  prior  considerations,  to  clear  the  way  to  the  text. 
One  of  them  favored  the  people  with  sixty  or  seventy  previous  considera- 
tions, and  then  said  he  was  about  to  open  the  text !  Thus,  with  all  their 
.  excellences,  they  had  great  faults  ;  they  were  too  much  addicted  to  the  silly 
logic  of  their  times  ;  they  shredded  their  text  into  the  greatest  possible 
number  of  parts,  and  sometimes  ran  out  into  great  lengths  of  reasoning. 
It  will  be  your  task  to  avail  yourself  of  their  excellences  without  copying 
their  faults.  A  great  number  of  our  best  sermons,  both  in  print  and  manu- 
script, owe  their  chief  value  to  a  judicious  selection  of  their  most  pointed 
and  excellent  thoughts.  An  acute  eye,  a  quick  and  sound  judgment,  will 
easily  accomplish  this  task.  Many  who  are  extolled  as  original  preachers, 
and  men  of  genius,  have  obtained  much  of  their  reputation  by  modernizing 
our  old  authors. 

Above  all,  think  deeply  for  yourselves.     Exercise  your  reason  and  your 
judgment.     Compare  your  thoughts  with  the  word  of  God.     Attend  to  the 

*  The  elaborate  attempts  that  were  made  in  the  Beventeenth  centnry  to  reduce  the  Scriptures  to 
logical  order  did,  in  a  great  measure,  fail :  and  6o  it  ever  must  be  ;  for  they  were  not  written  with  a 
view  to  such  conformity. 


68  LECTURE    IV. 

workings  or  operations  of  your  own  minds.  Inquire  in  what  view  a  text 
or  passage  proves  serviceable  to  yourselves  ;  and  while  you  ver}'  properly 
cherish  an  humble  spirit,  and  seek  to  obtain  information,  forget  not  the  fol- 
lowing weighty  thoughts,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  late  Dr.  Bogus  : 
"  A  minister  of  inferior  talents,  who  labors  to  improve  them  by  study,  ex- 
ercise, and  prayer,  will  far  surpass  one  of  much  superior  gifts  who  allows 
them  to  languish  for  want  of  culture." — "  Perhaps  there  is  not  a  man  who 
knows  the  extent  of  his  gifts,  nor  to  what  extent  they  might  have  been  cul- 
tivated by  diligent  apphcation  and  suitable  methods  of  improvement,  nor  to 
what  eminence  in  usefulness  he  might  have  attained  ;  while  sloth  and  mis- 
directed application  are  the  ruin  of  many." 

THE  DISTRIBUTIVE  DIVISION. 

I  shall  allow  this  species  of  division  to  rest  upon  its  own  merits  ;  it  needs 
no  apology  or  defence,  and  its  authority  is  sufficiently  established.  It  is 
distinctly  pointed  out  by  Mons.  Claude.  Only  it  must  be  remarked  that 
what  I  call  the  distributive  division  he  calls  the  division  of  different  re- 
spects or  different  views.  This  variation,  however,  signifies  little.  "  This 
course,"  he  says,  "  is  not  properly  a  division  of  a  text  into  parts,  but  rather 
establishing  a  different  application  of  the  same  text  to  divers  subjects. 
Typical  texts  should  be  divided  thus,  and  a  great  number  of  passages  in 
the  Psalms,  which  relate,  not  only  to  David,  but  also  to  Jesus  Christ. 
Such  should  be  considered,  first,  literally,  as  they  relate  to  David ;  and 
then  in  their  myst'cal  sense,  as  they  refer  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  There 
are  also  typical  passages  which,  besides  their  literal  senses,  have  figurative 
meanings,  relating  not  only  to  Jesus  Christ,  but  also  to  the  church  in  gen- 
eral, and  to  every  believer  in  particular,  or  which  have  different  degrees  of 
their  mystical  accomplishment."  I  may  add  that  numerous  passages  in 
the  prophets  are  of  the  same  description. 

A  few  examples  will  sufficiently  illustrate  the  value  of  this  species  of  di- 
vision, which  affords  some  scoi)e  for  the  exercise  of  ingenuity  and  good 
sense.  I  begin  with  Claude's  example  on  Dan.  ix.  7  :  "  O  Lord,  righte- 
ousness belongeth  unto  thee,  but  unto  us  confusion  of  faces,  as  at  this  day." 
M.  Claude  considers  this  a  very  proper  subject  for  a  fast-day.  It  must 
not,  he  says,  be  divided  into  parts,  but  considered  distributivcly — 

I.  In  rejjard  to  all  nun  in  general :  "God  has  never  left  himself  without  a  wit- 
ness" of  his  rijThti'ousness  and  liis  goodness.  "  All  men  have  sinned,"  and  it  is  of  the 
Lord's  mercies  that  we  are  not  consumed.  Here  is  a  copious  theme  of  discourse. 
Then— 

II.  The  text  had  a  very  particular  application  to  Daniel's  time.  It  was  the  day 
of  Jacoh's  troul)l(',  hut  now  he  was  to  be  saved  out  of  it.  Daniel  confesses  that  all 
the  calamities  wliicli  his  nation  sulftri'd  wcrt-  the  riirhteous  visitations  of  an  offt'nded 
God  :  yet  ho  very  properly  propitiates  the  divine  mercy  upon  the  ground  of  recorded 
prophecies  and  promises:  and  hence  he  gathers  his  hopes  of  restoration,  for  which, 
as  a  true  patriot,  lie  L'J.nhly  .sues. 

III.  The  text  is  applicable  to  our  own  times;  for  the  Lord  mixes  judgments  and 
mercies  toijether  in  his  jiresent  dispensations.  According  to  the  view  we  take  of 
things,  there  is  as  much  to  call  forth  intercessions  and  humiliations  as  there  was  in 
Daniel's  time. 

IV.  The  text  is  too  frequently  applicable  to  us  as  individuals.  "  When  God  deals 
with  us  by  terrible  things  in  righteousness," and  wlun  we  can  clearly  read  our  sins  in 
our  afilictions,  then  humiliation  and  repentance  should  accompany  our  pleadings  for 
restoring  grace. 


THE    DISTRIBUTIVE    DIVISION.  69 

Take  an  instance  from  Saurin  on  Luke  xxiii.  29 :  "  Behold,  the  days 
come,"  &c.  Consider  the  calamities  of  the  Jews  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem — 

I.  As  a  proof  of  the  truth  of  scripture  prophecy,  which  often  foretold  their  disper- 
sion. 

II.  As  a  ratification  of  the  execration  denounced  on  themselves:  "His  blood  be 
upon  us  and  on  our  children." 

III.  As  a  seal  which  God  has  put  upon  Christ's  mission. 

IV.  As  an  instructive  lesson  to  us.     Rom.  xi.  22. 

Take  also  the  following  from  Mr.  Simeon  on  John  xvii.  22 :  "  The 
glory  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them."  The  author  makes  his 
division  to  turn  upon  the  different  views  in  which  this  glory  may  be  con- 
templated.    He  observes — 

I.  It  is  the  glory  of  manifesting  the  divine  power. 

II.  The  glory  of  displaying  the  moral  perfections  of  the  Deity. 

III.  The  glory  of  being  the  sons  of  God. 

IV.  The  glory  of  being  united  to  God. 

V.  The  glory  of  reigning  with  God. 

I  add  one  example  from  Henry's  Exposition  of  Jonah  ii.  10.  The 
enlargement  of  Jonah  may  be  considered — 

I.  As  an  instance  of  God's  power  over  all  the  creatures. 

II.  As  an  instance  of  God's  mercy  to  a  poor  penitent  who  in  his  distress  cried  to 
him. 

III.  As  a  type  and  figure  of  Christ's  resmrection.  Matt  xii.  40,  &c. 

These  outlines  all  appear  to  be  conducted  on  the  general  principle  of 
the  association  of  ideas,  and  general  resemblances.  They  please  because 
they  excite  an  operation  of  the  mind  which  is  perfectly  natural  to  it,  and 
in  which  it  delights  to  employ  itself. 

This  method  of  discussion  may,  I  think,  be  frequently  adopted  wuth 
advantage  when  it  is  thought  desirable  to  make  the  discourse  bear  on  any 
particular  circumstance  or  occasion,  in  which  case  the  reference  to  such 
circumstance  or  occasion  should  be  reserved  for  the  last  part  of  the  dis- 
course, as,  for  instance,  in  the  quotation  from  Claude,  on  Dan.  ix.  7.  It 
is  clear  that  such  last  part,  to  which  the  others  are  in  a  manner  only  intro- 
ductory, will  receive  the  largest  share  of  the  preacher's  attention,  and  that 
it  will  be  a  kind  of  application  of  the  text.  When  this  is  the  case  I  do 
not  see  the  necessity  of  a  separate  peroration ;  but  in  such  a  case  as  that 
referred  to  in  Mr.  Simeon's  skeleton,  John  xvii.  22,  the  matter  is  quite 
different ;  for  all  the  parts  of  the  discourse  are  of  equal  importance,  and 
the  first  four  are  not  introductory  to  the  last.  In  this  case,  therefore,  there 
must  be  a  separate  peroration  agreeing  with  the  whole  subject.  Mr.  Sim- 
eon's peroration  is  expressive  of  adoring  wonder,  love,  and  gratitude,  and 
of  our  obligation  to  love  and  serve  him  who  so  loved  us.  Than  this  I 
do  not  know  what  could  be  more  suitable  and  appropriate. 

It  must  be  obvious  that  this  kind  of  division  opens  a  way  for  fanciful 
coincidences,  against  which  both  Mr.  Robinson  and  Mr.  Simeon  give  just 
cautions.  Fancies,  in  a  book  of  light  poetry,  may  be  endured  ;  and  per- 
haps the  title  of  the  book  may  lead  us  to  expect  something  of  the  kind, 
or  probably  the  name  of  the  author,  who  may  often  have  amused  the  pub- 
lic with  his  strains  of  wit  and  humor.  But  of  all  places  in  the  world  the 
pulpit  is  the  most  unsuitable  for  introducing  fancies.  It  is  a  very  sad  thing 
to  transfuse  our  erroneous,  ill-judged,  crude  notions  into  the  minds  of 


70  LECTURE    V. 

those  who  come  to  be  taught  "the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  and  "to  hear 
words  whereby  they  may  be  saved."  But  just  views  of  things,  the  words 
of  truth  and  soberness,  have  a  deserved  immortahty  in  them.  There  is 
nothing  that  is  sohd,  either  in  the  eastern  or  western  fathers,  which  does 
not  continue  in  as  high  esteem  as  ever  ;  and  the  sohd  divinity  of  the  refor- 
mation, though  in  a  form  httle  suited  to  our  taste,  as  well  as  the  works  of 
a  succeeding  age  or  two,  stand  as  high  as  ever  in  the  estimation  of  the  wise 
and  the  good.  It  is  not  their  high  names  that  have  preserved  current  the 
writings  of  these  men  of  God,  though  their  names  are  precious  ;  but  it  is 
their  clear  conceptions,  their  energetic  expressions — always  consistent,  al- 
ways harmonious — resembling  those  beautiful  trees  planted  on  each  side 
of  the  crystal  river  of  God,  adapted  at  once  for  ornament  and  for  tlie  spir- 
itual health  of  the  nations.     Rev.  xxii.* 

What  a  blessing  to  the  world  are  the  men  who  conceive  clearly,  who 
prove  powerfully,  and  who  manifest  in  every  sermon  that  they  are  adapted 
to  form  "  a  wise  and  understanding  people  !"  In  the  great  care  which 
we  think  it  necessary  to  adopt  in  order  to  restrain  fanciful  uses  of  Old- 
Testament  passages,  we  should,  however,  guard  against  laying  down  a  rule 
that  is  too  strict ;  namely,  that  of  "  encouraging  no  spiritual  or  mystical 
sense  of  the  Old  Testament  which  has  not  the  sanction  of  the  New." 
There  are  some  persons  who,  indeed,  ought  not  to  be  trusted  beyond  this 
line  ;  yet  I  think  a  temperate,  judicious,  and  prudent  preacher,  may  occa- 
sionally venture  a  little  beyond  the  strict  letter  of  such  a  rule,  for  it  must 
be  allowed  that  this  is  not  a  scripture  rule. 


LECTURE  V. 

THE  REGULAR  DIVISION. 

It  is  almost  dangerous  to  call  anything  regular ;  for  a  nice  eye  will,  in 
most  cases,  discover  some  irregularity. 

"Whoe'er  desires  a  perfect  piece  to  see, 
Seeks  what  ne'er  was,  nor  is,  nor  e'er  will  be." — Waller. 

If,  however,  we  can  make  the  method  of  division  understood  which  we 
call  regular,  and  give  examples  tolerably  well  corresponding  to  the  design, 
we  may  be  pardoned,  though  we  fall  short  of  perfection.  In  all  the 
works  of  man,  the  hand  of  man  may  be  traced  :  perfection  is  to  be  found 
only  in  the  works  of  God. 

We  must  borrow  our  ideas  of  regularity  from  analogy.  Thus,  a  trian- 
gle is  so  when  its  three  sides  arc  equal  ;  a  circle  is  regular  when  it:3  cir- 
cumference is  everywhere  equally  distant  from  tlie  centre  :  these  are  math- 
ematical regularities.  In  matters  of  taste,  that  is  just  or  regular  which 
the  general  consent  of  mankind  has  made  to  be  so.  Thus  an  epic  poem 
is  judged  regular  when  it  has  a  proper  beginning,  a  middle  pait,  and  an 
end  ;  and,  though  its  nominal  parts  exceed  the  number  mentioned,  yet  tlie 

•  For  an  account  of  our  reformers,  Bee  Bickerateth,  c.  xi.,  Icct.  3,  or  2d  ed.,  p.  232. 


THE    REGULAR    DIVISION.  71 

supernumerary  ones  are  to  be  considered  as  reliefs,  and  for  the  purpose 
of  introducing  some  incidental  characters  and  circumstances  which  are 
supposed  to  heighten  the  interest  of  the  work,  while  that  which  sustains 
the  reputation  of  the  piece  is  its  unity,  or  conformity  to  such  three  con- 
stituent parts.  Allow  me  further  to  illustrate  my  idea  of  regularity  from 
perfect  or  regular  paintings.  Attend  to  the  cartoons  of  Raphael  ;*  there 
you  see  all  is  life  and  beauty.  Everywhere  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles is  the  most  prominent  figure — the  persons  who  were  affected  by  his 
miracles  or  discourses  next — then  the  more  subordinate  characters  and  cir- 
cumstances— the  whole  combined  with  the  most  skilful  display  of  light  and 
shade  ;  in  everything  we  see  a  completeness  and  a  whole  that  leaves  noth- 
ing in  the  mind  unsatisfied. 

You  find  regularity  also  in  the  works  of  God.  In  the  account  given 
of  the  creation,  first  we  see  the  grand  architect  arrayed  in  the  majesty  of 
power.  Secondly,  we  behold  his  work  :  everywhere  he  commands,  per- 
vades, and  effects  the  purposes  of  his  will.  Thirdly,  we  see  the  end,  the 
perfect  work.  The  "  heavens  rejoice,  the  earth  is  glad." — "  The  morn- 
ing stars  sing  together."  The  perfect  paradisiacal  state  is  estabUshed  ;  till, 
unhappily,  sin — 

"  Brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all  our  wo." 

The  day  also  has  its  morning,  its  blazing  noon,  and  peaceful  evening. 
The  spring,  the  summer,  and  the  autumn,  give  the  same  pleasing  idea. 
In  each  of  these  latter  instances  you  perceive  a  rise,  a  progress,  and  an 
end.  If  you  transfer  your  thoughts  to  scripture  records,  or  history,  the 
same  beauties  meet  your  eye.  The  history  of  Joseph  has  this  perfection. 
View  this  wonderful  character  for  the  first  time  telling  his  portentous  dreams 
to  his  aged  father.  He  is  the  "  hero  of  the  piece,"  or  the  character  cor- 
responding with  what  is  so  called  ;  and  here  is  the  first  part  of  the  sacred 
drama.  The  second  commences  with  his  sufferings  and  trials.  The  third 
is  his  elevation  above  all  the  subjects  of  Egypt — the  splendor  of  his  wis- 
dom in  the  preservation  of  his  famishing  family.  You  will  observe  how 
inimitably  one  circumstance  rises  out  of  another,  producing  a  certain  effect, 
and  contributing  its  part  to  the  whole  ;  how  admirably  all  the  incidents  (as 
they  are  called)  are  introduced ;  and  how  important  every  one  of  them  is 
in  its  place  ;  so  that,  while  they  are  but  incidents,  the  very  least  of  them 
could  not  be  spared  ;  but  with  them  all  is  complete.  Now,  I  say,  that 
the  common  consent  of  all  mankind  marks  this  as  a  regular  piece.  It  is 
introduced  without  any  pompous  announcement — and  Moses  does  not 
even  tell  you  that  he  is  about  to  introduce  you  to  a  wonderful  history,  or 
congratulate  himself  when  it  is  finished.  But,  as  to  this  history,  we  must 
certainly  look  through  Joseph  to  Joseph's  God.  He  was  the  sovereign 
director,  whose  purpose  was  "  to  save  much  people  alive."  Genesis 
i.  20. 

The  history  of  Moses  himself  bears  the  stamp  of  the  same  character  of 
unity  ;  but  with  one  defect :  he  did  not  locate  Israel  in  the  land  of  promise ; 

*  These  inimitable  beauties  of  the  Italian  school  were  long  the  heir-looms  of  Hampton  Court, 
where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them.  George  IV.  subsequently  ordered  them  to  be  placed  iu 
the  British  Museum,  for  more  general  inspection.  By  order  of  Clueen  Ann,  copies  of  these  cartoons 
were  taken  by  Sir  J.  Thornhill,  for  the  interior  of  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  London  ;  and  about  twenty 
or  thirty  years  ago  the  ingenious  Mr.  Holloway  was  permitted  to  copy  tliem,  preparatory  to  publish- 
ing a  set  of  superb  engravings.  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  treats  somewhat  elaborately  upon  this  subject,  at 
the  end  of  his  commentary  on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 


72  LECTURE    V. 

this  was  effected  by  a  substitute.  But  here  there  is  a  beauty  which  a 
thousand  times  compensates  for  the  want  of  perfect  unity  ;  the  substitute 
was  Joshua,  the  type  of  our  blessed  Lord,  even  of  Him  who  accompUshed 
the  great  work  of  our  redemption.  He  was  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
tliat  arose  at  Bethlehem,  gave  life  and  vigor  to  all  his  own  gracious  designs, 
and  then  rested  gloriously  at  the  right  hand  of  God ;  and  He  is  the  proper 
theme  of  all  our  preaching  and  of  all  our  praises. 

Now  I  can  come  to  no  other  conclusion,  from  all  these  premises,  than 
that  an  action  which  prefers  the  best  claim  to  perfection  has  these  constit- 
uent parts ;  and  that  a  sermon  which  carries  the  impress  of  these  parts 
has  the  best  claim  to  be  called  regular.  It  must,  however,  be  remembered 
that  its  merely  having  three  parts  does  not  constitute  the  sermon  regular. 
This  consists  in  its  unity.  It  is  the  regular  idea  that  is  formed  in  the  mind 
by  the  uniformity  of  all  its  parts  which  makes  it  so.  JNIany  sermons  which 
consist  of  three  parts  may  have  various  degrees  of  approximation  to  the 
perfect  plan,  and  yet  they  must  be  refused  this  honor,  though  they  might 
have  been  reduced  to  a  regular  form  had  the  author  so  willed  it,  according 
to  the  rules  of  this  lecture. 

In  order  to  constitute  a  sermon  regular,  the  agent,  or  that  which  stands 
in  the  place  of  the  agent,  being  the  first  part,  must  be  seen  actuating  or 
contributing  its  influence  in  the  second  ;  and  whatsoever  is  thus  acted, 
said,  or  done,  must  have  a  rational  tendency  to  the  third  part,  and  must 
bring  the  whole  to  its  point  or  issue,  which  must  be  of  corresponding  im- 
portance to  the  subject,  and  must  agree  \vith  the  agent  and  action.  It 
must  appear  that  the  first  and  second  could  come  to  no  other  point ;  and 
our  conviction  must  be  complete  that  the  exhibition  is  just,  or  as  near  to 
perfection  as  possible.  Mr.  Foster,  in  his  Observations  on  Robert  Hall 
as  a  preacher,  says :  *'  Such  should  be  the  train  of  thinking  that  it  may 
preserve  a  link  of  connexion  by  the  dependence  of  the  following  thought 
on  the  foregoing,  that  succeeding  thought  not  only  being  just  in  itself  and 
pertinent  to  the  matter  in  hand,  but  being  so  still  more  especially  in  virtue 
of  resulting  by  obvious  deduction,  or  necessary  continuation,  from  the 
preceding,  thus  at  once  giving  and  receiving  force  by  the  connexion." 
Happy  is  the  preacher  whose  text  and  genius  bear  him  through  such  a  de- 
sign, when  the  matter  throughout  is  worthy  of  the  outline,  when  truth  and 
beauty  go  hand  in  hand  to  secure  success  !  Happier  still,  if  the  Holy 
Spirit  breathe  life  into  his  discourse,  and  if  this  great  agent  apply  the  word 
to  the  heart!  And  this  must  be  always  borne  in  mind,  diat,  however 
beautiful  the  form  of  a  sermon  may  be,  yet  it  is  the  Spirit  alone  that  can 
put  breath  into  it ;  and  this  observation  is  the  more  needful  to  those  wiio 
submit  to  elaborate  study  in  composition  ;  for,  by  the  common  infirmity  of 
our  nature,  we  are  too  often  inclined  to  expect  efficacy  from  our  correct 
compositions,  more  than  untaught  preachers  ever  do ;  and  if,  after  all  our 
labors,  we  do  not  succeed  as  we  expected,  we  conclude  that  there  has 
been  some  fault  of  this  kind  with  us,  when  perhaps  the  great  fault  is,  for- 
getting that  "our  sufficiency  is  of  God,"  that  "it  is  God  that  gives  the 
increase,"  and  that  "  he  will  not  give  his  glory  to  another." 

I  now  proceed  to  furnish  some  exami)les  of  the  regular  kind  of  divis- 
ion— to  show  that  several  others,  though  irregular,  may  easily  be  reduced 
to  this  class — and  then  add  some  directions  and  cautions. 

The  following  is  my  first  example,  in  an  outline  of  a  discourse  on  Jer. 


THE    REGULAR    DIVISION.  -  73 

li.  10:  "The  Lord  hath  brought  forth  our  righteousness:  come,  and  let 
us  declare  in  Zion  the  work  of  the  Lord  our  God." 

If  I  intended  to  preach  from  this  passage,  I  should  first  inquire.  What 
is  the  principal  subject  of  this  text?  It  must  be  indicated  in  the  words 
"our  righteousness  f  this  is  the  subject  spoken  of  This  righteousness  is 
the  righteousness  of  the  Jewish  cause,  which  was  vindicated  by  Jehovah 
when  he  brought  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonish  captivity. 

Having  ascertained  the  literal  or  primary  application  of  the  term,  I 
should  state  my  intention  to  adopt  a  more  general  and  evangelical  applica- 
tion ;  and  enter  this  head  (marked  I.)  in  my  written  oudine.  I  should  then 
proceed  to  inquire,  what  is  affirmed,  denied,  or  related,  of  the  principal 
subject?  It  is  asserted  that  "the  Lord  hath  brought  forth  our  righteous- 
ness," i.  e.,  has  given  publicity  to  those  interesting  transactions  and  cir- 
cumstances which  comprise  the  church's  glory — he  has  himself  done  it,  to 
give  more  certain  effect  to  the  publication  throughout  the  world,  and  to 
the  most  distant  ages.  Ps.  xl.  9,  10,  and  xcviii.  1,  2,  &c.  This  forms 
the  second  part  (marked  II.),  on  which  I  might  observe  that  the  return  of 
the  Jews  from  the  Babylonish  captivity  was  an  object  of  attention  to  all  the 
surrounding  nations — never  before  equalled,  except  in  the  redemption 
out  of  Egypt.  In  many  respects  the  return  from  the  captivity  had  the 
greater  glory  of  the  two,  being  attended  by  circumstances  of  peace  and 
good-will,  instead  of  terror  and  vengeance,  on  the  enemy,  being  equally 
affected  by  divine  interposition,  equally  acknowledged  by  the  world  at 
large  as  such  (Ps.  cxxvi.  2),  and  equally  an  accomplishment  of  specific 
prophecies  and  promises.  Giving  liberty  to  these  captives  without  price 
or  reward  (Isa.  xlv.  13)  was  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and 
not  to  be  accounted  for  upon  any  principles  of  state  policy. 

But,  in  an  evangelical  sense,  we  have  still  brighter  glories  to  unfold. 
Jehovah  "brought  forth  our  righteousness"  when  he  raised  Christ  from 
the  dead.  Rom.  i.  4 ;  iv.  25  ;  Acts  x.  40.  On  the  great  day  of  his  as- 
cension. Ps.  xxiv.;  Eph.  iv.  8;  Ps. Ixviii.  IS;  Phil.  ii.  9.  The  demon- 
stration of  this  glory  was  publicly  made  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  by  mirac- 
ulous gifts,  by  converting  grace,  and  justifying  righteousness.  From  that 
time  Jehovah's  righteousness  shone  forth  like  the  sun  in  his  meridian 
strength.  Glorious  as  these  displays  are,  they  shall  be  lost  in  more  glo- 
rious manifestations,  when  the  whole  earth  shall  be  filled  with  divine  glory, 
when  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light 
of  the  sun  shall  be  seven-fold.  Isa.  xxx.  26.  But  a  display  still  more 
transcendently  majestic  shall  succeed  that  of  the  latter-day  glory,  in  the 
general  assembling  of  the  church  at  Christ's  right  hand,  when  he  shall  as- 
cend the  throne  of  his  ineffable  glory  at  the  last  day.  There  every  intel- 
ligent being,  whether  a  vessel  of  vengeance  or  of  mercy,  shall  own  the 
righteousness  that  shall  then  be  displayed,  in  the  most  momentous  decision 
that  ever  the  court  of  heaven  itself  pronounced. 

Having  discussed  the  first  and  second  general  heads,  I  should  next  en- 
deavor to  discover  the  most  striking  circumstances  connected  with  the  act 
referred  to  under  the  second  head.  This  act  was  the  jpuhlication  of  Is- 
rael's righteousness.  What  was  produced  by  this  publication?  The 
answer  is,  joij  and  gratitude.  Here  then,  we  have  the  third  head  of  dis- 
course, viz.,  the  joy  and  gratitude  which  the  manifestation  of  Israel's 
righteousness  excited  in  the  persons  interested ;  or  (more  briefly  expressed) 


74  LECTURE    V. 

the  joy  and  gratitude  produced.  "Come,  let  us  declare  in  Zion  the  work 
of  the  Lord  our  God." 

There  is  something  singularly  proper  in  the  'place  selected  for  the  ex- 
pression of  this  joy.  To  a  gracious  soul,  Zion  is  the  fit  place  for  praise. 
Ps.  cxxxii.  13,  14.  Praise  is  the  best  of  our  actions,  and  the  most  fit 
place  should  be  selected  for  its  celebration,  the  place  that  God  has  chosen 
for  all  our  most  holy  exercises,  and  to  which,  on  sabbath-days  especially, 
we  ought  to  resort. 

There  is  also  something  beautiful  and  seasonable  in  the  exclamation  it- 
self. Full  concurrence  with  the  divine  purpose  is  manifested  by  the  deter- 
mination expressed  to  join  in  the  publication  of  Israel's  righteousness. 
The  Lord  had  no  sooner  spoken  the  word  but  a  great  company  appeared 
to  promote,  in  their  humble  degree,  the  glory  of  his  name  (Ps.  Ixviii.  11), 
not  unhke  those  angelic  beings  who  wait  around  the  throne  of  God,  ready 
in  a  moment  to  repair  to  any  part  of  his  dominions  to  do  his  will.  Ps. 
ciii.  20,  21.  It  is  a  presage  for  good  when  men  appear  anxious  to  go 
forth  to  publish  the  everlasting "  gospel,  and  when  personal  benefits  have 
this  practical  effect. 

By  this  mode  of  discussion  the  strength  of  the  discourse  is  required  in 
the  intermediate  part;  or,  if  I  may  adopt  a  different  figure,  it  is  on  this 
the  light  should  be  principally  cast,  as  upon  the  most  prominent  object  in 
a  painting.  But  there  are  some  texts  and  subjects  which  can  not  be  dis- 
cussed by  this  rule,  and  for  which  no  particular  rules  can  be  given.  There 
are  also  numerous  texts  that  may  be  more  commodiously  arranged  than  by 
subject,  attribute,  &c.,  and  which  stand  recommended  by  a  pleasing  nov- 
elty, which  gives  full  scope  for  ingenuity.  By  the  adoption  of  these,  the 
attention  of  the  people,  upon  which  so  much  depends,  will  be  preserved, 
and  a  profitable  variety  supplied. 

Still,  however,  in  this  outline,  we  find  a  trifling  unfitness  for  the  regular 
order.  Jehovah,  the  agent,  does  not  appear  as  the  first  part,  but  only  in 
connexion  with  the  subject  of  the  text — our  righteousness;  so  that  in 
the  first  part  we  have  a  subject  instead  of  an  agent ;  but,  though  this  is  an 
irregularity,  yet  it  is  immaterial,  as  it  has  no  bad  influence  upon  the  unity 
of  the  discourse:  and  I  shall  very  soon  show  that  a  subject,  or  state  of 
things,  will  answer  the  same  end  as  an  agent.  But,  had  the  great  agent 
of  the  text  formed  the  first  part,  then  we  should  have  expatiated  upon  the 
character  of  Jehovah  singly,  and  from  this  have  passed  to  the  main  ac- 
tion. But  here  the  agent  and  action  are  incorporated  or  connected  in  the 
second  part,  though  without  any  injury  to  the  outline;  for  you  will  ob- 
serve that  the  second  part  opens  with  the  display  of  Jehovah's  loving- 
kindness  toward  his  church  in  bringing  forth  or  manifesting  its  righteous- 
ness. Then,  in  the  third  part,  the  action  terminates  in  the  effect  pro- 
duced, viz.,  gratitude  and  praise,  the  strongest  points  upon  which  any  sub- 
ject can  rest.  Here  we  see  in  a  moment  the  connexion  of  the  first  part 
with  the  second,  and  of  both  these  widi  the  third,  so  as  to  preserve  the 
requisite  unity  in  tiie  discourse. 

Mons.  Claude  says:  "  Tlicre  are  texts  which  contain  the  end  and  the 
means,  the  cause  and  the  effect,  the  principles  and  its  consequence.  In 
these  cases  it  signifies  little  on  which  you  begin,  as  2  Tim.  ii.  10 :  "  There- 
fore I  endure  all  thin<:;s  for  the  elect's  sake,  that  they  may  also  obtain  the 
salvation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  with  eternal  glory." 


THE    REGULAR   DIVISION.  70 

I.  The  sufferings  of  the  apostle. 

II.  The  end  he  proposes  ;  and 

III.  The  principle  from  which  his  action  proceeds. 

Nothino-  is  wanting  in  this  and  several  other  cases  to  change  the  accom- 
modational  into  the  regular  division  but  a  transposition  of  the  order. 
Mons.  Claude's  division  possesses  the  three  parts  essential  to  our  regular 
division,  and  by  merely  transposing  them,  which  I  hope  is  pardonable, 
they  will  appear  thus : — 

1.  The  sufferings  of  the  apostle :  "  I  endure  all  things." 

II.  The  principle  that  actuated  him  to  bear  them— his  love. 

III.  The  end  which  he  proposed  to  himself— their  salvation,  &c. 

Here  we  have  a  subject  for  the  first  part,  and  not  the  apostle  himself  in 
wopria  persona.     The  case  is  somewhat  like  the  preceding  example,  and 
admits  of  the  same  apology.     The  apostle's  sufferings  were  identified  with 
himself  and  his  work,  which  opens  to  the  preacher  a  large  field  of  obser- 
vation, and  makes  a  very  excellent  first  part.     Now  there  must  be  some- 
thing which  carried  him  through  his  difficulties  and  enabled  him  to  sur- 
mount them,  which  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  know,  in  order  to  enable  us  to 
account  for  his  history,  and  to  show  how  he  became  an  example  to  us  and 
to  all  succeeding  ages.     This  is  supplied  by  the  second  part:  his  love  was 
the  moving  principle.     He  suffered  these  things  for  the  love  he  bore  to  the 
elect  (the  words  of  the  text),  the  love  of  Christ  and  his  redeemed  people, 
and  his  general  philanthropy.     This  was  not  only  a  strong,  a  sufficient 
principle,  but  it  was  the  only  principle  which  the  gospel  would  recognise. 
Some  men  may  perhaps  have  endured  as  much  from  motives  of  ambition 
and  the  love  of  fame ;  but  these  principles  will  not  bear  to  be  brought  to 
the  balance  of  the  sanctuary ;  and  I  fervently  pray  that  we  all  may  keep  in 
memory  this  circumstance.     Let  it  animate  us  under  our  difficulties  till  we 
have  left  nothing  undone  that  we  can  do,  and  until  each  of  us  can  say, 
"I  have  fought  a  good  fight;  1  have  finished  my  course."     No  principle 
can  be  more  noble,  more  elevated,  more  pure;  it  is  entirely  divested  of 
selfishness,  that  bane  of  human  actions.     In  Christ  himself  this  excellency 
was  conspicuously  displayed ;  and  it  has  in  all  ages  been  the  inheritance 
of  the  true  church,  and  the  surest  token  of  identity  with  it.     Thirdly,  the 
outline  points  out  the  expressed  object  upon  which  the  apostle's  labors 
rested,  and  in  which  they  terminated — the  salvation  of  the  church  through 
Jesus  Christ,  with  eternal  glory.     How  noble  and  disinterested!   and  how 
difierent  from  those  whose  end  is  gain  or  worldly  distinction! 

The  next  instance  of  a  regular  division,  wrongly  placed,  will  be  found  in 
the  same  author,  and  is  on  Phil.  ii.  13 :  "  It  is  God  who  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  He  says  :  "  1  think  the  di- 
vision would  not  be  proper  if  we  were  to  treat,  1,  of  God's  good  pleasure; 

2,  of  his  grace  ;  and,  3,  of  the  will  and  works  of  men.  I  should  rather 
speak  of  the  willing  and  doing  which  effectual  grace  produces  in  us ;  then 
of  the  grace  itself;  and,  lastly,  of  the  source  of  this  grace."  Now,  by 
changing  a  word  to  suit  the  present  purpose,  viz.,  "  operation"  instead  of 
"  effects,"  we  have  the  following  outline  : — 

I.  The  declaration  of  God's  grace  respecting  men:  "  God  worketh  in  you." 

II.  The  operation  of  this  grace  toward  the  Philippians  in  willing  and  doing.  This 
comprises  the  whole  of  the  Spirit's  work. 

III.  That  into  which  the  whole  resolves  itself,  the  good  pleasure  of  God.  As  the 
sovereigu  first  cause,  and  last  end,  it  is  meet  and  right  that  all  should  be  done  "  to 


76  LECTURE    V. 

the  praise  and  sjlory  of  his  grace." — "For  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are 
all  things ;  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen." 

You  will  perceive  the  alteration  that  is  necessary  to  constitute  the  divis- 
ion regular.  In  the  first  part  I  should  insist  on  the  preciousness  of  that 
grace  which  so  seasonahly  displayed  itself  in  performing  what  human  na- 
ture, in  its  most  approved  forms,  and  under  the  most  distinguished  advan- 
tages of  mere  philosophic  culture,  never  could  effect,  and  which  even  the  law 
of  Moses  could  not  complete  ;  1  Cor.  i.  21  ;  Rom.  i.,  ii.,  iii.,  and  viii.  3. 
But  the  term  used  by  Claude,  viz.,  "  effects,"  obliges  us  to  speak  of  the 
operation  of  this  grace,  as  well  as  of  the  grace  itself,  which  could  only  be 
properly  considered  in  the  second  part,  along  with  willing  and  doing.  His 
arrangement  was  quite  contrary  to  his  own  rule  in  the  very  next  page, 
which  is,  "  never  to  introduce  anything  into  the  first  part  which  belongs  to 
the  second."  Having  treated  of  the  first,  it  would  be  proper  to  go  on  to 
the  second,  wherein  the  whole  plan  and  province  of  the  divine  influences 
must  be  exhibited  and  insisted  on,  but  yet  in  connexion  with  means,  as  in 
verse  12.  Now  this  is  the  action  of  the  sermon,  and  sermons  will  be  good 
or  bad  as  this  part  is  or  is  not  judiciously  handled.  Then  I  should  treat 
of  the  "  good  pleasure"  of  God  as  the  third  part,  into  which  the  above 
gracious  conduct  resolves  itself  as  the  "  spring  and  source  of  this  opera- 
tion." 

Take  also  another  regular  division.  Col.  i.  13  :  "  Who  hath  delivered 
us,"  &c.  : — 

I.  The  divine  agent  in  this  blessed  change. 

II.  The  development  of  this  change. 

III.  The  divine  design  therein. 

The  next  instance  of  the  regular  kind  of  division  is  on  Matthew  iv. 
19,  20  :— 

I.  The  person  or  character  of  Jesus,  who  calls  his  people. 

II.  The  call  itself. 

III.  Its  end  or  design. 

The  first  part  presents  us  with  a  fine  and  copious  opportunity  of  speak- 
ing of  the  person  or  character  of  Jesus,  according  to  his  appointed  naiues, 
Savior  and  Immanuel  (Matt.  i.  21,  23),  and  his  authority  and  offices  as 
Mediator,  to  commence,  increase,  and  establish  his  church  ;  for  this  most 
aptly  introduces  the  second  part.  The  second  part  will  admit  a  reference 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  calling,  or  some  allusion  to  it,  passing  from 
species  to  genus  (the  first  topic),  and  distinguishing  between  the  outward 
and  the  inward  call.  Then,  thirdly,  the  end  or  design,  which  is,  "  to  gather 
into  one  the  people  of  God  that  are  scattered  abroad,"  bringing  them  into 
a  church  state,  some  for  pastors,  or,  as  intimated  in  the  text,  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  and  others  for  filling  up  the  general  body.  You  may  ob- 
serve that  this  end  is  worthy  of  the  lledeemer  ;  it  corresj)on(ls  with  his 
great  love  to  men,  which  ought  to  draw  forth  our  supreme  love  to  him, 
make  us  listen  to  his  call,  and  immediately  obey  it. 

The  nature  of  the  regular  division  has  been  pretty  fully  opened  ;  but 
there  arc  certain  practical  points  to  be  attendi'd  to,  without  which  itv/ould, 
in  some  cases,  be  diflicult  for  the  student  to  accpiit  himself  well.  Tiie  ex- 
amples I  have  given  are  founded  upon  selected  texts,  such  as  are  pecu- 
liarly favorable  to  unity  ;  but  it  must  be  obvious  that  it  will  be  very  difficult 


THE    REGULAR    DIVISION.  77 

to  prosecute  this  plan  with  other  texts  that  are  not  ahke  favorable  for  such 
a  purpose,  and  in  some  cases  impossible.  For  instance,  Ps.  xxvii.  8  : 
"  When  thou  saidst.  Seek  you  my  face,  my  heart  said  unto  thee,  Thy  face, 
Lord,  will  I  seek."  Now  this  is  a  very  beautiful  passage,  a  sacred  dia- 
logue ;  and,  upon  the  accommodational  plan,  we  have — 

I.  A  gracious  call ;  and, 

II.  A  suitable  answer. 

But,  if  we  were  to  put  ourselves  upon  the  task  of  framing  a  regular  divis- 
ion upon  it,  we  should  attempt  an  impossibility.  Here  is  no  leading  idea 
that  could  be  set  down  for  the  first  part,  no  action  connected  with  it  on 
which  to  form  a  second,  nor  anything  that  leads  to  a  certain  end  for  the 
third.  Such  a  division,  if  attempted,  would  be  forced  and  unnatural,  and 
hence  this  plan  should  not  be  tried  upon  what  we  call  unbending  texts. 

But,  that  you  may  not  too  hastily  determine  that  a  text  is  of  the  unbend- 
ing kind  because  you  find  some  difficulties  attending  its  discussion  on  a 
particular  plan,  I  shall  venture  to  offer  you  some  directions,  by  which  you 
will  frequently  be  able  to  remove  such  apparent  difficulties  in  the  construc- 
tion of  this  order  of  public  discourse ;  for  there  are  many  texts  which  will 
really  take  this  form,  but  which,  at  first  sight,  seem  unyielding  to  our  wish- 
es. That  you  may  better  understand  my  meaning  in  this  instance,  I  ob- 
serve that,  if  the  parts  do  not  appear  obviously  on  the  face  of  the  text,  this 
non-appearance  may  be  owing  to  several  causes,  and  the  following  hints 
are  worthy  of  your  attention  : — 

First,  the  parts  may  not  be  evident,  owing  to  the  peculiar  order  in  which 
the  words  are  placed  in  the  text.  The  order  in  which  the  words  of  the 
text  are  arranged  probably  follows  the  original,  most  likely  the  Greek  text, 
and  is  not  that  which  we  call  the  natural  order,  or  that  manner  of  placing 
words  which  is  followed  in  English,  and  which  the  usage  of  our  language 
requires.  As,  for  instance,  "  Him  hath  God  exalted,"  instead  of,  God 
hath  exalted  him.  "  These  things  understood  not  his  disciples  at  the  first," 
instead  of,  His  disciples  did  not  understand  these  things  at  the  first.  Now 
it  is  by  no  means  foreign  to  our  purpose,  though  it  may  detain  us  a  little, 
to  consider  what  this  natural  order  is.  Observe  the  sentence,  as  restored 
to  the  natural  order,  just  named,  from  Acts  v.  31.  God  is  the  agent,  and 
therefore  the  natural  order  requires  that  the  Divine  Being  should,  in  this 
sentence,  be  placed  first.  Then  that  which  is  done :  "  God  hath  exalt- 
ed," &c.  Then  the  person  on  whom  this  exaltation  rests  :  "  God  hath 
exalted  him."  So,  with  regard  to  the  other  sentence,  John  xii.  16  :  "  His 
disciples  did  not  understand  these  things  at  the  first."  Here  everything 
said  relates  to  the  disciples  ;  therefore  the  natural  order  requires  precedency 
in  favor  of  the  disciples.  They  did  not  understand.  Then  comes  what 
they  did  not  understand,  viz.,  "  these  things,"  with  the  hmitation — "  at  the 
first."  The  Greek  language  admitted  extraordinary  latitude  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  words  in  a  sentence,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  our  translators 
should  sometimes  have  followed  the  order  of  the  original  more  than  is  com- 
patible with  the  genius  of  our  tongue.  It  may  therefore  be  owing  to  an 
inverted  order  of  words  that  the  three  parts  of  a  text  do  not  at  first  sight 
appear  ;  and  even  the  meaning  of  a  passage  may  be  rendered  obscure  by 
it.  This,  1  submit,  is  the  case  whh  our  translation  of  Heb.  x.  10  :  "  By 
tlie  which  will  we  are  sanctified,  through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  J  esus 


78  LECTURE    V. 

I 

Christ  once  for  all."  Now  this,  to  an  English  eye,  Is  a  very  extraordinary 
manner  of  placing  words,  and  is  calculated  to  perplex  us  ;  but,  if  we  re- 
store the  words  to  their  natural  order,  all  will  be  clear.  The  offering  of 
the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  (viz.,  once  made  or  effected)  sanctifies  us 
by  the  will  of  God ;  or,  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ,  which 
took  place  according  to  the  divine  will  or  appointment,  effects  our  sancti- 
fication.  Here,  by  the  alteration  proposed,  we  at  once  have  the  mean- 
ing of  the  apostle,  and  the  parts  for  division,  and  these  parts  will  be  as 
follow  : — 

I.  The  subject  of  the  text,  which  is  clearly  our  sanctification. 

II.  The  means,  or  operating  cause — the  offering  of  Christ  once  and  effectuall  »■ 
made,  not  like  legal  sacrifices,  which  were  often  repeated. 

III.  That  in  which  the  preceding  terminates,  viz.,  the  will  of  God,  and  by  which 
our  entrance  into  heaven  is  appointed. 

The  introduction  of  the  redeemed  into  glory  is  by  means  of  atonement 
and  sanctification  ;  but  sanctification  in  the  text  takes  the  lead,  because  that 
is  the  subject  on  which  the  apostle  is  treating,  and  the  atonement  made  by 
the  death  of  Christ  is  the  means  whereby  this  sanctification  is  secured. 

If  this  regulation  be  followed,  I  see  no  need  of  Mons.  Claude's  "  two 
natural  orders,"  though  what  he  says  carries  with  it  some  plausibility  upon 
his  own  system. 

Secondhj,  cases  of  difficulty  may  occur  in  fixing  upon  that  which  is 
properly  the  first  part  of  the  regular  division  ;  indeed,  the  chief  difficulty 
lies  in  this  ;  and,  as  a  mistake  in  this  particular  throws  everything  into  con- 
fusion, for  the  assistance  of  junior  students,  whose  interests  are  in  these 
lectures,  particularly  consulted,  I  venture  to  submit  the  following  friendly 
directions  to  their  consideration  : — 

Should  a  persoji  or  character  not  appear,  examine  whether  the  text  does 
not  present  you  with  a  governing  subject,  or  state  of  things :  1.  A  subject, 
as  that  referred  to  in  Heb.  x.  10.  2.  A  state  of  things,  as  "  The  state  of 
self-deceiving  Christians."  This  will  constitute  a  first  regular  division  as 
well  as  a  person  or  character  acting  ;  just  as  a  state  of  things  may  form  the 
nominative  case  to  a  verb  as  well  as  a  person.  Thus  we  say  in  common 
discourse,  "  It  is  cold  ;"  that  is,  we  are  in  that  state  which  we  denominate 
cold.  In  short,  whatever  it  be  that  has  an  agency,  or  stands  in  the  place 
of  an  agent,  must  take  the  lead,  or  be  the  first  part ;  but,  if  there  be  nothing 
that  leads  to  an  action  in  that  which  is  put  for  the  first  part,  then  there  will 
be  an  evident  irregularity.  For  instance,  suppose  1  were  to  say,  in  re- 
spect to  Phil.  ii.  13,  that  the  subject  of  the  text  was  "  God's  working  in  us 
to  will  and  to  do."  Here  I  take  possession  of  that  for  my  first  which  is 
truly  my  second  ;  but  if  I  only  take  possession  of  God's  declared  purpose, 
then  all  is  right :  and  it  further  appears  by  this,  that,  if  I  were  to  treat  the 
text  by  way  of  proposition,  the  purpose  of  God  must  constitute  my  first 
proposition. 

l>ut  should  the  difficulty  still  press,  and  the  first  part  not  clearly  appear, 
let  the  student  write  out  the  text  at  length  on  waste-paper,  placing  the  lines 
at  some  distanc-e  ;  then  with  his  pen  let  him  draw  a  single  line  imder  the 
word  or  words  which  are  attributes,  or  acting  words,  or  which  express  af- 
firmaUon  or  denial,  or  the  verbs  and  participles,  and  the  little  words  that 
belong  to  them,  sometimes  called  particles  :  such  are  always  the  second 
part.     The  intention  of  this  will  soon  appear.     After  this  operation,  draw 


THE    REGULAR    DIVISION.  79 

two  lines  under  the  word  or  words,  with  their  attached  particles,  which 
express  the  end  or  design  of  the  action,  which  receive  the  force  of  those 
words  that  have  one  line  under  them,  and  which  follow  the  action,  as  in 
grammar  the  objective  case  follows  the  active  verb  and  receives  its  force. 

When  these  two  things  are  done,  if  the  text  will  admit  the  regular  form, 
then  the  remaining  words,  or  the  principal  of  them,  which  have  no  Hne 
under  them,  are  the  materiel  for  the  first  part. 

To  make  the  matter  still  plainer,  suppose  the  above-mentioned 
text  to  be  under  consideration,  my  diagram  is  this  :  "  It  is  God  that 
worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."     By  this 

rule  I  have  drawn  a  single  line  under  the  words  "  worketh  in  you  both  to 
will  and  to  do ;"  for  these  words  indicate  the  action.  By  the  same  rule  I 
have  drawn  double  lines  under  "  his  good  pleasure  ;"  for  the  words  of  the 
second  part  resolve  themselves  into  his  good  pleasure  as  the  third  part. 
Upon  examination  you  perceive  there  are  no  words  left  which  are  not  un- 
derhned,  but  "  it  is  God."  God  is  therefore  the  agent,  and  constitutes 
my  first  part,  as  discovered  by  this  operation.  By  this  method  I  think 
the  student  will  at  any  time  discover  in  five  minutes  one  of  these  two 
things — either  that  the  text  will  not  bend  to  this  form  of  discourse,  or  that 
the  parts  of  the  regular  plan  of  division  are  before  him,  and  thus  prevent 
much  error  in  his  skeleton  and  confusion  in  filling  it  up. 

I  acknowledge  that  in  this  scheme  I  am  establishing  no  claim  to  superior 
penetration  ;  it  is  what  any  novice  might  lay  down  ;  though,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  it  never  has  been  done.  Probably  our  great  masters  in  preaching 
have  thought  it  beneath  them,  and  their  inferiors  have  had  too  much  mod- 
esty to  take  up  the  elucidation  of  the  subject. 

Thirdly,  You  will  sometimes  observe,  in  looking  for  an  agent  of  which 
to  form  the  first  part,  that,  instead  of  the  agent,  you  find  his  representative, 
as  he,  him,  it,  who,  or  whom,  &c.,  a  personal  or  relative  pronoun.  In 
this  case  you  must  of  course  look  back  into  the  context  to  see  of  whom 
the  inspired  penman  is  speaking,  or  to  whom  such  representative  belongs : 
and  being  satisfied  on  this  head,  that  is,  that  you  have  found  the  right  one, 
you  may  assume  it  as  your  first  part,  and  set  it  down  accordingly.  Sup- 
pose the  text  to  be  Col.  i.  19:  "  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him 
should  all  fulness  dwell."  This  Him  is  Christ,  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
verse.     Then  we  have — 

I.  The  person  spoken  of,  viz.,  Christ — which  is  to  be  the  first  part  or  head  of  dis- 
course ;  he  whose  magnificence  and  dignity  are  displayed  from  the  fifteenth  verse. 

II.  The  thing  asserted,  viz.,  that  "all  fulness  dwells  in  him." 

III.  The  reference  which  this  has  to  the  Father,  and  his  good  pleasure  therein : 
"  It  hath  pleased  the  Father." 

Great  care  must,  however,  be  taken  in  this  matter ;  for  the  real  ante- 
cedent to  the  pronoun  is  often  disputable,  though  in  the  above  instance 
this  can  not  be  the  case.  Unless,  therefore,  it  be,  as  in  the  present  case, 
quite  clear,  the  point  must  not  be  decided  on  without  an  expositor  or  a 
judicious  friend.  There  is  a  remarkable  case  in  the  verse  immediately 
following  the  above  text,  where  the  word  "himself  does  not  refer  to 
Christ,  though  he  was  the  last  person  referred  to  ;  but  the  "  himself"  is 
the  Father,  "though  spoken  of  as  far  back  as  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
verses.     And  these  difficulties  are  chiefly  found  in  the  writings  of  the 


80  LECTURE    V. 

apostle  Paul.  Wherever  you  find  a  representative  word  in  a  text,  and 
can  make  sure  of  the  character  to  whom  it  helongs,  adopt  it  without  scru- 
ple, whether  it  be  a  he  or  a  him,  a  who  or  a  whom,  or  even  an  it,  if  it 
refer  to  the  chief  subject  of  your  text. 

Fourtldij,  Two  things  are  of  paramount  importance  in  reference  to  tlie 
second  regular  part : — 

I.  It  must  be  something  which  the  preacher  clearly  sees  he  can  make 
sufficiently  edifying  to  the  people  to  render  it  worthy  of  occupying  this 
important  station.  A  first  part  may  sometimes  be  only  transiently  consid- 
ered ;  and  sometimes  the  last  or  third  head  of  discourse,  though  vastly  im- 
portant, may  yet  be  short;  but  to  adopt  a  second  with  scantiness  of  matter, 
or  with  a  poverty  of  thought  upon  it,  is  exceedingly  injudicious. 

II.  We  must  examine  well  the  qualities  of  the  second  branch  of  our 
subject,  as  to  what  it  consists  of.     For  instance  : — 

1.  Is  it  anything  said  to  be  done,  obtained,  or  required,  together  with  its 
various  circumstances  ?  or — 

2.  Does  it  conduce  or  lead  to  any  point  or  final  rest?  or  is  it  a  means 
toward  an  end  ?  Then  it  is  excellent  according  as  the  end  is  indispensa- 
ble ;  for  whatever  leads  to,  or  conduces  toward  a  great  end,  must  be  wor- 
thy of  an  honorable  station  in  a  discourse  ;  nor  can  it  be  said  that  such 
matter  is  trivial  or  unimportant. 

3.  Is  it  anything  that  affects  our  present  or  future  state  ?  In  these  views 
is  it  injurious,  or  remedial,  or  helpful,  or  restorative  ? 

4.  Is  it  anything  that  determines,  or  governs,  or  counteracts  our  con- 
duct, as  a  principle  of  action  or  inaction  ?  It  must  be  very  important  to 
discuss  such  points  well. 

5.  Is  it  persuasive  to,  or  dissuasive  from,  doing  a  thing,  eidier  com- 
manded or  forbidden  us  of  God,  as  Rev.  iii.  17  ?  If  this  can  constitute 
a  thing  important,  what  an  immense  number  of  scriptures  have  we  of  this 
class  ! 

These  things  require  the  most  attentive  consideration,  and  call  for  all 
tlie  light  and  evidence  which  can  be  collected  together,  and  all  your  re- 
sources must  be  brought  into  requisition  to  render  such  a  second  part 
worthy  of  an  impressive  third  ;  for  as  I  have  already  said,  and  it  can  not 
be  too  often  repeated,  the  sermon  will  be  good  or  bad,  just  as  this  part  is 
good  or  defective. 

Fifthly.,  It  may  sometimes  happen  that  a  text  gives  you  very  excellent 
first  and  second  parts,  but  no  third.  Now,  in  this  case,  you  may  supply 
a  third  from  some  following  idea  after  the  text,  which  is  very  easy  to  come 
at ;  and  sometimes  you  may  make  a  third,  though  it  be  not  expressed, 
agreeably  to  the  principle  upon  which  the  preceding  part  was  founded,  as 
topic  12  ;  or  as  a  ground  and  cause,  exemplified  in  topic  19  :  as,  for  in- 
stance, suppose  we  were  desirous  of  making  some  of  Mr.  Simeon's  two- 
part  sermons  into  three.  Where  this  expedient  would  constitute  them 
regular,  it  may  be  done.  Nothing  is  easier  than  to  cfiect  the  design  on 
Rev.  iii.  17,  18:— 

I.  The  state  of  solf-deceivinc;  Christians. 

II.  The  advice  which  our  Lord  fjives  them. 

III.  The  principle  upon  which  this  counsel  is  given:  namely,  Christ's  love  to  them. 

The  very  next  verse  justifies  and  furnishes  this  :  "  As  many  as  I  love  I 
rebuke  and  chasten."     And,  in  fact,  this  principle  of  love  gives  a  very 


THE    REGULAR    DIVISION. 


SI 


Striking  effect,  and  is  the  sweetest  characteristic  of  the  favor  which  the 
Redeemer  bears  to  us.  In  short,  this  supplementary  part  may  be  some 
sound  scripture  object,  such  as  the  glory  of  God,  the  ultimate  end  or  gen- 
eral design  of  sovereign  goodness,  or  the  evident  obligations  which  the 
persons  addressed  are  laid  under,  or  whatever  is  well  calculated  to  produce 
a  happy  effect  and  to  render  the  discourse  complete. 

Sixthly,  Where  two  things  offer  for  a  third  part,  you  must  use  your 
discretion  which  of  them  to  admit.     Matt.  iv.  19,  20 : — 

I.  The  person  who  calls ;  namelv,  Jesus. 

II.  The  call  itself:  "  Follow  me."" 

III.  The  promise  annexed  to  their  compliance,  that  he  would  make  them  honored 
instruments  in  setting  up  his  kingdom  in  tlie  world. 

The  regular  discourse  comprehends  what  authors  in  general  denomi- 
nate "  Sermons  of  unity."  Great  advantage  will  be  derived  from  an  at- 
tentive perusal  of  the  forty-second  lecture  of  Dr.  Blair  in  relation  to  the 
proper  ideas  of  unity.  This  forty-second  lecture  follows  the  track  of  most 
critics,  but  is  perhaps  more  useful  than  others  from  its  brevity  and  plain- 
ness. The  criticisms  of  Addison,  in  the  Spectator,  are  excellent,  but 
very  elaborate,  and  therefore  less  pleasing.  Few  people  derive  pleasure 
from  seeing  a  man  at  hard  labor  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  when  w^e  see  a 
great  work  achieved  with  ease  it  delights  us  exceedingly.  Yet,  after  all, 
surely  these  great  critics  might  have  told  us  that  all  the  beauties  of  unity 
may  be  exhibited  in  prose  as  well  as  in  verse  ;  and  to  demonstrate  this 
they  might  have  adduced  the  story  of  Joseph,  which  is  as  perfectly  epic 
as  any  to  be  found  ;  for  verse  does  not  make  poetry,  nor  does  prose  ex- 
clude it.  Poetry  is  in  the  thought  itself,  and  not  the  language,  though  the 
thought  may  influence  the  language,  or  it  may  not,  as  to  any  species  of 
composition  to  the  exclusion  of  others.  Its  three  parts  constitute  one 
whole  ;  the  three  parts  are  only  what  the  mind  conceives  as  belonging  to 
the  w^hole.  They  are  not  three  but  one,  as  the  body,  the  soul,  and  the 
spirit,  constittite  but  one  man,  1  Thess.  v.  23.  And  the  proper  effect  of 
this  unity  is  some  specific  conviction  or  impression  on  the  mind,  effected 
by  the  justness  of  the  argument,  to  which  the  unity  tends,  corresponding 
with  what  is  called  the  moral  of  an  epic  poem. 

The  universal  sentiment  of  all  mankind  has  pronounced  in  favor  of  this 
orderly  construction  of  a  piece.  Hence  the  more  eminent  of  this  kind  of 
works  have  obtained  for  their  respective  authors  perpetual  praise.  The 
most  talented  men  have  regarded  it  as  their  highest  honor  to  translate  these 
jewels  of  literature,  into  modern  languages  ;  and  the  standard  of  true 
taste  is  acquired  through  them.  Our  own  experience  confirms  all  this  as 
to  a  sermon.  Compare  the  different  effects  produced  by  an  irregular 
and  a  regular  discourse.  One  is  loose  and  desultory :  the  preacher 
takes  you  fi-om  Dan  to  Beersheba,  calls  your  attention  to  this  thing  on 
your  right,  and  then  to  another  thing  on  your  left :  but  all  to  no 
point  or  just  conclusion:  while  the  preacher  who  better  understands  his 
business  leads  you  in  a  straight  way,  wherein  your  imagination  and  judg- 
ment can  not  stumble.  There  is  a  plain  setting  out,  a  consistent  course, 
and  he  brings  you  to  a  profitable  point ;  and  you  naturally  ask  him  to  lead 
you  another  time.  This  kind  of  discourse  is,  nevertheless,  not  to  be 
hackneyed  too  much  ;  the  old  adage  again,  Ne  quid  nimis  !  rather  learn  to 
ti'ansfuse  the  essence  of  this  rare  plan  of  composition  into  all  your  species 

6 


82  LECTURE    VI. 

of  sermons,  though  you  are  not  to  adopt  universally  the  form ;  and  this 
will  give  acceptableness  to  all  your  discourses. 

In  conclusion,  whatever  be  your  form,  keep  the  end  in  view.  What- 
ever be  the  number  of  your  parts,  associate  tliem  well  as  to  kinds.  Let 
one  thing  connect  and  agree  with  anotiier  thing;  and,  as  far  as  possible, 
let  them  be  dependent  and  consecutive,  always  reserving  the  strongest 
point  for  the  last. 


LECTURE  VL 


THE  INTERROGATIVE  DIVISION. 


The  acquisition  of  knowledge  by  the  human  mind  is  gradual  and  la- 
borious. Unlike  those  purely  intellectual  beings  whom  we  may  suppose 
to  grasp  with  one  intuitive  perception  all  the  bearings,  and  properties,  and 
uses  of  the  subjects  to  which  they  direct  tlieir  attention,  man  is  obliged  to 
investigate  things  in  a  circuitous  and  circumstantial  manner;  and  one  prin- 
cipal means  by  which  facts  are  ascertained,  and  truth  is  elicited,  is  that  of 
asking  questions  (or  interrogation).  We  inquire  of  our  ancestors  respect- 
ing the  information  they  possessed  and  the  opinions  entertained  in  their 
day  (Deut.  xxxii.  7),  and  we  ask  our  contemporaries  what  information 
tliey  can  impart,  what  new  light  they  can  throw  upon  the  path  of  science. 

The  importance  of  this  method,  and  the  success  with  which  it  has  been 
attended,  have  given  rise  to  a  regular  set  of  questions,  by  which  the  inqui- 
rer is  directed  to  those  points  of  his  subject  which  require  examination. 
To  the  intelligent  preacher,  who  has  almost  as  many  subjects  to  investi- 
gate as  the  lawyer,  the  proper  use  of  interrogation  will  afford  considerable 
assistance.  Experience  has  proved  that  it  may  be  rendered  a  most  useful 
auxiliary  in  producing,  or  entirely  sustaining,  division ;  and  that  it  is 
adapted  to  helj)  us  out  of  many  a  diflicuhy. 

The  questions  are  as  follows:  Who?  Wiiat?  Where?  By  what 
means?  For  whom?  How?  When?  Why?*  Now,  if  we  examine 
carefully,  we  shall  find  in  these  questions  the  chief  circumstances  of  an 
action  brought  to  view,  or  the  points  of  a  command  laid  open  to  discus- 
sion. ].  Who?  Here  is  the  actor.  Who  has  done  or  spoken  such  or 
such  a  thing?  2.  What  has  he  done  or  said?  3.  Where  did  the  action 
take  place?  or,  where  were  the  words  spoken?  4.  By  what  means  was 
the  action  done?  or,  by  whose  authority  was  tlie  thing  said?  5.  For 
whom  or  what  is  the  act  done?  Was  it  done  for  his  own  personal  bene- 
fit, or  for  the  honor  and  advantage  of  another?  6.  How  was  the  art  done, 
or  how  were  the  words  spoken — o|)cnly  or  privately?  Was  it  done  par- 
tially or  effectually  ?  Li  what  temper  and  frame  of  mind,  &-C.?  7.  When 
was  the  thing  done  or  said?  t  Of  these  things  I  shall  have  further  occa- 
sion to  speak. 

"  Sec  Manton.  vol.  iv.,  p.  2Hr>,  part  I. ;  an<l  Hovcriilpo,  vol.  ix.,  p.  IIP,  wholly  interrogative. 

t  Wc  have  an  example  of  this  niodo  of  arranpenient  in  Cicero,  in  liis  defence  of  Cii'lino,  who  waa 
accused  of  poisoning  his  friend.  Cicoro  doubu  the  relation.  How  was  the  dcsipn  laid  ?  How  did 
they  (i;ct  the  poison  7  whence  canie  it  ?  by  whose  assistance  7  to  whom  or  where  was  it  deliv- 
ered 7  4c. 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  83 

In  examining  a  passage  selected  for  discussion,  on  the  principle  of  in- 
terrogation, it  may  be  a  surprise  to  some  to  find  that  the  questions  pro- 
pounded often  produce  the  same  result  in  many  particulars  as  some  para- 
graphs of  our  last  lectures.  Among  other  things,  they  point  out  the 
agent,  the  manner  of  acting,  and  the  object  to  which  the  action  tends. 
Consequently,  if  this  method  pleases  best,  as  to  constructing  the  regular 
discourse,  the  other  may  be  dismissed;  or  in  cases  of  difficulty  both  may 
be  tried ;  or  one  may  prove  the  other,  just  as  two  methods  of  computation 
are  frequently  employed  where  great  accuracy  is  required.  But  the  inter- 
rogations have  this  further  recommendation,  that  they  very  frequendy  point 
out  the  parts  of  other  species  of  division,  especially  the  expository. 

It  will  also  be  seen  that  the  questions  are  near  akin  to  some  of  the 
topics,  and  will  answer  in  their  stead.  In  short,  there  are  many  texts 
which  it  would  be  difficult  to  analyze  without  having  recourse  to  the  inter- 
rogatory method.  Scarcely  any  text,  it  is  true,  will  answer  to  all  the  ques- 
tions ;  but  the  end  is  obtained  so  soon  as  you  know  how  many  of  them 
can  be  found;  and  no  doubt  some  points  of  discussion,  which  were  of 
sufficient  consequence  to  have  had  a  place,  are  lost  for  want  of  an  appli- 
cation of  the  questions  to  them. 

We  may  further  observe,  that  the  interrogative  method  almost  necessa- 
rily leads  to  the  argumentative  style  of  preaching,  or  that  popular  line  of 
address  by  which  Blair  and  many  others  have  gained  very  high  rank. 
Everywhere  Blair  seems  to  be  discussing  questions,  though  concealed 
ones ;  indeed  this  is  the  key  to  his  writings.  It  must  be  owned  that  he 
had  great  skill  in  placing  his  paragraphs  in  the  best  order  to  answer  his 
purpose  in  the  discourse  he  was  handling,  everything  tending  to  one  point, 
and  thus  contributing  to  the  unity  and  strength  of  his  subject. 

If  we  pay  attention  to  good  writers  and  eloquent  speakers,  we  shall 
perceive  that  they  make  very  frequent  use  of  interrogations,  especially  in 
argument,  in  perpetual  application,  in  all  kinds  of  comment,  and  as  a  form 
of  division.  Look  only  on  the  pages  of  our  great  author^s,  and  you  will 
see  scores  of  interrogations.  When  an  author  or  preacher  is  conscious 
of  truth,  he  appeals  by  way  of  interrogation.  If  he  is  contending  against 
any  error,  or  any  improper  character  or  conduct,  he  illustrates  the  folly 
and  wickedness  by  putting  strong  imanswerable  questions.  "If  you  have 
run  with  the  footmen,  and  they  have  wearied  you,  how  will  you  contend 
with  the  horsemen?"  Instances  are  so  abundant  and  striking  that  there  is 
no  need  to  point  them  out;  however,  that  no  part  may  be  left  without  il- 
lustration, I  refer  to  Burder,  vol.  v.,  p.  9S ;  Farquhar,  p.  115;  Davies, 
vol.  ii.,  p.  175.  Scripture  examples  of  its  use  are  without  number: 
*'What  shall  we  then  say  to  these  things?" — "Who  shall  lay  anything  to 
the  charge  of  God's  elect?" — "Who  is  he  that  condemneth?" — "  Who 
shall  separate  us?" — "What  profit  had  you  in  those  things  whereof  you 
are  now  ashamed?" — "  Where  is  the  wise?  Where  is  the  scribe?  Where 
is  the  disputer  of  this  world?" 

Interrogation  will  often  introduce  a  subject,  when  we  should  otherwise 
experience  some  difficulty.  In  some  cases  it  is  extremely  well  calculated 
to  excite  and  secure  the  attention  of  the  audience. 

Lavington,  vol.  i.,  p.  320,  on  Phil.  ii.  1,  "If  there  be  any  consolation 
in  Christ,"  &c.,  commences  thus:  "Did  the  apostle  doubt  it?  Was  it  a 
disputable  matter  with  Paul,  who  had  obtained  such  singular  mercy?    Did 


Si  LECTURE    VI. 

he  who  had  been  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven,  and  had  tasted  of  that 
joy  which  is  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,  put  the  question  as  if  it  were 
doubtful  whether  there  be  any  consolation  in  Christ  or  not?  Impossible!" 
This  is  certainly  a  striking  exordium,  if  delivered  with  corresponding  tone 
and  manner. 

Walker,  also,  vol.  ii.,  p.  159,  on  1  John  v.  11 :  "And  this  is  the  rec- 
ord," &c. :  "  Why  do  not  all  to  whom  these  good  tidings  are  published 
receive  them  with  gratitude  and  joy?  Are  they  expressed  in  terms  so 
dark  and  ambiguous  that  their  meaning  and  import  can  not  be  fully  ascer- 
tained? Or  is  the  offer  of  life  loaded  with  such  hard  conditions  as  to  ex- 
ceed the  powers  of  those  to  whom  it  is  addressed  ?  Were  either  of  these 
true,  it  would  furnish  something  more  than  a  jplausiUe  argument  for 
excuse." 

I  must  also  cite  Robinson's  Village  Sermons,  on  Col.  ii.  8,  9:  "Be- 
ware lest  any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy,"  &c.  He  says:  "What! 
is  it  possible  to  spoil  a  Christian?  Certainly  it  is.  What!  is  it  possible 
to  spoil  whole  societies  of  Christians?  Certainly  it  is.  And  through  phi- 
losophy too!      What  has  philosophy  done  to  excite  suspicion?" 

It  is  no  wonder  that  Sterne  should  so  often  avail  himself  of  this  mode 
of  commencing  a  discourse;  for  instance,  on  2  Kings,  xx.  15:  "What 
have  they  [the  ambassadors]  seen?"  &c.  "  And  where  was  the  hann,  you 
will  say,  in  all  this  ?" 

Use  may  be  made  of  interrogation  to  inquire  respecting  a  matter  of  fact. 
As  by  the  Jews  respecting  the  man  who  had  been  born  blind,  to  whom 
Christ  gave  sight  (John  ix.).  Is  this  he  that  was  born  blind,  and  that  now 
sees?  To  this  a  satisfactory  answer  is  given.  Where  is  he  that  has  done 
this  miracle?  Who  is  he?  How  did  he  perform  the  miracle?  What 
sayest  thou  of  this  worker  of  miracles  ?  The  questions,  separately,  were 
put  to  the  young  man  and  to  the  parents.  Again,  they  repeat  the  same 
questions,  determined,  if  possible,  to  find  some  discrepancy  in  the  evi- 
dence ;  but  they  found  none,  and  were  confounded.  But,  if  this  account 
had  not  been  true,  the  method  taken  would  have  discovered  the  deception. 
Truth  will  bear  the  light;  falsehood  will  not. 

The  questions  may  also  be  employed  in  reference  to  the  nature  or  qual- 
ity of  an  action,  or  the  degree  of  culpability  attaching  to  it.  Take  the  in- 
stance of  Jonathan's  incurring  his  father's  displeasure  by  tasting  a  little 
honey.  1.  What  is  this  that  is  done?  Tasting  honey.  Is  this  the  fla- 
grant disobedience  of  a  reasonable  law  or  not?  It  was  very  indiscreet  in 
Saul  to  make  such  a  law  against  necessary  refreshment ;  for,  instead  of  re- 
tarding the  progress  of  victory,  refreshment  to  the  fainting  men  was  likely 
to  accelerate  it;  besides,  it  could  not  be  culpable  in  Jonathan,  for  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  restraint  his  lather  had  imposed.  If  a  crime  at  all,  it  must 
be  a  small  one;  Jonathan  did  l)ut  touch  the  honey  ^^^th  his  lips  from  the 
top  of  his  spear,  and  that  when  fainting  and  ready  to  die.  2.  Who  is  this 
that  has  done  the  act?  It  is  Jonathan,  he  that  exhibited  such  feats  of  arms, 
and  by  whose  means  a  great  victoiy  was  obtained,  when  none  could  have 
been  expected;  here,  then,  still  less  ought  Jonathan  to  die.  He  was  also 
the  king's  dear  son,  his  eldest  son,  the  heir-apparent;  then  compassion  and 
policy  might  well  spare  Jonathan.  But  we  must  be  careful  never  to  ex- 
tenuate what  God  has  declared  to  be  sinful. 

Again,  these  questions  may  be  put  to  set  forth  the  aggravations  of  an 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  85 

offence,  as  that  of  Ahithophel  against  David.  Who  is  this  ingrate?  Da- 
vid's select  counsellor.  It  was,  says  David,  my  own  familiar  friend,  who 
did  eat  at  my  table,  Ps.  xU.  9,  and  Iv.  12-14.  And  what  is  it  that  Ahith- 
ophel counselled?  To  fall  upon  the  king  by  surprise;  to  slay  his  right- 
ful prince.  When  would  he  do  it?  That  very  night.  By  what  means 
would  he  do  it?  He  would  take  David's  own  select  guards.  For  what 
end  would  he  do  this?     To  set  upon  the  throne  a  traitor,  a  companion  of 

his  guilt. 

Further,  they  may  be  used  to  compare  conflicting  testimonies,  to  dis- 
cover who  is  the  most  deserving  of  credit  and  belief;  as  those  for  and 
against  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  The  examination  of  conflicting  evi- 
dence requires  great  skill,  in  adapting  and  modifying  the  interrogatories  so 
as  to  elicit  the  whole  truth  and  lead  falsehood  to  contradict  itself 

Sometimes  the  preacher  may  put  himself  in  the  place  of  his  hearers,  and 
use  the  interrogatories  so  as  to  make  a  strong  appeal  to  their  consciences. 
Suppose  the  subject  to  be  the  means  of  grace,  he  might  say  :  "  Do  I  dili- 
gently attend  to  these  means  of  grace  ?  Do  I  watch  my  heart  in  them  ?  Do 
I  exercise  my  graces  in  the  use  of  them  ?  Do  I  profit  ^ind  grow  in  grace 
by  them  ?  Do  I  prize  them  ?  Am  I  thankful  for  them  ?  Do  I  ask  my- 
self, when  I  return  from  them.  In  what  manner  did  I  attend  upon  them  ? 
Do  I  walk  from  day  to  day,  between  one  ordinance  and  another,  cir- 
cumspectly, suitably,  holily,  as  becomes  one  that  lives  under  such  helps 
as  Providence  so  plentifully  vouchsafes  to  me  ?  Is  it  not  by  Divine  Provi- 
dence that  I  enjoy  these  means  of  grace,  when  others  want  them  ?  Can  I 
give  up  my  account  with  comfort,  for  God's  providence  to  me  in  this,  if  I 
am  not  better  with  them  than  they  are  without  them  ?" — See  Doolittle, 
p.  57,  folio  edition.  A  use  like  this  may  occasionally  be  very  profitable. 
It  is  a  method  of  teaching  others  by  examining  ourselves. 

I  add  that  there  is  a  kind  oi  negative  interrogative,  if  I  may  use  such  a 
phrase ;  as  in  Lavington,  vol.  i.,  p.  323  :  "  I  shall  ask  none  but  such  as 
are  really  the  disciples  of  Christ  whether  there  be  any  consolation  in  Christ 
or  not.  I  ask  not  you  scribes  and  P/iarisecs  ;  your  consolations  are  in 
washing  cups  and  basins.  I  ask  not  you  sinners,  who  are  slaves  to  your 
passions,  whose  god  is  your  belly,  who  glory  in  your  shame,  and  who  mind 
earthly  things,  whether  there  be  any  consolation  in  Christ:  for  you  are  in- 
capable of  enjoying  the  happiness  which  religion  imparts." 

However  extensive  the  use  of  interrogations,  my  present  object  will  be 
merely  to  illustrate  how  they  may  be  employed  in  assisting  us  to  discover 
the  parts  of  which  a  text  consists,  and,  as  occasion  serves,  be  used  in  form 
as  divisions  on  the  text. 

You  will  "  observe  with  me,"  as  Dr.  Hawker  says,  that  as  respects  di- 
vision, authors  and  preachers  have  two  methods  of  making  use  of  these  in- 
terrogations— perhaps  I  may  say  three.  First,  in  plain  words  :  that  is,  the 
interrogative  form  strictly  retained,  as  Jay,  on  Matt.  vi.  33  :  "  Seek  you 
first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these  things  shall 
be  added  unto  you  :" — 

I.  What  are  we  to  seek  ? 

II.  How  are  we  to  seek  ? 

III.  Why  are  we  to  seek  ?  or.  For  what  reasons  are  we  thus  to  seek  ? 

The  main  argument  is  prosecuted  under  the  last  head,  and  consists  in 
an  appeal  to  the  reason  or  conscience  of  the  persons  addressed.     There 


86  LECTURE    VI. 

are  very  strong  and  cogent  reasons  why  this  seeking  should  be  commenced. 
You  see  in  a  moment  that  we  have  here  the  second  question,  What?  the 
sixth,  How?  and  the  eighth,  Why?  and  these  were  sufficient  for  Mr.  Jay's 
purpose.  The  text  would  indeed  have  answered  to  the  first.  Who  is  the 
speaker?  and,  by  implication,  it  would  also  have  answered  to  the  fourth; 
but  it  was  not  necessary  to  say  all  that  might  be  said ;  and  Mr.  Jay,  no 
doubt,  introduced  all  that  was  proper.  Indeed,  his  exordium  did  so  intro- 
duce the  person  of  the  speaker,  without  making  it  a  head  of  discourse,  the 
occasional  propriety  of  which  1  have  before  pointed  out.  Now  the  above 
plan,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  and  using  it  before  a  plain  congi'egation,  is 
certainly  both  profitable  and  agreeable. 

Mr.  Simeon  uses  the  questions  in  the  undisguised  form  in  his  discourse 
on  Ps.  X.  13:   "  Wherefore  doth  the  wicked  contemn  God?" — 

I.  In  what  respects  do  the  wicked  contemn  God  ? 

II.  Wherefore  do  they  so  ? 

This  would  make  an  excellent  subject  for  an  assize  sermon  in  the  par- 
ish church  of  a  country  town  ;  and  for  a  searching  subject  in  general,  where 
the  preacher  thinks  it  requisite.  "  In  what  respects?"  is  the  sixth  ques- 
tion, How  ?  only  varied  in  words.  The  "  Wherefore"  is  the  same  as  the 
eighth.  Why  ? 

The  same  author,  on  Heb.  ii.  3 ;  *'  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect 
so  great  salvation  ?" — 

I.  What  is  the  salvation  here  spoken  of?  (the  second  question.) 

II.  Who  are  those  that  neglect  it  ?  (the  first  question.) 

III.  How  shall  those  escape  that  do  neglect  it?  (the  sixth  question.) 

In  each  of  these  latter  instances  we  have  an  interrogative  text  and  an  in- 
terrogative division  ;  and  the  last  is  a  tiaily  close  sermon,  calculated  to 
awaken  the  careless — a  duty  which  ministers  should  never  neglect,  for  they 
themselves  ought  ever  to  have  sounding  in  their  ears  the  divine  word  ad- 
dressed in  the  first  instance  to  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  ch.  iii.  17,  18  :  "  Son 
of  man,  I  have  made  thee  a  watchman  to  the  house  of  Israel ;  therefore 
hear  tlic  word  at  my  mouth,  and  give  them  warning  from  me.  When  1 
say  unto  the  wicked,  Thou  shalt  surely  die,  and  thou  givest  him  not  warn- 
ing, nor  speakest  to  warn  the  wicked  from  his  wicked  way,  to  save  his  life, 
the  same  man  shall  die  in  his  iniquity ;  but  his  blood  will  I  require  at  thy 
hand."  Duly  pressed  by  solemn  warning  and  sweetly  invited  by  tlie  lan- 
guage of  Jesus  in  the  gospel,  we  may  hope  for  good  effects. 

We  select  from  the  same  author,  on  Gal.  vi.  9  :  "Be  not  weary  in  well 
doing,"  &c.  : — 

I.  When  may  we  be  said  to  be  weary  in  well  doing  ?  (the  seventh  question.) 

II.  Why  should  we  not  be  thus  weary?  (the  eighth  question.) 

Students  arc  not  to  be  weary  of  study  ;  ministers  must  not  be  weary  of 
preacliing  ;  for  in  these  cases  the  reward  is  either  lost  or  reduced  by  a 
dreadful  discount. 

Tlie  same  author,  on  1  Pet.  iv.  1  :  "  Let  those  that  suffer  according  to 
:he  will  of  God  commit  the  keeping  of  tlieir  souls  to  him  in  well  doing,  as 
unto  a  faithfiil  Creator  :" — 

I.  What  arc  the  things  Christians  must  expect  to  sufTer? 

II.  Why  is  it  the  will  of  God  that  we  slu)uld  suircr  ? 

HI.  How  should  we  conduct  ourselves  when  so  called  to  suffer  ? 


THE    INTERKOGATIVE    DIVISION.  87 

Here  we  have  the  second,  the  eighth,  and  the  sixth  questions  ;  and  most 
excellently  do  these  interrogations  draw  forth  everything  that  is  needful. 
I  formerly  remarked  that  the  questions  often  answered  the  same  end  as  the 
topics.  You  will,  as  you  review  the  present  examples,  trace  these  asso- 
ciations. As,  for  instance,  the  first  general  head  of  this  example  comes  to 
the  same  point  as  the  fifth  topic,  viz.,  "  Things  supposed."  It  is  that  they 
will  suffer — 

1.  In  their  reputation. 

2.  In  their  property  (if  they  have  any). 

3.  In  their  liberty.  This  has  often  been  verified,  though  now,  we  thank  God,  we 
"  sit  under  our  own  vine  and  our  own  fig-tree,  none  daring  to  make  us  afraid." 

The  second  general  head  is,  "  Why  is  it  the  will  of  God  that  we  should 
suflfer  ?"  Now  this  corresponds  exactly  with  the  nineteenth  topic  :  "  Ex- 
amine the  grounds  and  causes  of  an  action  or  expression,  and  show  the 
truth  and  equity  of  h."  You  observe  how  excellently  facts  are  decided 
by  this  question,  or  by  the  topic.  God  permits  it.  God  is  pleased  to 
permit  it — 

1.  For  the  trial  of  our  faith- 

2.  For  the  advancement  of  our  graces. 

3.  For  the  manifestation  of  his  own  glory. 

The  same  author,  on  John  xv.  15  :  "  Henceforth  I  call  you  not  ser- 
vants, for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what  his  Lord  doeth  ;  but  I  have  called 
you  friends  ;  for  all  things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father  I  have  made 
known  unto  you  :" — 

I.  In  what  light  does  Christ  regard  his  followers  ? 

II.  What  evidence  have  we  that  he  does  so  regard  us  ? 

To  these  there  might  have  been  added  a  third,  as — 

III.  What  are  the  most  acceptable  proofs  that  we  may  lay  claim  to  the  title  or 
appellation  of  Christ's  friends  ? 

I  do  not  quite  approve  of  Mr.  Simeon's  first  part ;  for  the  text  settles 
the  point  without  the  question,  and  it  would  equally  have  answered  his 
purpose  to  have  said,  "  How  does  it  appear  that  the  condition  of  Christ's 
followers  differs  from  that  of  a  servant?"  Answer  :  "  The  Jewish  fathers 
were  under  the  yoke,  the  bondage  of  the  law  :  they  were  servants  ;  and, 
though  many  things  were  told  them  by  Moses,  yet  these  were  only  some 
things  :  but  the  maturity  of  the  divine  dispensations  brought  the  Lord's 
people  nearer  in  privileges  ;  one,  in  particular,  was  to  hear  such  declara- 
tions of  gospel  purposes  as  must  fill  us  with  comfort ;  and  the  other,  that 
these  very  declarations  are  tokens  of  friendship  of  the  most  exalted  and 
durable  character." 

The  same  on  Heb.  iv.  9  :  "  There  remaineth  therefore  a  rest  to  the 
people  of  God."  The  division  of  this  discourse  is  very  simple,  and,  like 
several  others  quoted  in  this  lecture,  is  on  the  accommodational  plan  : — 

I.  Who  are  the  people  of  God  ? 

II.  What  is  the  rest  which  remains  for  them  ? 

He  illustrates  the  first  head  in  a  manner  somewhat  singular ;  viz.,  by  the 
three  members  or  clauses  of  another  text,  and  that  is  Phil.  iii.  3  : — 

1.  They  worship  God  in  the  spirit. 

2.  They  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus. 

3.  They  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh. 


88  LECTURE    VI. 

The  same  on  John  xvii.  9,  10 :  "I  pray  for  them  ;  I  pray  not  for  the 
world,  but  for  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  for  they  are  thine  ;  and 
all  mine  are  thine,  and  tliine  are  mine  ;  and  I  am  glorified  in  tliem." 

I.  For  whom  does  our  Lord  intercede  ? 

II.  Why  does  he  intercede  for  these  in  particular  ? 

If  it  were  allowable  to  insert  the  now  into  the  second  clause,  making  it 
to  read,  "  1  pray  not  now  for  the  world,"  the  text  would  not  seem  at  vari- 
ance witli  Luke  xxiii.  34  :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  Matt.  v.  44  :  "  And  pray  for  those  that  despitefully  use  you," 
&c. ;  and  the  reference  to  tlie  twenty-first  verse,  "  that  the  world  may  be- 
lieve that  thou  hast  sent  me,"  would  have  been  more  obvious.  Dr.  Dodd- 
ridge, one  of  our  soundest  criucs,  seems  inclmed  to  some  relaxation  :  "  I 
pray  not  thus  for  the  world."  I  am  sorry  that  Dr.  Whitby's  notes  on  the 
passage  are  too  long  for  insertion  here.  The  temper  and  judgment  here 
manifested  are  alike  conspicuous :  and  I  own  I  can  not  reject  his  reason- 
ing, viz.,  that  our  Lord  did  not  design  utterly  to  discard  the  world.  See 
Whitby,  in  loco,  vol.  i.,  p.  501. 

The  same  on  Joel  iii.  13 :  "  Put  ye  in  the  sickle,  for  tlie  harvest  is 
ripe." 

I.  What  is  it  that  makes  us  ripe  for  the  great  harvest  ? 

II.  What  are  the  evidences  of  our  being  ripe  ? 
HI.  What  shall  be  done  when  we  are  ripe  ? 

This  is  a  truly  useful  and  excellent  sermon  ;  and  like  the  two  following, 
it  varies  from  our  preceding  examples  by  making  the  second  question, 
"  What  ?"  the  key  to  the  whole  discourse. 

Lavington,  vol.  i.,  p.  308,  on  Job  v.  26:  "Thou  shalt  come  to  thy 
grave  in  a  full  age ;  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  his  season." 

I.  In  what  does  ripeness  or  fitness  consist  1 

II.  In  what  respects,  or  on  what  account,  is  such  an  old  age  desirable  ? 

Idem,  vol.  i.,  p.  22 :  "  Be  you  therefore  ready  also,  for  the  Son  of  man 
cometh  at  an  hour  when  you  think  not." 

I.  What  is  the  Son  of  man  coming  for  ? 

II.  What  must  we  be  and  do,  in  order  to  be  ready  for  his  coming  ? 

III.  What  occasion  is  there  to  be  in  such  a  hurry  about  it  ?* 

I  think  these  eleven  examples  are  quite  sufficient  as  to  the  ordinary  use 
of  the  questions.  I  also  hope  that  Mr.  Simeon's  name  will  justify  me  in 
selecting  so  many  from  him.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  he  wrote  for  the 
use  of  students  ;  and  his  having  given  so  many  skeletons  in  the  interrog- 
atory form  proves  his  opinion  of  the  form  itself.  He  thought  that  he  could 
not  render  a  greater  service  to  the  rising  ministry  than  by  reviving  and  re- 
forming an  ancient  method  of  instruction,  and  throwing  the  weight  of  his 
autiiority  in  favor  of  everything  of  a  plain  nature,  against  the  more  splen- 
did and  fascinating  specimens  of  the  modern  school. 

As  the  Interrogative  Division  is  so  important,  I  shall,  in  iiddition  to  the 
preceding  rules  and  examples,  offer  a  few  examples  in  whicli  the  questions 
are  concealed  under  other  forms  of  expression,  which  may  sometimes  ap- 
pear more  elegant,  while  they  certainly  serve  to  introduce  an  agreeable  vari- 
ety. We  have  an  instance  of  this  kind  in  Jay,  on  Hos.  viii.  12  :  "I 
have  written  to  him  the  great  things  of  my  law,"  &c.     Mr.  Jay  takes  oc- 

•  Sec  Manton,  vol.  iv.,  p.  918. 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  89 

casion  to  refer  to  the  Scriptures  generally,  and  remarks  that  the  language 
of  the  text  exhibits — 

I.  Their  author. 

II.  Their  subject. 

III.  Their  reception. 

Now  these  are  the  answers  to  the  first,  second,  and  fifth*  questions, 
though  thus  expressed,  the  questions  do  not  appear.  The  concealment, 
however,  is  very  slight ;  for  we  have  only  to  place  the  interrogative  term 
before  the  first  word  of  each  head,  and  add  the  mark  of  interrogation  after 
the  last,  and  the  kind  of  division  stands  confessed. t 

Again  :  Simeon  on  Eph.  ii.  4-7  :  "  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy." 
Here  mercy  is  the  subject.     View  it — 

I.  In  its  source  (the  second  question). 

II.  In  its  operations  (the  fourth). 

III.  In  its  end  (the  fifth,  as  before  considered). 

Also  Burder  on  John  vii.  46  :  "  Never  man  spoke  like  this  man." 
The  truth  of  this  testimony  is  apparent — 

I.  As  to  the  matter  of  Christ's  speaking  (the  second  question). 

II.  As  to  the  manner  (the  fourth). 

III.  As  to  the  effect  (the  fifth). 

The  commanding  thought  or  leading  doctrine  of  a  text,  which  must 
always  be  the  same  in  your  discourse,  whatever  method  of  division  you 
adopt,  may  be  ascertained  by  applying  the  questions  to  it.  This  com- 
manding thought  is  the  pivot  upon  which  the  whole  must  turn.  Some- 
times it  forms  the  title  or  head-line,  as  of  a  printed  discourse.  In  the  ex- 
ample just  given,  you  at  once  see  this  dependence.  The  division  on  Hos. 
viii.  12,  turns  on  the  hinge  of  revealed  truths.  That  on  Eph.  ii.  4-7, 
turns  on  the  divine  mercy.  That  on  John  vii.  46,  on  the  excellency  of 
Christ's  preaching. 

But,  as  this  is  a  very  important  article,  I  must  trouble  you  with  some 
additional  instances  which  I  might  select  from  a  variety  of  authors  of  ce- 
lebrity ;  but  I  prefer  confining  myself  to  Mr.  Simeon,  because  he  is  my 
leader  in  the  work  of  assisting  young  ministers  in  their  pulpit  exercises, 
and  by  his  labors  in  this  department  he  has  acquired  for  himself  a  tribute 
of  praise,  and  secured  the  gratitude  of  many  hundreds  of  clergymen  in 
the  establishment,  and  of  a  goodly  number  of  dissenters. 

If  you  are  desirous  of  excelling  in  the  popular  style,  having  fixed  upon 
a  suitable  text  for  this  purpose,  first  ask  yourself  this  important  question  : 
"  What  is  the  subject  of  this  text !"  Think  much  and  closely  upon  this 
point.  If  the  text  will  answer  the  question  What?  What  is  the  subject? 
&c.,  here  one  point  is  gained.  Next  try  such  subject  upon  the  other 
questions,  and  the  answer  to  some  one  or  more  of  them  will  give  a  di- 
vision agreeing  to  such  subject.  The  subject  of  a  text  may  be  applied  in 
at  least  three  distinct  forms  :  1.  As  it  furnishes  propositions.  To  this  ser- 
vice the  subject  was  appropriated  for  more  than  one  hundred  years. 
These  propositions  were,  however,  treated  in  a  very  lax  manner  by  the 
majority  of  those  that  used  them,  though  an  infinity  of  good  things  have 

*  I  am  obliged  to  extend  the  aim  of  the  fifth  question,  and  place  it  to  intimate  the  object  or  end  to 
which  any  course  of  things  tends,  corresponding  in  some  measure  with  the  third  head  of  the  regular 
division  ;  and  this  observation  must  serve  for  any  future  case  of  a  similar  kind. 

t  The  elliptical  method  (of  which  this  is  an  instance)  prevails  very  generally  among  our  modem 
preachers  in  forming  their  heads  of  discourse,  and  I  thmk  with  good  reason. 


90  LECTURE    VI. 

fallen  into  our  hands  by  them,  and  we  are  thankful.  "  The  lines  have 
fallen  to  us  in  pleasant  places  :  we  have  a  goodly  herhage."  2.  The  sub- 
ject, as  well  as  a  person,  may  form  the  first  principal  head  in  the  regular 
division,  as  per  recent  lecture.  3.  To  suit  the  case  in  hand,  to  divide 
upon  in  an  easy  and  popular  way,  without  the  strict  formalities  of  the  above 
two  kinds. 

Take,  for  example,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25-27,  to  which  I  have  before  re- 
ferred, more  than  once  or  twice,  because  my  reference  to  it  answers  so 
many  purposes,  differing  in  their  nature  and  design.  The  words  of  this 
text  I  quote,  that  you  may  have  an  immediate  and  full  view  of  them : 
"  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be  clean  ; 
from  all  your  filthiness  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse  you.  A  new 
heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you  :  and  I 
will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  a 
heart  of  flesh.  And  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you  to 
walk  in  my  statutes,  and  you  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them." 
Now  what  is  the  subject  or  paramount  doctrine  of  this  text  ?  Surely  it  is 
sanclijication  in  its  extended  sense,  under  the  influence  of  the  great  agent, 
the  Holy  Ghost,  who  applies  the  work  of  redemption  to  the  hearts  of  the 
faithful.  Admitting  this  to  be  a  correct  view  of  the  subject,  here  ask  your- 
self this  question  :  "  What  does  this  sanctification  effect  for  the  sinner  ?" 
Mr.  Simeon  furnishes  the  answer  as  follows  : — 

I.  It  cleanses  from  sin  (see  the  twenty-fifth  verse). 

II.  It  renews  the  heart  (see  the  twenty-sixth  verse). 

III.  It  purifies  the  life  (see  the  twent>"-sevenlh  verse). 

This  is  very  neat ;  and  I  do  think  that  without  the  interrogative  opera- 
tion the  plan  would  not  have  been  so  well  executed.  A  common  expli- 
catory division  certainly  might  have  been  made  without  any  rules  of  art ; 
but,  to  say  the  least,  here  is  a  change  of  form  that  carries  its  own  recom- 
mendation with  it. 

When  this  course  is  taken,  you  must  carefully  apprize  the  audience, 
just  before  you  announce  your  division,  of  what  you  denominate  your 
subject.  This  is  giving  them  the  key  to  your  design.  As,  in  the  present 
instance,  you  would  say:  "  The  subject  of  my  text  is  the  doctrine  of  sanc- 
tification, and  it  will  be  my  business  to  show  you  what  is  to  be  expected 
from  it.  I.  Tt  cleanses  from  sin,"  &c.  Or  you  would  say  :  "  Considering 
the  various  figurative  expressions  of  my  text  to  denote  the  important  doc- 
trine of  our  sanctification,  I  shall  endeavor  to  show  you,"  &c.  But,  with- 
out some  preliminary  observation  of  this  kind,  this  plan  will  not  be  proper  ; 
for  you  would  bring  the  people  into  the  subject  by  an  unpleasant  and  un- 
natural jerk,  which  is  quite  an  unnecessary  way  of  beginning  your  servi- 
ces. But  as  one  example  is,  perhaps,  not  sufficient  in  this  important 
matter,  I  shall  here  give  two  or  three  others.  Thus  Mr.  Simeon,  on  Lev. 
xvi.  21,  22:  "And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands  on  the  head  of  the 
live  goat,  and  confess  over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  all  their  trans,[jressions  in  all  their  sins,  putting  them  upon  the  head  of 
the  goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by  the  hand  of  a  fit  man  into  the  wil- 
derness :  and  the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  sins  into  a  land  not 
inhabited." 

Q.  1.  What  is  tlie  subject  treated  of,  or  the  doctrine  taught  in  this  text?    A.  We 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  91 

have  in  it  a  type  of  Christ's  bearing  the  iniquities  of  all  true  believers  and  confessing 
penitents. 

Q.  2.  What  are  the  resemblances  between  the  type  and  the  antitype  ?  A.  They 
correspond — 

I.  In  their  objects. 

II.  In  their  operations. 

III.  In  their  effects. 

Here  it  would  be  proper,  before  naming  your  divisions,  to  make  some 
such  remark  as  the  following  :  "  As  this  text  is  evidently  typical  of  Christ's 
bearing  the  iniquities  of  true  Christians  and  confessing  penitents,  I  shall 
point  out  to  you  the  existing  resemblances,"  &c.,  ut  sujn'a. 

Again  :  Mr.  Simeon,  on  Dan.  ix.  24  :  "  Seventy  weeks  are  determined 
upon  thy  people  and  upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to 
make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring 
in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and 
to  anoint  the  Most  Holy,"  &c. 

This  is  an  exhibition  or  prediction  of  future  events  and  transactions.     Hence — 
Q.  1.  What  is  here  pointed  out?     A.  The  ends  of  Messiah's  advent. 
Q.  2.  How  may  these  be  represented  in  accordance  with  the  text?     A.  By  nearly 
following  the  order  of  the  words :  as — 

I.  To  effect  a  wonderful  reconciliation  between  heaven  and  earth. 

II.  To  fulfil  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

III.  To  prepare  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  same  author,  on  Ps.  xvi.  8-11  :  "  I  have  set  the  Lord  always  be- 
fore me  ;  because  he  is  at  my  right  hand,  I  shall  not  be  moved.  There- 
fore my  heart  is  glad,  and  my  glory  rejoiceth  :  my  flesh  also  shall  rest  in 
hope  ;  for  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell,  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy 
Holy  One  to  see  corruption.  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life.  In 
thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy ;  at  thy  right  hand  there  are  oleasures  for 
evermore  :" — 

Q.   1.  To  whom  do  these  words  refer  ?     A.  (to  be  supplied.) 
Q.    2.  What  do  the  words  express  in  general  terms  ?     A.  (to  be  supplied.) 
Q.   3.  In  what  particulars  does  this  confidence  appear  ?     A.  (to  be  filled  up  in  its 
divisions.) 

Isa.  XXV.  6-8,  I  leave  entirely  blank,  to  be  filled  up  by  the  student. 

Heb.  iii.  13  :  "  But  exhort  one  another  daily,  while  it  is  called  to-day, 
lest  any  of  you  should  be  hardened  through  the  decehfulness  of  sin."  Ap- 
plying the  questions  as  before,  you  will  be  led  to  consider  sin — 

I.  In  its  insidious  character. 

II.  In  its  damning  nature. 

III.  In  its  need  of  restraints. 

This  is  an  example  from  Witherspoon,  which  it  will  be  a  useful  exercise 
for  the  student  to  turn  from  the  purely  expository,  &c.,  to  the  kind  of  dis- 
course illustrated  by  the  last  five  or  six  examples. 

Observe  pretty  much  the  same  manner  in  Simeon  on  John  xvii.  22  : 
"  The  glory  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them,"  only  that  here  the 
form  of  inquiry  is  less  disguised.  We  inquire  what  that  glory  is  to  which 
reference  is  made  in  respect  both  to  Christ  and  to  his  people.  The  an- 
swer is.  It  is  the  glory — 

I.  Of  manifesting  the  divine  power. 

II.  Of  displaying  God's  moral  perfections. 

III.  Of  being  the  sons  of  God. 

IV.  Of  union  to  him. 

V.  Of  reigning  with  him. 


92  LECTURE    VI. 

Now  this  forms  a  very  beautiful  division,  just  and  ingenious. 

The  same  author,  on  Rom.  viii.  26  :  "  Likewise  the  Spirit  also  helpeth 
our  infirmities,"  &c.  ;  here  the  question  seems  to  be,  when  ?  or  at  what 
time  '?     The  answer  is — 

I.  In  seasons  of  suifering. 

II.  In  seasons  of  prayer. 

The  same  on  Micah  vii.  18-20  :  "  Who  is  like  unto  thee  ?"  The  key- 
word, or  subject,  is  "  Mercy." 

Q.  What  have  you  to  notice  in  regard  to  this  mercy  ?    ^4.  I  would  speak  of  it — 

I.  In  its  use. 

II.  In  its  progress. 

III.  In  its  consummation. 

Again :  Simeon  on  Gal.  iv.  22-24 :  "  Abraham  had  two  sons,"  &c. 
The  author  finds  in  this  text  a  contrast. 

Q.  In  Avhat  respects  does  this  contrast  appear?     A.  We  discover  a  contrast — 

I.  In  their  nature. 

II.  In  their  disposition. 

III.  In  their  conduct. 

IV.  In  their  end. 

The  same  on  1  Chronicles  xxii.  9,  10 :  "  A  son  shall  be  born  to 
thee,"  &c. 

Q.  What  is  remarkable  in  Solomon,  and  in  which  he  is  to  be  considered  as  a  type 
of  Christ  ?     A.  There  is  something  remarkable — 

I.  In  his  dearness  to  God. 

II.  In  the  office  assigned  him. 

III.  In  his  long  and  peaceful  reign. 

The  same  on  Isa.  xxii.  24 :  "  They  shall  hang  upon  him  all  the  glory 
of  his  father's  house." 

Q.  What  agreement  is  there  between  Eliakim  and  Jesus  Christ  ?  I  answer,  Elia- 
kim  resembled  Christ — 

I.  In  succeeding  to  one  who  abused  his  office. 

II.  In  the  authority  committed  to  him. 

III.  In  the  benefits  resulting  from  his  administration. 

The  same  on  1  Pet.  ii.  4,  5  :  "  To  whom  coming  as  to  a  living  stone," 
&c.     Subject :  the  temple  a  type  of  the  church. 

Q.  In  what  respects  may  the  temple  be  considered  typical  of  the  church  ?  The 
answer  is — 

I.  In  its  foundation. 

II.  In  its  superstructure. 

III.  In  its  services. 

I  think  I  have  said  quite  enough  to  convince  you  that  there  really  is 
such  a  thing  as  the  interrogative  division,  that  it  agrees  with  the  soundest 
principles  of  public  speaking,  that  it  is  quite  distinct  in  its  own  nature,  that 
it  is  of  general  utility,  and  easy  of  execution.  It  appeared  to  me  necessa- 
ry to  go  thus  far  in  the  examination  on  my  own  account,  that  I  might  be 
quite  sure  that  it  was  not  a  creature  of  my  own  fancy  ;  for  the  work  of 
preaching  is  of  too  serious  a  nature  to  be  built  upon  fancy  or  on  any  im- 
practicable theory. 

I  now  offer  you  one  interrogative  example,  with  notes  and  observations, 
wherein  all  the  questions  are  introduced.  It  is  taken  from  Matt.  i.  21  : 
"  And  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus  ;  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from 
their  sins."     Here  the  several  circumstances  which  will  form  divisions  are 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  93 

found  on  the  face  of  the  text,  without  finding  them  out  by  previous  opera- 
tions Kke  the  preceding  examples.  As  this  is  of  the  same  nature  as  sev- 
eral that  I  have  just  recited,  pp.  85-S8,  it  will  be  proper  to  commence  by 
bringing  the  text  to  these  interrogations,  seriatim,  or  one  after  another. 
Does  the  text  answer  to  the  first  question,  Who?  that  is,  Who  is  the  per- 
son or  persons  spoken  of?  If  so,  then  you  have  a  first  division,  if  it  be 
important  enough  to  make  a  part :  if  in  any  case  it  be  not,  then  the  person 
or  persons,  &c.,  must  be  named  or  announced  at  the  end  of  the  exordium, 
according  to  circumstances.  Or  you  may  say.  The  text  has  relation  to 
such  person  or  persons  ;*  and  this  will  sometimes  be  very  proper,  because 
I  think  it  injudicious  to  make  character  a  division  too  frequently ;  for,  as 
there  is  very  often  a  character  included  in  a  text,  it  looks  samely  or  com- 
mon to  be  frequently  dwelhng  on  it,  and  it  would  in  such  case  indicate 
that  you  had  no  invention  or  variety.  But,  in  reference  to  our  text,  the 
glorious  name  "  Jesus"  is  too  important  in  itself,  and  too  essential  to  sub- 
sequent discussion,  to  omit  making  it  a  part.  Then  I  say  the  text  answers 
the  first  question.  Who  ? 

A.  It  is  Jesus.  Here  you  have  a  plenitude  of  subject  to  dilate  upon 
— the  theme  of  all  praise,  the  fountain  of  all  blessedness,  the  object  of  faith, 
and  the  foundation  of  hope. 

Having  thus  disposed  of  the  first  question,  we  bring  the  second  to  our 
text,  What  ?  or.  What  is  the  thing  said  by,  or  of,  the  person,  &c.,  before 
named  ?  for  nothing  is  so  natural  as  that  this  should  stand  next  in  order  of 
discussion.  Such  a  person  is  introduced  :  what  is  affirmed  ?  what  is  to  be 
said  or  done  ?  or  what  has  or  will  be  said  or  done  ?  If  the  text  answers 
to  this  question,  it  is  sure  to  form  the  most  important  part.  This,  you  see, 
answers  to  the  second  part  of  the  regular  division,  or  that  which  forms  the 
action  of  it;  or  it  will  make  the  chief  head  of  an  accommodational  sermon. 
But,  to  our  present  purpose,  apply  the  second  question  to  the  text :  What 
does  Jesus  do  ?  or.  What  does  he  effect  ?  Ans.  He  saves  his  people,  &c. 
He  saves  effectually,  completely,  and  everlastingly.  His  type,  Joshua,  did 
not  so  save.  This  is,  therefore,  a  very  copious  part,  and  one  that  calls  for 
some  display  of  talent  and  industry  in  order  to  raise  it  above  commonplace 
discussion ;  for,  when  a  much-used  text  is  discussed,  this  is  absolutely  ne- 
cessary, because  the  speaker  is  here  drawn  into  a  comparison  with  many 
other  preachers,  and  it  is  not  desirable  to  suffer  from  the  comparison ;  on 
the  contrary,  one  should  study  to  be  distinguished  by  superiority.  In  gen- 
eral, those  who  speak  of  the  commonest  subjects  in  a  superior  manner  are 
sure  to  be  noticed  with  encomium  and  praise.  And  what  is  of  infinitely 
greater  moment,  and  should  lie  near  the  heart  of  every  Christian  minister, 
we  may  thus  expect  to  gain  the  attention  of  our  hearers,  without  which 
they  can  receive  no  benefit  from  our  labors. 

We  now  bring  our  third  question  to  the  text :  Where  ?  Where  were 
these  great  transactions  exhibited^?  Ans.  In  Judea,  called,  by  way  of 
eminence,  Immanuel's  land  (Isaiah  viii.  8),  that  land  which  ought  to  have 
been  pure  as  Eden,  but  which  was  stained  with  Immanuel's  blood.  No 
country  ever  suffered  so  much  by  the  sins  of  its  inhabitants,  until  it  became 
utterly  weary  of  its  occupiers,  and  they  were  expelled.  All  that  is  neces- 
sary to^  observe  is,  that  the  third  question  does  meet  its  solution,  though  in 
preaching  it  may  not  be  requisite  to  make  it  a  separate  head  of  discourse. 

*  A  subject  or  state  of  things  is  the  same,  as  before  noticed. 


94  LECTURE    VI. 

Generally  speaking,  this  third  corresponds  with  Claude's  ninth  topic,  "  Ob- 
serve place."  Tlie  Scriptures  are  sometimes  very  explicit  in  noting  place 
in  their  narratives.  This  is  so  common,  that  no  instance  need  be  given  ; 
however,  take  this  as  one.  Gen.  xxii.  14.  What  an  immense  importance 
was  put  upon  that  place  !  It  was  there  that  Abraham's  faith  was  tried, 
probably  where  Jesus  suffered — typified  by  the  offering  on  IMoriah's  top. 
If  we  could  contemplate  a  thing  so  awful  as  our  ultimate  fall  in  judgment, 
we  may  conceive  that  both  record  and  conscience  will  point  out,  with  the 
greatest  accuracy,  the  place  of  sinning.  And  does  not  place  also  revive 
the  more  pleasing  recollections  ?  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  5,  6.  The  place  of  our 
spiritual  birdi  involves  the  consideration  of  the  deepest  interest :  we  may 
well  say,  "  If  I  forget  thee,  let  my  right  hand  forget  its  cunning." 

We  now  bring  the  fourth  question  to  our  text :  By  what  means  ?  Ob- 
serve that,  although  we  have  not  the  means  of  salvation  pointed  out  in  our 
text,  yet  means  are  strongly  implied,  and  would,  in  some  texts,  become 
mainly  important.  But,  in  answering  the  question,  you  will  say  :  Jesus 
effected  the  work  by  means  of  his  death,  or  by  giving  himself  for  us  an 
offering  or  sacrifice  unto  God — he  died  for  our  sins. 

It  is  easy  to  see  the  great  utility  of  this  fourth  question.  How  impor- 
tant is  it  in  the  rank  of  circumstances !  How  admirably  does  it  round  our 
ideas  of  a  fact,  and  fill  up  a  space  that  nothing  else  could  supply  !  The 
subject  of  means  mixes  itself  with  all  human  actions,  and  nothing  scarcely 
in  the  divine  government  is  without  some  reference  to  it ;  not  because 
means  are  necessary  to  God,  as  they  are  to  us  ;  for  he  has  only  to  "  com- 
mand, and  it  is  done,"  to  say,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  is  light." 
Yet,  in  general,  this  moral  lesson  is  taught  us  by  the  highest  example,  that 
means  are  necessary  to  an  end.  And  you  must  keep  in  view  that  where 
this  question  is  used  for  the  purpose  of  investigation  it  tends  to  elicit  the 
fact  of  the  probability  or  improbability  of  a  statement  made. 

I  said  that  means  would,  in  some  texts,  become  mainly  important,  though 
in  the  discussion  of  this  particular  text  they  are  introduced  only  for  exam- 
ple's sake  ;  and  if  the  salvation  implied  in  our  text  had  been  ascribed  to 
the  divine  Father  instead  of  the  divine  Son,  as  it  actually  is  so  ascribed  in 
many  scriptures,  then  we  should  have  been  taught  this  important  truth,  that 
our  salvation  originated  solely  in  the  love  of  the  Father,  in  his  sovereign 
good-will  and  pleasure,  who  laid  our  help  on  one  that  was  mighty  to  save, 
who  sanctified  his  Son,  sent  him  into  this  world,  and  gave  him  a  command- 
ment to  lay  down  his  life. 

As  this  article  furnishes  so  very  important  a  supply  of  thought,  one  would 
have  expected  it  to  make  one  of  Claude's  topics;  but  by  no  mode  of  con- 
struction can  any  one  of  his  meet  this  purpose. 

We  must  next  bring  the  fifth  question  to  our  text.  For  whom  ?  What- 
ever purposes  this  question  may  serve  at  tiie  bar,  in  divinity  we  must  claim 
for  it  some  latitude  of  interpretation  ;  wa  must  claim  it  for  that  upon  which 
the  action  rests,  corresponding  with  die  third  part  of  the  regular  division, 
or  Claude's  fourteenth  topic,  viz..  The  end  proposed  ;  and  sometimes  the 
nineteenth,  viz..  Grounds  and  causes.  This  intention  is  exemplified  by 
Mr.  Simeon  on  2  Peter  i.  4 :  "  Whereby  are  given  unto  us  exceedingly 
great  and  precious  promises,"  &c.  : — 

I.  The  greatness  and  preciousness  of  the  promises. 

II.  The  ends  for  which  they  are  given. 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  95 

Or  take  another  instance  from  the  same  author,  1  Pet.  i.  6,  7  : — 

I.  The  state  and  condition  of  God's  people. 

II.  The  ends  for  which  they  are  sufTered  to  be  in  this  state. 

This  question  Hkewise  answers  to  the  effect  that  follows  a  cause.  It 
will  also  answer  by  way  of  inference,  as  in  the  following  example  on  2  Cor. 
vii.  10,  11  :— 

I.  What  is  assumed  in  this  text? 

II.  What  is  its  just  inference  ?  &c. 

But  bring  this  question  to  our  text,  "  For  whom  is  this  salvation  wrought 
out?"  The  answer  is,  "  His  people  ;"  so  says  the  text  in  positive  terms. 
Jt  follows,  therefore,  as  a  matter  of  course,  or,  as  we  have  said,  by  way  of 
inference,  that  there  must  be  some  who  are  not  his  people,  and  conse- 
quently are  not  said  to  be  benefited  in  the  text,  though  other  scriptures 
may  appear  to  open  a  wider  door.  We  must  always,  for  ourselves,  exam- 
ine what  particular  interest  we  have  in  the  text,  as  well  as  recommend  the 
inquiry  to  others. 

The  sixth  question  is  also  very  important  to  critical  inquiry  :  How  is  the 
act  done  ?  This  article  may  seem  to  resemble  the  fourth.  By  what  means  ? 
but  the  difference  is  material,  and  a  nice  discriminator  will  soon  perceive 
this,  by  noting  the  description  of  each.  This  how  ?  is  nearly  the  same  as, 
"In  what  way  or  manner?"  which  is  quite  distinct  from  the  means,  and 
it  will  be  of  very  frequent  use.  I  may  refer  to  Mr.  Simeon's  skeleton  on 
Luke  iv.  28,  29  :  The  wrath  of  the  people  of  Nazareth : — 

I.  The  occasion  of  their  wrath. 

II.  The  manner  in  which  our  Lord  escaped  its  effects  ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing, 
How  did  he  escape  from  the  impending  wrath  of  his  enemies  ? 

I  also  refer  to  his  skeleton  on  Luke  viii.  50.  Subject,  The  faith  of 
Jairus.      The  whole  discussion  turns  upon  this  question,  as — 

I.  How  was  his  faith  tried  ? 

II.  How  did  it  operate  ? 

III.  How  was  it  rewarded  ? 

I  shall  be  permitted  to  quote  two  more  instances  from  Mr.  Simeon,  the 
former  of  which  is  on  Mark  vii.  32-36  :  "  The  manner  in  which  this  mir- 
acle was  effected  ;"  or,  which  is  the  same  thing.  How  was  it  effected  ?  and 
the  other  is  on  Luke  ix.  29-32  :  The  transfiguration.  He  considers  "  The 
time  and  manner  of  Christ's  transfiguration." 

You  see  that  this  simple  but  edifying  manner  is  quite  suitable  to  the  sub- 
ject of  miracles  in  general,  or  so  often  as  the  preacher  may  think  fit  to 
adopt  it.  In  such  cases,  the  preacher  depends  for  his  reputation  upon  the 
execution  of  his  plan,  and  not  on  the  particular  form  in  which  it  may  be 
stated. 

Now  let  us  apply  this  question  to  our  text :  How  was  this  great  work 
of  Christ  done  ?  Did  he  support  his  high  character  during  the  perform- 
ance of  it?  Did  his  personal  or  godlike  dignity  ever  at  any  time  merge 
in  selfishness  ?  Did  he  indeed  "  set  his  face  like  a  flint"  against  his  ad- 
versaries ?  Was  his  love,  his  pity,  his  tender  sympathy,  ever  relaxed  or 
suspended  ?  Did  he  ever  lose  sight  of  his  obedience  to  the  will  of  his 
heavenly  Father  ?  Was  his  example  ever  unworthy  of  imitation  ?  Did 
he  ever  exercise  his  power  on  unworthy  objects  ?  Did  his  wisdom  ever 
degenerate  into  cunning  ?     Was  his  goodness  only  occasional  or  partial  ? 


96  LECTURE    VI. 

Did  his  work,  in  any  form,  or  in  all  its  forms  collectively,  justify  our  bles- 
sed Lord  in  saying,  in  reference  to  it,  as  he  hung  upon  the  cross,  "  It 
is  finished,"  so  as  exactly  to  correspond  with  the  Old-Testament  cove- 
nants, promises,  types,  and  prophecies  ?  Now,  beyond  all  contradiction, 
the  manner  in  which  Christ  executed  his  work  was  such  as  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  dignity  of  his  character ;  and  it  had  the  seal  of  di- 
vine approbation,  which  was  testified  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  by 
his  ascension  into  heaven,  and  by  his  sitting  down  at  God's  right  hand,  by 
the  subsequent  effusion  of  the  Spirit,  and  by  the  immense  accession  of 
subjects  to  his  kingdom.  This  should  suggest  to  preachers  of  the  gospel 
that  the  manner  in  which  their  work  is  done*  is  of  high  importance,  as  well 
as  the  matter  they  deliver. 

The  seventh  question  relates  purely  to  time,  and  is  adapted  to  the  inves- 
tigation and  proof  of  fact.  Whenever  this  is  required  to  confirm  the  truth 
of  prophecy,  it  deserves  the  most  serious  consideration.  One  of  the  proofs 
of  Christ's  Messiahship  is  that  his  advent,  which  was  essential  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  work  of  redemption,  corresponded  with  the  prophecy 
of  Jacob,  Gen.  xlix.  10  ;  and  of  Daniel,  chap.  ix.  24.  This  is  denom- 
inated, by  the  aposde  Paul,  "  the  fulness  of  time"  (Gal.  iv.  4),  the  time 
predetermined  in  the  eternal  councils.  I  shall  not,  therefore,  offer  any 
apology  for  applying  this  seventh  question  to  our  text,  When,  or  at  vv'hat 
time,  did  Jesus  appear,  to  accomplish  our  salvation  ?  It  might  be  ob- 
served that,  besides  the  above-mentioned  prophetic  notices  of  time,  many 
circumstances  concurred  to  mark  the  period  of  his  advent  as  the  fittest  and 
most  appropriate  time  of  all  others  :  the  concurrent  expectations  of  all  na- 
tions!— the  universal  peace  that  then  prevailed — the  closing  of  the  temple 
of  Janus,  which,  among  the  Romans  was  a  wonderful  thing — and  the  pre- 
vious extensive  conquests  of  his  warlike  people,  by  which  they  were  ena- 
bled to  establish  their  own  laws  and  institutions,  and  thus  afford  greater 
facilities  for  the  general  diffusion  of  the  gospel.  Hence  the  aposde  Paul 
obtained  the  privileges  of  a  Roman  citizen,  which  enabled  him  to  traverse 
the  empire  under  a  kind  of  legal  protection.  At  that  time,  too,  the  Jews 
had  greatly  perverted  their  own  law,  or  made  it  "  void  dn-ough  the  com- 
mandments of  men  ;"  while  the  Gentile  nations  were  "  sitting  in  darkness 
and  the  shadow  of  death."  No  time  could  therefore  be  more  appropriate 
for  the  manifestation  of  the  divine  mercy,  nor  could  circumstances  be  more 
apt  for  die  bright  rising  of  die  "  Sun  of  righteousness."  Yet  I  allow  that, 
if  a  preacher  designed  to  treat  on  this  subject  specifically,  it  might  be  bet- 
ter to  select  a  text  from  one  of  the  prophetic  passages  I  have  quoted.f 

The  preacher  has  a  great  personal  interest  and  concern  in  times  and 
seasons.  He,  like  his  divine  master,  must  "  work  wliile  it  is  called  day  ; 
for  the  night  comedi  when  no  man  can  work."  He  must  preach  die  word 
"  in  season  and  out  of  season  ;"  for  lost  opportunities  can  never  be  recalled, 
and  our  regrets  at  past  neglects  or  omissions  are  quite  unavailing,  as  re- 

•  See  future  Lecture,  Topic  xv. 

t  See  Kidder  on  the  MoKsiah,  vol.  i.,  pp.  14,  27,  09,  &c. 

X  See  Home  on  emphatic  ndvorbs,  vol.  ii.,  p.  r)41.  "Sometimes  adverbs  of  time  are  emphatic,  and 
a  careful  notation  of  the  time  indicated  by  them  will  materially  illustrate  the  force  and  meaning  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  As  in  Mai.  iii.  11!,  tiic  word  lh<n  is  pociiliarly  emphatic,  as  denoting  bad  times; 
when  men  were  speaking  'stout  words,'  Ice. — wiicn  all  fals<>  notions  prevailed — then,  viz.,  at  this 
eeason  of  open  wickcdnus.'*,  there  was  a  remnant  of  pious  Jcsvs  who  •spoke  often  to  one  another' 
— met  tof,'cther  from  time  to  time  to  confer  on  religious  subjects ;  of  this  eminent  notice  is  taken  by 
Jehovah  himself,  and  this  procured  for  them  special  promises." 


THE    INTERROGATIVE    DIVISION.  97 

spects  our  fellow-creatures.  Upon  this  point  I  can  speak  from  experience. 
Many  years,  lost  as  to  any  good  purpose,  have  passed  over  me  by  my 
neglects ;  and  consequences  might  have  been  worse  had  not  the  goodness 
of  God  prevented.  I  am  now  running  hard  in  the  evening  of  life,  to  re- 
deem the  time  that  has  been  misspent  during  the  day  of  my  merciful  visi- 
tation. You,  my  dear  friends,  may  profit  by  what  I  now  relate  of  my  own 
experience.  Everything  is  beautiful  in  its  season.  The  present  is  to  you 
the  season  of  study,  of  close  application,  and  perseverance.  Let  nothing 
draw  you  aside  from  this  course.  Let  not  your  future  days  be  embittered 
by  the  neglect  of  the  past.     Remember  the  old  motto,  "  Tempus  fugity 

I  must  acknowledge  that  my  eighth  question  arrives  too  hte  to  find 
room  for  admission.  The  text  can  hardly  take  it  in  ;  however,  we  must 
remember  its  past  and  very  important  services  ;*  and  here  it  must  be  allowed 
to  express  itself  in  the  best  possible  way  in  answer  to  the  question,  Why  was 
all  this  done  ?  Why  such  costly  sacrifice  ?  Why  such  deep  humiliation  ? 
Why  that  piercing  cry,  "  My  God  !  my  God  !  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?" 
The  answer  is  in  these  memorable  words :  "  God  so  loved  the  world  that 
he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,"  that  man  might  not  perish  eternally. 

These  several  parts  collected  together,  omitting  the  interrogative  form, 
will  appear  as  follows  : — 

I.  The  person  of  the  Redeemer,  under  a  special  name  :  "  Jesus." 

II.  The  work  he  effects :  Salvation  from  sin. 

III.  The  honorable  seat  of  his  transactions :  Isaiah  viii.  8. 

IV.  The  means  used  to  effect  this  salvation. 

V.  The  persons  interested  in  it. 

VI.  The  manner  in  which  this  work  was  done. 

VII.  The  time  when  it  was  performed. 

VIII.  The  reason  why  it  was  accomplished. 

There  is  perhaps  a  degree  of  extravagance  in  this  example  which  no  one 
would  in  public  imitate  :  the  reason  that  induced  it  is  sufficiently  explained. 
Still  a  suitable  outline  might  be  derived  from  it,  perhaps  from  the  numbers 
1,  2,  4,  and  5.  The  preacher's  own  particular  design  in  taking  the  text 
must  of  course  govern  his  selection ;  and  this  may  be  extended  to  a  gen- 
eral rule — that  a  reasonable  liberty  must  be  permitted  the  preacher  to  adapt 
his  outline  to  the  design  which  led  to  the  text  itself. 

It  will  immediately  occur  to  the  student's  mind  that  this  general  exam- 
ple, on  Matt.  i.  21,  is  in  fact  nothing  else  but  an  expository  outline ;  and 
this  is  true :  it  is  an  expository  outline  discovered  by  the  questions  ;  and 
if  the  first,  second,  and  fifth  parts,  were  selected,  they  would  furnish  a  reg- 
ular division  as  discovered  by  the  questions  ;  if  the  first  and  second  were 
selected,  we  should  have  the  accommodational  division  discovered  by  the 
questions.  So  that  we  have  here  a  key  which  opens  every  door,  as  from 
a  close  attention  to  this  lecture  throughout  will  be  abundantly  manifest. 
If  this  be  true,  then  a  whole  month  spent  in  the  study  of  the  subject  of 
interrogations  would  repay  the  time  and  labor  of  the  student  a  thousand- 
fold. The  study  before  us  is  the  philosophy  of  the  textuarian,  by  which 
he  analyzes  his  own  subjects,  and  tries  the  works  of  others  ;  while  its  pleas- 
ing varieties  reheve  all  fatigue,  and  invite  pursuit. 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  allow  me  to  say,  if  you  would  profit  by  the 
interrogations,  if  your  text  has  the  circumstances  of  person,  operation, 
means,  and  effects,  if  it  has  manner,  time,  and  place,  as  far  as  it  possesses 

»  See  pp.  85,  86,  &c. 

7 


98  LECTURE    VII. 

these,  put  down  on  waste  paper  all  its  questions  and  the  answers,  and  place 
them  before  you,  and  you  must  of  necessity  see  in  a  moment  of  what 
your  text  consists,  and  what  will  be  the  most  eligible  way  of  managing  it, 
as  to  its  form  and  character.  If  your  text  has  no  circumstances,  still  fail 
not  to  use  the  questions  to  obtain  the  commanding  thought  of  the  text,  as 
in  the  examples  at  p.  90,  &c.  ;  I  mean  as  to  what  the  subject  of  the  text 
is  ;  and  then  raise  the  question,  What  will  such  commanding  thought,  and 
the  very  words  of  the  text  conjointly,  justify  as  to  principal  divisions  ?  I 
say,  if  this  course  be  taken  it  must  be  satisfactory.  If  a  list  of  parallels 
be  also  laid  before  you,  sufficient  materials  and  preparations  are  furnished 
for  all  occasions  ;  that  is,  with  any  tolerable  share  of  genius  and  talent,  of 
judgment  and  imagination,  which  are  here  presupposed ;  for  without  these 
the  ministry  must  not  be  thought  of.  A  preacher  well  versed  in  the  sci- 
ence of  these  interrogatives,  and  furnished  with  Bagster's  small  pocket- 
bible  with  marginal  references,  is  sufficiently  equipped  to  traverse  the 
country,  or  fill  a  station  with  respectability.  Yet  1  allov/  it  is  desirable  to 
attain  to  everything  else,  within  the  compass  of  our  power,  that  really  will 
assist  us  in  our  pulpit  exercises.  The  above  remarks  are  offered  with  a 
view  to  encourage  those  in  their  work  who  can  command  but  slender 
means. 


LECTURE  VII. 

THE  OBSERVATIONAL  DIVISION. 

I  BELIEVE  Mons.  Claude  first  introduced  this  species  of  composition, 
and  no  one  has  since  his  time  attempted  anything  by  way  of  improvement. 
I  do  not,  indeed,  agree  with  him  or  Mr.  Simeon  in  supposing  that  the 
topics  are  exclusively  adapted  to  the  observational  method  of  preaching. 
They  seem  to  me  suited  both  to  this  and  to  every  other  mode  of  arrange- 
ment ;  and  modern  preachers  are  evidently  of  the  same  opinion. 

An  observation  closely  assimilates  to  a  reflection  or  a  remark ;  but  the 
former  term  is  best  fitted  for  my  present  purpose  ;  it  signifies  a  thought 
that  occurs  to  the  mind  on  seeing  any  particular  object,  or  that  is  suggested 
to  it  by  anything  We  may  read  or  hear;  in  short,  it  denotes  something  that 
rises  in  the  mind  or  the  imagination  by  whatever  means,  and  without  any 
assignable  cause,  though  the  judgment  may  co-operate  in  some  cases.  AH 
just  criticisms  are  founded  on  one  or  both  of  these.  All  natural  and 
experimental  philosophy  follows  the  same  course;  just  as  the  Spectator, 
Rambler,  the  Mirror,  and  many  similar  works,  were  founded.  Several 
of  our  commentators,  and  especially  Matthew  Henry,  are  rich  in  appro- 
priate and  instructive  observations. 

The  course  I  intend  to  pursue  in  this  lecture  is  to  mention  Monsieur 
Claude's  view  of  the  subject,  to  offer  some  pertinent  examples,  and,  lastly, 
to  point  out  some  uses  of  observation  not  before  noticed,  to  suggest  ad- 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  99 

ditional  ideas  in  aid  of  the  study  itself,  and  to  trace  out  the  frame  of  mind 
which  is  best  adapted  to  this  service. 

The  following  is  M.  Claude's  view  of  the  subject,  with  some  illustra- 
tions : — 

"  Some  texts  require  a  discussion  by  way  of  consideration  or  of  ohser- 
vation.     The  following  hints  may  serve  for  general  directions : — 

"  1.  When  texts  are  clear  in  themselves,  and  the  matter  is  well  known 
to  the  hearers,  it  would  be  trifling  to  amuse  the  people  with  exijlication. 
Such  texts  must  be  taken  as  they  are  ;  that  is,  clear,  plain,  and  evident, 
and  observations  only  should  be  made  on  them. 

"  2.  Most  historical  texts  must  be  discussed  in  this  way ;  for  in  a  way 
of  explication  there  would  be  very  little  to  say.  For  example,  what  is 
there  to  explain  in  this  passage,  John  xii.  1,  2  ?  '  Then  Jesus,  six  days 
after  the  passover,  came  to  Bethany,  where  Lazarus  was  who  had  been 
dead.  There  they  made  him  a  supper,  and  Martha  served ;  but  Lazarus 
was  one  of  those  that  sat  at  the  table  with  him.'  Would  it  not  be  a  loss 
of  time  and  labor  to  explain  these  words  ?  and  are  they  not  clearer  than 
any  comment  can  make  them  ?  The  way  of  observation,  then,  must  be 
taken." 

Henry's  Commentary  furnishes  numerous  examples  in  illustration  of  the 
above  remark,  which  are  as  excellent  as  they  are  appropriate.  I  shall 
quote  but  one,  which  will  serve  to  show  how  passages  which  may  at  first 
sight  appear  less  fraught  with  instrucdon,  may  by  this  method  be  so  treated 
as  admirably  to  subserve  the  great  purposes  of  ministerial  labor.  It  is  on 
2  Sam.  xxii.  1  :  "  And  David  spoke  unto  the  Lord  the  words  of  this 
song  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  had  delivered  him  out  of  the  hand  of  all 
his  enemies,  and  out  of  the  hand  of  Saul."  On  this  passage  Mr.  Henry 
founds  the  following  observations  : — 

L  That  it  has  often  been  the  lot  of  God's  people  to  have  many  enemies,  and  to 
be  in  imminent  danger  of  falling  into  their  hands.  David  was  a  man  after  God's 
heart,  but  not  after  men's  heart:  many  were  those  who  hated  him  and  sought  his 
ruin ;  Saul  is  particularly  named,  either  as  distinguished  from  his  enemies  of  the 
heathen  nations  or  as  the  chief  of  his  enemies,  who  Was  more  malicious  and  power- 
ful than  any  of  them.  Let  not  those  whom  God  loves  marvel  if  the  world  hate 
them. 

11.  Those  that  trust  God  in  a  way  of  duty  shall  find  him  a  present  help  to  them  in 
their  greatest  dangers.  David  did  so.  God  delivered  him  out  of  the  hand  of  Saul. 
He  takes  special  notice  of  this.  Remarkable  preservations  should  be  mentioned  in 
our  praises  with  a  particular  emphasis.  He  delivered  him  also  "  out  of  the  hand  of 
all  his  enemies,"  one  after  another,  sometimes  in  one  way,  sometimes  in  another ; 
and  David,  from  his  own  experience,  has  assured  us  that,  though  "  many  are  the 
troubles  of  the  righteous,  yet  the  Lord  delivers  them  out  of  them  all,"  Ps.  xxxiv.  19. 
We  shall  never  be  delivered  from  all  our  enemies  till  we  get  to  heaven ;  and  to  that 
heavenly  kingdom  God  will  preserve  all  that  are  his,  2  Tim.  iv.  18. 

HL  Those  that  have  received  signal  mercies  from  God  ought  to  give  him  the  glory 
of  them.  Every  new  mercy  in  our  hand  should  put  a  new  song  into  our  mouth, 
even  praises  to  our  God.  Where  there  is  a  grateful  heart,  out  of  the  abundance  of 
that  the  mouth  will  speak.  David  spoke,  not  only  to  himself,  for  his  own  pleasure, 
nor  merely  to  those  about  him,  for  their  instruction,  but  "  to  the  Lord,"  for  his  honor, 
*'  the  words  of  this  song."  Then  we  sing  with  grace  when  we  sing  to  the  Lord. 
In  distress  he  "  cried  with  his  voice"  (Ps.  cxlii.  1),  therefore  with  his  voice  he  gave 
thanks.     Thanksgiving  to  God  is  the  sweetest  vocal  music. 

IV.  We  ought  to  be  speedy  in  our  thankful  returns  to  God.  In  the  day  that  God 
delivered  him  he  sang  this  song.  While  the  mercy  is  fresh,  and  our  devout  affec- 
tions are  most  excited  by  it,  let  the  thank-offering  be  brought,  that  it  may  be  kindled 
with  the  fire  of  those  affections. 


100  LECTURE    Vn. 

"  3.  There  are  some  texts  which  require  both  expHcation  and  observa- 
tion,* as  when  some  parts  may  need  explaining.  For  example,  Acts  i.  10  : 
And  ivhile  they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven,  as  he  went  vy,  behold, 
two  men  stood  by  them  in  white  ajiparel.  Here  it  will  be  necessary  to  ex- 
plain, in  a  few  words,  the  cause  of  their  looking  steadfastly  toward  heaven; 
for  by  lifting  their  eyes  after  their  divine  Master  they  expressed  the  inward 
emotions  of  their  minds.  It  will  be  needful  also  to  explain  this  other  ex- 
pression. As  he  went  up  ;  and  to  observe  that  it  must  be  taken  in  its  plain 
and  popular  sense,  and  that  it  signifies,  not  merely  the  removal  of  his  vis- 
ible presence,  but  of  his  entire  humanity.  This  is  the  natural  sense  of  the 
words,  and  the  observation  is  necessary  to  guard  us  against  that  sense 
which  the  church  of  Rome  imposes  on  them,  for  the  sake  of  transubstan- 
tiation.  You  may  also  explain  briefly  this  other  expression.  Behold,  two 
wew,  and  show  that  they  were  two  angels  in  human  shape.  Here  you  may 
discuss  the  question  of  angelic  appearances  under  human  form.  Notwith- 
standing these  brief  explications,  this  is  a  text  that  must  be  discussed  by 
way  of  observation. 

"  Observe,  in  general,  when  explication  and  observation  meet  in  one 
text,  you  must  always  explain  the  part  that  needs  explaining  before  you 
make  any  observations  ;  for  observations  must  not  be  made  till  you  have 
established  the  sense  plainly  and  clearly." 

Thus  Mr.  Henry  first  treats  the  passage,  Jeremiah  xxv.  15-29,  in  his 
ordinary  way  of  explication,  and  then  founds  upon  it  the  following  obser- 
vations : — 

1.  That  there  is  a  God  that  judges  in  the  earth,  to  whom  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  are  accountable,  and  by  whose  judgment  they  must  abide. 

2.  That  God  can  easily  bring  to  ruin  the  greatest  nations,  the  most  numerous  and 
powerful,  and  such  as  have  been  most  secure. 

3.  That  those  who  have  been  vexatious  and  mischievous  to  the  people  of  God  will 
be  reckoned  with  for  it  at  last.  Many  of  these  nations  had  in  their  turns  given  dis- 
turbance to  Israel,  but  now  comes  destruction  on  them.  The  year  of  the  Redeemer 
will  come,  even  the  year  of  recompenses  for  the  controversy  of  Zion. 

4.  That  the  burden  of  the  word  of  the  Lord  will  at  last  become  the  burden  of  his 
judgments.  Isaiah  had  proj)liesied  long  since  against  most  of  these  nations  (ch.  xiii. 
&c.),  and  now  at  length  all  his  prophesies  will  have  their  complete  fulfilling. 

5.  That  those  Avho  are  ambitious  of  power  and  dominion  commonly  become  the 
troublers  of  the  earth  and  the  plagues  of  their  generation.  Nebuchadnezzar  was  so 
proud  of  his  might  that  he  had  no  sense  of  right.  These  are  the  men  that  turn  the 
world  upside  down,  and  yet  expect  to  be  admired  and  adored.  Alexander  thought 
himself  a  great  prince  when  others  thought  him  no  better  than  a  great  pirate. 

6.  That  the  greatest  pomp  and  power  in  this  world  are  of  very  uncertain  con- 
tinuance. Before  Nebuchadnezzar's  greater  force  kings  themselves  must  yield  and 
become  captives. 

"  4.  Sometimes  an  observation  may  be  made  by  way  of  explication,  as 
when  you  would  infer  something  important  from  the  meaning  of  an  origi- 
nal term  in  the  text.     For  example.  Acts  ii.  1  :  And,  when  the  day  of  Pen- 

'  Some  testx  rptjniip  hnlh  erplicalion  and  olmcn-al ion.  Here  the  meaning  and  terms  may  be  made 
clear  in  tiie  cxoniiuin,  in  a  brief  and  familiar  manner:  as  by  Dr.  Moss,  in  a  sermon  before  the  gover- 
nors of  Ciirisfs  tlospilal,  at  St.  Sepuldiru's  rhurch,  170P.  After  a  familiar  explication  of  Lukexii.  21, 
he  proceeded  to  found  upon  the  text  the  following  observations: — 

I.  That  a  greedy  desire  of  riches,  and  a  fond  reliance  on  them,  is  the  most  wretched  kind  of  folly 
anil  improvidence. 

II.  That  the  be.st  enjoyment  and  wisest  improvement  of  our  worldly  wealth  is  to  bn  rich  toward 
God  :  that  is,  so  to  ii.«e  and  omi>loy  what  we  have  as  to  recommend  ourselves  to  his  benediction 
and  favor  thereby. — RolniiMn's  Note  on  Claude. 

This  example  is  not,  however,  the  most  appropriate  :  Dr.  Moss's  two  parts  are  more  properly 
propositions  than  observatious. 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  101 

tecost  was  fully  come,  theij  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  'place.  It  will 
be  proper  here  to  explain  and  enforce  the  Greek  word,  i^oeu^a.Joi',  which 
is  translated  with  one  accord  ;  for  it  signifies  that  they  had  the  same  hope, 
the  same  judgment ;  and  thus  their  unanimity  is  distinguished  from  an  ex- 
terior and  negative  agreement,  which  consists  in  the  mere  profession  of 
having  no  difference  of  sentiment  and  in  not  falling  out;  but  this  may  pro- 
ceed from  negligence,  ignorance,  or  fear  of  tyrannical  authority.  The  uni- 
formity of  which  the  Romish  church  boasts  is  of  this  kind.  But  the  una- 
nimity of  the  disciples  was  inward  and  positive.  They  were  of  one  heart 
and  one  soul.  This  explication,  you  perceive,  is"  itself  a  very  just  observa- 
tion, and  there  are  very  many  passages  of  scripture  which  may  be  treated 
of  in  a  similar  manner. 

"  5.  Observations  for  the  most  part  ought  to  be  theological ;  that  is  to 
say,  they  should  belong  to  a  system  of  religion.  Sometimes,  indeed,  we 
may  make  use  of  observations  historical,  philosophical,  and  critical ;  but 
these  should  be  used  sparingly  and  seldom,  or  on  necessary  occasions,  and 
when  they  can  not  well  be  avoided  ;  and  even  then  they  ought  to  be  per- 
tinent, and  not  common,  that  they  may  be  heard  with  satisfaction.  Make 
it  a  law  to  be  generally  very  brief  on  these  observations,  and  to  inform 
your  audience  that  you  only  make  them  en  passant. 

"6.  Observations  should  not  be  proposed  in  scholastic  style,  nor  in 
commonplace  guise.  They  should  be  seasoned  with  a  sweet  urbanity,  ac- 
commodated to  the  capacities  of  the  people,  and  adapted  to  the  manners 
of  good  men.  One  of  the  best  expedients  for  this  purpose  is  the  reduction 
of  obscure  matters  to  a  natural,  popular,  modern  air.  You  can  never  at- 
tain this  ability  unless  you  acquire  a  habit  of  conceiving  clearly  of  subjects 
yourself,  and  of  expressing  them  in  a  clear,  familiar,  easy  manner,  remote 
from  everything  forced  and  far-fetched.  All  long  trains  of  argument,  all 
embarrassments  of  divisions  and  subdivisions,  all  metaphysical  investiga- 
tions, which  are  mostly  impertinent,  and,  like  the  cities  and  houses,  hills, 
mountains,  &c.,  which  we  imagine  in  the  clouds,  the  mere  creatures  of 
fancy  :  all  these  should  be  avoided. 

"  7.  Care,  however,  should  be  taken  to  avoid  the  opposite  extreme, 
which  consists  in  making  only  poor,  dry,  spiritless  observations,  frequently 
said  under  pretence  of  avoiding  school  divinity,  and  of  speaking  only  pop- 
ular things.  Endeavor  to  think  clearly,  and  try  also  to  think  nobly.  Let 
your  observations  be  replete  with  beauty  as  well  as  propriety,  the  fruits 
of  a  fine  fancy  under  the  direction  of  a  sober  judgment.  If  you  be  in- 
attentive to  this  article,  you  will  pass  for  a  contemptible  declaimer,  of 
mean  and  shallow  capacity,  exhausting  yourself  without  edifying  your 
hearers." 

These  are  most  excellent  sentiments  indeed.  It  did  not  appear  in 
Claude's  day,  and  in  his  nation,  that  such  a  popular  and  easy  kind  of 
preaching  would  prevail,  so  that  his  words  with  us  are  of  the  value  of 
prophecy — that  philosophy  and  refined  learning  should  at  last  stoop  to 
popular  address,  a  glorious  triumph  indeed.  The  time  has  now  come 
when  the  populace,  the  people,  the  great  mass  of  mankind,  shall  hear  "  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God"  in  a  language  they  can  understand,  aud  by  men 
not  raised  too  high  above  themselves,  who  have  common  feelings  and 
wants  with  them,  a  little  nearer  in  rank  to  the  fishermen  of  Galilee  than 
many  in  past  ages  were,  who  really  have  been  assiduous  enough  in  teach- 


102  LECTURE    VII. 

ing  the  few,  but  whose  great  learning  disqualified  them  for  the  work  of  in- 
structing the  multitude.*  And  while  it  is  now,  and  ever  will  be,  at  least 
till  the  latter-day  glory  arrive,  necessary  that  we  should  have  a  succession 
of  learned  men  for  the  higher  walks  of  hterature,  and  for  the  instruction  of 
the  rich,  yet  they  can  not  do  all  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  great  mass 
of  mankind.  Hence  arises  the  necessity  of  a  little  army  of  preachers  to 
preach  "  the  gospel  to  the  poor" — men  endowed  with  a  decent  degree  of 
learning  and  skill  to  handle  the  word  of  God.  We  have  no  quarrel  with 
the  learned  upon  this  subject ;  they  occupy  a  station  which  occasional 
preachers  could  not  fill ;  but  it  is  the  occasional  preachers  who  must  occu- 
py the  more  extended  lines,  which  for  want  of  numbers  and  other  circum- 
stances the  former  never  can  cover.  I  hope,  however,  that  as  times  are 
evidently  changing,  a  great  number  of  learned  preachers  will  soon  arise 
and  give  their  powerful  assistance  to  those  of  the  humbler  order,  and  that 
tliey  will  unite  with  us  in  plain  observational  preaching,  after  the  manner 
of  Bishop  Beveridge  and  some  others,  who  have  led  the  way  in  this  style 
of  public  discourse.  If  they  will  cordially  unite  with  us,  we  shall  be  thank- 
ful ;  but,  if  they  refuse,  we  will  forgive  them.  By-and-by  this  old  rust  of 
prejudice  will  rub  off,  and  either  the  learned  of  the  present  age  or  of  that 
in  immediate  succession  will  join  heart  and  hand  with  those  who  are  now 
so  earnest  in  the  good  work  of  recovering  a  licentious  population,  almost 
beyond  the  power  of  the  law  to  restrain — a  population  which,  by  its  pov- 
erty and  wretchedness,  brought  on  or  increased  by  low  vices,  is  a  burden 
to  the  public  which  can  hardly  be  endured,  so  that,  spiritually  and  tempo- 
rally, a  popular  gospel,  from  a  great  number  of  plain  men,  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  save  the  country.  No  method  of  preaching  or  of  observation 
can  be  right  that  does  not  suit  the  condition  of  the  multitude,  of  the  whole 
world  ;  and  nothing  else  can  measure  the  extent  of  ancient  prophecy,  that 
"  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  as  tlie  waters  cover 
the  sea."t  Nothing  else  can  meet  the  demands  of  true  philanthropy. 
Nothing  else  can  be  called  an  imitation  of  Christ,  or  of  the  apostle  Paul, 
his  laborious  servant.  The  waters  of  the  sanctuary  are  not  to  be  confined, 
but  spread  out  far  and  wide,  wherever  ruin  and  wretchedness  exist. 

The  propriety  and  excellence  of  Claude's  rules  are  sufficiently  obvious. 
He  might  have  added  that  observational  preaching  ought  to  be  a  faithful 
delineation  of  persons,  characters,  and  occurrences  :  the  Divine  conduct — 
the  consequences  of  a  vicious  course — the  influence  of  Divine  agency  on 
the  affairs  of  men — particularly  correct  delineations  of  piety  in  every  situa- 
tion of  life — the  experience  of  God's  people,  their  trials,  their  encourage- 
ments, their  hopes  and  fears — resemblance  of  their  experience  in  every 
age  and  under  every  dispensation — in  short,  "  to  show  the  ver}'  form  and 
body  of  things"  in  real  life,  and  thus  to  derive  profitable  instruction  from 
every  source.  To  manage  this  well,  you  must  possess  considerable  knowl- 
edge, not  only  of  scripture,  but  of  human  nature  itself,  in  all  its  diversified 
forms,  and  of  the  springs  of  human  action. 

Having  paid  some  attention  to  our  popular  sermon-writers,  I  find  that 

*  See  Appcnflix,  on  Pure  English  Words. 

t  The  will  of  God  is  that  "  all  men  sliould  l)e  snvod  ;"  and  to  that  end  it  is  his  wi)]  that  all  men 
(that  is,  all  de8cri[)tion8  of  men,  f^reat  and  small,  rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ie^norant)  should  come  to 
the  kno\^■ledge  of  the  truth  ;  that  is,  the  gospel,  which  hrings  lili;  and  imrnortaiity  to  light,  not  only  the 
fondameiitnl  truths  of  faith  toward  God,  of  repentance  from  <load  works,  and  of  a  future  judgment,  but 
all  the  Bublimer  truths  couceriiing  the  scheme  of  man's  redemptiou. — Bishop  Uorsley,  vol  i.,  p.  5. 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  103 

they  frequently  adopt  this  mode  of  discussion.  The  following  by  Jay,  on 
Ezekiel  xxix.  17-20,  is  an  excellent  illustration.  The  introduction  de- 
scribes the  decline  and  fall  of  Tyre,  and  is  beautifully  drawn  ;  this  intro- 
duces the  Babylonian  emperor  as  the  instrument  in  God's  hand  for  effect- 
ing its  destruction,  from  which,  however,  he  himself  derived  but  Httle 
advantage,  as  the  Tyrians  still  kept  the  possession  or  command  of  the  seas  : 
with  this  advantage  they  secured  all  their  treasures  on  board  their  fleets ; 
hence,  according  to  the  text,  God  is  pleased  to  give  him  Egypt  for  his  re- 
ward, because  he  fulfilled  the  divine  decree  in  the  total  overthrow  and  de- 
struction of  this  proud  luxurious  city.  After  this  introduction,  the  follow- 
ing observations  are  made  on  the  passage  : — 

I.  The  disposal  of  states  and  nations  is  the  work  of  divine  Providence.  Scripture 
everywhere  recognises  a  sovereign  Disposer  of  events ;  Dan.  ii.  21 ;  1  Kiags  xi.  12. 
The  mutation  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  it  is  said,  was  "  of  the  Lord."  In  the  text, 
Jehovah  is  represented  as  evidently  the  director  of  the  great  political  change  that 
Egypt  was  about  to  suffer,  as  the  general  of  an  army,  who  regulates  the  movements 
of  his  obedient  troops.  Again:  consider  the  divine  dispensations  with  respect  to 
authority  (Jer.  xxvii.  5),  with  respect  to  power  (nothing  too  hard  for  God  to  do, 
Isaiah  xl.  15,  &c.),  with  respect  to  his  righteousness,  Ezek.  xviii.  Apply  all  these 
evidences  to  modern  times,  with  relation  to  nations,  cities,  families,  individuals ;  it 
•is  equally  "  he  that  ruleth  in  the  armies  of  heaven  and  amidst  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  to  build  up,  to  cast  down,  to  give,  or  to  take  away."  There  are,  therefore, 
no  fortuitous  events,  no  indiscretions  or  neglects ;  but  everything  that  occurs  in  the 
world  is  according  to  the  rule  of  Infinite  Wisdom. 

II.  Men  may  serve  God  really  when  they  do  not  serve  him  by  design.  In  respect 
to  the  history  before  us,  we  can  easily  trace  the  event  to  God,  though  it  seems  con- 
cealed by  human  policy :  the  men  obeyed  their  commander,  the  commander  obeyed 
Nebuchadnezzar,  Nebuchadnezzar  obeyed  his  pride  and  ambition,  and  his  pride  and 
ambition  obeyed  the  rule  of  Heaven.  Nebuchadnezzar  knew  nothing  of  God  ;  but 
God  knew  him,  girded  him,  and  guided  him.  "  He  wrought  for  wie,"  says  Jehovah. 
Great  bad  men  are  made  to  do  his  work.  He  turns  their  thoughts  as  the  rivers  of 
water  ;  he  can  make  them  act  necessarily,  while  they  are  acting  voluntarily. 

III.  None  can  be  losers  by  anything  they  do  for  God.  In  one  way  or  other  he 
will  recompense  them.  Even  services  done  for  him  by  worldly  men  obtain  a  tem- 
poral reward.  The  Egyptian  mid\vives  feared  God,  and  did  not  as  the  king  com- 
manded them ;  therefore  God  dealt  well  with  them.  Because  Jehu  executed  the 
Divine  purposes  against  Ahab,  his  family  for  three  or  four  generations  shall  sit  upon 
the  throne  of  Israel.  So  here,  Nebuchadnezzar  is  well  rewarded  for  his  serving 
against  Tyre.  We  have  seen  the  fact  that  wicked  and  idolatrous  kings,  and  others, 
have  been  recompensed.  The  inference  is  plain,  that,  if  such  characters  have  had 
their  reward,  well  may  the  servants  of  God  expect  that  God  will  not  be  unmindful 
of  their  work  and  labor  of  love,  of  whatever  kind  it  may  be. 

We  must  have  several  examples  of  observational  discourses  before  its 
peculiar  excellences  can  be  appreciated. 

The  last  example  consisted  of  three  observations  from  a  long  text ;  the 
one  I  will  now  give  consists  of  several  observations  from  a  short  text.  It 
is  by  Beddome,  on  Luke  vii.  42  :  "  And  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay 
he  frankly  forgave  tliem  both."  The  introduction  embraces  a  (evf  re- 
marks on  the  fact  that  we  are  all  debtors  to  God.  The  following  obser- 
vations form  the  outline  : — 

I.  We  observe  that  it  is  an  unspeakable  mercy  to  have  our  sins  forgiven;  Ps. 
xxxii.  1,  2.  This  is  the  principal  blessing  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  without  which 
no  temporal  blessing  can  be  truly  enjoyed;  it  \^  peculiar,  comprehensive,  permanent, 
and  complete. 

II.  It  is  the  sole  prerogative  of  God  to  forgive  sins.  Ministers  can  forgive  sins 
only  declaratively,  showing  from  scripture  who  are  the  proper  objects  of  forgiveness. 
The  apostles  never  said  to  anyone,  "  Thy?m%  are  forgiven."  Whatever  other  bene- 
fits they  conferred  by  their  power  of  working  miracles,  this  belonged  properly  to 


104  LECTURE    VII. 

Jehovah ;  Isaiah  xliii.  25.     Hence  the  saints  have  ever  sought  the  manifestation  of 
pardon  from  God  only ;  Ps.  li.  ,    ,  ,       v_ 

III.  Those  whom  God  forgives  have  nothing  to  pay.  The  whole  creation  has  be- 
come insolvent.  No  future  obedience  can  avail.  It  is  a  vain  pretence  that  we  have 
not  sinned  so  much  as  others.  If  we  owe  fifty  or  five  hundred  pence,  it  is  in  vain  to 
say,  "  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all :"  the  safest  way  is  to  ac- 
knowledge that  we  have  nothing  to  pay,  and  of  this  God  always  convinces  his  people. 

IV.  Those  whose  sins  are  pardoned  are  first  brought  to  see  that  they  have  nothing 
to  pay.  "  I  through  the  law  am  dead  to  the  law."  I  expect  nothing  from  it  in  a 
way  of  salvation.  ,,  -r      r  r-u  •      • 

V.  The  forgiveness  of  sins  is  all  of  grace;  Micah  vu.  18.  The  gilt  ol  thnst  is 
a  gift  of  grace  ;  his  offering  for  sin  was  an  act  of  grace. 

VI.  The  forgiveness  of  sin  tends  to  the  glory  of  God.  "We  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace." 
"We  a're  saved  that  we  should  be  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  his  grace. 

Observations  should  conform  to  their  title  as  strictly  as  possible.  They 
should  not  be,  as  in  the  example  just  furnished,  argumentative  discussions 
of  doctrinal  points  ;  even  the  acknowledged  excellency  of  such  points 
does  not  justify  their  introduction  in  tliat  form.  They  are  of  too  impor- 
tant a  character  to  be  properly  discussed  in  a  single  discourse  ;  whereas 
obser\'ations,  though  numerous,  may  be  dismissed  with  brief  illustration. 
It  is  true,  Mr.  Beddome  calls  these  by  the  term  remarks ;  but  this  does 
not  invalidate  the  objection. 

The  following  example  is  not  liable  to  the  same  objections.  It  is  on 
Acts  xi.  23  :  "  Who,  when  he  had  come,  and  had  seen  the  grace  of  God, 
was  glad,"  &c. 

The  exordium  settles  the  meaning  of  the  word  grace  in  the  text. 

I.  We  observe  that  where  the  grace  of  God  is,  it  will  be  seen.  Like  its  divine 
Author,  grace  in  its  own  nature  is  invisible,  but  is  manifest  in  its  effects.  It  is  a 
seed  that  springs  up— a  light  that  shines— fire  that  burns ;  it  illumines  the  under- 
standing, sanctifies  the  will,  subdues  the  heart.  In  this  manner  the  Christian  holds 
forth  the  word  of  life.  Abating  something  for  hypocrisy,  it  is  SQgn  in  the  cotmten- 
ance,  it  shines  in  conversation,  and  is  manifested  by  actions.  /•  •  ur  i 

II.  These  appearances  are  matter  of  joy  to  Christians,  and  especially  to  faithful 
ministers.  Barnabas  rejoiced  that  idolaters  had  become  real  Christians,  genuine  dis- 
ciples, honorable  additions  to  Christ's  kmgdom.  At  such  things  angels  rejoice. 
Paul  says,  "  What  is  our  joy  ?  Are  not  even  ye,  in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  at  his  coming  ?     For  you  are  our  glory  and  joy."  1  Thess.  ii.  19,  20. 

I  have  also  selected  from  the  same  author  the  outline  of  another  dis- 
course illustrative  of  the  observational  mode  of  discussion,  founded  on 
x\cts  ix.  4  :  "  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?" 

I.  It  is  the  general  character  of  unconverted  men  to  be  of  a  persecutmg  spirit.  Lu- 
ther says:  "CaiuAvill  kill  Abel  to  the  end  of  the  world;  Ishmael  will  persecute 
Isaac  ;  the  seed  of  the  serpent,  the  seed  of  the  woman." 

IL  Christ  has  his  eye  upon  persecutors.  Nothing  could  be  more  piercmg  than 
Christ's  view  of  Saul,  when  he  was  travelling,  full  of  fury,  to  Damascus. 

HI.  The  kindness  or  injury  done  to  Christ's  people,  Christ  considers  as  done  to 
himself  "Why  persecutest  thou /we. ?"  His  poor  disciples  at  Damascus  were  as 
tlie  apple  of  iiis'evc.     Let  persecutors  think  of  this  and  tremble. 

IV.  Christ's  call  to  the  persecutor  Avas  to  convince  him  of  sin,  as  the  first  step  to 
conversion.  We  know  the  effects  which  followed:  he  was  deeply  humbled,  and 
cried,  "  What  wouldst  thou  have  me  do?" 

V.  The  calls  of  Christ  are  earnest  and  particular.  This  call  was  to  Saul,  to  Saul 
of  Tarsus,  not  to  those  that  were  Avith  him.  Thus  it  Avas  also  in  the  case  of  Zac- 
cheus,  Luke  xix.  In  the  present  dav,  while  the  minister  is  addressing  the  whole 
congregation,  Christ  by  his  Spirit  says  to  such  a  particular  sinner,  "  Thou  art  the 


man 


VI.  Persecution  is  a  great  sin ;  and  Avhen  brought  home  to  the  conscience,  Avill  be 
found  to  be  so.     Paul  never  forgot  it;  1  Tim.  i.  13. 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  105 

VII.  Jesus  Christ  condescends  to  reason  with  Saul ;  "  Why  persecutest  thou  me  ?" 

1.  Is  there  any  reason  on  my  part? 

2.  Is  there  any  reason  on  my  people's  part  ? 

3.  Is  there  any  reason  on  thy  part?  Will  such  conduct  answer  the  end  thou 
proposest  to  thyself?  Canst  thou  exterminate  what  I  resolve  to  plant?  Canst 
thou  wage  war  with  an  arm  like  mine  ?  Is  it  not  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the 
pricks  ? 

The  following  is  from  Lavington's  Sermons  to  Young  People.  The 
text  is  Luke  xiii.  8  :  "  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year  also."  The  observa- 
tions are,  however,  grounded  upon  the  whole  parable,  and  are  as  fol- 
lows : — 

I.  That  some  persons  have  peculiar  advantages  above  others  for  religious  improve- 
ment. The  privileges  of  this  kingdom,  of  this  congregation,  and  neighborhood,  are 
singularly  great.  You  are  the  fig-tree  alluded  to  in  the  parable,  planted,  not  in  a 
wild  common  or  barren  desert,  exposed  to  blasting  storms  and  the  ravages  of  wild 
beasts,  but  in  a  garden  enclosed  and  inspected,  where  you  have  all  the  advantages 
of  soil  and  cultivation.  Look  abroad  into  foreign  countries.  If  your  lot  had  been 
cast  there,  you  would  have  been  brought  up  in  all  the  ignorance  of  popery  or  Mo- 
hammedanism. But  we  need  not  go  so  far.  Only  look  to  some  of  the  dark  corners 
of  our  own  land,  some  obscure  villages,  where  the  gospel  hi  its  purity  and  power  is 
as  little  known  as  in  the  wilds  of  Africa.  If  you  had  been  born  or  brought  up  there, 
you  would  to  this  day  have  known  nothing  of  the  guilt  and  misery  of  your  natural 
state,  nor  of  the  way  of  salvation  by  a  Redeemer.  But,  through  the  distmguishing 
providence  of  God,  the  lines  have  fallen  to  you  in  more  pleasant  places.  Ordinan- 
ces are  the  means  appointed  by  God  for  conveying  and  stirring  up  that  grace  which 
alone  can  make  us  flourishing  and  fruitful ;  and,  when  these  are  enjoyed  in  all  their 
variety  and  energy,  the  eff"ect  is  frequently  visible  and  glorious. 

II.  God  expects  that  persons  under  fructifying  means  should  bring  forth  fruit. 
This  is  the  grand  design  to  which  all  ordinances  should  be  subservient;  Tit.  ii.  11. 
The  sacred  appointments  of  Christ,  though  ever  so  faithfully  administered,  and  ever 
so  regularly  attended  on,  and  ever  so  highly  extolled,  do  not  accomplish  their  design 
till  holiness  be  implanted  and  promoted.  Religion,  like  a  golden  thread,  must  run. 
through  every  part  of  our  conduct ;  we  must  everywhere  and  at  all  times  maintain  a 
conversation  becoining  the  gospel,  and  let  the  world  see  that,  amid  all  our  industry 
in  our  secular  calling^,  our  principal  concern  is  to  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven  and  be 
rich  m  good  works,  and  that  we  can  walk  with  God  even  when  surrounded  with 
fellow-creatures.  Thus  must  the  fruits  of  holiness  appear  and  shine  in  all  that  pre- 
tend to  be  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  It  is  not  enough  that  there  be  an  acci- 
dental grape,  or  bunch,  here  and  there  upon  a  single  branch,  but  every  branch  must 
have  its  share  of  fruit.     We  must  be  "  holy  in  all  manner  of  conversation." 

III.  That  many,  notwithstanding  those  advantages  and  expectations,  continue 
fruitless.  It  is  but  to  cast  my  eyes  around,  and  I  see  many  living  lamentable  exam- 
ples of  this. 

IV.  That  God  keeps  an  exact  account  how  long  you  have  enjoyed  the  means  of 
grace:  "Behold,  these  three  years."  Perhaps  you  keep  no  account  yourselves. 
Numberless  sabbaths  come  and  go  without  any  notice  at  all,  not  thinking  them  of 
any  value,  yea,  rather  looking  upon  them  as  an  encumbrance.  You  care  not  how 
you  trifle  them  away,  and  are  glad  of  any  company  or  amusement  that  will  help  you 
get  rid  of  them.  What  can  hinder  the  awful  sentence,  "  Cast  the  unprofitable  ser- 
vant into  outer  darkness"  ?    Would  it  not  be  well  to  call  yourselves  to  account  now  ? 

V.  That  it  is  infinitely  hurtful  and  hazardous  to  continue  imfruitful  under  the 
means  of  grace.  "  Behold,  these  three  years  I  come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig-tree, 
and  find  none ;  cut  it  down ;  why  cumbereth  it  the  ground  ?"  A  vineyard  is  the 
place  for  fruit-trees  to  grow ;  but,  if  you  bear  no  fruit,  it  will  not  be  long  a  place  for 
you.  You  might  sooner  hope  to  escape  in  a  forest  or  desert  than  in  this  garden  of 
the  Lord,  where  you  not  only  get  no  good  but  do  much  harm  by  your  bad  example, 
causing  the  good  ways  of  the  Lord  to  be  evil  spoken  of.  The  reason  given  for  or- 
dermg  this  barren  fig-tree  to  be  cut  down  is,  it  cumbered  the  ground  ;  it  took  up  the 
room  which  might  be  occupied  with  more  thriving  plants,  and  by  its  pernicious  shade 
kept  off"  the  sun  and  showers  from  those  trees  that  grew  near  it.  Perhaps  you  never 
thought  of  this.  You  did  not,  perhaps,  expect  to  get  any  good,  but  you  had  no  sus- 
picion that  you  were  douig  or  getting  any  hurt ;  but,  if  you  did  not  know  it  before,  I 
tell  you  now,  that  there  is  great  danger  of  trifling  with  sacred  institutions ;  for,  if 


106  LECTURE    VII. 

you  do  not  glorify  God  in  them,  God  will  glorify  himself  on  you;  you  will  be  con- 
sidered as  cumber-grounds,  and  will  be  in  danger  of  being  speedily  cut  down.  You 
know  what  God  said  of  his  unfruitful  vineyards,  Isji.  v.  5-7.  There  are  many  other 
awful  declarations  of  what  judgments  Go(i  will  inflict  on  wicked  and  slothful  ser- 
vants; God  usually  warns  before  he  strikes;  and,  when  he  does  strike,  he  does  not 
pour  out  all  his  fury  at  once,  but  first  inflicts  some  gentler  judgment  to  try  if  that  will 
rouse  us,  and,  if  that  will  not  do,  then  he  redoubles  his  strokes  with  greater  keenness 
and  severity.  There  is  an  awful  instance  of  this  in  Amos  iv.  6-12.  Now,  though 
through  God's  kind  indulgence  we  have  not  yet  felt  the  judgments  there  mentioned, 
in  all  their  horrors,  many  of  them  have  been  shaken  over  us  more  than  once  of  late, 
so  that  the  very  recital  of  them  may  Avell  make  us  tremble. 

VI.  That  we  ought  not  to  give  up  any  for  lost,  though  they  have  been  long  un- 
fruitful, while  the  means  of  grace  are  continued.  Can  you  wonder  that  I  should 
have  been  tempted  to  say  this  morning,  "  Lord,  it  is  to  no  purpose  to  preach  to  these 
young  people  any  more ;  thou  mayest  as  well  cut  them  down  at  once,  for  no  good 
can  be  expected"  ?  But  the  dresser  of  the  vineyard  was  wiser  and  more  compassion- 
ate than  his  under-laborer,  for  he  said,  "  No !  let  them  alone  this  year  also,  till  I 
shall  dig  about  them  and  dress  them,  and  if  they  bear  fruit,  well."  What  an  awful 
if  is  that !  It  intimates  a  possibility  that  those  who  have  been  long  barren  may  be- 
come fruitful,  that  those  Avho  have  been  many  years  careless  and  unprofitable  hear- 
ers may  become  attentive  and  obedient.  They  ?nay  indeed  ;  but  the  improbability  is 
great.  While  there  is  life  and  light  there  is  hope.  While  the  gospel  is  continued, 
and  whilp  I  am  permitted  to  appear  in  this  place  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ,  and  in 
his  name  beseech  you  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  there  is  encouragement  to  hope  that 
the  treaty  is  not  broken  off",  and  that,  notwithstanding  all  your  former  neglect  and 
refusal  of  gospel  grace,  it  is  yet  an  accepted  time,  it  is  yet  a  day  of  salvation. 

There  is  only  one  clause  more  in  this  parable  to  be  taken  notice  of,  but  it  is  an 
awful  one. 

VII.  "If  it  bear  fruit,  well;  but  if  not,  then  after  that  thou  shalt  cut  it  down." 
It  is  with  reluctance  I  mention  it ;  I  would  willingly  leave  room  for  further  interces- 
sion to  let  you  alone  this  year,  and  the  next,  and  the  next  again.  I  know  not  how 
to  set  bounds  to  the  divine  patience  by  saying,  "  Hitherto  shall  it  come,  but  no  fur- 
ther," or  by  supposing  that  when  this  present  year  of  trial  expires  the  scene  shall 
close,  and  your  doom  be  fixed  for  ever.  There  is  something  so  awfully  tremendous 
in  this,  that  I  can  hardly  persuade  myself  to  publish  it ;  and  yet,  on  the  other  hand, 
to  know  that  such  a  declaration  has  been  made  by  the  dresser  of  the  vineyard,  and 
not  acquaint  you  with  it,  you  yourself  would  be  the  first  to  upbraid  me  with  unkind- 
ness  and  unfaithfulness.  Be  it  known  unto  you,  therefore,  that  if,  notwithstanding 
all  the  gracious  invitations  of  the  gospel,  and  all  the  solemn  warnings  and  rebukes 
of  Providence,  you  continue  impenitent  and  unfruitful,  death  will  be  commissioned 
to  cut  you  down  and  cast  you  into  eve^asting  burnings.  Is  it  not  amazing  that  the 
Lord  has  not  long  ago  been  weary  of  suppressing  his  wrath,  and  said,  "  Ah  !  I  will 
ease  me  of  my  adversaries"  ?  It  is  not  that  he  is  indiflferent  to  your  conduct ;  it  is  not 
that  he  is  slack  concerning  his  promise,  as  some  men  count  slackness;  but  it  is  be- 
cause he  is  long-suff'ering  to  us-ward,  and  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that 
all  should  come  to  repentance.  Remember,  forbearance  is  not  forgiveness.  Nothing 
is  more  ofl'ensive  to  God  than  such  a  state  of  impenitence  and  unfruitfulness. 

I  have  given  this  outline  at  greater  length  tlian  was  necessary  for  my 
present  purpose,  as  I  shall  liavc  occasion  to  refer  to  it  again  in  a  future 
lecture.  At  present,  all  that  it  is  necessary  to  ohserve  upon  it  is,  that  the 
last  liead  of  discourse  is  ratiicr  awkwardly  introduced,  so  as  not  to  agree 
with  the  others  in  form  ;  and  though,  so  far  as  the  effect  of  a  discourse  is 
concerned,  this  may  ho  considered  of  little  consequence,  yet  it  would  be 
as  well  to  exercise  a  little  ingenuity  to  avoid  such  discrepancies.  If,  for 
example,  our  author  had  expressed  himself  in  some  such  way  as  the  fol- 
lowing, all  tiiat  he  wished  to  say  upon  tiie  clause  might  have  been  intro- 
duced, and  the  form  of  observation  would  have  been  preserved  : — 

VII.  That,  though  divine  forbearance  may  be  long  extended  to  the  unfruitful  pro- 
fessor, yet  the  period  of  forbearance  is  limited :  "  then,  after  that,  thou  shalt  cut  it 
down." 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  107 

The  last  example  I  shall  adduce  is  on  1  Sam.  vii.  12  :  "  Samuel  took 
a  stone,  and  set  it  between  Mizpeh  and  Shen,  and  called  the  name  of  it 
Eben-ezer,  saying,  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us."      We  observe — 

I.  That  mercies  received  demand  grateful  acknowledgments.  Every  mercy,  eveii 
the  least  of  unnumbered  thousands,  but  especially  such  a  mercy  as  the  Israelites  at 
the  time  named  in  the  text  experienced,  considering  the  deplorable  circumstances 
they  were  in,  call  for  gratitude  and  praise.  Such  to  us  is  the  promised  mercy  re- 
corded in  Luke  i.  72  ;  Col.  i.  13  ;  Rom.  xii.  1. 

II.  Returns  of  praise  should  be  instantaneous,  X\iQ  spontaneous  effusions  of  a  grate- 
ful heart.  Samuel  set  about  the  work  immediately  ;  so  the  leper  in  the  gospel,  Luke 
xvii.  15.  The  wise  man  urges,  "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy 
might,"  Eccles.  ix.  10.  Our  hearts  are  not  to  be  trusted  for  a  day.  A  pretence  (if 
such  a  one  had  been  set  up)  that  some  delay  might  give  the  opportunity  of  producing 
a  more  elegant  column,  would  have  been  quite  frivolous.  It  might  have  brought 
more  honor  to  the  artist,  but  not  more  glory  to  God.  There  is  a  disposition  in  men 
to  adorn  their  services  to  God,  not  considering  that  there  is  often  more  pride  than 
piety  in  the  motive. 

III.  The  sensations  of  gratitude  are  truly  sweet  in  their  first  and  powerful  impres- 
sions. Samuel  never  was  more  delightfully  engaged  than  in  raising  this  stone  of 
remembrance.  The  stone,  though  hea-vy,  lost  its  weight  in  his  hands ;  though  hard, 
his  gratitude  could  penetrate  its  surface,  and  compel  it  to  speak  a  language  it  knew 
not. 

IV.  We  observe  a  cautious  abstinence  from  self-praise.  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath 
helped  us."  This  reminds  us  of  the  Psalmist,  and  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven,  Ps. 
cxv.  1  ;  Rev.  v.  13. 

V.  God's  helps  are  not  only  seasonable,  but  sometimes  wonderful.  In  the  history 
before  us,  the  Lord  thundered  that  day  upon  the  Philistines  in  such  a  manner  as 
totally  to  shake  their  Avonted  courage.  They  had  neither  power  to  fight  nor  to  flee. 
Their  cheeks  turn  pale ;  their  spirits  sink  ;  their  limbs  tremble  ;  confusion  seizes 
them :  they  are  an  easy  conquest  even  to  a  people  that  had  lost  their  military  charac- 
ter and  were  destitute  of  the  means  of  defence  or  attack. 

VI.  The  deliverance  celebrated  came  in  answer  to  -prayer.  It  was  while  Samuel 
was  crying  to  God  for  help  that  the  thunder  began  to  roll.  Ps.  1.  15;  Isa.  Ixv.  24. 
How  thankful  should  we  be  that  we  have  a  greater  than  Samuel  to  pray  for  us,  and 
to  intercede  for  us  against  the  powers  of  darkness ! 

VII.  Acts  of  gratitude  should  have  as  much  of  a  permanent  form  as  possible. 
Samuel  took  a  stone,  &c.  Let  mercies  be  written  in  marble — injuries  in  sand, 
Alas !  how  often  is  our  gratitude  like  the  morning  cloud  and  early  dew !  but  we 
ought  better  to  understand  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord,  and  to  consider,  as  Sam- 
uel tells  this  people,  "  what  great  things  Jehovah  has  done  for  us,"  1  Sam.  xii.  24. 

Observations  ought  to  be,  as  much  as  possible,  directed  to  a  single  ob- 
ject ;  and  that  object  should  be  reserved  for  the  last.  In  the  example  just 
given,  these  rules  are  observed.  The  fourth  and  sixth  observations,  how- 
ever, ought  to  have  been  presented  in  a  general  form,  to  agree  with  the 
others.  With  this  exception,  there  is  a  unity  in  the  whole.  The  effect  of 
many  discourses  is  lost  for  want  of  this  excellence.  Digression  may  be 
occasionally  allowed  ;  but  it  must  only  be  introduced  as  the  episode  of  an 
epic  poem  ;  and  the  hearers  must,  when  it  ends,  be  regularly  brought  back 
to  the  place  from  which  the  digression  was  made. 

The  advantage  of  possessing  a  discriminating  mind,  a  power  of  reflec- 
tion, and  a  penetrating  judgment,  is  incalculably  great,  and  raises  one  part 
of  mankind  above  the  rest  as  much  as  the  sons  of  Anak  were  above  the 
little  grasshopper-Hke  men  that  went  to  spy  out  Canaan.  We  see  the 
penetrating  observations  found  in  the  books  of  Job  and  Solomon.  Time 
has  not  weakened  these  remarks  on  mankind.  Whether  a  man  of  this  ca- 
pacity hears  or  sees  what  the  day  affords,  whether  he  explores  foreign 
countries  or  takes  his  station  amid  the  "busy  hum  of  men,"  or  whether  he 
retires  to  the  soUtude  of  a  country  village,  he  has  materials  of  thought  to 


108  LECTURE    VII. 

which  others  are  entire  strangers.  He  is  fitted  for  a  public  writer,  or  for  a 
parlor  companion.  He  has  a  talent  that  will  secure  him  honor  in  any  pur- 
suit or  profession,  and  enable  him  to  strike  out  for  himself  such  a  course 
of  action  as  will  preserve  the  distinction  he  has  attained.  But  the  preacher 
shares  largely  in  the  distinctions  it  confers.  The  study  of  observational 
preaching  ought  therefore  to  be  pursued,  though  the  preacher  should 
never  produce  one  entire  sermon  of  this  kind  during  life. 

A  preacher  well  skilled  in  the  art  of  making  observations  will  appear  to 
advantage  in  every  part  of  a  discourse.     For  instance — 

1.  In  an  exordium,  if  an  original  observation  be  made  on  the  words  of 
the  text,  so  much  the  better  ;  but,  if  it  be  only  a  judicious  one,  it  will  es- 
tablish such  a  prepossession  in  the  preacher's  favor  as  will  procure  him  a 
candid  hearing  throughout  the  discourse. 

2.  Pure  observation  may  be  introduced  occasionally,  of  whatever  kind 
the  discourse  be  ;  for  it  may  very  much  aid  the  main  design. 

3.  Sometimes  a  discourse  may  be  partly  expository  and  partly  observa- 
tional, without  any  breach  of  propriety. 

4.  Some  powerful  and  just  observations  ought  to  conclude  the  discourse, 
as  I  shall  show  you  in  a  future  lecture,*  So  that  there  is  no  place  in  any 
kind  of  discourse  that  will  not  admit  of  this  article.  Nevertheless,  consid- 
erable judgment  is  necessary  to  determine  whether  the  observations  which 
occur  will  or  will  not  contribute  to  the  usefulness  of  a  discourse,  and  in 
what  part  of  the  sermon  they  may  be  placed  to  advantage. 

The  materials  of  observation  for  the  pulpit  are  various  and  important. 
The  Bible  is  the  best  and  surest  source  of  observation,  and  therefore  this 
book  ought  to  be  well  known  and  well  studied.  The  moral  department 
of  Dr.  Johnson's  Rambler  opens  some  fine  articles  of  observation  :  the 
matter  of  these  will  be  helpful  to  wisdom,  and  what  shall  so  be  found,  as 
far  as  it  is  applicable  to  our  work,  is  not  to  be  despised.  More  immedi- 
ately to  the  point  are  the  works  of  Jeremy  Taylor,  Robert  Hall,  Horsley, 
&c.,  which  can  not  fail  of  assisting  thought.  I  am  convinced  that  com- 
ment,t  as  a  study,  will  do  more  real  service  as  to  observational  sermons 
than  any  other  human  means,  for  throwing  life  into  them.  Although  I 
have  recommended  the  study  of  the  writings  of  wise  observers  of  mankind, 
that  you  may  be  wise  (for  "  he  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise"), 
and  although  I  do  lay  very  considerable  stress  on  the  means,  yet  it  is  not 
in  die  cave  or  the  cloister,  the  college  or  the  academy,  that  the  art  is  to  be 
perfected  or  matured.  Nor  are  you  to  run  into  scenes  of  dissipated  fife, 
not  even  as  spectators,  that  you  may  "  behold  all  things  that  are  done  un- 
der the  sun  ;"  but  you  must  read  and  study  your  books  at  the  early  dawn 
of  the  morning,  and  in  the  daytime  read  men. 

"  Expatiate  free  o'er  all  this  scene  of  man, 
A  mighty  maze,  yet  not  without  a  plan  : 
The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man." — Pope. 

It  remains  for  me  to  trace  out  the  fittest  frame  of  mind  for  the  exercise 
of  observational  preaching.  The  mind  may  be  too  harsh  and  severe,  and 
must  be  softened  ;  or  it  may  be  too  excursive,  and  must  be  restrained. 

The  preacher  ought  to  be  candid,  urbane  ;  be  ou<;ht  also  to  bring  his 
observations  down  to  the  level  of  his  hearers'  understanding :   all  this  re- 

*  See  Lecture  xxxi.  t  See  Lectare  xxxvi. 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  109 

quires  great  wisdom.  As  to  tiie  first  of  these  points,  beware  of  a  censori- 
ous spirit ;  you  are  not  constituted  a  judge,  but  an  observer  in  court.  Man- 
kind, in  all  their  ranks,  are  weak  and  erring  creatures,  and  an  easy  prey  to 
temptation.  "  They  know  not  what  they  do."  They  ask  for  your  com- 
passion, not  your  censures.  Look  therefore  upon  your  fellow-men  with 
benevolence  ;  pray  and  weep  for  them  rather  than  condemn  them.  What 
you  behold  is  human  nature  itself,  whether  in  male  or  female  form.  It  is 
true  we  might  expect  better  conduct  than  that  which  we  too  often  see  in 
our  fellow-creatures  ;  but  better  knowledge,  conscience,  duty,  obligations, 
have  often  but  a  very  feeble  power  in  the  day  of  temptation,  for  the  "  heart 
is  deceitful  above  all  things  and  desperately  wicked."  You  have  another 
reason  for  treating  your  fellow-creatures  with  tenderness :  you  were  once 
exactly  as  they  are  ;  nay,  you  are  still  compassed  with  infirmity,  still  sub- 
ject to  every  species  of  weakness  and  hable  to  fall  into  sin.  And  this  fur- 
nishes an  additional  direction  how  you  are  to  make  your  observations  upon 
the  Lord's  people  :  T  say,  with  similar  compassion  ;  the  old  man  of  sin  in 
them  is  not  destroyed,  and  this  any  one  will  believe  without  a  scrutiny. 
Moreover,  with  regard  to  good  people,  you  will  mark  the  effects  and  prog- 
ress of  grace  upon  them,  and  what  restraints  it  affords  :  observe  what  it  is 
that  seems  to  improve  their  character  and  what  hinders  their  progress,  what 
is  their  particular  excellency  as  individuals  and  what  are  their  peculiar 
failings.  This  survey  is  not  to  be  made  in  the  pulpit  by  looking  upon 
them  in  the  gross,  but  by  individual  examination  or  observation,  in  order 
to  which  it  will  be  necessary  to  possess  (as  was  said  of  Lord  Stowell)  "  the 
profoundest  knowledge  of  the  human  heart,  the  deepest  reading  of  its  mo- 
tives and  impulses,  the  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  its  affections,  and 
the  most  sagacious  detection  and  development  of  its  secret  influence  on 
actions,  however  carefully  disguised  and  falsified."  To  this  I  add  the  cog- 
nition of  the  workings  of  grace,  how  unknown  frequently  to  its  possessor 
as  to  some  of  its  characters,  and  in  what  manner  errors  of  this  nature  in- 
volve distress  and  perplexity  to  its  disconsolate  subject  for  a  season  ;  and 
all  this  with  a  view  that  in  the  pulpit  you  may  be  so  accurate  as  to  cause 
them  to  wonder  how  you  knew  their  characters  so  well.  Whether  you 
scrutinize  mankind  in  general  or  the  church  in  particular,  your  philanthro- 
py, your  love,  must  never  be  left  at  home.  You  study  books,  and  you 
survey  mankind  ;  but  it  is  not  to  become  a  misanthrope — a  sour  dissatis- 
fied being,  disgusted  at  the  world  you  live  in  ;  but  it  is  that  by  your  wise 
observations  you  may  be  quahfied  to  make  the  world  better,  at  least  that 
part  of  it  which  may  constitute  your  particular  charge. 

There  is  yet  another  caution  necessary  to  your  becoming  useful  observ- 
ers of  mankind.  As  observers,  you  are  not  exempt  from  danger.  You 
have  need  to  stand  on  your  guard  lest  you  become  imitators.  A  great 
part  of  the  commerce  of  wickedness  is  carried  on  by  the  eye.  David 
tound  it  so  to  his  cost.  It  might  be  some  pious  purpose  that  drew  him  to 
the  roof  of  his  palace  ;  but,  alas  !  he  found  fuel  for  his  lust.  Again,  sur- 
veying those  that  are  in  better  circumstances  than  ourselves  may  tend  to 
excite  envy  and  discontent,  as  was  the  case  with  pious  Asaph,  Ps.  Ixxiii. 
Viewing  the  most  wretched  of  our  neighbors,  we  may  be  led  harshly  to 
censure  them  for  extravagance  or  imprudence.  Now  against  such  dangers 
we  are  commanded  to  "  watch  and  pray." — "  Be  sober  and  vigilant." 
Observant  we  must  be  ;  but  we  must  be  watchful  as  well  as  observant. 


110  LECTURE    VII. 

We  must  not  touch  the  unclean  thing ;  and,  instead  of  falling  into  snares, 
we  must  endeavor  to  preserve  others  from  falling,  or  strive  to  recover  them 
after  they  have  fallen. 

The  state  of  a  preacher's  mind  will  generally  give  the  leading  character 
to  his  discourse  ;  and,  although  it  be  true  that  every  kind  of  sermon  re- 
quires a  fit  and  prepared  state  of  mind,  yet  the  observational  kind  demands 
it  more  eminently  than  any  other.  Other  kinds  have  their  guards  and 
rules  for  the  due  preservation  of  order,  which  this  kind  has  not.  If  our 
sermon  be  textual,  we  follow  our  text.  If  our  text  be  reduced  to  a  sub- 
ject, we  are  confined  to  that  subject.  If  cast  into  the  form  of  propositions, 
the  propositions  have  their  laws  and  regulations  ;  but  in  our  observational 
discourses  we  found  our  divisions  upon  some  general  principle,  and  this 
is  always  liable  to  abuse.  Upon  this  general  principle  we  take  a  license 
to  create  our  subject,  and  more  or  less  to  utter  our  own  sentiments  ;  to  give 
our  views,  though,  it  is  allowed,  with  some  reference  to  the  text  itself;  but 
we  are  not  without  danger  of  engrafting  upon  it  that  which  has  but  a  re- 
mote connexion  with  its  sacred  truths. 

General  observation  affords  a  license  of  which  many  are  tempted  to 
avail  themselves  imprudently.  The  wit  will  ever  be  ready  to  make  his 
witty  observations  upon  persons  and  sentiments,  perfectly  ad  libitum ; 
sometimes  even  scripture  language  is  employed  for  the  unhallowed  purpose 
of  giving  point  to  wit,  and  pungency  to  satire.  Now,  though  the  existence 
of  wit  is  an  indication  of  talent — of  rapid  and  lively  conception,  which, 
apart  from  its  vain  exercise,  is  a  high  accomplishment  in  the  preacher — 
yet  being  unchastised,  unbridled,  it  will  only  indulge  in  indecencies.  It 
is  clear,  therefore,  that  under  its  influence  the  spiritual  benefit  of  the  peo- 
ple is  insecure.  Hence  it  is  most  necessary  that  preachers  of  this  charac- 
ter should  proceed  to  observations  with  a  strong  hand  against  an  improper 
indulgence  of  this  talent.  The  wit  which  never  gives  offence  to  God  or 
our  fellow-Christians,  but  which  is  mixed  with  sweet  urbanity  and  love, 
may,  if  sparingly  used,  give  life  to  a  discourse,  and  improve  every  subject. 
Persons  of  a  witty  turn,  and  of  exuberant  speech,  even  though  they  may 
be  good  men.  are  hardly  to  be  trusted  in  observational  preaching  ;  at  least 
they  ought  to  confine  themselves  to  the  strict  truth  of  their  texts ;  other- 
wise, while  they  flatter  themselves  that  they  only  manifest  a  proper  zeal  for 
the  glory  of  God,  they  may  in  reality  be  yielding  to  a  carnal  temper,  to 
mistaken  notions,  to  unfounded  prejudices,  taking  the  seat  of  judgment 
without  authority.  On  the  contrary,  "  charity  thinketh  no  evil ;"  and  the 
candid  charitable  preacher  makes  allowance  for  the  mixture  of  evil  with 
good  which  is  to  be  found  in  every  humane  character.  "  He  expects  none 
to  be  faultless  ;  and  he  is  unwilling  to  believe  that  there  are  any  without 
some  commendable  .juality.  In  the  midst  of  many  defects  he  discovers  a 
virtue.  Under  the  influence  of  personal  resentment  he  can  be  just  to  the 
merit  of  an  enemy.  He  never  lends  an  open  ear  to  those  defamatory  reports 
and  dark  suggestions  which,  among  the  tribes  of  the  censorious,  circulate 
with  so  much  rapidity,  and  meet  with  such  ready  acceptance.  He  is  not 
hasty  to  JM(l;i;c,  and  lie  recpiires  fidl  evidence  before  he  will  condemn.  As 
long  as  an  action  can  be  ascribed  to  different  motives,  he  considers  it  no 
mark  of  sagacity  to  impute  it  always  to  the  worst.  Where  there  is  just 
ground  for  doubt,  he  keeps  his  judgment  undecided  ;  and,  during  the  pe- 
riod of  suspense,  leans  to  the  most  charitable  construction  which  an  action 


THE    OBSERVATIONAL    DIVISION.  Ill 

can  bear.  When  he  must  condemn,  he  condemns  with  regret,  and  with- 
out those  aggravations  which  the  severity  of  others  adds  to  the  crime.  He 
listens  cahiily  to  the  apology  of  the  offender,  and  readily  admits  every  ex- 
tenuating circumstance  which  equity  can  suggest.  How  much  soever  he 
may  blame  the  principles  of  any  sect  or  party,  he  never  confounds  under 
one  general  censure  all  that  belong  to  that  party  or  sect.  He  charges  them 
not  with  such  consequences  of  their  tenets  as  they  reject  or  disavow.  From 
one  wrong  opinion  he  does  not  infer  the  subversion  of  all  sound  principles  ; 
nor  conclude  from  one  bad  action  that  all  regard  to  conscience  is  over- 
thrown. When  he  *  beholds  the  mote  in  his  brother's  eye,'  he  remembers 
'  the  beam  in  his  own.'  He  commiserates  human  frailty,  and  judges  of 
others  according  to  the  principles  by  which  he  would  think  it  reasonable 
that  they  should  judge  of  him.  In  a  word,  he  views  men  and  actions  in 
the  clear  sunshine  of  charity  and  good-nature,  and  not  in  that  dark  and 
sullen  shade  which  jealousy  and  party  spirit  throw  over  all  characters."* 

Now  I  think  that,  as  far  as  I  have  proceeded  in  examining  the  due  state 
of  mind  in  which  observation  should  be  pursued,  goodness  is  the  predomi- 
nant character.  "  The  good  man,  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart, 
brings  forth  good  things  ;"  that  is,  the  most  gracious  and  edifying  things  ; 
whatever  he  utters  is  for  edification,  not  to  gratify  unamiable  feelings  or 
passions  ;  for  we  allow  that  things  which  may  have  some  truth  in  them  may 
be  so  uttered.  But,  so  far  as  motives  are  contaminated,  there  is  in  this 
case  a  radical  fault. 

It  may  here  be  observed,  as  a  further  comment  on  what  has  just  been 
quoted,  that  we  should  be  candid  to  persons  of  an  opinion  contrary  to  our 
own,  that  in  observational  preaching  we  should  not  utter  anything  of  a 
sectarian  nature :  even  our  own  sentiments  upon  disputed  points  are  better 
omitted.  Opportunities  will  occur  better  adapted  for  maintaining  what  we 
hold  to  be  right,  when  texts  are  before  us  that  naturally  fall  into  the  expos- 
itory or  propositional  plans,  in  which  we  can  do  something  like  justice  to 
these  subjects,  and  not  introduce  them  by  a  kind  of  side  wind,  where  no- 
body expected  or  desired  them.  To  avoid  this  completely,  I  would  never 
treat  a  text  by  observation  that  at  all  called  upon  me  to  oppose  the  opin- 
ions and  sentiments  of  any  other  sect  or  denomination,  or  to  defend  my 
own.  Observation  should  be  a  kind  of  neutral  ground,  in  which  neither 
party  should  approach  with  hostile  intentions.  It  is  in  this  kind  of  by-play 
that  we  often  expose  our  sentiments,  and  say  something  in  an  unguarded 
manner  which  afterward  we  are  obliged  so  to  explain  as  to  get  rid  of  an 
unpleasant  imputation,  which  at  last  we  may  not  so  effectually  do  as  we 
could  wish.  I  have  known  very  great  men  obliged  to  write  a  volume  of 
explanation  and  defence,  and  at  last  the  number  of  their  friends  was  no 
way  increased  by  such  a  measure. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  will,  I  think,  be  apparent  that  observation, 
which  may  pervade  every  part  of  a  discourse,  is  the  salt  or  savor  of  Chris- 
tian preaching  when,  and  only  when,  it  issues  from  a  Christian  heart,  and 
from  a  sound  judgment ;  and  I  have  only  one  thing  more  to  add  to  this, 
namely,  the  necessity  of  a  truly  spiritual  mind  or  understanding.  As,  how- 
ever, there  are  no  Christian  hearts  by  nature,  where  "  all  thought  is  wild, 
and  ignorance  the  soil,"  we  must  look  to  renewing  grace,  to  that  "  new 
creation"  marked  in  the  sacred  page,  for  disposiuons  and  abilities  to  pros- 

*  Blair's  Tenth  Sermon,  vol.  ii. 


112  LECTURE    VII. 

ecute  our  designs.  Some  suppose  that  the  higher  faculties  of  our  minds 
escaped,  as  some  firm  cohjmn  in  the  general  ruin  of  our  nature.  The 
pride  and  conceit  of  this  notion  is  man's  greatest  stumbling-block.  The 
Scriptures  tell  us  that  "  every  man  is  brutish  in  his  knowledge,"  that  his 
"  understanding  is  naturally  darkened,  being  alienated  from  the  life  of  God 
through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  him,  because  of  the  blindness  of  his  heart," 
Eph.  iv.  18.  Nay,  the  whole  scripture  supposes  this  ;  and  the  letter  of 
revelation  alone  does  not  take  this  blindness  away  ;  wherefore  our  beloved 
apostle  prays  that  God  would  bestow  upon  the  Ephesians  the  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  that  the  "  eyes  of  their 
understanding"  might  be  "  enlightened"  for  practical  purposes.  No,  there 
is  no  proud  illuminated  monument  remaining  or  surviving  die  fall,  to  which 
we  can  cling,  and  of  which  we  can  boast.  It  is  no  longer  in  man  to  direct 
his  steps. 

"  Tales  sunt  bominnra  mcntes  qnales  Pater  ipse 
Jupiter  auctiferas  lustravit  luminc  terras."* 

But  we  are  told  that  our  circumstances  are  so  much  improved  by  the  gos- 
pel, that,  whatever  was  the  case  formerly,  this  is  no  longer  true  as  it  relates 
to  refined  Christianity.  Against  this  refuge  of  lies  I  quote  a  passage  from 
a  very  celebrated  bishop  of  the  establishment : — 

"  What  the  eye  is  to  the  body,"  says  he,  "  reason  or  understanding  is 
to  the  soul ;  as  says  the  apostle  :  '  The  eyes  of  the  understanding  (r^j  ^(01-010?, 
the  faculty  of  discernment)  being  enlightened.'  The  eye,  then,  is  framed 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  capable  of  seeing,  and  reason  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  be  capable  of  knowing ;  but  the  eye,  though  ever  so  good,  can  not 
see  without  light ;  and  reason,  though  ever  so  perfect,  can  not  know 
without  instruction.  The  eye  indeed  is  that  which  sees,  but  the  light 
is  the  cause  of  its  seeing.  Reason  is  that  which  knows,  but  instruc- 
tion is  the  cause  of  its  knowing  ;  and  it  would  be  as  absurd  to  make  the 
eye  give  itself  light,  because  it  sees  by  the  light,  as  to  make  reason  instruct 
itself  because  it  knows  by  instruction.  The  phrase,  therefore,  '  light  of 
reason,'  seems  to  be  an  improper  one,  since  reason  is  not  the  light,  but 
an  organ  for  the  light  of  instruction  to  act  upon.  And  a  man  may  as  well 
take  a  view  of  things  upon  earth  in  a  dark  night  by  the  light  of  his  own 
eye  as  pretend  to  discover  the  diings  of  heaven  in  the  night  of  nature  by 
the  light  of  his  own  reason  ;  nor  do  we  derogate  from  the  perfection  of  rea- 
son when  we  affirm  that  we  can  not  know  without  instruction,  any  more 
than  we  derogate  from  the  perfection  of  the  eye  when  we  deny  that  it  has 
the  power  of  seeing  in  die  dark.  Christ  only,  who  is  the  Sun  of  Ifighte- 
ousness,  has  in  himself  the  perfection  of  light,  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge  ;  the  perfection  of  reason,  therefore,  is  to  be  able  to  receive 
out  of  his  fulness,  to  receive  the  instruction  of  wisdom. "t 

Can  anything  be  more  lucid  than  this  passage,  scripture  only  excepted  ? 
"  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  sliined  in 
our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  Christ."  Before  this  light,  prejudices  and  prepossessions, 
which  pervert  die  judgment,  will  flee.  By  the  gospel  process  of  heart- 
sanctification,  our  passions  and  appetites  will  be  subdued  ;  in  "  God's  light 

*  Man  Bhould  not  boast  of  bia  mental  capacities,  for  be  can  understand  no  more  tban  God  gives  bim 
from  (lay  to  day. 

t  Bifibop  liorne,  on  Eph.  i.  18. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  113 

we  shall  see  light ;"  we  shall  have  a  right  judgment  in  all  things,  shall  have 
that  "  unction  that  teacheth  all  things" — a  spiritual  mind.  Hence  we  come 
to  these  conclusions,  that  just  opinions  must  come  from  a  renewed  mind, 
evangelical  observations  from  evangelical  principles,  gracious  discourse 
from  a  gracious  heart.     "  Make  the  tree  good,  and  then  the  fruit  will  be 

SQ." "If,"  then,  "  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  who 

giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  given  him." 
From  this  fountain  of  wisdom,  from  the  blessed  word  of  eternal  light  and 
truth,  from  your  personal  experience,  and  from  the  open  volume  of  the 
world,  you,  my  brethren,  may  be  learned  too,  even  without  the  advantages 
of  an  extensive  library ;  here  you  may  "  read,  mark,  observe,  and  learn," 
what  purblind  nature  never  can  impart,  what  neither  heathen  nor  Chris- 
tianized philosophy  can  teach  you :  then,  with  a  benevolent  mind,  impart 
to  sinners  your  observations  in  the  same  spirit  of  godly  simplicity  as  your 
predecessors  have  done,  who  were  taught  in  the  same  happy  school,  and 
whose  works  remain  to  us  for  our  instruction  and  assistance.  May  the 
Lord  "  give  you  understanding  in  all  things." 


LECTURE  VIII. 

ON  PROPOSITIONAL  DISCOURSES. 

The  mode  of  discussion  which,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  I  call  prop- 
ositionaL  differs  very  materially  from  that  which  formed  the  subject  of  our 
last  lecture  ;  for,  although  the  divisions  in  the  observational  method  are  in 
fact  so  many  general  propositions,  they  are,  as  the  term  observation  inti- 
mates, restricted  to  what  is  obvious  or  generally  admitted,  and  require  only 
to  be  stated,  amplified,  and  improved.  But  the  class  of  propositions  now 
to  be  considered  are  such  as  imbody  statements  of  truth  which,  on  account 
of  their  importance,  or  the  opposition  made  to  them,  require  to  be  estab- 
lished, supported,  and  defended.  While,  therefore,  a  single  discourse  may 
advantageously  comprise  maay  observatio?is,  a  single  'proposition  may  form 
the  basis  of  a  whole  discourse  or  even  a  series  of  discourses.  The  term 
division  is  consequently  less  applicable  to  our  purpose  in  reference  to  this 
species  of  sermonizing  than  to  any  of  the  others,  and  my  remarks  and  ex- 
amples will  be  directed  chiefly  to  the  elucidation  of  the  qualities  which 
should  distinguish  this  mode  of  discussion,  in  the  management  of  which 
the  followinir  rules  will,  I  think,  be  found  to  include  all  that  is  essen- 
tial : — 

1.  This  kind  of  discourse  admits  of  no  formal  or  extended  explication, 
either  of  the  sense  of  the  text,  or  of  its  terms,  idioms,  figures  of  speech,  &c. 
In  explication,  we  treat  of  the  text,  divide  and  discuss  it ;  in  proposition, 
we  adhere  to  the  general  doctrine  or  subject  to  be  discussed,  as  stated  in 
the  preacher's  own  words  ;  but  if  such  statement  contain  any  term  of  doubt- 
ful import,  such  term  should  at  the  beginning  be  explained,  and  that  as 
briefly  as  possible. 

2.  A  proposition  may  be  taken  in  its  whole  or  entire  sense,  and  the  dis- 
course  simply  divided  into  paragraphs,  distinguished  by  the  particular 

8 


114  LECTURE    VIII. 

nature  of  their  separate  arguments,  and  numbered  or  not  as  convenience 
may  dictate. 

3.  The  doctrine,  theme,  or  proposition,  may  be  divided  into  a  conve- 
nient number  of  propositions,  sometimes  two,  sometimes  three,  or  more  ; 
but  a  great  number  is  embarrassing  and  destructive  of  simplicity ;  there- 
fore they  should  be  limhed  as  much  as  the  nature  of  the  argument  will 
permit. 

4.  As  they  should  be  few  in  number,  so  they  should  be  expressed  in 
clear,  perspicuous  language,  and  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 

5.  The  several  propositions  (if  more  than  one)  must  express  the  whole 
sense  of  the  doctrine  propounded  at  the  outset,  and  no  more. 

6.  They  must  be  placed  in  due  order,  so  that  they  naturally  fall  under 
1,  2,  or  3,  and  have  a  just  dependence  on  one  another.  This  will  pre- 
vent a  vicious  mixing  of  arguments.  For  instance,  were  I  insisting  on 
benevolence,  I  take  my  first  argument  from  the  inward  satisfaction  which  a 
benevolent  temper  affords,  my  second  from  the  obligation  which  the  ex- 
ample of  Christ  lays  upon  us,  and  my  third  from  its  tendency  to  procure 
us  the  good-will  of  all  around  us.  My  arguments  are  good,  but  1  have 
arranged  them  improperly  ;  for  my  first  and  third  are  taken  from  considera- 
tions of  interest,  internal  peace,  and  external  advantages  ;  and  between  these 
I  have  introduced  one  which  rests  wholly  on  duty.  I  should  have  kept 
those  classes  of  argument  which  are  addressed  to  different  principles  of 
human  nature  separate  and  distinct.* 

7.  The  arguments  should  be  solid,  the  proofs  clear,  the  citations  con- 
clusive, the  examples  striking.  This  rule  condemns  all  sorts  of  dishonest 
methods,  all  sophistry  to  gain  a  point. 

8.  If  the  heads  of  discussion  be  numerous,  they  can  only  be  considered 
one  by  one  :  and  the  student  would  do  well  to  select  and  write  down 
against  each  such  articles  of  evidence  as  he  himself  conceives,  and  such 
as  eminent  authors  have  judged  the  most  suitable.  The  preacher  should 
exercise  his  own  mind,  in  the  first  place,  in  choosing  topics  ;  then  examine 
how  fir  authors  on  the  subject  concur  with  him,  and  what  addition  they 
make  to  his  selection. 

9.  Evidence  as  to  degree  or  quantity  should  be  suited  to  the  occasion, 
whether  the  occasion  be  ordinary  or  extraordinary.  For  a  familiar  address 
I  would  recommend  select  and  diversified  views  of  evidence,  rather  than  an 
accumulation  of  all  that  can  be  collected.  But,  if  the  occasion  be  extraor- 
dinary, the  evidence  must  be  more  extensive. 

10.  The  place,  or  more  properly  the  people,  must  he  considered. t  If 
the  congregation  in  general  he  illiterate,  nothing  must  be  offered  but  what 
is  plain,  popular,  and  scriptural ;  but  a  well-informed  congregation  may 
have  more  abstruse  evidence  presented  to  them.  Of  whatever  class  the 
congregation  be,  technical  terms  must  not  be  employed.  The  end  will 
be  best  answered  by  plain  and  ordinary  words,  such  as  every  one  under- 
stands. 

11.  The  conclusion,  or  peroration,  should  be  animated  and  pow- 
erful, and  worthy  of  the  arguments  advanced.  See  Lecture  on  Pero- 
rations. 

According  to  these  rules,  propositional  discourses  should  mainly  consist 
oi  evidence  and  reasoning  in  support  of  the  sentiments  which  the  proposi- 

•  Blair's  Lectures.  t  See  7th  Topic. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  115 

tions  affirm.     I  shall  therefore  make  no  apology  for  offering  the  following 
remarks  on  the  nature  of  evidence  in  general  : — 

Evidence  is  that  which  convinces  us  of  the  truth  of  any  subject  or  thing 
exhibited  for  our  notice  or  belief. 

1.  Universal  nature  evinces  a  God  of  infinite  wisdom,  power,  and  good- 
ness. "  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,"  &c..  Psalm  xix.  1—6. 
There  can  be  no  rational  denial  of  this  evidence. 

2.  The  word  of  God  is  one  complete  system  of  evidence  to  the  truth, 
faithfulness,  and  love  of  God. 

3.  The  Spirit  of  God  in  all  his  operations  is  a  Spirit  of  evidence  to  a 
good  man,  proving  his  state  before  God,  and  testifying  to  him  what  the 
truth  is  respecting  Christ  and  spiritual  things. 

4.  Human  evidence  is  the  testimony  borne  by  men  to  any  fact,  as,  for 
instance,  in  a  court  of  law  ;  when  this  is  good  and  complete,  the  case  is  said 
to  be  made  out,  or  proved.  In  civil  society,  when  a  man  testifies  to  a 
matter  of  importance,  he  assigns  reasons  why  you  should  believe  him.  In 
experimental  philosophy,  the  evidence  is  furnished  by  the  experiments  per- 
formed. In  matters  of  reasoning,  the  result  turns  upon  the  preponderance 
of  evidence  for  or  against  the  proposition. 

5.  In  all  moral  evidence,  much  depends  on  the  character  of  him  who 
professes  to  furnish  proof. 

The  learned  Mr.  Crabbe  says  :  "  The  evidence  is  whatever  makes 
evident ;  the  testimony  is  that  which  is  derived  from  an  individual,  name- 
ly, testis,  the  witness.  Where  the  evidence  of  our  own  senses  concurreth 
with  the  testimomj  of  others,  we  can  have  no  ground  for  withholding  our 
assent  to  the  truth  of  an  assertion,  and  this  is  increased  by  the  testimony  of 
many.  The  evidence  is  applied  to  that  which  is  moral  or  intellectual ; 
the  proof  is  employed  mostly  for  facts.  All  that  our  Savior  did  and  said 
were  evidences  of  his  divine  character,  which  might  have  produced  faith  in 
the  minds  of  men,  even  if  they  had  not  such  numerous  miraculous  proofs 
of  his  power." 

Considering  the  state  of  things,  as  they  exist  in  this  world,  evidence  is 
requisite  for  everything  of  importance,  and  ought  to  be  furnished  as  far  as 
possible.  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  men  ought  not  to  be  skeptical  and  un- 
reasonable. 

The  sources  of  evidence  are  of  course  various,  according:  to  the  nature 
of  the  truth  to  be  supported.  Mathematical  truth  can  be  established  only 
by  demonstration,  but  moral  truth  requires  evidence  corresponding  with  its 
nature.  God  has  not  thought  fit  to  render  his  truths  in  general  capable  of 
mathematical  demonstration.  If  he  had  done  so,  there  would  have  been 
no  room  for  the  exercise  of  our  faith.  But,  if  we  can  attain  to  moral  cer- 
tainty, in  addition  to  the  nine  other  kinds  of  evidence  about  to  be  men- 
tioned, it  is  all  that  can  be  required  by  the  most  determined  skeptic.  It  is 
true,  a  juggler  may  deceive  our  eyes,  and  a  ventriloquist  our  ears ;  an  art- 
ful sophist  may  confuse  our  understanding ;  there  may,  in  some  cases,  be 
such  obstructions  in  ourselves  as  to  prevent  our  real  acquaintance  with 
things  :  yet  these  exceptions  do  not  apply  to  a  thousand  things  that  are 
still  self-evident,  arid  which  must  be  received  as  moral  certainties  ;  as, 
"  Whatever  acts  has  a  being." — "  Nothing  has  no  properties." — "  A  part 
is  less  than  the  whole." — "  Nothing  can  be  the  cause  of  itself:"  that  is, 
"  no  creature  can  be  the  cause  of  itself."    These  are  called  axioms,  maxims, 


116  LECTURE    VIII. 

or  first  principles,  and  are  the  very  foundation  of  all  knowledge  and  rea- 
soning, on  which  account  they  have  by  some  been  thought  to  be  innate 
propositions,  or  truths  born  with  us.*  Leslie  has  reduced  the  truth  of  di- 
vine revelation  to  a  moral  certainty,  except  to  those  who  hate  the  truth  and 
are  wilfully  blinded.  Bishop  Kidder  has  shown  such  evidence  of  Christ's 
being  the  true  Messiah  that  it  can  not  be  rejected  except  by  a  prejudiced  Jew, 
who  has  already,  before  he  reads,  resolved  to  receive  no  kind  of  evidence.f 
But  in  some  cases  evidence  may  amount  to  a  moral  certainty  to  ourselves 
which  we  may  not  be  able  to  communicate  to  others  with  the  same  force. 
The  believer  has  the  evidence  in  himself.  "  I  know,"  says  Paul,  "  in 
whom  I  have  believed."     No  moral  certainty  can  be  greater.^ 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  every  sort  of  evidence.  This  would  of 
itself  fill  a  volume,  and  the  subject  is  worthy  of  some  able  pen  to  set  it 
forth  in  all  its  lengdi  and  breadth,  in  all  its  bearings  and  varieties,  which 
would  serve  the  cause  of  divine  truth  as  much  as  a  similar  work  on  foren- 
sic testimony  has  benefited  our  courts  of  justice.  The  following  brief  no- 
tice of  the  principal  kinds  of  evidence  may,  however,  be  useful  : — 

1.  I  begin  with  the  evidence  derived  from  testimony.  When  we  can 
adduce  the  testimony  of  good  men  in  a  case  in  which  they  were  liable  to 
no  mistake,  this  will  be  acknowledged  of  great  weight.  If  this  kind  of 
evidence  were  not  admitted,  we  must  at  once  discredit  all  narratives  and 
historical  statements  whatsoever.  The  apostle  Peter  appeals  to  it :  "  To  hiu) 
give  all  the  prophets  witness  ;"  yea,  and  the  apostles  too  ;  for  three  of  them 
relate  his  transfiguration  ;  the  eleven  were  witnesses  of  his  resurrection,  &c. 
We  see  the  use  of  this  kind  of  evidence  in  West  on  the  Resurrection,  and 
in  the  Trial  of  the  Witnesses. 

2.  We  have  the  evidence  of  authority:  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord."  In 
our  judicial  courts,  great  weight  is  given  to  the  opinions  of  learned  men 
upon  any  particular  point.  Surely,  then,  we  may  avail  ourselves  of  the 
authority  of  him  who  is  the  "  God  of  truth."  We  have  before  hinted  that 
the  Scriptures,  which  we  assume  to  be  the  word  of  God,  are  a  complete 
system  or  body  of  evidence  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ;  but  then  these 
scriptures  must  be  quoted  fairly,  and  interpreted  justly.  Honest  intentions 
are  not  sufficient  in  this  case,  though  a  mind  intent  upon  truth  wherever  it 
is  found,  with  honesty  of  design  to  promote  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good 
of  men,  and  not  vainly  aiming  at  conquest  over  a  rival  in  debate,  will  not 
be  greatly  misled.  We  must  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  true  design  and 
sense  of  the  passages  we  quote,  and  must  show  that  such  passages  are  re- 
ally applicable  to  the  point.  Theological  writers,  of  course,  make  frequent 
appeals  to  this  description  of  evidence,  and  generally  make  it  a  distinct 
article  of  proof. 

3.  The  evidence  of  experience.  By  this  word  I  mean  what  Dr.  Ash 
terms  that  which  "  enters  into  a  man's  own  feelings,''^  the  consciousness  of 
what  passes  in  his  own  mind.  Low  as  is  the  state  of  our  mental  powers, 
yet  our  actual  experience  can  not  be  suspected.  Paul  adverts  to  this  very 
article  in  Romans  vii.  ;  he  found  by  experience  that  sin,  like  a  law,  domi- 

"  Watt.s's  Lo:^ic,  p.  179. 

t  Dr.  J.  V.  Sinitli  lin.s  lately  prodnccil  nn  claborntc  work  on  tlii.s  Bulyoct. 

J  '•  I  appeal  to  tlie  coinnion  judf,'niont  of  muiikiiid  whether  the  human  natnre  be  not  so  framed  as 
to  ac()uicBce  in  such  a  moral  certainly  as  the  nature  of  things  is  capable  of,  and,  if  it  were  otherwise, 
whether  that  reason  which  belongs  to  us  would  not  jirove  a  burden  and  a  torment  to  us,  rather  than 
a  privilege,  by  keeping  us  in  a  coutinual  suspense,  and  thereby  reuderini;  us  perpetually  restless  and 
unquiet." — Bishop  Wilkins. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  117 

neered  over  him,  so  that  he  could  not  do  the  things  that  he  would.  He 
also  appeals  very  strikingly  to  the  experience  of  the  Gentile  converts  : 
"  What  fruit  had  you  in  those  things  whereof  you  are  now  ashamed  ?" 
Peter  appeals  to  it :  "If  so  be  you  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious." 
We  may  also  appeal  to  the  experience  of  other  persons  whose  cases  have 
been  similar,  as  well  as  to  our  own,  as  Blair  has  well  proved  in  his  sermon 
on  1  Cor.  vii.  31,  and  on  Prov.  xiv.  13.  Jeremiah  (ii.  19)  makes  a  pow- 
erful appeal  to  the  Jewish  nation  :  "  Thy  own  wickedness  shall  correct 
thee,  and  thy  own  backslidings  shall  reprove  thee  :  know,  therefore,  and 
see  (by  thy  own  experience)  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  a  bitter  that  thou 
hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God."  What  is  the  "witness  of  the  Spirit 
with  our  spirits"  but  a  matter  of  experience  ?  and  I  can  not  but  think  it  a 
good  argument  in  favor  of  divine  revelation  that  we  actually  feel  the  truths 
there  revealed  to  be  true  and  righteous  altogether.  There  is  this  great 
advantage  to  be  noticed  in  this  kind  of  evidence,  that  wherever  it  is  avail- 
able  it  can  not  fail  to  produce  conviction.  "  When  I  sent  you  out,"  says 
Christ  to  his  disciples,  "  without  purse  or  scrip,  did  you  lack  anything  ?" 
They  said,  "  Nay."  Their  experience  proved  a  special  Providence,  where 
ordinary  rules  of  prudence  were  interdicted. 

4.  The  evidence  arising  from  com^Mrisofi  and  co?itrast.  The  shortest 
way  to  explain  this  point  is  by  a  reference  to  scripture.  Deut.  xxxii.  IS  : 
*'  Their  rock  is  not  as  our  Rock,  our  enemies  themselves  being  judges." 
Jer.  xiv.  22  :  "  Are  there  any  among  the  vanities  of  the  Gentiles  that  can- 
cause  rain  ?"  Let  us  institute  comparisons  with  our  enemies  on  every 
point,  and  follow  them  up  closely.  Let  us  press  this  advantage  with  all  its 
force.  A  most  active  and  ingenious  preacher  has  published  a  course  of 
lectures  on  this  subject.* 

It  might  seem  that  this  article  is  too  nearly  allied  to  the  topic  of  analogij 
to  be  made  a  distinct  article.  Every  person  is  at  perfect  liberty  to  place  it 
wherever  he  pleases,  so  that  he  make  use  of  it  judiciously  ;  but,  for  my  own 
part,  I  wish  to  have  it  kept  distinct. 

5.  Of  probability.  Sometimes  a  point  does  not  appear  absolutely  cer- 
tain, yet  there  is  such  strong  probability  in  its  favor,  that  a  wise  man  will 
hesitate  to  reject  it.  On  the  other  hand,  mere  probabihty  is  not  sufficient 
to  justify  an  entire  dependence  ;  it  is  to  be  regarded  only  as  an  auxiUary 
in  evidence.  When  Paul  pleaded  before  Agrippa,  he  used  this  argument 
for  the  resurrection  :  "  Why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  with 
you  that  God  should  raise  the  dead  ?"  Thus  with  respect  to  a  revelation 
of  God's  mind  to  men,  which  infidels  so  boldly  and  audaciously  deny,  we 
offer  this  evidence  among  others — the  j)robabiliti]  that  a  good  and  gracious 
Being  would  not  leave  his  creatures  destitute  of  such  a  blessing,  a  blessing 
of  all  others  the  most  important  and  necessary,  that  as  God  so  graciously  sup- 
plies the  wants  of  our  bodies,  so  he  will  not  deny  us  food  for  our  souls.  It  is 
said  that  Socrates  and  Plato  both  expressed  their  hope  to  this  effect.  The 
various  pretensions  of  impostors  to  rev^elations  from  God,  and  the  avidity 
with  which  many  believed  them,  shows  that  mankind  had  hopes  of  such  a 
blessing. 

6.  The  evidence  of  our  se?25e5,  particularly  of /^ea?'/??^  and  secz'wo-.  Thus 
St.  John,  in  his  first  epistle  :  "  That  which  we  have  heard,  which  we  have 
seen  with  our  eyes,  we  declare  unto  you."     St.  Peter:  "  We  were  eye- 

*  Dr.  Collyer  on  Scripture  Comparisons. 


118  LECTURE    VIII. 

witnesses  of  his  majesty,  and  we  heard  the  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son."  Now,  this  evidence  to  the  Messiahship  of 
Christ  was  to  them  clear  and  decisive,  and  nothing  is  wanting  to  make  it 
evidence  to  us,  but  proof  of  the  veracity  of  the  apostles.  Whatever  comes 
under  our  own  sight  and  hearing  amounts  to  the  evidence  of  sense.  We 
see  the  bad  effects  of  sin  daily.  We  also  witness  the  efficacy  of  the  gos- 
pel, as  well  as  hear  our  neighbors  testify  to  its  good  effects.  Thus  vve 
have  the  evidence  of  sense  that  the  gospel  is  worthy  of  all  acceptation. 
When  this  evidence  can  be  adduced,  it  possesses  the  advantage  of  being 
strictly  popular ;  and  there  are  many  suitable  occasions  for  its  employ- 
ment. 

7.  Nearly  allied  to  the  foregoing  is  the  evidence  derivable  from  admit- 
ted or  unquestionable  fact.  Whenever  this  can  be  properly  used,  it  must 
not  be  neglected,  for  indeed  it  supersedes  the  necessity  of  any  other.  The 
sanhedrim,  before  which  Peter  and  John  were  brought,  beholding  the 
man  who  w^as  healed  standing  with  the  apostles,  could  say  nothing  against 
the  miracle,  Acts  iv.  14.  The  excellency  of  Paul's  ministry  bore  the 
evidence  of  fact :  "  For  the  seal  of  my  apostleship  are  you  in  the 
Lord." — "  You  are  our  epistles,"  &c.  But  here  we  must  be  careful 
not  to  mistake  plausible  pretences  and  appearances  for  facts.  Joseph's 
brethren  exhibited  a  bloody  coat  to  their  father,  to  prove  that  some  beast 
had  destroyed  Joseph  ;  but  here  a  vile  deception  was  practised  upon  the 
good  man. 

8.  The  evidence  of  analogy  or  resemblance.  This  also  is  a  popular 
class  of  evidence,  and  one  that  is  frequently  recurred  to  in  the  Scriptures  ; 
but  still  it  is  only  auxiliary  ;  there  is  nothing  conclusive  in  it ;  it  only  adds 
weight  where  more  solid  evidence  can  be  furnished.  Paul  seems  to  use 
this,  Rom.  vi.  5  :  "  For,  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the  likeness 
of  his  death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection."  If  the 
grubworm  seems  to  perish,  but  in  the  spring  is  reanimated,  and  burst? 
forth  an  elegant  butterfly,  why  may  not  our  body  be  reanimated  in  a  nobler 
form,  when  the  winter  of  the  grave  is  past  ?  But  this  evidence  may  in 
some  cases  be  carried  a  litde  further  than  prohahility .  The  order  and 
frame  of  nature,  or  of  that  state  of  things  which  we  know  to  exist,  appear 
to  be  so  constituted  as  to  teach  by  analogy  a  great  number  of  things  which 
are  in  themselves  remote  from  our  comprehension.  The  work  of  the 
Spirit  is  therefore  compared  to  the  wind,  the  work  of  grace  in  the  heart  to 
seed  sown,  &c.  Bishop  Budcr's  analogy  is  written  on  this  principle. 
However,  we  must  be  cautious  in  the  use  of  this  topic.  The  imagination 
may  create  analogies  which  have  no  foundation,  and  thus  lead  us  to  false 
conclusions. 

9.  Of  inference  and  induction.  Thus,  I  think,  Jesus  Christ  inferred  the 
doctrine  of  the  resurrection.  Matt.  xxii.  31,  32,  from  Jehovah's  declaration 
to  Moses,  Exod.  iii.  6.  The  continuance  of  a  superintending  Power  over 
the  patriarchs,  beyond  the  terms  of  their  natural  lives,  gives  just  reason  to 
conclude  that  the  divine  designs  will  terminate  in  a  resurrection.*  ^  Again, 
a  just  and  holy  God  will  certainly  make  a  difference  between  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked.  But  we  do  not  see  that  difference  uniformly  made  in 
this  world ;  for  often  the  wicked  triumph,  and  the   good  man  perishes. 

*  This  is  most  ably  defended  in  Witsius,  vol.  i.,  p.  297,  English  edition,  1803.    Also  see  Mantoa 
vol.  iii.,  part  2,  p.  80  ;  and  Romaine  against  Warbarton. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  119 

Therefore  there  must  be  a  future  state,  and  a  judgment  to  come,  when  this 
difference  shall  be  made.  If  we  see  a  cottage  in  a  wilderness,  we  con- 
clude some  man  has  been  there  and  built  it ;  as  St.  Paul  says  :  "  Every 
house  is  builded  by  some  man,"  Heb.  iii.  4.  If  I  survey  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  these  furnish  evidence  to  my  reason,  which  infers  from  them  the 
existence  of  an  eternal  and  great  Power  that  produced  them. 

What  is  more  particularly  termed  reasoning,  principally  consists  in  in- 
ferrino-  or  deducing  one  thing  from  another,  which  requires  to  be  conduct- 
ed with  discrimination,  and  upon  principles  which  appeal  at  once  to  com- 
mon sense.  Reason  itself  is  defined  to  be  "  that  power  by  which  we  dis- 
cern that  a  relation  belongs  to  two  ideas,  on  account  of  our  having  found 
that  these  ideas  bear  certain  relations  to  others,  which  we  call  third  ideas, 
or  that  power  which  enables  us,  from  ideas  that  are  known,  to  find  out 
such  as  are  unknown  ;  and  without  this  power  of  drawing  inferences,  we 
never  could  proceed  a  single  step  beyond  first  principles,  or  intuitive  axi- 
oms, in  the  discovery  of  any  truth  whatever."*  Thus  reason  teaches  us 
to  infer  the  excellence  of  the  divine  government  from  the  perfection  of 
God.  As,  for  instance  :  God  is  righteous ;  therefore,  though  his  acts  may 
be  to  us  mysterious,  yet  no  unrighteous  act  can  proceed  from  him.  The 
truth  of  this  inference  is  obvious.  Hence  the  plea  of  Abraham — "  Shall 
not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?"  Yet,  judging  only  from  partial 
views  of  his  dispensations,  very  unjust  inferences  are  sometimes  drawn. 
Thus  Job's  friends  thought  that  he  could  not  be  a  good  man  because  the 
Lord  so  sorely  afflicted  him  ;  but  this  was  not  a  just  conclusion,  because 
in  the  divine  administration  afflictions  are  often  sent  for  trial  and  discipline, 
rather  than  as  marks  of  divine  displeasure. 

This  inferring  or  deducing  one  thing  from  another  being  of  great  im- 
portance, it  appeared  necessary  to  the  ancients  to  estabhsh  some  rules 
for  common  observance.  Accordingly,  the  science  of  logic  was  intro- 
duced by  Aristode,  who  flourished  at  the  same  nme  with  the  prophet 
Malachi ;  and  it  is  astonishing  how  litde  improvement  has  since  taken 
place  upon  his  ideas.  The  elements  of  his  plan  were — 1,  an  introduc- 
tion ;  2,  the  proposition  ;  3,  the  demonstration  ;  4,  the  conclusion.  Let 
this  plan  be  compared  with  those  of  modern  date,  and  the  resemblance 
will  be  evident. 

I  have  alluded  to  the  name  of  Malachi,  as  contemporary  with  Aristotle, 
and  it  is  remarkable  that  the  principles  of  ratiocination  are  more  strongly 
marked  in  Malachi  than  in  any  other  prophet ;  and  since  it  were  too  much 
to  suppose  that  he  knew  anything  of  Aristode,  it  may  serve  to  show  us 
that  there  was  in  that  age  an  inchnadon  or  leaning  toward  a  point  of  order 
in  discussion. 

By  the  system  of  Aristode,  with  its  subsequent  improvements  by  Dr. 
Watts  and  others,  the  art  of  reasoning  has  been  reduced  to  what  are  called 
syllogisms,  the  most  simple  of  which  consist  of  three  propositions,  so  con- 
nected that  the  last  of  the  three  necessarily  follows  from  the  two  former; 
the  first  and  second  being  granted,  the  conclusion  must  be  granted  also,  as 
in  the  following  case: — 

Onr  Creator  must  be  worshipped  : 
God  is  our  Creator;  therefore 
God  must  be  worshipped. 

*  Byland's  Coutemplatioris,  vol.  i.,  p.  83,  &c. 


120  LECTURE    VIII. 

But  there  is  too  much  formality  for  all  useful  purposes  in  this  exhibition. 
The  first  proposition  may  very  well  be  dispensed  with,  and  then  we  have 
two  propositions  only,  an  antecedent  and  a  consequent;  as 

God  is  our  Creator ;  therefore 
God  must  be  worshipped. 

This  is  far  more  simple  and  equally  adequate  for  all  the  purposes  of  argu- 
ment. In  fact,  this  method  is  constantly  employed  by  us  when  reasoning 
on  any  subject  in  common  conversation,  or  without  an  intentional  refer- 
ence to  form.  This  natural  process  of  reasoning  has  been  allowed,  in- 
deed, by  logicians,  to  have  a  place  in  their  system,  because,  whh  all  their 
fondness  for  their  own  technical  modes  and  figures,  they  could  not  deny 
that  it  is  at  least  possible  for  us  to  reason  sometimes  as  in  truth  we  always 
reason.  Their  only  resource,  therefore,  was  to  reduce  this  natural  process 
to  their  own  artificial  method,  and  to  give  it  a  name  which  might  imply  the 
necessity  of  this  reduction  before  the  reasoning  itself  could  be  considered 
worthy  of  that  honorable  title.  They  accordingly  supposed  that  the  prop- 
osition technically  wanting  was  understood  in  the  mind  of  the  thinker  or 
hearer,  and  therefore  termed  the  reasoning  an  cjithymeme :  it  was,  they  said, 
a  tnmcated  or  imperfect  syllogism.  Perhaps  they  would  have  expressed 
themselves  more  accurately  if  they  had  described  their  own  syllogism  as, 
in  its  relation  to  the  natural  process  of  our  thought,  a  cumbrous  and  over- 
loaded enthymeme ;  for  not  only  does  it  render  the  process  of  arriving  at 
truth  more  circuitous,  by  forcing  us  to  employ  three  propositions  instead 
of  the  two  only  which  nature  directs  us  to  use,  but  it  assumes,  as  the  fir.-^t 
stage  of  that  reasoning  by  which  we  are  to  arrive  at  any  truth,  our  previous 
knowledge  of  that  particular  truth,  the  major  proposition  being  the  conclu- 
sion itself  under  another  form.  Suppose,  for  instance,  in  order  to  prove 
that  John  is  a  sinner,  I  do  not  refer  to  any  particular  act  of  transgression 
of  which  he  is  guilty,  but  draw  up  my  accusation  by  tlie  major  of  a  syllo- 
gism, thus: — 

AH  men  are  sinners  ; 
John  is  a  man  ;  therefore 
John  is  a  sinner. 

If  the  mind  really  attached  any  meaning  to  my  major  proposition,  it  must 
at  diat  very  moment  have  felt  as  completely  that  John  was  a  sinner  as  after  I 
had  pursued  him  technically  through  the  minor  and  conclusion.  Men  are 
displeased  with  the  rehearsal  of  what  is  nowise  necessary,  and  only 
serves  to  lengthen  discourse  or  create  obscurity.  The  great  secret  in  rea- 
soning is,  therefore,  so  to  frame  and  put  together  our  thoughts  as  to  give 
all  the  bearings  of  an  argument  their  due  force,  and  at  the  same  time  al- 
low the  imaginations  of  our  hearers  their  full  play.  This  gives  to  their 
minds  a  pleasure  not  unlike  that  which  we  may  experience  in  the  compo- 
sition of  our  discourses,  and  insensibly  leads  them  into  our  views  and 
course  of  reasoning.* 

We  have  been  necessarily  led  to  refer  to  the  formula3  of  the  schools, 
though  1  have  already  pleaded  for  entire  relief  from  them.  The  form  is 
valuable  only  so  far  as  it  contains  the  substance,  and,  if  we  can  extract 
the  essence  of  argumentation  from  a  careful  examination  of  principles,  we 
may  abandon  the  technicalities  of  logic  to  those  who  are  wedded  to  them. 

»  Vide  latter  end  of  Ifith  Topic.  "Comparing  tilings  as.similatcs  to  reasoning,"  ice.  It  will  also 
be  useful  to  refer  to  the  12th  and  19th  Topics,  and  to  weifjh  the  force  of  what  has  alrftady  been  said  on 
the  interrogative  system. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  121 

Suppose,  for  instance,  that  you  had  a  younger  brother,  whose  unsteady 
conduct  gave  you  pain,  how  would  you  endeavor  to  convince  him  of  his 
errors,  and  to  correct  his  conduct?  Suppose  that  he  has  conceived  a  dis- 
gust, not  only  of  religion,  but  also  of  his  business  and  the  regulations  of 
the  family — has  addicted  himself  to  pleasure,  is  profligate,  idle,  and  ex- 
travao-ant,  and  having  become  embarrassed,  and  sickening  at  his  prospects, 
is  about  to  seek  relief  from  want  and  disgrace  in  voluntary  exile.  How, 
I  say,  would  you  address  your  discourse  to  him?  Let  nature  speak. 
Would  you  apply  to  your  books  for  instruction  ?  or  would  you  endeavor 
to  recollect  some  example  of  a  speech  that  Cicero  has  left  to  the  learned 
world?  Certainly  not.  You  would  say,  "O  my  brother,  what  has  reli- 
gion done  to  offend  you  ?  What  makes  your  home  and  business  irksome  ? 
Home  is  the  delight  of  the  wise,  and  business  the  proper  occupation  and 
companion  of  happiness.  You  see  that  these  things  are  so  in  your  mother, 
and  your  sisters.  What  happiness  did  we  once  enjoy !  and,  were  it  not 
for  the  pain  that  your  conduct  inflicts,  our  family  circle  were  happiness 
still,  and  in  this  happiness  you  once  participated ;  but  now  your  pleasures 
are  your  ruin ;  you  see  every  day  that  God  has  connected  licentiousness 
and  misery  together,  and  whither  can  you  go?  What  country  will  yield 
a  balm  for  a  troubled  conscience  ?  What  waters  can  yield  you  solace  ? 
Or,  can  you  leave  remembrance  behind?  But,  in  immediately  returning 
to  a  sober  life,  peace,  to  which  you  are  a  stranger,  will  return  with  you. 
You  know  our  unchanged  affections,  our  readiness  to  forget  and  forgive, 
and  you  have  too  often  heard  of  the  divine  compassions  to  despair  of 
Heaven's  forgiveness.  This  moment  return,  and  my  happiness  shall  be, 
as  yours  will  be,  complete." 

But,  you  will  say,  where  is  the  argument  in  all  this?  Surely  the  argu- 
ment is  in  the  language  of  nature,  the  argiimentem  ad  hominem,  in  repre- 
sentation, expostulation,  and  entreaty;  and  allow  me  to  say,  that  however 
varied  cases  or  circumstances  are,  or  however  diversified  texts  of  scripture 
may  be,  there  is  a  free  and  natural  way  of  arguing  upon  them  as  well  as  a 
learned  one,  and,  that  it  is  better  suited  to  the  generality  of  hearers.  It  is 
this  free  and  familiar  kind  of  argument,  adapted  to  everyday  practice, 
which  I  wish  you  particularly  to  study.  Ex-professo  argumentation  has  its 
place,  but  not  in  general  use.  Of  Robert  Hall  it  is  observed,  by  Foster, 
that  "he  had  much,  very  much,  of  the  essence  and  effect  of  reasoning, 
without  its  forms ;"  this,  it  is  added,  will  be  unqualified  praise.  Certainly 
we  have  a  good  riddance  of  the  cumbrous  and  barbarous  technicalities  for- 
merly used  ;  but  there  is  a  natural  and  easy  logic  which  may  pervade  a 
discourse  in  such  a  manner  that  it  shall  evidently  have  more  of  the  con- 
sistence of  a  contexture  than  of  an  accumulation.  The  train  of  thinking 
may  preserve  a  link  of  connexion  by  the  dependence  of  the  following 
thought  on  the  foregoing,  that  succeeding  thought  not  only  being  just  in 
itself,  and  pertinent  to  the  matter  in  hand,  but  being  so  still  more  especially 
in  virtue  of  resuhing,  by  obvious  deduction,  or  necessary  continuation, 
from  the  preceding,  thus  at  once  giving  and  receiving  force  by  the  con- 
nexion. It  would  greatly  redeem  the  credit  of  preaching  if  such  concat- 
enation of  thought  were  always  carefully  preserved ;  the  intelligent  part  of 
our  auditories  would  pay  a  just  tribute  of  praise  to  the  speaker,  and  even 
the  lower  classes  would  have  argument  nearer  to  their  comprehension  than 
what  is  usually  offered  to  them. 


122  LECTURE    VIII. 

Argumentative  preaching  may,  however,  be  carried  to  excess,  and  it 
will  be  well  to  let  the  following  things  be  constantly  borne  in  mind : — 

1.  It  is  not  to  be  imagined,  by  our  enlarging  on  this  subject,  that  our 
Christian  assemblies  are  to  be  erected  into  forums  of  debate;  this  would 
be  a  perversion  of  our  design  altogether. 

2.  We  are  not  to  assume  that  our  congregations  are  either  under  error 
or  unbelief,  at  least  before  evidence  is  produced. 

3.  In  ordinary  cases  we  are  not  to  say  all  that  can  be  said. 

4.  We  are  not  to  affect  a  high  tone  of  superiority,  as  though  we  alone 
understood  how  to  contend  for  the  truth,  or  we  alone  had  correct  views  of 
the  subject. 

5.  We  are  not  to  pretend  to  furnish  evidence  of  those  absolute  myste- 
ries which  are  to  be  found  in  the  Scriptures,  and  which  no  uninspired  man 
can  explain. 

6.  We  are  not,  in  ordinary  cases,  to  attempt  to  bring  all  the  evidence 
that  a  subject  is  capable  of,  nor  to  run  into  any  long  trains  of  reasoning 
which  ordinary  minds  can  not  follow ;  this  is  sure  to  fall  into  a  dry  style, 
and  will  usually  be  quite  unintelligible.  Some  few  preachers  indulge  in 
this  to  a  sad  excess.  I  admit,  however,  that  should  some  adversary  assail 
us  with  such  metaphysical  runs,  it  would  be  right  that  he  should  have  a 
reply  in  his  own  way,  and  that  of  the  most  acute  kind ;  but  the  plain  gos- 
pel preacher  has  no  business  of  this  nature  {sul  ojicri,  every  man  to  his 
work) ;  nay,  instead  of  helping,  by  this  means  he  might  injure  the  goo  J 
cause.  We  must  learn  what  ought  not  to  be  said.  An  able  and  expe- 
rienced barrister  does  not  much  regard  all  the  special  pleadings  that  are 
put  into  his  brief,  but  calculates  what  is  likeliest  to  affect  a  jury  of  plain 
men.  Just  so  a  judicious  preacher  will  manage  this  difiicult  case.  And, 
besides,  let  the  preacher  be  aware  that  if,  in  an  ill-judged  attempt  to  pursue 
consecutive  matters,  he  should  have  the  misfortune  to  lose  some  link  of 
his  scheme,  then  disgrace  must  follow,  and  he  would  feel  himself  reproved, 
though  his  audience  might  be  silent.  He  "loses  stays,"  as  the  sailors  say, 
and  exposes  the  masts  and  ship  to  danger;  or  he  "begins  what  he  is  not 
able  to  finish"  well. 

Argumentation  for  the  establishment  of  any  truth  may  be  conducted  by 
a  train  of  reasoning  in  refutation  of  the  sentiments  by  which  it  is  opposed, 
and  by  direct  evidence  in  support  of  die  truth  itself.  Both  these  may  be 
prosecuted  in  the  same  discourse,  and  either  under  separate  heads  or  to- 
gether, according  to  circumstances.  A  minister  of  the  gospel  ought  to  be 
of  a  peaceable  and  conciliating  temper;  he  ought  to  be  chiefly  concerned 
in  establishing  and  enforcing  the  truth ;  yet  he  ought  also  to  know  how  to 
refute  false  opinions  and  unfounded  statements,  because  sometimes  his  duty 
requires  him  to  do  so. 

"There  are  three  ways  of  refuting  objections:  the  first,  and  when  ad- 
missible the  best,  is  to  aim  only  at  a  full  and  clear  exhibition  of  the  truth ; 
the  next  is  to  interweave  objections  and  answer  them  indirectly  and  with- 
out formality;  the  last  is  to  state  them  in  form,  and  refiuo  them  by  distinct 
arguments.  Wiicn  diis  last  course  is  adopted,  it  requires  the  following 
precautions : — 

"1.  State  no  objections  that  are  too  trivial  to  deserve  notice.  We  may 
waste  our  time  by  refuting  what  needs  no  refutation,  as  well  as  by  proving 
what  needs  no  proof. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  123 

"2,  If  objections  are  really  weighty,  never  treat  them  as  insignificant. 
Without  evasion,  without  distortion,  state  them  fairly  and  fully — give  them 
all  the  weight  to  which  they  are  entitled. 

"3.  Take  care  that  your  answers  be  complete  and  decisive,  so  as  not  to 
leave  the  impression  that  you  have  raised  an  adversary  whom  you  have  not 
the  strength  to  withstand. 

"4.  State  no  objections  in  which  your  hearers  are  not  interested. 
Though  weighty,  and  capable  of  complete  refutation,  if  they  are  such  as 
are  never  Hkely  to  be  known  without  your  help,  it  is  worse  than  trifling  to 
discuss  them.  The  physician  deserves  no  praise  for  his  skill  in  devising 
an  antidote  for  poison  which  his  own  temerity  had  administared.  What 
preacher  would  repeat  the  language  of  obscene  and  profane  men  with  a 
view  to  condemn  it?  No  more  does  Christian  propriety  allow  us  to  state 
artful  and  blasphemous  cavils  against  religion  for  the  same  end.  Even 
when  such  cavils  are  decent  in  manner,  they  should  not  be  obtruded  on 
common  minds  without  urgent  necessity.  Such  minds  may  understand  an 
objection  and  remember  it,  when  the  force  of  a  reply  is  not  seen  or  is  for- 
gotten. Tt  is  from  the  learned  labors  of  Christian  advocates  for  the  truth, 
not  from  their  own  investigations,  that  skeptics  have 

" '  Gleaned  their  blunted  shafts, 

And  shot  them  at  the  shield  of  truth  again.' 

"5.  Avoid  acrimony  as  both  unchristian  and  unwise.  Meet  an  ob- 
jector with  ingenuousness  and  kindness.  Take  no  advantage  of  verbal 
inadvertence,  nor  charge  on  him  the  admission  of  consequences  which  he 
disavows. 

"6.  Seldom  or  never  oppose  sects  by  name."* 

Completely  to  refute  some  errors  calls  for  no  ordinary  share  of  learning 
and  talent.     The  following  plain  rules  may,  however,  be  found  useful : — 

1.  The  preacher  may  object  to  his  opponent's  statement,  either  as  to  the 
terms  in  which  it  is  expressed,  as  loose  and  indefinite,  or  as  conveying 
ideas  which  are  not  admitted;  or,  if  he  allow  the  terms,  he  may  object  to 
the  manner  of  arranging  them,  as  tending  to  give  a  false  view  of  the  sub- 
ject in  dispute,  or  as  throwing  obscurity  around  a  subject  which  would  be 
otherwise  plain. 

2.  He  may  object  altogether  to  the  doctrine  contained  in  such  state- 
ment, as  not  substantiated,  or  as  leading  to  pernicious  consequences. 

3.  He  may  object  that  the  doctrine  was,  in  its  promulgation,  never  at- 
tended with  the  divine  blessing. 

4.  He  may  object  to  the  temper  and  spirit  in  which  such  statements  are 
made  and  supported,  as  being  nothing  more  than  the  perverse  disputings 
of  men  of  corrupt  minds.     1  Tim.  vi.  5. 

5.  He  may  allow  the  validity  of  the  argument  used  by  an  adversary, 
while  he  denies  the  inference  deduced  from  it,  and  even  draws  a  different 
conclusion  from  the  premises. 

6.  He  may  distinguish  and  show  the  inapplicability  of  the  rule  laid 
down  to  determine  the  matter  in  hand,  or  that  the  rule  is  inadequate  to  the 
object,  and  that  other  matter  must  be  brought  into  the  statement  before  any 
case  can  be  made  out. 

*  Lectures  on  Homiletics  and  Preaching-,  by  Dr.  Porter,  president  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Andover,  United  States.    This  work  wall  well  repay  a  careful  perusal. 


124  LECTURE    VIII. 

7.  He  may  limit  the  sense  of  the  statement,  or  the  rule  laid  down,  so  as 
to  prevent  so  general  and  broad  an  application. 

8.  He  may  show  that  his  opponent  proves  too  much,  and  that  therefore 
his  arguments  are  rendered  nugatory. 

9.  He  may  show  that  the  doctrine  is  totally  repugnant  to  the  general 
tenor  of  scripture.  And,  as  this  is  the  shortest,  so  also  it  is  the  best  refu- 
tation of  any  error;  for  the  scripture  must  be  the  final  arbiter. 

10.  A  preacher  may  cite  a  number  of  particulars  of  the  bad  effects 
which  the  false  doctrines  would  produce.  "A  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit." 
Pure  effects  commonly  follow  pure  doctrine.  Such  particulars  would  be 
something  like  a  bill  of  indictment  against  the  error.  We  are  aware  this 
may  be  retorted  upon  some  preachers ;  for,  though  it  is  true  that  pure  ef- 
fects flow  from  pure  doctrines,  yet  we  have  lamentable  instances  of  pure 
doctrines  being  professed  without  producing  any  purifying  effects :  still 
these  are  only  accidental,  and  the  impropriety  can  not  be  justly  charged 
on  the  doctrine,  but  upon  human  weakness  and  hypocrisy.  However, 
a  caution  is  here  offered,  that  we  take  care  that  no  such  charges  be  justly 
alleged  against  us.  A  bad  man  may  defend  the  truth,  but  a  good  man 
loves  the  truth  which  he  defends,  and  he  will  be  reverenced  and  heard  with 
attention. 

11.  The  rule  laid  down  in  Claude,  and  repeated  by  Simeon,  is  to  es- 
tablish the  truth  in  the  first  place,  and  then  refute,  &c. ;  or  vice  versa.  I 
do  not  find  either  of  these  schemes  strictly  followed.  They  seem  to  be 
paper  plans,  chiefly  theoretical.  I  could  scarcely  single  out  a  discourse 
constructed  either  way;  but  rather,  I  find  the  refutation  of  error  and  the 
establishment  of  truth  to  go  on  quietly,  mutually  together,  concurring  to  one 
end.  Of  this  kind  I  shall  give  an  example  from  Robert  Hall,  wherein  he  suc'- 
cessfully  refutes  atheists,  who  hold  matter  to  be  eternal,  that  this  world  ever 
was  what  it  now  is,  without  any  recognition  of  a  creator  or  admission  of  a 
governing  power.  The  text  is  Exod.  iii.  14:  "And  God  said  unto  Mo- 
ses, I  AM  THAT  I  AM.  Tlius  shall  you  say  to  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am 
hath  sent  me  unto  you."  The  passage  is  from  the  second  general  division 
of  the  discourse.  The  arguments  employed  are  treated  at  great  length  in 
Abernethy  on  the  Divine  Attributes,  in  Dwight's  Theology,  and  in  Paley's 
Natural  Theology;  but  the  compressed,  judicious,  and  energetic  manner 
in  which  Hall  has  presented  them  affords  a  fine  specimen  of  reasoning. 

We  propose  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  such  a  Being. 

1.  Something  always  must  have  existed,  or  nothing  could  have  had  an  existence. 
To  suppose  the  matter  of  this  Avorld,  for  example,  to  have  arisen  out  of  nothing, 
without  any  cause  whatever,  is  evidently  to  suppose  what  is  absurd  and  impossible. 

2.  Whatever  exists  of  itself,  and  consequently  from  all  eternity,  can  never  cease  to 
exist,  and  must  be  perfectly  independent  of  every  other  being  Avith  respect  to  exist- 
ence and  the  manner  of  its  existence.  Since  it  exists  of  itself,  the  cause  and  reason 
of  its  existence  must,  by  supposition,  be  in  itself,  not  in  another ;  it  must  have,  so  to 
speak,  a  perpetual  spring  of  existence,  independent  of  the  operation  or  will  of  all 
other  beings.  It  exists  by  absolute  necessity.  It  exists  because  it  can  not  be  other- 
wise than  it  is ;  for  Avhatever  can  be  so  is  contimrcnt,  not  necessary.  Hence  it  is 
absolutely  unchangeable,  which  is  sufficient  to  prove  that  matter  is  not  that  eternal 
self-existent  Being,  because  matter  is  undergoing  continual  changes,  and,  instead  of 
being  unalterable,  is  perfectly  passive  and  indifferent  to  all  changes  whatever. 

3.  The  Being  who  always  existed  in  and  of  himself  must  be  an  intelligent  Being, 
or  a  Being  possessed  of  reason  and  understanding ;  for  these  exist,  and,  since  they 
could  not  arise  out  of  nothing,  they  must  have  been  produced  by  some  efficient  cause. 
But  they  could  not  have  been  produced  by  what  was  not  intelligent.  Reason  ani 
understanding  could  no  more  have  been  caused  bv  Avhat  had  none  than  matter  could 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  125 

have  arisen  out  of  nothing.  Take  a  lump  of  clay,  or  any  part  of  inanimate  matter, 
and  ask  yourselves  whether  it  is  not  in  the  highest  degree  absurd  to  suppose  that 
the  power  of  remembering,  of  reasoning,  of  judging,  should  arise  from  that  as  a  cause. 
It  is  iust  as  possible  that  light  should  spring  from  darkness  as  a  cause  as  that  that  which 
is  incapable  of  thought  should  produce  it.  Whether  the  power  of  thinking  may  pos- 
sibly be  superadded  to  matter  is  not  the  question  at  present :  admittmg  that  this 
were  possible,  it  is  plainly  impossible  that  thought,  or  the  power  of  thmkmg,  should 
spring  from  inanimate  matter  as  a  cause.  But,  as  there  are  many  bemgs  possessed 
of  reason  and  understanding,  there  must  have  been,  at  least,  some  one  intelligent 
Being  from  eternity,  or  those  thinking  creatures  could  never  have  existed,  since  it  is 
quite^'as  impossible  that  thought  and  intelligence  should  arise  out  of  unconscious 
matter  as  that  they  should  spring  out  of  nothing.  . 

As  to  the  idea  which  some  atheists  have  pleaded  for,  of  an  eternal  succession  ot 
finite  beings,  such  as  we  witness  at  present,  without  supposing  any  original  uncaused 
being,  it  is  evidently  inconsistent  with  reason  and  with  itself;  for  it  affirms  that  to 
be  true  of  a  part  which  it  denies  with  respect  to  the  whole  :  every  particular  being 
in  the  series,  upon  that  supposition,  depends  on  a  preceding  one,  yet  the  whole  de- 
pends upon  nothing  ;  as  if  it  were  affirmed  that  there  could  be  a  chain  infinitely  long, 
each  link  of  which  was  supported  by  the  rest,  and  so  on  in  each  instance,  and  yet  the 
whole  absolutely  depended  upon  nothing.  The  difficulty  of  supposing  a  being  begm- 
ning  to  exist  without  a  cause  is  not  at  all  lessened  by  supposing  an  eternal  succession 
of  such  beings :  for,  unless  there  be  some  first  being  on  whom  all  the  rest  depend,  it 
is  evident  the  whole  series  hangs  upon  nothing,  which  is  altogether  as  impossible  as 
that  any  one  in  particular  should.  Hence  it  is  evident  there  must  have  always  been 
some  one  intelligent  Being,  whose  existence  is  uncaused  and  absolutely  eternal,  un- 
changeable, and  independent.  .  . 

4.  There  is  but  one  such  Being.  To  affirm  there  is  more  than  one  is  a  contradiction 
in  terms.  No  shadow  of  reason  «an  be  assigned  for  believing  in  a  plurality  of  such 
Beings,  because  the  supposition  of  only  one  accounts  for  all  that  we  see  much  more 
satisfactorily  than  the  supposition  of  more.  That  there  is  one  underived,  self-existent, 
eternal,  and  intelligent  Cause  of  all  things,  must  of  necessity  be  allowed,  in  order  to 
account  for  what  we  know  to  exist ;  but  no  reason  can  be  assigned  for  supposing 
more.  It  is  with  the  utmost  propriety  established  as  an  axiom  that  we  ought  in  no 
case  to  assign  more  causes  than  will  account  for  the  eff'ects.  The  harmony  and 
order  of  the  universe,  and  the  sameness  and  universality  of  the  laws  which  pervade 
every  part  of  it,  as  far  as  our  knowledge  extends,  make  it  evident  that  it  is  the  pro- 
duction of  one  intelligent  Cause.  Had  it  been  the  product  of  many,  there  would 
necessarily  have  been  discrepancies,  irregularity,  and  disorder  m  it,  as  the  necessary 
eff'ect  of  contrary  plans  and  inclmations;  at  least,  it  would  have  been  formed  ac- 
cording to  diff'erent  systems,  bearing  the  marks  of  their  being  the  products  of  distinct 
authors  ;  for  we  can  find  no  two  individuals,  if  left  entirely  to  themselves,  who  would 
build  a  house  exactly  upon  the  same  plan,  of  the  same  size,  and  with  the  same  or- 
naments. The  fundamental  laws  of  nature,  not  only  aff'ect  this  globe  which  we  in- 
habit, but  are  found  to  extend  to  the  remotest  bounds  of  the  universe,  as  far  as  they 
have  fallen  under  our  observation,  either  by  the  naked  eye  or  by  telescopes,  i  he 
compound  substance  of  light,  which  illuminates  our  system,  is  found  to  extend  to  the 
regions  of  the  fixed  stars,  immeasurably  more  distant  from  us  than  the  sun.  I  he 
laws  of  gravitation  pervade  every  particle  of  matter,  at  least  within  the  solar  system, 
and,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  throughout  the  whole  universe.  Such  sim- 
plicity and  uniformity  in  the  laws  of  nature  evince  that  they  are  the  product  ot  one 
and  the  same  Intelligence. 

Archbishop  Tillotson  furnishes  a  specimen  of  refutation  on  the  same 
subject,  which  is  so  simple  and  forcible  that  it  can  not  fail  to  carry  convic- 
tion to  the  commonest  understanding.  In  combating  the  absurd  hypothe- 
sis of  Atheists  that  the  world  sprung  from  chance,  he  asks : — 

Will  chance  fit  means  to  ends,  and  that  in  ten  thousand  instances,  and  not  fail  in 
one  ?  How  often  might  a  man,  after  he  had  jumbled  a  set  of  letters  m  a  bag,  tlmg 
them  out  upon  the  ground,  before  they  would  fall  into  an  exact  poem  ?— yea,  or  so 
much  as  make  a  good  discourse  in  prose  ?  And  may  not  a  little  book  as  easily  be 
made  as  this  great  volume  of  the  world  ?  How  long  might  one  sprinkle  colors  upon 
canvass  with  a  careless  hand  before  they  would  make  the  exact  picture  ot  a  man 
(say  of  an  atheist)  ?  And  is  a  man  easier  to  be  made  by  chance  than  his  picture  . 
How  long  might  twenty  thousand  blind  men,  who  should  be  sent  out  from  the  remote 


326  LECTURE    VIII. 

parts  of  England,  wander  up  and  down  before  they  would  all  meet  upon  Salisbury 
plain,  and  fall  into  rank  and  file  in  the  exact  order  of  an  army  ?  And  yet  this  is 
much  more  easy  to  be  imagined  than  how  the  innumerable  blind  parts  of  matter 
should  rendezvous  themselves  into  a  world.  A  man  Avho  sees  Henry  VII. 's  chapel  at 
Westminster  might  with  as  good  reason  maintain,  yea,  and  much  better,  considering 
the  vast  difference  between  that  little  structure  and  the  huge  fabric  of  the  world,  that 
it  was  never  contrived  nor  built  by  any  man,  but  that  the  stones  did  by  chance  grow 
into  those  curious  figures  into  which  we  see  them  to  be  cut  and  graven,  and  that  the 
materials  of  that  building,  the  stone,  mortar,  timber,  iron,  lead,  and  glass,  happily 
met  together,  and  ranged  themselves  into  that  delicate  order  in  which  we  see  them 
now,  so  closely  compacted  that  it  must  be  a  very  great  chance  that  parts  them  again. 
What  would  the  world  think  of  a  man  that  should  advance  such  an  opinion  as  this, 
and  write  a  book  in  favor  of  it?  If  they  would  do  him  justice,  they  ought  to  look 
upon  him  as  mad.  But  yet  he  might  maintain  this  opinion  with  a  little  more  reason 
than  any  man  can  have  to  say  that  the  world  was  made  by  chance,  or  that  the  first 
man  grew  out  of  the  earth,  as  plants  do  now. 

Much  may  be  learned  on  the  subject  of  refutation  from  perusing  the  works 
of  authors  who  have  distinguished  themselves  for  clearness  of  thought  and 
strength  of  reasoning,  perhaps  more  than  from  rules,  though  these  also 
have  their  use.  But  particular  care  should  be  taken  in  studying  the  wri- 
tings of  such  as  are  deficient  in  reference  to  the  Christian  temper,  lest, 
while  approving  their  arguments,  you  insensibly  imbibe  their  spirit.  Many 
good  men  have  committed  themselves  here  to  a  painful  degree,  and  that 
too  on  subjects  upon"  which  Christians  may  safely  agree  to  differ.  In  all 
disputation,  and  particularly  theological  disputation,  it  is  of  the  utmost 
consequence  to  combine  the  sauviter  in  niodo  with  the/ortitcr  hi  re,  and  to 
deal  with  adversaries  fairly  and  honestly,  imputing  to  them  nothing  which 
they  themselves  disavow.* 

Propositional  preaching  is  perhaps,  in  the  direct  form,  better  adapted 
for  extraordinary  occasions,  in  \vhich  ministers  of  learning  and  eloquence 
are  usually  called  to  officiate,  than  for  the  ordinary  purposes  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  But,  whether  in  the  direct  form  of  propositions  or  other- 
wise, argument  or  reasoning  is  indispensable.  Doctrines  must,  by  all 
preachers,  be  stated,  proved,  and  defended.  There  is  always  and 
everywhere  somediing  to  be  proved.  We  can  not  state  or  affirm  a 
thing,  but  we  must  proceed  to  show  (briefly  at  least)  that  the  thing  is  true, 
or  right,  or  desirable.  For  even  all  that  part  of  a  discourse  called  the 
persuasive  must  be  grounded  upon  the  truth,  or  equity,  or  eligibility,  of 
the  premises  themselves,  which  afford  a  basis  for  argumentation.  In  such 
familiar  instances,  the  formalities  of  reasoning  may  and  ought  to  l)e  dis- 
pensed with,  but  the  essence  of  the  argument  must  remain,  and  be  diffused 
throughout  the  lecture  or  sermon.  In  the  regular  species  of  composition 
lately  treated  of,  the  middle  part  sustains  the  argument,  and  possesses 
the  premises  for  the  service  of  the  third  part.  And,  though  the  principles 
of  reasoning  are  less  apparent  in  some  discourses,  they  arc  always  existent, 
or  supposed,  or  implied,  or  couched  in  some  of  the  infinite  varieties  of 
language.  Arguments  suited  to  each  kind  will  be  supplied  by  the  fertility 
of  the  mind  in  study,  and  those  are  especially  to  be  preferred  which  arise 
from  scripture  fairly  and  justly  interpreted. 

In  order  to  convey  to  you  as  rlearly  as  I  can  what  I  mean  by  that  free 
and  familiar  method  of  reasoning  wliich  I  recommend,  I  shall  now  present 

•  The  following  pprnions  nfTonl  valuable  specimens  of  refutation:  Ancient  Philosophy. refuted, 
Blair,  vol.  iii.,  sorm.  xix. ;  Moih'rn  Philosophy  rcfute<l,  IJlair,  vol.  iv.,  serm.  xi. ;  Objections  against 
Family  Prayer  refuted,  Davies,  vol.  ii.,  serm.  xxix. ;  False  Candor  refuted  and  exposed,  Davics,  vol. 
iii.,  serm.  xlv. ;  a  false  meaning  of  a  passage  of  scripture  exposed,  Blair,  vol.  ii.,  sorm.  Iv. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  127 

you  with  some  examples,  which    will  prevent  the    necessity  of  further 
enlargement. 

The  following  is  from  Wilberforce's  admirable  treatise  on  Christianity  : — 

There  is  one  argument  which  impresses  my  mind  with  peculiar  force.  This  is 
the  great  variety  of  the  kinds  of  evidence  which  have  been  used  in  proof  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  the  confirmation  thereby  afforded  of  its  truth.  The  proof  from  prophecy 
— from  miracles— from  the  character  of  Christ— from  that  of  his  apostles— from  the 
nature  of  the  doctrines  of  Christianity— from  the  nature  and  the  excellence  of  its  prac- 
tical precepts— from  the  accordance  between  the  doctrinal  and  practical  system  of 
Christianity,  whether  considered  each  in  itself  or  in  their  mutual  relation  to  each 
other— from  other  species  of  internal  evidence  afibrded  in  the  more  abundance  m 
proportion  as  the  sacred  records  have  been  scrutinized  with  greater  care— from  the 
accounts  of  contemporary  Avriters— from  the  impossibility  of  accounting,  on  any  other 
supposition  than  that  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  for  its  early  prevalence — these,  and 
other  lines  of  argument,  have  all  been  brought  forward  and  ably  urged  by  different 
writers,  in  proportion  as  they  have  struck  the  minds  of  different  observers  more  or 
less  favorable.  Now,  granting  that  some  obscure  and  illiterate  men,  residing  in  a 
distant  province  of  the  Roman  empire,  had  plotted  to  impose  a  forgery  upon  the 
Avorld— though  some  foundation  for  the  imposture  might,  and  indeed  rnust,  have  been 
attempted  to  be  laid— it  seems,  at  least  to  my  understanding,  morally  impossible  that 
so  many  different  species  of  proofs,  and  all  so  strong,  should  have  lent  their  concur- 
rent aid,  and  have  united  their  joint  force,  in  the  establishment  of  the  falsehood.  It 
may  assist  in  estimating  the  value  of  this  argument  to  consider  upon  how  different  a 
footing,  in  this  respect,  has  rested  every  other  religious  system,  without  exception, 
which  Avas  ever  proposed  to  the  world,  and  indeed  every  other  historical  fact  of 
Avhich  the  truth  has  been  at  all  contested. 

Matters  of  fact  are  popular  and  easy.  The  following  quotation  from 
Bishop  Sherlock's  first  discourse  is  of  this  kind,  upon  the  pleas  of  natural 
religion,  by  which  I  fear  hundreds  of  thousands  are  at  this  day  deluded: 

If  nature  can  instruct  us  sufficiently  in  religion,  we  have  indeed  no  reason  to  o-o 
anyAvhere  else  :  so  far  Ave  are  agreed  :  but  Avhether  nature  can  or  no  is  in  truth  ratlier 
a  question  of  fact  than  of  mere  speculation  ;  for  the  Avay  to  know  Avhat  nature  can 
do  is  to  take  nature  by  itself  and  try  its  strength  alone.  There  was  a  time  Avhen 
men  had  little  else  but  nature  to  go  to,  and  that  is  the  proper  time  to  look  into  to 
see  Avhat  mere  and  unassisted  nature  can  do  in  religion.  Nay,  there  are  still  nations 
under  the  sun  who  are,  as  to  religion,  in  a  mere  state  of  nature ;  the  glad  tidings  of 
the  gospel  have  not  reached  them,  nor  have  they  been  blessed,  or  (to  speak  in  modern 
phrase)  prejudiced,  AA-ith  divine  revelation,  which  we,  less  worthy  of  it,  so  much 
complain  of.  In  other  matters  they  are  polite  and  civilized  ;  they  are  cunning  arti- 
ficers, and  in  many  sciences  not  unskilful.  Here  then  we  may  hope  to  see  natural 
religion  in  its  full  perfection ;  for  there  is  no  want  of  natural  reason,  nor  any  room 
to  complain  of  prejudices  and  prepossessions:  but  yet,  alas!  these  nations  are  held 
in  chains  of  darkness,  and  given  up  to  the  blindest  superstition  and  idolatry.  Men 
wanted  not  reason  before  the  coming  of  Christ,  nor  opportunity  nor  inclination  to  im- 
prove it.  Arts  and  sciences  had  long  before  obtained  their  just  perfection  ;  the  num- 
ber of  the  stars  had  been  counted,  their  motions  observed  and  adjusted  ;  the  philoso- 
phy, oratory,  and  poesy  of  those  ages  are  still  the  delight  and  entertamment  of  this. 
Religion  was  not  the  least  part  of  their  inquiry.  They  searched  all  the  recesses  of 
reason  and  nature,  and,  had  it  been  in  the  poAver  of  reason  and  nature  to  furnish 
men  with  just  notions  and  principles  of  religion,  here  Ave  should  have  found  them  ; 
but  instead  of  them  we  find  nothing  but  the  grossest  superstitions  and  idolatry,  the' 
creatures  of  the  earth  advanced  into  deities,  and  men  degenerating  and  making  them- 
selves lower  than  the  beasts  of  the  field.  Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  the  corrup- 
tions and  extravagances  of  politest  nations.  Their  religiouAvas  their  reproach,  and  the 
service  they  paid  to  their  gods  was  a  dishonor  to  them  and  to  themselves.  The  most 
sacred  part  of  their  devotion  was  the  most  impure;  and  the  only  thing  thatAvas  com- 
mendable in  it  was  that  it  was  kept  as  a  great  mystery  and  secret,  and  hid  under  the 
darkness  of  the  night ;  and,  were  reason  noAV  to  judge,  it  Avould  approve  of  nothmg 
in  tins  religion  but  the  modesty  of  Avithhoiding  itself  from  the  eyes  of  the  Avorld. 

This  being  the  case  wherever  men  have  been  left  to  mere  reason  and  nature  to 
direct  them,  what  security  have  the  great  patrons  of  natural  religion  now  that,  Avere 


128  LECTURE    VIII. 

they  left  again  to  reason  and  nature,  they  would  not  run  into  the  same  errors  and  ab- 
surdities ?  Have  they  more  reason  than  those  who  have  gone  before  them  ?  In  all 
other  instances  nature  is  the  same  now  that  it  ever  was,  and  we  are  but  acting  over 
again  the  same  part  that  our  ancestors  acted  before  us.  Wisdom,  and  prudence,  and 
cunning,  are  now  what  they  formerly  were ;  nor  can  this  age  show  human  nature  in 
any  one  character  exalted  beyond  the  examples  that  antiquity  has  left  us.  Can  we 
show  greater  instances  of  civil  or  political  wisdom  than  are  to  be  found  in  the  gov- 
ernments of  Greece  and  Rome  ?  Are  not  their  civil  laws  still  held  in  admiration  ? 
And  have  they  not  a  place  allowed  them  still  in  almost  all  kingdoms  ?  Since  then 
in  nothing  else  have  we  gro^vn  wiser  than  the  heathen  world,  what  probability  is 
there  that  we  should  have  grown  wiser  in  religion  if  we  had  been  left,  as  they  were, 
to  mere  reason  and  nature  ?  To  this  day  there  is  no  alteration  for  the  better,  except 
only  in  the  countries  where  the  gospel  has  been  preached.  What  shall  we  say  of 
the  Chinese,  a  nation  that  wants  not  either  reason  or  learning,  and  in  some  parts  of 
it  pretends  to  excel  the  world  1  They  have  been  daily  improving  in  the  arts  of  life, 
and  in  every  kind  of  knowledge  and  science  ;  but  yet  in  religion  they  are  ignorant 
and  superstitious,  and  have  but  very  little  of  what  Ave  call  natural  religion  among 
them.  And  what  ground  is  there  to  imagine  that  reason  would  have  done  more, 
made  greater  discoveries  of  truth,  or  more  entirely  subdued  the  passions  of  men  in 
England  or  France,  or  any  other  country  in  Europe,  than  it  has  in  the  eastern  or 
southern  parts  of  the  world  ?  Are  not  men  as  reasonable  creatures  in  the  east  as  in 
the  west  ?  and  have  they  not  the  same  opportunities  of  exercising  and  improving 
their  reason  too  ?  Why  then  should  you  think  that  reason  would  do  that  now  in  this 
place  which  it  never  has  been  able  to  do  in  any  time  or  place  whatsoever  ?* 

Now,  though  this  reasoning  is  admirably  close  and  conclusive,  it  is  per- 
fectly easy  of  comprehension  ;  and,  though  common  understandings  lie 
under  great  disadvantages,  yet  it  is  by  no  means  difficult  to  descend  to 
their  level  if  you  will  take  the  pains  to  do  so.  The  whole  of  Bishop 
Sherlock's  long  discourse,  from  which  the  above  is  an  extract,  deserves  to 
be  studied.  It  is  a  melancholy  fact  that  infidelity  is  fast  spreading  among 
the  lower  orders  ;  in  the  bishop's  time  it  was  confined  to  the  higher. 
Bishops  and  great  men,  at  that  time,  stood  up  against  this  gigantic  enemy ; 
but  now  ordinary  preachers  must  understand  the  subject,  being  the  nearest 
in  rank  of  life  with  the  infected  party. 

Tiie  following  extract  from  the  same  author,  on  Gal.  vi.  9  :  "  Let  us 
not  be  weary  in  well-doing,"  contains  very  familiar  argument,  is  applica- 
ble to  any  worthy  object,  and  may  very  fitly  be  addressed  to  students  in 
divinity,  who  are  often  too  impatient  in  their  work. 

Whenever  hopes  and  expectations  are  raised  beyond  all  probability  of  being  an- 
swered in  the  event,  they  can  yield  nothing  but  uneasiness,  anger,  and  indignation, 
against  the  protraction  experienced  ;  and  yet  who  is  to  blame  ?  not  he  that  appointed 
means  to  an  end,  but  he  who  understands  this  so  little  as  to  expect  all  at  once,  which 
is  most  unreasonable.  Would  you  pity  the  husbandman  should  you  see  him  lament- 
ing his  misfortune  because  he  could  not  reap  in  the  spring,  when  all  the  world  knows 
the  time  of  harvest  is  not  till  summer  ?  The  case  is  the  same  in  all  similar  instan- 
ces: if  men  anticipate  the  reward  of  their  labor  by  the  eagerness  and  impatience  of 
their  hopes,  they  Avill  be  disappointed  indeed  ;  but  not  because  their  labor  is  vain, 
which  in  due  time  will  bring  its  reward,  but  because  their  expectations  are  vain  and 
unreasonable,  and  outrun  the  order  of  nature. 

You  see  then  of  what  consequence  it  is  to  us  rightly  to  balance  our  expectations, 
and  to  adjust  tliem  to  that  natural  course  and  order  of  things  which  Providence  has 
established  in  the  world.  We  may  easily  lose  the  fruit  of  our  well-grounded  hopes 
by  giving  ourselves  up  to  the  delusion  of  false  ones.  If  we  grow  sick  of  our  work 
because  our  untimely  wishes  are  disappointed,  we  shall  forfeit  the  reward  which 
patient  continuance  in  well-doing  would  in  the  natural  course  of  things  hnn<j;  with 
it.  And  I  take  this  to  be  the  foundation  and  ground  of  the  apostle's  exhortation  in 
the  text,  "Let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing,  for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap  if  we 
faint  not." 

"See  Halyburton's  masterly  treatise  on  the  Insuflicicncy  of  Natural  Ileligion,  now  publishing  in 
tlie  Clirialian  Library. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  129 

This  quotation  constitutes  a  part  of  the  introduction  to  the  sermon  ;  and 
it  furnishes  an  instance  of  the  possibility  of  occasionally  adopting  the  ar- 
gumentative style  with  good  effect  somewhat  out  of  its  usual  place,  thus 
justifying  ray  observation  that  in  some  part  of  every  discourse,  as  well  as 
sometimes  throughout,  argument  must  be  introduced. 

The  following  specimen  of  plain  argument  is  from  Dr.  Blair  : — 

An  extensive  contemplation  of  human  affairs  will  lead  us  to  this  conclusion,  that 
among  the  different  conditions  and  ranks  of  men  the  balance  of  happiness  is  pre- 
served in  a  great  measure  equal,  and  that  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the 
poor,  approach  in  point  of  real  enjoyment  much  nearer  to  each  other  than  is  com- 
monly imagined.  In  the  lot  of  man  mutual  compensations,  both  of  pleasure  and  of 
pain,  universally  take  place.  Providence  never  intended  that  any  state  here  should 
be  either  completely  happy  or  entirely  miserable.  If  the  feelings  of  pleasure  are 
more  numerous  and  more  lively  in  the  higher  departments  of  life,  such  also  are  those 
of  pain.  If  greatness  flatters  our  vanity,  it  multiplies  our  dangers.  If  opulence  in- 
creases our  gratifications,  it  increases  in  the  same  proportion  our  desires  and  de- 
mands. If  the  poor  are  confined  to  a  narroAV  circle,  yet  within  that  circle  lie  most 
of  those  natural  satisfactions  which,  after  all  the  refinements  of  art,  are  found  to  be  the 
most  genuine  and  true.  In  a  state,  therefore,  where  there  is  neither  so  much  to  be 
wanted  on  the  one  hand  nor  to  be  dreaded  on  the  other  as  at  first  appears,  how  sub- 
missive ought  we  to  be  to  the  disposal  of  Providence !  How  temperate  in  our  desires 
and  pursuits  I  How  much  more  attentive  to  our  principles  and  to  improve  our  minds 
than  to  gain  the  doubtful  and  equivocal  advantages  of  worldly  prosperity,  which  in 
a  moment  may  be  overturned !  But  the  refined  pleasures  of  a  pious  mind  are  in 
many  respects  superior  to  the  coarse  gratifications  of  sense :  they  are  pleasures  which 
belong  to  the  highest  powers  and  best  affections  of  the  soul ;  whereas  the  grati- 
fications of  sense  reside  m  the  lowest  regions  of  our  nature.  To  the  one  the  soul 
stoops  below  its  native  dignity  ;  the  other  raises  it  above  itself.  The  one  leaves  al- 
ways a  comfortless,  often  a  mortifying  remembrance  behind  them:  the  other  is  re- 
viewed with  delight.  The  pleasures  of  sense  resemble  a  pouring  torrent,  which, 
after  a  disorderly  course,  speedily  runs  out,  and  leaves  an  empty  and  offensive  chan- 
nel. But  the  pleasures  of  goodness  resemble  the  equable  current  of  a  pure  river, 
which  enlivens  the  fields  through  which  it  passes,  and  diffuses  verdure  and  fertility 
along  its  banks. 

One  example  from  Bishop  Beveridge  must  close  my  quotations  on  this 
head.  It  is  taken  from  his  sermon  on  2  Cor.  v.  7,  and  is  perfectly  charac- 
teristic of  the  plainness  and  simplicity  of  the  worthy  author,  who  is  some- 
times compared  to  our  invaluable  commentator,  Matthew  Henry,  being 
always  at  the  level  of  the  common  people,  though  he  was  in  fact  a  very 
learned  man.  In  truth,  I  can  not  but  think  that  he  is  to  be  considered 
the  wisest  and  cleverest  man  who  can  make  all  manner  of  subjects  and  all 
manner  of  ideas  familiar  to  every  capacity.*  But  let  us  hear  the  good 
bishop. 

By  faith  it  is  that  we  perceive  in  what  manner  God  governs,  orders,  and  disposes 
of  all  and  everything  in  this  world.  For  by  faith  we  may  see  him  the  first  cause, 
holding  as  it  were  the  chain  of  all  inferior  or  secondary  causes  in  his  hand,  ranging 
and  managing  them  all  both  severally  and  conjointly,  so  as  to  make  them  accomplish 
his  will  and  pleasure  in  the  world.  By  faith  we  see  him  overruling  the  comisels  and 
ordering  the  affairs  of  all  the  kingdoms  and  nations  upon  earth,  "  stilling  the  raging 
of  the  sea,  the  noise  of  his  waves,  and  the  madness  of  the  people."  By  faith  we 
may  behold  him  distributing  the  honors  and  dispersing  the  riches  of  this  world,  as 
he  himself  sees  good,  advancing  one  and  depressing  another,  sometimes  giving  and 
then  taking  away  the  blessings  of  this  world  foi  reasons  best  known  to  himself;  yea, 
by  faith  we  may  behold  him  interesting  and  concerning  himself  in  the  minutest 
things  that  are,  "  for  are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  one  farthing  ?  and  one  of  them 
shall  not  fall  to  the  ground  without  your  Father ;  but  the  very  hairs  of  your  head 
are  all  numbered."  And  if  he  looks  after  the  sparrows,  and  numbers  the  very  hairs 
of  our  head,  what  is  there  in  the  world  that  can  be  exempted  from  his  care  and 

*  American  Blair  is  remarkable  for  this  skill  in  his  Sermons  ou  the  Beatitudes. 

9 


130  LECTURE    VIII. 

providence  ?  Nothing,  certainly ;  and  therefore  by  faith  we  can  not  but  behold  him 
moving  everything  that  stirs,  working  in  everything  that  acts,  influencing  and  dis- 
posing of  everylhins:  that  is,  so  as  to  make  it  conduce  to  his  own  glory.  And  if  in 
particular  we  consider  the  great  work  of  man's  redemption,  nothing  can  be  so  evi- 
dent to  our  senses  as  that  is  to  our  faith,  although  accomplished  many  ages  ago,  and 
believing  we  rejoice  in  his  work. 

These  examples  will,  I  hope,  suffice  to  convey  to  you  a  just  idea  of 
free  and  popular  discussion,  and  I  must  now  request  your  attention  to 
some  specimens  of  regular  propositlonal  discourses.  In  my  first  example, 
the  text  itself  forms  a  simple  proposition,  and  the  propositional  division  is 
not  available,  though  the  preacher  might,  if  he  saw  reason,  even  in  such  a 
case,  announce  his  proposition  in  words  embodying  the  sense  of  the  text, 
after  briefly  explaining  it.  In  the  present  case,  the  explanation  of  the  text 
constitutes  the  first  part,  and  the  body  of  the  discourse  comprises  several 
distinct  classes  of  argument  in  proof  of  the  proposition.  You  will  there- 
fore observe  that  the  division  is  in  fact  accommodational,  though  nothing 
is  wanting  to  render  it  complete  as  a  propositional  discourse  but  to  throw 
the  exposition  into  the  exordium.  It  is  on  John  xv.  5 :  "  Without  me 
you  can  do  nothing." 

I.  State  the  sense  of  the  expression.  It  is  a  universal  and  absolute  truth  (Acts 
xvii.  28) ;  but  I  do  not  here  mean  to  deny  to  men  their  natural  or  civil  liberty,  nor, 
in  a  proper  sense,  their  free  agency:  I  only  mean  to  say  that  without  divine  grace 
man  can  perform  no  spiritual  worship  or  service,  much  less  can  he  work  out  his  own 
salvation,  except  God  by  his  grace  work  in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do  those  things 
that  are  necessary  to  salvation,  being  in  himself  too  far  lost  for  such  a  mighty  work. 

II.  Produce  some  evidences  of  this  truth.  It  accords  with  everything  Avhich  we 
hear,  see,  and  feel. 

1.  What  we  hear.  The  history  of  all  nations  is  but  the  universal  history  of  human 
depravity.  All  flesh  has  corrupted  its  way,  and  in  its  course  of  corruption  the  power 
of  self-restoration  is  lost.  Every  attempt 'at  the  worship  and  service  of  God  is  de- 
graded with  carnal  views ;  and  man  has  no  idea  of  salvation  but  from  his  own  works. 
The  Jews  possessed  the  greatest  advantages ;  they  had  tlie  law,  the  prophets,  and 
the  ordinances  of  God,  Rom.  ix.  4,  5.  Yet  the  lawAvhich  they  possessed  "was  weak 
through  the  flesh,"  Rom.  viii.  3;  and  Israel,  who  "followed  after  righteousness,"  ob- 
tained it  not,  Rom.  ix.  31. 

2.  This  truth  agrees  with  what  we  see,  and  are  daily  compelled  to  observe.  Men 
we  everywhere  behold  who,  being  destitute  of  divine  grace,  and  without  God  in  the 
world,  show  that  man  naturally  is  still  "without  strength."  Hence  counsels  and 
admonitions,  promises  and  threatenings,  neither  allure  nor  terrify  men  to  the  exer- 
cise of  true  goodness.  In  this  sense,  are  not  men  dead  in  sin!  Are  men  held  back 
frorn  the  commission  of  consummate  evil  by  any  other  means  than  that  of  an  all-re- 
straining power,  and  such  co-operating-  aids  as  human  laws  afl'ord  ?  The  gospel 
itself,  in  its  purest  form  and  most  faithful  administration,  is  to  thousands  but  the  ad- 
ministration of  death. 

3.  This  is  again  proved  by  what  sincere  Christians  feel  within  themselves.  Let 
any  considerate  believer  compare  the  experience  of  St.  Paul,  candidly  and  faitlifully 
stated  in  his  seventh  chapter  to  the  Romans,  with  his  own.  Will  he' not  find  a  law, 
a  controlline:  power,  that,  "when  he  would  do  ffood,  evil  is  present  with  him"  to  pre- 
vent the  good  that  he  meditates?  Will  not  this  fact  be  verified  in  all  his  most  seri- 
ous engaijements,  for  a  considerable  time  compelling  him  to  deplore  his  situation  in 
the  most  lamentable  laniruaire  of  complaint?  And,  if  this  be  true  in  retired  life,  is  it 
not  as  evidently  true  in  the  work  of  the  ministry?  Paul  may  plant,  and  Apollos 
may  water,  but  it  is  God  alone  that  gives  the  increase :  nay,  if  God  give  not  a  door 
of  utterance,  the  work  of  the  ministry  is  but  labor  and  sorrow. 

III.  We  must  confirm  this  truth  by  showinj;  the  unreasonableness  of  the  contrary 
opinion.  A  thing  that  is  contrary  to  all  we  know,  see,  and  feel,  must  lie  under  a 
good  deal  of  suspicion.  If  anf,'els,  now  fallen,  by  the  sovereign  suspension  of  sustain- 
ing grace,  were  no  longer  able  to  stand — if  our  first  parents,  created  in  righteousness 
and  true  holiness,  were  not  able  to  preserve  their  first  estate,  because  preserving 
grace  was,  for  all-wise  ends,  withheld — how  can  we,  in  our   state  of  imspeakable 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  131 

weakness,  continue  in  a  course  of  well-doing?  How  can  we  account  for  the  awful 
falls  of  God's  dearest  servants  ?  Even  with  a  manifest  will  to  do  good,  and  a  general 
disposition  and  habit  inclining  that  way,  did  not  many  of  these  excellent  of  the  earth 
fall  into  scandalous  sins  ?  Into  what  extravagances  and  inconsistencies  must  men  be 
betrayed,  before  they  can  deny  the  doctrine  laid  dovsm ;  Must  not  man  be  a  still  more 
unaccountable  creature  than  philosophy  itself  ever  discovered  him  to  be,  if  he  could 
by  the  mere  volition  of  the  will  save  himself,  and  yet  that  will  to  determine  in  sin 
and  self-destruction  ?  Then  is  the  real  state  of  human  nature  worse  a  thousand-fold 
than  ever  it  was  represented  by  the  men  called  evangelical.  In  short,  the  converse 
of  our  opinion  would  exhibit  such  a  state  of  things  as  must  be  perfectly  anomalous; 
and  we  must  have  a  new  revelation  from  Jehovah  to  enable  us  to  account  for  any 
part  of  our  knowledge  and  experience. 

IV.  This  doctrine  will  not  appear  unreasonable  if  we  reflect  that  the  gift  of  grace 
is  not  the  only  sovereign  act  of  God,  either  in  nature  or  degree,  that  we  are  actually 
acquainted  with.  God  is  the  sovereign  author  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift  through- 
out all  nature.  It  is  by  his  blessing  that  the  means  of  animal  life  effect  their  end. 
It  is  only  by  a  divine  blessing  that  our  understanding  and  reason  become  mature  or 
maintain  their  scat ;  if  that  blessing  be  suspended,  we  fall  into  gross  and  palpable 
errors,  and  even  into  derangement  itself.  It  is  by  the  divine  blessing  if  Ave  get  rich 
or  if  a  state  of  poverty  is  not  only  rendered  endurable,  but  often  a  state  of  considera- 
ble comfort.  It  is  by  the  divine  blessing  that  the  earth  yields  her  bounteous  store  to 
meet  our  wants ;  and,  to  the  Christian,  it  is  by  a  peculiar  blessing  that  all  things  are 
made  to  work  together  for  good.  Is  it  then  to  be  otherwise  in  grace  ?  Can  we  do 
anything  pleasing  to  God  without  his  help,  who  is  always  ready  to  help  us  in  every 
time  of  need,  and  to  make  his  strength  perfect  in  our  weakness? 

V.  We  will  furnish  a  proof  or  example  that  whatever  is  done  aright  in  this 
world  is  done  by  divine  grace.  Our  proposition  is  that  we  can  do  nothing  without 
God:  this  is  nearly  the  same  thing  as  to  say.  We  can  do  anything  and  everything 
with  his  help :  and  this  perfectly  accounts  for  many  things  which  would  be  other- 
wise unaccountable.  Paul  says  he  was  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven,  2  Cor.  xii. 
The  fact  we  are  not  allowed  to  dispute ;  but  the  manner  is  wrapped  up  in  mystery. 
But  was  his  elevation  from  Saul  of  Tarsus  to  Paul  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
martyr  of  Jesus  Christ  less  remarkable?  Did  not  divine  grace  raise  this  individual 
as  much  above  his  former  self  as  heaven  is  higher  than  earth  ?  If  we  were  to  fix 
upon  an  individual  to  Avhom  we  ought  to  apply  the  character  of  the  "  angel  flying  in 
the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  in  his  hands,"  we  should  surely 
fix  upon  Paul.  Whatever  he  said  was  evidently  above  himself.  There  was  an 
elevating  power  that  bore  him  above  nature's  bounds,  while  to  his  own  moral  conduct 
he  could  refer  without  a  blush.  The  degree  of  his  sanctification  and  devotedness  to 
God  was  also  very  great.  Now  all  this  was  the  pure  eff"ect  of  divine  grace  :  "  Not 
I,  but  the  grace  of  God  that  was  with  me."  Then,  without  this  grace,  he  would 
have  been  Saul  of  Tarsus  still :  he,  without  God's  help,  would  have  done  nothing 
aright :  but  by  divine  strength  he  could  do  the  extraordinary  things  his  history  relates. 

VI.  We  must  refer  this  matter  to  testimonrj.  Here  I  would  not  exhibit  the  parade 
of  triumph,  but  merely  introduce  two  or  three  witnesses:  Joshua  tells  the  Israelites 
that  they  can  not  serve  the  Lord,  Josh.  xxiv.  19.  "An  evil  tree  can  not  bring  forth 
good  fruit,"  Matt.  vii.  18.  "  No  one  can  come  unto  me,"  saith  Christ,  "  except  the 
Father  who  hath  sent  me  draAV  him,"  John  vi.  44.  "  Without  me  ye  can  do  noth- 
ing," John  XV.  5.  "  Can  the  Ethiopian  change  his  skin  ?"  Jer.  xiii.  23.  Eccles.  ix. 
11 :  "The  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong,"  &c.  Jer.  ix.  24  : 
"Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  inhis  wisdom,"  fee.  Zech.  iv.  6  :  "  Not  by  might,  nor 
by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit." 

Is  it  possible,  if  we  consider  the  state  of  man  as  described  in  the  scripture,  that  we 
can  expect  any  spiritual  service  from  him  ?  He  is  represented  as  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins,  as  blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world,  as  brutish  and  ignorant,  as  polluted  and 
defiled.  The  very  age  of  miracles  must  return  if  we  see  such  a  lost  being  as  man, 
in  his  own  strength,  serving  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  improving  his  own  state,  and 
preparing  himself  for  heavenly  glory. 

We  are  compelled  therefore  to  conclude  upon  the  truth  of  our  proposition,  that 
without  God  we  can  do  nothing. 

Where  then  is  the  arrogance  of  man  ?  Though  he  exalt  himself,  like  Lucifer, 
above  the  stars,  yet  shall  he  be  brought  down,  Isa.  xiv.  12-15.  Where  then  are  his 
free-will  and  moral  ability  ?  Are  they  not  as  a  spider's  web  ?  "  Why  should  you 
follow  after  vain  things  that  can  not  profit  nor  deliver,  for  they  are  vain  ?"  Are  they 
anything  but  refuges  of  lies  ?     If  the  best  of  created  beings  can  not  maintain  a  course 


132  LECTURE    VIII. 

of  steady  obedience  without  sustaining  grace,  how  shall  a  polluted  creature  make 
one  essay  to  serve  God  ?  If  God's  law  be  spiritual,  extending  to  the  very  thoughts, 
requiring  perfect  love  to  its  Author,  what  hope  remains  for  you  ?  "  The  youth  shall 
faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  man  shall  utterly  fall,  but  those  who  wait  on  the 
Lord"  for  strength  shall  succeed  at  last.  In  the  present  frame  of  your  minds  you 
forego  the  only  remaining  hope,  and  confirm  your  own  inevitable  ruin.  0  thou 
adorable  Source  of  inexhaustible  grace !  ever-refreshing,  ever-sufficient,  be  thou  my 
strength  and  stay ;  enable  me  to  do  the  divine  will  on  earth  even  as  it  is  done  in 
heaven.  Follow  me  through  this  wilderness  state,  that  I  may  continually  receive 
out  of  thy  fulness  grace  for  grace  ! 

Suppose  you  were  desirous  of  preaching  on  the  text  Phil.  i.  6  :  "  Being 
confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  he  who  hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you 
will  perform  it  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ."  Having  briefly  explained 
your  text,  your  proposition  might  affirm  the  doctrine  of  the  final  perse- 
verance of  the  saints,  in  support  of  which  you  might  adopt  a  plan  some- 
thing like  this  : — 

1.  State  the  direct  evidence  of  this  doctrine  from  the  testimony  of  inspiration. 

2.  Refer  this  article  of  faith  to  the  general  doctrine  of  God's  faithfulness. 

3.  Describe  this  faithfulness  in  its  several  acts  and  properties,  and  bring  all  these 
to  corroborate  the  doctrine  in  hand. 

4.  Show  the  fallacy  of  those  objections  which  are  commonly  brought  against  it- 

Thc  following  is  an  example  of  a  propositional  discourse  on  a  practical 
subject,  from  Walker  on  James  iv.  17  :  "  Therefore  to  him  that  knoweth 
to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin."  The  exordium  refers  to 
the  unfruitful  lives  of  professors,  their  pretensions  to  comparative  inno- 
cence, their  self-deceptions,  their  partial  obedience,  &c.  The  text  is  then 
resolved  into  two  propositions,  as  follows : — 

I.  That  men  sin,  not  only  when  they  actually  transgress  the  law  of  God,  but  also 
when  they  do  not  fulfil  the  duties  which  God  requires  of  them  to  the  utmost  of  their 
power. 

If  God  were  a  severe  task-master,  an  austere,  selfish  being — if  the  service  we  ren- 
dered to  him  had  no  connexion  with  our  own  happiness — a  deliberate  calculation  of 
our  services,  how  far  they  might  be  rendered  just  sufficient  to  screen  us  from  punish- 
ment, might  be  excusable  ;  but  when  we  consider  that  his  laws  are  expressions  of 
his  goodness  rather  than  of  his  sovereignty,  and  are  intimately  interwoven  with  our 
happiness,  it  were  folly  and  ingratitude  to  contract  our  services.  "  His  yoke  is  easy, 
his  burden  is  light."  If  we  love  him,  his  commands  will  be  met  with  pleasure; 
while  a  mean  and  servile  spirit  grudges  ihe  least  thing  that  demands  his  exertions. 
If  this  matter  therefore  rested  upon  principle,  we  must  not  only  act  so  as  to  escape 
punishment,  but  also  so  as  to  extend  our  service  to  the  performance  of  all  that  we 
can  do. 

But  the  prescribed  rule  also  goes  to  this.  We  are  not  only  to  depart  from  evil, 
but  to  do  good,  not  only  to  cleanse  ourselves  from  mere  filthiness,  but  also  to  perfect 
holiness.  Christ  went  about  doing  good:  here  was  the  active  part.  It  was  not 
enough  that  he  did  no  sin  ;  he  became  the  Father's  agent  to  do  good  to  men,  John 
ix.  2,  4 ;  and,  lest  the  impression  of  this  point  should  not  be  sufficiently  strong  with 
regard  to  us,  Christ  directs  many  of  his  parables  to  this  end,  to  show  that  God  looks 
for  actual  positive  good  to  be  done  by  us.  The  rich  man  and  Lazarus,  the  talents, 
the  barren  fig-tree,  are  of  this  kind  ;  and  the  procedure  at  the  last  judgment  turns 
upon  active  benevolence.  Matt.  xxv.  From  all  we  have  observed,  it  is  plaui  that 
omission  ofwhatAve  ou^ht  to  have  done  incurs  equal  condemnation  with  positive 
transgression.  What  a  frightful  view  does  this  give  of  the  past  part  of  our  lives  I 
Oh,  what  omissions  ! — tremendous  account ! 

A  most  pressing  application  to  the  conscience  follows  under  this  first 
head. 

IT.  That  our  guilt  is  more  highly  aggravated  when  we  neglect  the  duties  which 
are  known  to  us,  or  when  we  decline  o])portunities  of  doing  good,  though  we  are 
convinced  that  it  is  our  dutv  to  embrace  them. 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  133 

He  who  does  not  seek  for  opportunities  of  doing  good  is  a  sinner ;  that  is,  he  cotin- 
teracts  the  obvious  will  of  his  Maker,  and  therefore  shall  be  dealt  with  as  an  un- 
faithful servant,  who  has  not  applied  his  talents  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were 
given  him.  And,  if  this  be  the  case,  then  surely  the  person  who  has  a  known  op- 
portunity of  doing  good,  and  yet  wilfully  neglects  it,  must  contract  greater  guilt  and 
be  liable  to  severer  punishment.  If  that  man  be  culpable  who  is  careless  of  doing 
all  the  good  which  by  the  exertion  of  his  talents  he  is  able  to  do,  is  not  that  man 
much  more  culpable  who  presumptuously  omits  to  do  good  to  which  he  has  opportu- 
nities to  solicit  hmi  ?  But  why  should  I  spend  time  in  establishing  so  plain  a  truth, 
especially  when  it  is  already  confirmed  by  the  highest  authority?  Luke  xii.  47. 
The  only  question  that  remains,  then,  is  whether  this  be  a  supposition  that  can  be 
made.  Is  it  to  be  thought  that  any  man  is  capable  of  deliberately  resisting  his  own 
conviction,  and  of  declining  obedience  to  a  law  which  he  both  knows  and  believes 
to  be  binding  on  him  ?  I  confess,  indeed,  that  a  superior  being,  if  we  could  imagine 
him  to  be  altogether  unacquainted  with  human  affairs,  might  reject  this  supposition 
as  impossible.  But  surely  we  have  no  cause  to  object  against  the  representation  as 
forced  or  beyond  the  life.  Our  own  observations,  unless  we  have  been  extremely 
inattentive,  can  not  fail  to  furnish  us  with  innumerable  proofs  of  this  determined 
neglect  of  duty.  We  need  not  go  from  home  to  bring  our  example  from  persons  in 
high  and  public  trust,  who  have  been  known  to  sacrifice  the  acknowledged  interest 
and  honor  of  a  whole  nation  to  their  own  private  resentment  or  personal  advantage. 
They  are  seen  further  for  no  other  reason  but  because  they  are  placed  higher.  The 
importance  of  their  station  renders  their  faults  more  conspicuous,  while  a  groaning 
community  points  out,  as  with  a  finger,  the  authors  of  its  distress.  But  let  each  cf 
us  look  into  his  own  breast ;  and  if  conscience  be  not  asleep  it  v»rill  say  to  us,  as 
Nathan  did  to  David,  Thou  art  the  man !  Thou  hast  thyself  neglected  the  fairest 
opportunities  of  doing  good  when  thou  hadst  the  strongest  conviction  that  it  was  thy 
reasonable  duty. 

I  mean  not  to  pry  into  the  secrets  of  your  hearts,  any  more  than  to  divulge  the 
secrets  of  my  own.  But  I  speak  from  a  thorough  conviction  that  all  of  us  pass  too 
slightly  over  our  omissions,  even  in  the  most  serious  review  which  we  take  of  our 
own  conduct.  We  are,  alas'  too  fruitful  in  excuses,  and  too  ready  to  gloss  over  our 
most  culpable  neglects  with  the  specious  color  of  ignorance  and  incapacity.  But 
God,  to  whom  the  night  shineth  as  the  day,  knows  the  conviction  of  mind  against 
which  we  sin,  and  our  most  dexterous  arts  of  concealment  can  not  screen  us  from 
his  penetrating  glance.  A  just  impression  of  this  would  prevent  naany  fatal  mistakes 
in  our  conduct.  I  have  now,  for  example,  an  opportunity  of  doing  good ;  and  my 
conscience  tells  me  that  I  ought  to  improve  it.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  many 
strong  temptations  to  neglect  it.  It  would  put  me  to  mtich  cost  and  trouble ;  it 
would  involve  me  in  a  train  of  action  against  which  my  mdolence  revolts ;  or  it 
would  divert  me  from  other  employments  more  agreeable  to  my  inclination.  On 
which  side  shall  I  resolve  ?  May  I  not  manage  so  that  the  neglect  shall  escape  the 
observation  of  my  neighbor  ?  or,  if  he  should  perceive  it,  may  I  not  find  some  excuse 
to  save  me  from  his  censure  ?  Ah !  but  here  is  the  check :  The  Searcher  of  hearts 
knows  my  present  conviction.  In  vain  shall  I  attempt  to  prevaricate  with  him.  I 
may  elude  the  censure  of  man,  but  I  never  can  escape  the  judgment  of  God,  who  is 
greater  than  my  heart,  and  knows  all  things.  Such  reasoning  as  this,  if  it  were  once  to 
becomehabitual  to  us,  would  be  a  constant  and  powerful  incitement  to  obedience,  and 
would  prevent  the  deep  guilt  of  neglecting  to  do  good  when  we  know  the  extent  and 
obligation  of  the  law  of  God,  and  are  convinced  of  our  duty  to  comply  with  it. 

Let  us  now,  in  conclusion,  improve  the  subject. 

1.  This  subject  administers  a  sharp  reproof  to  those  who  in  any  case  attempt  to 
evade  their  convictions  of  duty.  For  consider  what  kind  of  disposition  this  conduct 
betrays.  Is  it  not  evidently  the  disposition  of  a  slavish  and  mercenary  mind  ?  You 
do  no  more  in  the  service  of  God  than  you  suppose  to  be  necessary  in  order  to  escape 
eternal  misery,  and  this  is  the  only  consideration  that  deters  you  from  open  trans- 
gressions of  his  law.  You  have  therefore  no  regard  for  him,  but  only  a  concern 
for  your  own  safety.  Your  plan  of  conduct  is  to  offend  God  as  far  as  you  can  with- 
out incurring  his  vengeance,  so  that  any  appearance  of  good  about  you  is  nothing 
more  than  the  effect  of  a  natural  timidity.  Do  you  thus  requite  the  Lord  ?  Does  his 
goodness  challenge  no  better  return  from  you  ?  Consider,  I  beseech  you,  the  base- 
ness and  ingratitude  of  this  conduct ;  and,  if  your  hearts  retain  any  spark  of  ingenu- 
ousness, you  will  surely  be  persuaded  to  a  more  faithful  and  generous  conduct  for  the 
time  to  come. 

2.  This  subject  administers  reproof  also  to  the  slothful  and  inactive  servant,  who 


134  LECTURE    VIII. 

rests  contented  with  low  attainments  in  religion.  You  perhaps  flatter  yourself  that, 
although  you  are  remiss  in  seeking  opportunities  of  doing  good,  yet  you  are  not  un- 
faithful to  any  known  obligation.  Bui  in  this  case  you  greatly  deceive  yourself;  for 
is  it  not  a  known  obligation  that  we  should  aim  at  as  much  perfection  as  possible  ? 
But  you  have  renounced  this  desire  altogether  ;  in  other  words,  you  have  deliberately 
left  off  the  work  to  which  our  Savior  has  expressly  commanded  us  to  devote  our- 
selves ;  for  are  not  these  his  very  words,  "  Be  ye  perfect,  as  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven  is  perfect"  ? 

3.  This  ought  to  quicken  the  zeal  and  activity  even  of  those  who  have  made  the 
greatest  progress  in  the  ways  of  God.  The  declining  state  of  religion  calls  loudly 
on  those  who  are  its  real  friends  to  exert  themselves  to  the  utmost  in  order  to  revive 
its  influence  in  the  world.  Nothing  will  so  effectually  accomplish  this  object  as 
your  holy,  persevering  zeal.  Be  ye  truly  the  salt  of  the  earth,  the  light  of  the  world, 
active,  indefatigable  in  every  work  of  the  Lord,  knowing  that  your  labor  shall  not  be 
in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

The  following,  from  Claude,  is  also  strictly  prepositional,  and,  like  tlie 
last,  the  whole  sense  of  the  text  is  divided  into  two  parts  : — 

Rom.  viii.  13:  "If  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die:  but  if  ye, 
through  the  Spirit,  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  live." 

From  these  words  I  shall  raise  the  following  propositions  : — 

I.  That  the  damnation  of  sinners  is  inevitable. 

IL  That  a  life  formed  by  the  Spirit  of  holiness  can  not  fail  to  issue  in  eternal  hap- 
piness. 

L  That  the  damnation  of  sinners  is  inevitable.  It  is  a  lamentable  thing,  but  such 
is  the  blindness  of  the  natural  understanding  in  men,  that  they  seldom  think  of  their 
latter  end :  if  they  did  so,  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  not  to  endeavor  to  avoid 
the  eternal  torments  which  await  sinners  after  this  life  ;  self-love  would  urge  them 
to  this  care,  self-preservation  would  give  energy  to  their  endeavors,  if  the  language 
of  entreaty  failed.     Why  will  ye  die? 

1.  The  certainty  of  future  punishment  is  clearly  demonstrable. 

1.)  Consider,  then,  that  man  is  a  creature  subject  to  a  law.  The  light  of  a  man's 
own  conscience  will  discover  an  essential  difference  between  vice  and  virtue,  good 
actions  and  bad,  Prov.  xx.  27.  Hence  come  the  decisions  of  conscience,  and  the 
just  judgments  we  make  of  one  another's  actions,  approving  or  condemning  them ; 
for  this  necessarily  proves  that  there  is  a  common  rule  by  which  we  acknowledge 
that  all  men  ought  to  live.  And  this  is  a  truth  so  natural  to  all  men,  that  the  most 
wicked  of  all,  who  endeavor  to  elude  its  application  to  themselves,  do  nevertheless 
acknowledge  it  when  proposed  generally  and  applied  to  other  persons.  Now,  if 
there  be  a  law  common  to  all  men,  there  must  be  a  Supreme  Judge,  before  whose 
tribunal  they  must  appear  to  give  an  account  of  their  actions ;  and,  if  there  be  a 
supreme  tribunal  to  judge  them,  it  necessarily  follows  that  there  are  punishments 
ordained  for  the  transgressors  of  this  common  law.  Law,  judge,  punisliment,  are 
three  things  which  reason  and  nature  have  joined  together  in  indissoluble  bands.  A 
law  is  no  law  if  it  does  not  suppose  a  judgment,  and  a  judgment  is  no  judgment  if  it 
does  not  suppose  punishment;  but,  iif  these  three  things  be  inseparable  from  each 
other,  they  also  imply  a  fourth,  viz. :  the  power  which  renders  man  capable  of  good 
or  evil,  in  opposition  to  brute  beasts.  Now  from  all  this  it  appears  hoAV  pernicious 
wilful  blindness  is,  which  makes  the  wicked  deny  the  pains  of  hell ;  for  thereby  they 
turn  themselves  into  brute  beasts,  and,  openly  professing  to  deny  their  own  reason, 
they  degrade  themselves  below  that  admirable  dignity  of  their  nature  which  places 
them  above  all  other  animal  creatures. 

2.)  We  can  establish  this  proposition,  not  only  by  reason,  but  also  by  the  common 
consent  of  all  mankind.  For,  in  the  thickest  darkness  of  paganism,  when,  as  the 
scripture  says,  "  God  suffered  all  nations  to  walk  in  their  oyn\  ways,"  even  then  it 
was  acknowledged  that,  as  there  was  a  reward  ])roposed  to  the  just  and  virtuous,  so 
there  were  also  punishments  determined  on  for  the  unjust  and  impious.  I  oivn, 
when  the  pagans  philosophized  on  these  punishments,  they  almost  all  said  chimeri- 
cal and  unreasonable  things;  yet,  allowing  this,  they  were  not  far  from  this  genera! 
idea — there  must  necessarily  be  a  punishment  annexed  to  vice. 

3.)  This  may  be  further  proved  by  the  principles  of  all  religions.  There  never 
was,  nor  can  there  ever  be,  any  which  is  not  founded  upon  this  principle — that  God 
is  our  Sovereign  Judge,  who  holds  in  his  hands  our  life  and  death.  This  made  a 
profane  writer  say  :  "  Fear  made  gods." 


ON    PROPOSITIONAL    DISCOURSES.  135 

4.)  We  prove  the  point  from  revelation,  which  has  placed  this  truth  in  the  clear- 
est light.     Refer  to  Isa.  xxx.  33  ;  Ps.  ix.  17  ;  Matt.  xxv.  46  ;  Luke  xvi.  23  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  4. 

2.  Having  sufficiently  proved  the  certainty  of  future  punishment,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary for  us  to  state  those  circumstances  of  it  which  require  material  consideration. 

•  1.)  The  punishment  must  not  be  in  this  life  only,  but  after  death.  The  reason  is 
plain— it  is  a  punishment  that  must  follow  the  judgment ;  for  the  judgment  can  not  be 
till  life  is  ended,  as  the  course  of  life  we  pursue  must  be  finished  before  the  decree 
can  be  pronounced  to  acquit  or  to  condemn  us.  It  must  not  be  imagined,  therefore, 
that  the  punishment  of  which  we  speak  consists  in  the  afflictions  of  this  life  only. 

2.)  It  must  be  a  punishment  that  involves  both  soul  and  body  ;  for,  as  both  have 
joined  in  the  practice  of  vice,  both  must  also  partake  of  the  punishment;  whence  it 
follows  that  the  punishment  can  neither  be  temporal  death,  which  does  not  affect 
the  soul,  nor  merely  the  inquietudes  and  agitations  of  conscience,  which  do  not  affect 
the  body. 

3.)  It  must  be  a  real  punishment,  that  is,  something  which  really  has  the  essence 
of  pain,  and  actually  relates  to  the  justice  of  God,  whence  it  follows  that  it  can  not 
consist  (as  some  pretend)  in  the  annihilation  of  body  and  soul ;  for  the  divine  justice 
demands  an  eternal  pain,  which  glorifies  it,  and  consequently  which  does  not  destroy 
its  subject,  but  continues  it  in  being  for  a  perpetual  monument  of  God's  hatred  of 
sin. 

4.)  It  must  be  a  punishment  proportionable  in  greatness  as  well  as  in  duration  to 
the  greatness  of  the  Judge  who  ordains  it,  the  tribimal  which  decrees  it,  and  the  Al- 
mighty hand  which  executes  it.  To  give  a  scriptural  idea  of  this  infliction,  it  is 
called  vengeance,  fire,  eternal  fire,  the  ivorm  that  dieth  not,  burning  coals  of  fire,  the 
bottomless  pit,  &:c. 

How  vain,  then,  are  all  the  subterfuges  which  sinners  use  on  the  subject!  It  is  a 
distressing  subject,  therefore  they  do  not  like  to  think  about  it.  Observe  the  folly 
of  this  conduct,  for  their  condemnation  is  not  the  less  certam  for  their  forgetting  it; 
they  resemble  prisoners  already  in  irons  and  doomed  to  punishment,  who  stifle  the 
sense  of  their  misery  by  plunging  into  debauchery.  They  resemble  the  old  world, 
who  were  "  eating,  drinking,  marrying,  and  giving  in  marriage,"  as  the  scripture 
says,  "and  suddenly  (when  they  least  thought  of  it)  the  flood  came,  and  took  them 
all  away."  But  m  vain  will  sinners  comfort  themselves  with  a  notion  that  this  day 
of  reckoning  is  very  far  off.  "  For,  if  the  righteous  scarcely  be  saved,  where  will  the 
ungodly  and  sinners  appear  V 

II.  That  a  life  formed  by  the  Spirit  of  holiness  can  not  fail  of  issuing  in  eternal 
happiness.*  Nothing  can  be  more  easy  than  to  show  the  truth  of  this  proposition. 
The  scripture  decides  the  point:  Titus  ii.  11-13,  and  iii.  8  ;  Phil.  iii.  18-20;  Rom. 
vi.  23;  Gal.  v,  13,  and  v.  16,  17,  to  the  end.  See  also  Matt.  v.  16:  "Let  your 
light,"  Sec. 

1.  This  was  the  principal  end  of  Christ's  coming,  1  John  iii.  8,  "  that  he  might 
destroy  the  works  oi  the  devil,"  which  are  principally  sin  and  punishment.  Let  it 
not  be  imagined  that  Jesus  Christ  came  to  take  away  the  punishment  of  sin,  and  yet 
leave  sin  triumphant.  The  absurdity  of  the  supposition  refutes  itself  Is  it  likely 
that  Christ  should  have  quitted  the  mansions  of  glory  to  obtain  impunity  for  crimi- 
nals, leaving  them  immersed  in  sensuality  and  sin  ?  Is  it  likely  that  he  will  hold 
communion  with  sinners  in  rebellion  and  profaneness  ?  Is  it  possible  for  the  holy 
Jesus  to  join  his  spirit  to  our  flesh,  his  purity  to  our  profaneness,  his  holiness  to  our 
iniquity  ?  This  would  be  saying  that  he  came  to  unite  two  things  which  can  not 
unite,  which  are  naturally  and  necessarily  incompatible,  2  Cor.  vi.  14.  An  enemy 
once  said  that  "  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  Avorld  to  make  the  most  horrible  and 
dreadful  societies ;  for,"  says  he,  "  he  calls  sinners,  and  not  the  righteous  ;  so  that 
the  body  he  came  to  assemble  is  a  body  of  profligates  separated  from  good  people, 
among  whom  they  were  before  mixed.  He  has  rejected  all  the  good,  and  collected 
all  the  bad."  False  and  cruel  accuser !  Origen,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  church, 
refuted  him.  "True,"  says  he,  "our  Jesus  came  to  call  sinners,  but  it  was  to  re- 
pentance ;  he  assembles  the  Avicked,  but  it  is  to  convert  them  uito  neAV  men,  or 
rather  to  change  them  into  angels.  We  come  to  him  covetous,  he  makes  us  liberal ; 
unjust,  he  makes  us  equitable ;  lascivious,  he  makes  us  chaste ;  violent,  he  makes  us 
meek ;  impious,  he  makes  us  religious."  This  is  the  true  effect  of  communion  with 
Jesus  Christ ;  it  transforms  us  into  his  image ;  and,  if  this  does  not  appear,  we  are 
obliged  to  deny  the  reality  of  such  a  communion. 

*  The  original  proposition  of  Claude  stands  thus :  •■  That  a  g-ood  and  holy  life  ii?  both  a  principal 
end  of  the  gospel  and  an  inseparable  character  of  Christianity."  The  alteration  appeared  calculated 
to  preserve  the  contrast  of  the  text  more  perfectly  and  equally  adapted  to  his  design. 


136  LECTURE    VIII. 

2.  If  this  is  true  in  reference  to  Christ  Jesus  the  Son,  so  it  is  also  in  reference  to 
the  Father,  to  whom  communion  with  Jesus  Christ  leads  us.  As  Christ  came  into 
the  world  in  the  quality  of  a  Mediator,  he  called  men  to  himself  only  to  unite  them 
to  God  ;  hence,  what  he  says  in  John  xiv.  6  ;  xvii.  20,  21  ;  Ps.  v.  4.  It  is  evident, 
then,  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  brings  us  into  communion  with  God, 
brings  us  also  at  the  same  time  into  true  holiness,  without  which  communion  with 
God  is  impossible. 

3.  How,  while  immersed  in  sin,  can  we  be  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Can  the 
Holy  Ghost  dwell  in  a  man  without  producing  the  effects  of  his  power  and  grace  ? 
Can  he  dwell  idly  in  a  man  ?  Can  he  possess  his  heart  and  affections,  and  yet  leave 
his  heart  enslaved  to  sin  ?  "  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh  ;  and  that  which 
is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit."  So  Paul  also  declares:  "  They  that  are  after  the 
flesh,"  &c.,  Rom.  viii.  5.  "  If,  therefore,  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he 
is  none  of  his ;"  for,  wherever  this  Spirit  is  sent,  suitable  effects  follow. 

4.  If  holmess  be  a  necessary  consequence  of  the  gospel,  it  is  no  less  true  that  the 
gospel  is  an  inexhaustible  source  of  motives  to  holiness.  I  pass  over  its  precepts  and 
rules  on  conduct,  which  give  us  an  idea  of  holiness  so  lively,  so  beautiful,  and  so 
full  of  charms,  that  it  alone  is  a  most  powerful  motive  to  obedience.  Nor  will  I  stop 
to  observe  that  the  nature  of  vice  is  represented  in  the  gospel  so  fully,  and  the  hor- 
rors of  it  are  so  well  described,  that  we  must  needs  hold  it  in  abhorrence.  It  shall 
be  sufficient  now  to  remark  to  you— if  I  may  venture  to  say  so,  to  make  you  feel  by 
your  own  experience  that  nothing  can  be  conceived  more  powerful  than  the  reasons 
by  which  the  Christian  religion  enforces  the  necessary  practice  of  good  works.  All 
its  mysteries  point  at  this ;  all  the  most  grand  and  most  marvellous  things  it  teaches 
regard  this ;  all  its  doctrines  are  so  many  bonds  to  bind  our  hearts  to  the  obedieiice 
of  faith.  The  gospel  consecrates  to  holy  uses  even  what  the  light  of  nature  teaches  ; 
as,  that  God  is  our  creator,  that  he  is  our  preserver,  that  he  governs  the  universe,  and 
particularly  watches  over  us.  "What  can  more  forcibly  incline  us  to  practise  holy 
obedience  than  these  important  truths,  if  well  considered?  What  obligations  have 
we  to  God  ?  Since  he  is  our  Creator,  who  gave  us  life  and  being,  ought  not  we  to 
devote  all  to  him?  and,  if  we  owe  him  all,  should  not  we  be  monsters  rather  than 
men  to  dishonor  his  creation,  to  insult  his  bounty,  to  rebel  against  his  laws,  and  not 
to  have  his  glory  always  before  our  eyes  ?  But  all  these  motives,  however  great  and 
powerful,  are  nothing  in  comparison  with  those  which  the  gospel  does  not  borrow 
from  the  light  of  reason,  but  takes  from  its  o\ra  source,  viz.,  such  as  the  Holy 
Ghost  teaches.  These  motives  are  almost  all  comprehended  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in 
the  mysteries  of  his  redemption,  and  they  are  such  as  must  affect  every  soul  which 
is  not,  I  do  not  say  hard  and  insensible,  but  entirely  dead  in  sin,  or  possessed  by  the 
devil  ;  for,  in  one  word,  that  God,  after  all  our  rebellions,  and  all  our  crimes,  should 
yet  be  reconciled  to  us — that  he  should  give  us  his  Son — that  he  should  give  him  to 
us  in  our  own  nature,  to  be  our  head,  our  brother,  our  example— that  he  should  give 
him  to  die  for  us,  to  die  the  most  bloody,  the  most  ignominious,  and  the  most  cruel 
death  that  could  be  conceived,  is  not  this  love  and  mercy  worthy  of  eternal  praise? 
And  what  horrible  ingratitude  in  us,  if,  after  all,  we  should  be  yet  capable  of  wil- 
fully sinning  against  a  God  so  great,  and  of  counting  the  blood  of  such  a  covenant 
an  unholy  thing  !* 

Ilavinj^  already  extended  this  lecture  beyond  my  orio;inal  purpose,  I 
shall  only  add  an  outline  from  Flavel,  which  is  given  both  in  the  exposi- 
tory and  propositional  form.  It  is  on  Luke  xxiii.  43:  "Jesus  said  unto 
him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  to-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise." 

Division  o^  the  text  in  the  expository  form  : — 

I.  The  matter  of  the  promise  :  "  Be  with  me  in  paradise." 

II.  The  person  to  whom  made. 

III.  The  time  of  the  performance:  "To-day." 

IV.  The  confirmation  :  "Verily  I  say  unto  thee." 

Division  of  the  siihjcct  contained  in  the  text,  termed  by  our  old  divines 

the  doctrine  drawn  from  the  text : — 

I.  There  is  a  future  eternal  state  into  which  souls  pass  at  death. 

•  A  fine  specimen  of  extended  argument  by  Mr.  Hall,  viz.,  bis  sermon  against  infidelity,  may 
here  be  recommended.    This  discourse  is  printed  separately,  and  may  be  had  cheap. 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  137 

II.  All  believers  at  their  death  are  immediately  received  into  a  state  of  glory  and 
eternal  happiness. 

III.  God  may,  though  he  seldom  does,  prepare  men  for  this  glory  immediately  be- 
fore their  dissolution  by  death. 

The  practice  of  occasionally  writing  out  a  propositional  thesis  at  full 
length  will  be  found  of  great  advantage  ;  and  in  whatever  method  your 
propositions  and  arguments  may  be  arranged,  it  may  be  advisable  to  keep 
before  you  as  a  general  plan  the  method  of 'a  celebrated  speaker,  who — 
1.  States,  explains,  and  amplifies,  his  subject.  2.  Comments  upon  it  at 
length,  showing  that  it  is  true  or  false,  proper  or  improper,  &c.  3.  Makes 
a  powerful  appeal  to  the  passions. 

Or  in  the  middle  part  you  might  bring  in  something  more  exclusively 
argumentative,  reserving  comment  for  the  concluding  part.  Your  plan 
would  then  be:  1.  State  clearly.  2.  Prove  powerfully.  3.  Persuade  im- 
pressively. In  the  second  part  let  the  argument  be  exhibited  in  as  many 
different  views  as  possible :  turn  it,  as  we  say,  on  every  side,  till  you  force 
conviction  upon  the  mind.* 


LECTURE  IX. 


ON  UNIFORM  APPLICATION. 


The  last  kind  of  textual  discourse  is  now  before  us,  but  though  the 
last,  it  is  by  no  means  the  least  in  importance  to  the  honor  of  the  ministry. 
Direct  address  will,  with  the  divine  blessing,  powerfully  co-operate  with 
comment  to  secure  success.  I  regard  these  two  articles  as  my  sheet-anchor 
and  best  bower;  if  these  do  not  hold  ground,  the  vessel  will  either  get  on 
shore  or  be  driven  out. 

In  uniform  or  continued  appHcation  the  whole  discourse  is  to  be  of  pre- 
cisely the  same  character  as  the  concluding  part  of  other  discourses.  It  is 
in  fact  a  peroration,  if  I  may  so  speak,  extended  so  as  to  occupy  the  whole 
time  of  the  preacher.t  If  judiciously  introduced,  it  will  gain  and  fix  the 
hearers'  attention,  and  if  skilfully  managed,  will  retain  it  to  the  end.  When 
the  preacher  attains  facility  in  this  branch  of  his  work,  he  will  be  nearest  to 
perfection.  A  mere  collegian  may  explicate;  a  philosopher  may  make 
wise  observations;  a  pleader  may  bring  forth  his  strong  reasons:  but  the 
man  who  can  maintain  a  uniform  address  to  the  people's  hearts  from  forty 
to  sixty  minutes — he  is  the  preacher!  It  is  true,  when  we  consider  how 
many  excellences  must  unite  to  form  such  a  preacher,  it  does  appear  dif- 
ficult. He  must  be  touched  with  all  Christian  sympathies;  but,  if  he  be 
indeed  renewed  after  the  Divine  image,  sympathies  suitable  are  already  in 
the  heart.  He  must  be  oratorical  in  his  address ;  but  grace  gives  elo- 
quence. His  zeal  must  be  ardent;  but  the  object  is  sufficient  to  inspire  it. 
His  fidelity  must  be  exemplary,  and  his  love  to  souls  unquenchable ;  but 
will  not  the  "love  of  Christ  constrain?"     If  the  preacher  possess  these 

•Hall,  Tillotson,  and  Sherlock,  just  quoted,  refuted  atheism  and  infidelity.  Other  quotations  are 
directed  to  produce  Christianity.  A  suitable  addition  to  these  might  be  a  general  defence  of  the 
Christian  religion,  as  it  will  be  found  attached  to  the  19th  Topic,  vol  ii.  of  this  work,  both  by  itself  ae 
well  as  the  other  works  we  commend  of  the  same  character. 

t  It  is  a  speech  or  oration,  rather  than  a  sermon. 


138  LECTURE    IX. 

qualities,  and  be  himself  under  the  influence  of  correct  feelings,  he  will, 
no  doubt,  succeed  in  producing  corresponding  sentiments  in  the  breasts  of 
his  hearers. 

"  Pietas  est  quod  disertum  facit  et  vis  mentis." 

The  love  of  Christ  in  the  heart,  united  to  energy  of  mind,  will  make  a 
man  truly  eloquent.  Possessing  these,  the  preacher  has  only  to  believe 
himself  capable,  and  he  is  capable.  Mark  ix.  23.  Thus  even  "the  feeble 
shall  be  as  David,  and  David  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord"  (Zech.  xii.  8), 
who  went  before  the  young  champion  when  Goliath  was  about  to  meet  him 
in  the  hostile  field. 

Rules  for  the  judicious  management  of  this  kind  of  discourse,  unhap- 
pily, have  been  but  sparingly  given  us.  Claude  says  next  to  nothing;  per- 
haps he  expected  the  student  to  form  rules  from  his  examples.  The  fol- 
lowing may  however  be  of  use : — 

1.  This  kind  of  preaching  admits  aid  from  every  variety  of  discussion: 
explanation,  observation,  and  even  trains  of  reasoning,  are  admissible 
where  they  can  properly  be  made  to  appear,  not  as  the  principal  points, 
but  as  a  foundation  for  direct  address. 

2.  As  this  is  the  most  popular  kind  of  preaching,  no  particular  doctrines 
must  be  introduced,  except  those  which  bear  directly  on  the  fall  and  re- 
covery of  mankind,  and  these  rather  incidentally  than  in  a  formal  state- 
ment; and  for  this  reason,  that  here  you  have  more  to  do  with  the  heart 
than  the  understanding. 

3.  The  subject  must  be  select.  The  text  must  be  adapted  to  it.  The 
topics  must  be  undeniably  true,  and  well  chosen.  The  select  parts  of 
such  topics,  such  as  are  most  impressive  and  awakening,  must  be  insisted 
on.  There  must  be  a  selection  of  characters  to  be  addressed,  and  the 
language  must  be  adapted  to  such  characters.  The  time  and  the  occasion 
must  be  considered,  as  prudence  directs.  There  must  be  a  real  occasion 
for  such  address  in  the  state  of  the  people,  or  at  least  part  of  them.  The 
state  of  the  preacher's  own  mind  should  be  considered :  he  is  not  always  in 
a  suitable  frame  for  such  an  exercise. 

4.  Particularly  the  passions  of  the  audience  must  be  powerfully  ap- 
pealed to. 

5.  Though  the  preacher's  feelings  should  be  powerfully  excited,  yet 
they  must  be  under  due  government.  No  extravagant  transports  must  be 
indulged,  or  it  will  be  said,  "He  is  mad;  why  hear  ye  him?" 

C.  The  preacher  will  easily  perceive  whether  his  hearers  think  his  dis- 
course wearisome,  and  at  that  point  he  must  desist  from  enlarging  on  the 
topic  in  hand. 

7.  Endeavor  to  keep  something  particularly  striking  for  the  last. 

Having  laid  these  rules  before  you,  I  shall  at  once  proceed  to  offer  some 
appropriate  examples. 

Claude,  on  Phil.  ii.  12  :  "  Work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling."  The  exordium  turns  on  the  comparative  inefficiency  of  the 
gospel,  and  the  small  number  of  the  saved,  which  are  pathetically  de- 
scribed. The  general  division  embraces — I.  Some  considerations  re- 
specting our  own  salvation.  II.  The  acts  by  which  it  is  worked  out. 
in.  The  fear  and  trcmjjling  with  which  these  acts  are  performed.  This 
is  formed  on  the  expository  plan,  but  the  discourse  is  nevertheless  a  good 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  139 

specimen  of  uniform  application,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  present  it  at 
some  length.     See  a  critique  on  this  passage  in  List  of  Scriptures. 

I.  Some  considerations  respecting  our  own  salvation. 

1.  God  has  had  so  much  compassion  on  us  as  to  prepare  for  us  a  salvation.  We 
were  his  enemies,  and  he  has  mercifully  provided  reconciliation.  We  were  dead, 
and  he  has  proposed  a  resurrection  for  us.  We  were  plunged  into  an  abyss  of  mis- 
ery, and  he  has  kindly  stretched  out  his  hand  from  on  high  to  help  us. 

2.  Salvation  consists  in  benefits  inexpressible,  of  immense  value,  which  we  can 
not  sufficiently  esteem ;  for  they  must  be  proportioned  to  the  worth  of  the  blood  of 
Christ  which  merited  them.  This  blood,  which  has  acquired  salvation  for  us,  is  of 
all  things  the  most  sacred  and  valuable,  and  yet  the  most  mournful  and  affecting. 
Enter,  then,  I  entreat  you,  with  me  into  this  meditation.  Whence  is  it  we  take  so 
little  pains  about  that  which  is  so  very  important  to  us?  Salvation  presents  itself 
every  day  to  us — a  rich  treasure  coming  from  the  bosom  of  eternal  mercy,  as  the 
divine  and  incomparable  production  of  the  Son  of  God.  It  is  a  vessel  which  pre- 
sents itself  to  us  in  this  sad  shipwreck  which  we  have  made ;  yet  we  do  not  think 
about  it;  and  when  we  reflect  on  the  little  attention  that  we  have  hitherto  paid  to 
the  voice  of  God,  who  hath  so  often  spoken  to  us,  we  are  astonished  to  find  ourselves 
under  such  extreme  stupidity. 

3.  Take  some  distinct  views  of  facts.  Turn  your  eyes  to  the  miserable  state  of 
those  who  neglect  it  during  the  whole  course  of  their  lives,  and  at  length  go  out  of 
the  world  without  having  at  all  employed  themselves  about  it.  Behold,  I  beseech 
you,  what  a  great  number  of  unbelieving  and  profane  sinners  there  are  in  the  world  ! 
Would  you  choose  to  be  of  their  number  ?  One  is  a  giddy  young  creature,  whose 
head  is  full  of  vanity.  Another  is  an  old  miser,  who  has  filled  his  house  with  extor- 
tions and  iniquities.  A  third  is  a  proud  and  cruel  wretch,  who  delights  and  glories 
in  violence  and  blood,  like  a  wild  beast.  A  fourth  is  a  sly  hypocrite,  who  never  ap- 
pears in  the  world  unmasked,  who  never  goes  out  but  to  set  snares,  nor  ever  stirs  but 
to  deceive  the  simple — a  notorious  mipostor,  who  thinks  only  how  he  may  impose  on 
the  world.  Another  is  a  filthy  epicure,  always  drowned  in  wine,  or  immersed  in 
sensual  pleasures — a  swine,  whose  soul  is  buried  in  flesh,  and  who  thinks  of  nothing 
but  how  to  invent  new  pleasures  or  improve  old  ones. 

How  many  abysses  has  vice  opened  to  engulf  mankind  !  Into  how  many  shapes 
does  it  transform  itself  to  surprise  and  destroy  them!  Sometimes  it  appears  under 
the  beautiful  veil  of  riches  and  grandeur,  sometimes  under  the  agreeable  charms  of 
sensual  pleasures,  sometimes  under  the  pretence  of  supporting  our  own  interests  and 
satiating  a  just  revenge,  sometimes  under  the  reasons  we  have  to  envy  another's  pros- 
perity, sometimes  under  the  idea  of  the  joy  of  succeeding  in  a  lawful  enterprise.  In 
short,  sin  is  a  Proteus,  changing  itself  into  a  thousand  shapes,  or  a  serpent,  twisting 
itself  a  thousand  ways,  to  slide  into  men's  hearts,  in  order  to  prevent  their  thinking 
about  their  own  salvation. 

Cast  your  eyes  on  this  part  of  the  world  in  particular,  which  appears  the  most  civ- 
ilized and  refined :  you  will  see  people  so  immersed  in  an  almost  infinite  number  of 
occupations,  that  there  does  not  remain  a  moment  to  think  on  serious  things.  Some 
are  wrapped  up  in  the  study  of  human  sciences,  and  others  in  commerce ;  each  gives 
himself  up  entirely,  and  none  remembers  the  one  thing  needful.  Religion  does  not 
hinder  lawful  employments,  but  it  restrains  them  within  proper  bounds,  that  itself 
may  not  be  hindered  by  them. 

_  Nay,  even  good  people  are  too  much  attached  to  this  world,  forgetful  of  the  cau- 
tion of  Christ  Jesus ;  Luke  xxi.  34.  Many  are  the  bad  consequences  that  result  from 
these  overchargings  of  worldly  care. 

4.  Particularly  view  this  salvation  as  a  protecting  blessing.  We  must  die — we 
must  come  to  judgment. 

We  must  die.  All  that  we  can  say  of  life  is,  that  it  is  very  short.  Soon  the  sum- 
mons may  come,  and  suddenly  break  off  all  our  earthly  schemes:  nay,  even  the  best 
of  plans  must  be  interrupted,  however  little  progress  we  have  made  in  them.  At 
this  moment  man  feels  the  mighty  hand  of  Omnipotence,  drawing  him  to  himself. 
Then  is  he  seized,  and  forced  in  spite  of  himself  before  the  throne  of  the  sovereign 
Judge  of  the  whole  earth.  In  these  last  moments,  as  the  eyes  of  the  body  are  dark- 
ened, those  of  the  mind  are  enlightened,  and,  penetrating  into  the  secrets  of  the 
world  to  come,  discover  the  good  or  evil  consequences  which  we  must  expect. 
What  dreadful  blindness  is  it,  then,  that  with  so  much  certainty,  so  many  marks,  so 
many  outward  and  inward  testimonies  of  this  divine  judgment,  we  should  yet  neg- 


140  LECTURE    IX. 

lect  to  prepare  for  it,  and  leave  an  article  so  capital,  on  which  eternity  depends,  to 
hazard ! 

One  of  the  most  useful  and  admirable  powers,  which  nature  has  bestoAved  upon 
man,  Avhich  follows  reason,  and  distinguishes  man  from  other  animals,  is  prudence, 
a  sagacity  respecting  future  things.  Beasts,  which  have  not  received  this  advantage 
from  the  hand  of  nature,  only  act  and  display  their  feeble  senses  about  present  things ; 
they  walk  the  way  that  offers  to  their  eyes ;  they  eat  the  herb  which  they  see  ;  and 
only  move  as  they  are  enticed  by  objects  at  which  they  look:  but,  as  they  have  no 
knowledge  of  futurity,  they  are  at  perfect  rest.  It  is  quite  otherwise  with  man  :  his 
reason  anticipates  years  and  ages  ;  he  sees  things  long  before  they  arrive ;  he  knows 
them  by  a  concatenation  of  causes  and  effects ;  and  at  the  same  time  provides  to  for- 
ward or  frustrate  them.  By  this  prudential  foresight  kingdoms  and  empires  support 
themselves ;  by  this  cities  and  families  are  preserved  ;  and  by  this  all  men  endeavor, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  provide  for  contingencies.  How  then  comes  it  to  pass  that, 
while  we  employ  our  prudence  so  well  about  temporal  things,  we  are  all  of  a  sudden 
deprived  of  it  when  we  should  be  concerned  about  the  most  important  of  all  things, 
salvation  or  damnation  ?  I  can  not  help  noticing  two  illusions  to  which  the  greatest 
part  of  mankind  are  subject: — 

1.)  We  almost  always  imagine  oxir  salvation  a  very  easy  thing.  One  moment, 
say  we,  is  sufficient  for  our  conversion ;  and  a  true  conversion,  though  wrought  in  a 
moment,  is  sufficient  to  save  us.  Besides,  the  time  of  calling  is  long  ;  it  continues  till 
death.  This  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that,  when  we  have  employed  the  best  part  of  our 
days  in  our  pleasures  and  sinful  interests,  we  shall  have  time  enough  to  repent  and 
be  saved.  Never  was  anything  more  false  and  deceitful  than  this  idea  of  salvation. 
I  grant  there  needs  only  a  good  and  sincere  conviction  in  order  to  salvation.  I  own, 
further,  that  this  is  not  unexampled.  God  does  sometimes,  though  seldom,  grant 
such  late  repentance  ;  one  instance  is  on  record — the  thief  upon  the  cross.  This  in- 
stance occurred  in  that  grand  action  in  which  our  Redeemer  offered  his  eternal  sac- 
rifice for  the  whole  world  :  in  that  action  in  which  he  caused  the  smoke  of  his  oblation 
to  ascend,  as  it  were,  from  earth  to  heaven,  in  a  sweet-smelling  savor  to  God  the  Fa- 
ther ;  in  that  action  in  which  the  sun  was  eclipsed,  the  earth  trembled,  the  graves 
opened,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain:  it  was,  I  say,  very  just  that  the 
Savior's  blood  should  work  a  miracle,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  grace,  to  honor  the  death 
of  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  should  display  his  power  in  an  extraordinary  manner.  But 
let  no  one  imagine  from  this  example  that  it  shall  be  so  with  him.  Jesus  Christ  dies 
not  every  day  ;  his  blood  was  shed  but  once  ;  and  who  told  you  that  what  he  did  in 
tlie  act  of  his  sacrifice  he  will  repeat  again  every  day  ? 

Consider,  again,  that  conversion  in  the  last  hour  is  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the 
world.  The  soul  is,  as  it  were,  exhausted — without  power,  without  light.  The  heart 
is  bound  by  a  thousand  old  habits,  which,  like  so  many  chains,  prevent  a  freedom  of 
action.  The  conscience  has  been  long  in  a  profound  lethargy.  All  the  doors  of  the 
soul  are  shut  against  the  best  feelings.  In  short,  the  whole  man  is  sunk  in  stupidity, 
and  so  incorporated  with  the  world  (if  I  may  venture  to  say  so),  that  the  world  is,  as 
it  were,  incorporated  into  his  own  substance,  and  become  essential  to  him.  By  what 
means,  then,  shall  man  be  brought  out  of  such  a  miserable  state  ?  By  what  means 
shall  he  be  detached  from  all  the  relations  and  connexions  which  he  has  formed  with 
the  world  and  its  vanities?  I  know  God  can  do  it,  for  nothing  is  impossible  with 
him ;  but  for  this  purpose  there  must  be  an  extraordinary  effort  of  grace,  a  singular 
effect  of  the  omnipotence  of  God.  If  the  Lord  said,  "  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  a  needle's  eye  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven," 
how  much  more  may  we  say  this  of  an  old  rich  man,  of  an  old  sinner  who  has  added 
to  the  obstacle  of  riches  thousands  of  vices  and  crimes  ! 

I  am  not  afraid  to  say  that  the  sin  of  those  who  defer  their  repentance  is  of  so  ag- 
gravated a  nature  that  it  renders  them  altogether  unworthy*  of  God's  extraordinary 
aid  to  convert  them.  Such  people  are  crafty  deceivers,  who  act  fraudulently  with 
God,  and  pretend  to  dupe  him  with  their  artifices ;  for  they  do  as  much  as  say,  God 
calls  us,  and  we  acknowledge  repentance  is  just  and  necessary  if  we  mean  to  be 
saved  ;  but  in  order  to  this  we  must  quit  our  pleasures.  What  then  must  we  do  to 
enjoy  our  delightful  sins,  and  yet  avoid  damnation  ?  This  is  the  way  ;  we  Avill  be 
wiser  than  God :  we  will  employ  all  our  best  days  in  debaucheries  and  sins,  and  so 
content  ourselves  with  them,  and,  Avhen  we  are  no  longer  good  for  anything,  we  will 
be  converted,  and  so  prevent  our  damnation.     Do  you  think  a  reasoning  so  horrible, 

•  The  term  unworthy  is  evidently  too  weak  to  express  the  idea  intended  by  our  author,  and  it  ig 
an  unhappy  one,  as  it  by  consequence  seems  to  allow  of  worthiness  in  us  of  converting  grace. 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  141 

a  procedure  so  detestable,  can  be  agreeable  to  God  ?  Do  you  think  it  will  invite  him 
to  bestow  extraordinary  converting  grace  on  such  affrontmg  wretches  ?  No,  surely  ! 
What !  because  God  is  free  in  the  dispensations  of  his  grace,  is  there  any  likelihood 
that  he  will  bestow  it  under  such  circumstances  ?  _  ,    ,     •        ,         u 

Consider,  I  entreat  you,  there  can  not  be  a  more  foolish  and  rash  design  than  that 
of  putting  off  repentance  to  an  old  age,  since  it  takes  for  granted  the  most  doubtful 
and  uncertain  thing  in  the  world,  which  is,  that  we  shall  live  to  hoary  old  age.  Is 
not  this  the  grossest  of  all  illusions  ?  I  am  not  urging  what  every  one  knows,  that 
no  one  can  assure  himself  of  to-morrow.  I  say  lo  you  something  more  strikmg. 
Make  the  different  orders  of  man  pass  before  your  eyes  ;  count  them  one  by  one  ;  and 
it  is  certain  the  number  of  those  who  die  before  they  are  thirty  years  of  age  is  incom- 
parably greater  than  of  those  who  come  to  that  age.  How  many  die  between  thirty 
and  forty !  How  few  arrive  at  fifty  !  Fewer  still  at  sixty !  And  how  very  small  in 
all  ages  and  countries  is  the  number  of  old  men  !  In  a  city  which  contains  a  million 
of  souls  you  will  find  two  or  three  thousand  old  people:  that  is,  in  the  proportion  of 
two  or  three  hundred  to  every  hundred  thousand  souls.  Now,  allowing  this,  what 
foolish  security  is  it  to  imagine  you  shall  be  of  the  happy  number  of  these  two  or 
three  hundred,  in  a  multitude  of  a  hundred  thousand !  Were  a  man  to  hazard  his 
fortune  for  such  an  uncertainty,  he  would  pass  in  the  world  for  a  madman,  and  all 
his  relations  and  friends,  his  wife  and  children,  would  pity  and  confine  him.  But 
thou,  miserable  wretch!  dost  thou  hazard  thy  salvation,  thy  soul,  the  friendship  of 
thy  God,  thy  eternal  happiness,  on  this  frivolous  hope  ?  and,  to  complete  thy  misery, 
do  thy  wife,  thy  children,  thy  friends  and  relatives,  do  all  the  world,  let  thee  go  on 
so  ?  or,  if  they  advise  thee,  dost  thou  pay  no  regard  to  their  advice  ? 

2.)  The  second  illusion,  which  beguiles  multitudes,  is  an  imagination  that  they 
discharge  their  duty  when,  without  concerning  themselves  about  their  own  salvation, 
as  the  apostle  commands,  they  employ  themselves  about  that  oi  other  people.  There 
are,  in  general,  two  ways  of  doing  this  :  First,  by  saying  the  finest  things  in  the  world 
about  religion.  Observe  what  passes  in  the  world,  you  will  hardly  find  one,  among 
many,  employed  about  their  own  salvation  ;  yet  everybody  tells  you  we  ought  to  be 
good  people.  The  corruption  of  the  age  we  live  in  is  prodigious :  there  is  hardly 
any  virtue  or  good  faith ;  there  is  very  little  profession  of  practical  religion,  and  al- 
most no  real  godliness.  These  commonplace  sayings  are  in  the  mouths  of  all ;  but, 
with  all  their  fine  speeches,  you  will  rarely  find  one  retiring  from  general  view,  se- 
riously reflecting  on  himself,  and  saying.  What  am  I  ?  Am  I  like  others?  Some,  I 
allow,  yea,  every  one,  ought  to  correct  himself.  Is  it  not  just  that  I  should  begin 
with  myself,  put  the  first  hand  to  the  work,  and  set  an  example  to  my  brethren? 
The  second  way  of  pretending  concern  about  the  salvation  of  others,  without  attend- 
ing to  their  own,  is  still  more  scandalous  than  the  first.  It  consists  in  being  always 
on  the  watch  to  censure  and  slander  the  actions  of  others.  If  they  be  really  blame- 
worthy, you  will  hear  them  exclaim  against  their  crimes ;  they  will  appear  to  be  ex- 
tremely offended  ;  they  will  set  them  off  with  the  blackest  circumstances,  and  exag- 
gerate them  in  every  degree.  But,  if  the  actions  of  others  be  apparently  good  and 
virtuous,  not  being  able  to  condemn  them  in  themselves,  they  will  condemn  them  in 
their  principles.  "  It  is  only,"  say  they,  "  the  effect  of  ambition  or  hypocrisy  ;  they 
only  want  to  make  a  parade,  to  be  talked  of,  and  raise  their  credit  and  reputation 
with  good  men."  Certainly  all  these  are  very  distant  from  Paul's  meaning  when 
he  says,  "  Work  out  your  own  salvation."  I  will  not  say  we  are  entirely  to  neglect 
the  salvation  of  our  neighbors.  God  commands,  and  charity  demands,  that  we  should 
not ;  and  it  would  be  a  very  unworthy  and  wicked  saying,  should  any,  like  Cain,  cry 
out,  "  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ?"  However,  I  do  affirm  it  is  not  this  only  which 
ought  to  employ  us  ;  this  is  not  our  first  and  principal  occupation.  We  must  begin  by 
working  out  our  own  salvation  ;  to  this  we  must  particularly  apply  ourselves,  lest, 
while  we  correct  others,  we  become  incorrigible  ourselves.  "  I  keep  under  my  body," 
says  Paul,  "  and  bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  that,  by  any  means,  when  I  have  preached 
to  others,  I  myself  should  be  cast  away." 

II.  The  acts  by  which  this  salvation  is  to  be  wrought  out.  And  as  the  thing  itself 
is  important,  so  are  its  acts,  and  require  your  present  and  immediate  attention  : — 

1.  Complete  reconciliation  with  God.  For  this  purpose,  cast  your  eyes  on  the 
greatness  of  your  sins,  which  are  continually  committed  against  him  ;  and  having 
considered  what  favors  you  have  received  and  how  shamefully  you  have  abused  them, 
having  conceived  a  just  grief  for  such  unnumbered  transgressions,  humbly  have  re- 
course to  the  divine  mercy.  Let  each  of  you  in  particular  recall  his  wanderiygs 
from  God.  Let  the  passionate  remember  the  injustice  of  their  angry  transports. 
Let  the  covetous  remember  the  many  oblique  ways  they  have  taken  to  amass  riches. 


142  LECTURE    IX. 

Let  the  inii^lacable,  the  proud,  the  slanderous,  the  revengeful,  remember  the  injuries 
they  have  done  to  their  neighbors.  Let  the  vain  and  the  voluptuous  think  of  the 
many  vain  and  rash  desires  they  have  had  for  earthly  things.  This  is  the  act  of 
repentance  so  pathetically  expressed  by  the  penitent  David  in  the  fifty-first  Psalm. 
This  is  the  repentance  v^rhich  the  psalmist,  afraid  of  the  anger  of  God,  expresses, 
Ps.  cxix.,  cxx.  This  is  the  repentance  Avhich  Jesus  Christ  proposes  to  us  in  the  ex- 
ample of  the  prodigal  son,  Luke  xv. :  "  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  Heaven  and 
in  thy  sight,"  &c.  As  our  repentance,  however  sincere,  avails  nothing  w^ithout  a 
propitiatory  sacrifice  for  sin,  let  us  add  a  holy  and  fervent  recourse  to  the  blood  of 
Christ,  and  to  the  satisfaction  vs^hich  he  presented  to  God  the  Father  on  the  cross. 
This  is  the  faith  so  often  pointed  out  to  us  in  scripture,  and  to  which  the  gospel  is 
not  afraid  of  joining  the  promise  of  eternal  life,  1  John  ii.  1,2  :  "  If  any  man  sin, 
we  have  an  advocate,"  &c.  "  We  are  justified  freely  by  his  grace,"  says  Paul, 
"  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  whom  God  has  set  forth  to  be  a 
propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood."  Through  this  Redeemer  God  will  be 
reconciled  to  us,  and  we  shall  find  grace  in  his  sight,  when  we  present  ourselves 
before  him  in  commtmion  with  this  Savior  ;  for  "  there  is  no  other  name,"  Acts  iv. 
12  ;  "  His  blood  alone  cleanseth,"  &c.,  1  John  i.  7.  What  joy,  my  brethren,  to  wash 
in  this  mystical  Jordan  I  How  happy  shall  we  be  if  we  can  lay  our  hands  on  the 
head  of  this  holy  victim,  that  in  charging  him  we  may  be  discharged  from  all  our 
crimes !     "  Come  unto  me,"  says  Jesus,  "  all  ye  who  are  heavy  laden,"  &:c. 

As  this  peace  with  God  is  not  made  in  a  moment,  there  must  be  great  efforts  made 
to  bring  our  hearts  into  a  state  proper  for  such  a  reconciliation.  Having  therefore 
collected  your  sins  before  your  eyes,  make  some  reflections  on  the  horrors  of  them. 

1.)  Let  us  examine  what  we  are  in  comparison  with  God,  the  great  God  !  A  little 
handful  of  dust  and  ashes,  a  little  earth  kneaded  together  with  a  little  blood,  mis- 
erable worms,  a  leaf  carried  away  with  the  wind,  a  vapor  which  the  sun  exhales 
and  dissipates.  Are  we  not  in  comparison  with  God,  "  less  than  nothing,  and  van- 
ity," the  creatures  of  a  day  ?  And  yet,  altogether  miserable  as  we  are,  we  dare  to 
insult  the  Majesty  of  heaven.  This  vain  shadow  vaunts  itself  against  the  sun:  this 
drop  of  water  contends  with  the  ocean.  Tell  me,  is  there  the  least  spark  of  reason 
in  all  this  ?     Can  any  blindness  equal  ours,  under  such  a  state  of  things  ? 

2.)  Does  not  our  blindness  appear  still  more  strange  if  to  this  we  add  the  power  of 
God,  whom  we  have  offended?  He  plants,  and  he  plucks  up;  he  builds,  and  he 
destroys;  he  kills,  and  he  makes  alive  ;  he  raises,  and  he  abases;  he  comforts,  and 
he  afliicts  ;  yea,  all  destinies  are  in  his  hands,  and  depend  on  his  sovereign  will. 
What  Avildness,  then,  so  frequently  to  offend  an  Almighty  God,  who  will  not  justify 
the  wicked,  who  will  not  hold  the  sinner  guiltless,  and  who  declares  that  the  wicked 
shall  not  stand  in  judgment ! 

3.)  Consider  how  much  we  are  indebted  to  God,  not  only  for  his  patience  hitherto, 
but  that  almost  infinite  number  of  ?nercies  which  he  has  afforded  us.  What  has 
prevented  the  Lord  executing  his  great  vengeance  on  us  ?  Why  were  we  not  de- 
stroyed the  first  moment  we  offended  him  ?  What,  then,  shall  we  say  when  this 
patience  shall  reckon  the  days,  the  months,  and  years,  of  its  exercise  toward  us  ? 
What  shall  we  have  to  answer  when  it  shall  accuse  us  of  employing  this  long  period 
only  to  increase  the  number  of  our  sins  ?  But  what  will  become  of  us  if,  in  addition 
to  the  voice  of  the  law  and  the  complaints  of  patience,  we  find  the  favors  and  mer- 
cies of  God  rise  up  against  us  to  reproach  us  for  our  ingratitude  ?  Were  he  not  the 
God  of  our  mercies,  our  obligations  would  remain  ;  but  when  we  consider  the  whole 
account  of  mercies  received,  if  we  still  remain  obdurate,  what  can  save  us  ?  God's 
goodness  is  particularly  calculated  to  bring  us  to  repentance.  If  there  be  a  spark  of 
ingenuousness  in  our  nature,  it  must  be  moved,  touched  by  kindness,  mercy  such  as 
we  have  received  ;  but  if  these  mercies  do  not  soften  our  hearts,  they  will  another 
day  witness  against  us. 

4.)  This  submission  by  repentance  is  absolutely  indispensable.  "Two  can  not 
walk  together  unless  they  be  agreed."  God  changeth  not  ;  therefore  we  must,  or 
happiness  with  him  in  another  world  can  not  be  expected.  Nor  may  this  repentance 
be  slight  or  superficial  ;  it  must  go  to  the  bottom  of  our  disease  and  misery.  We 
must  tell  you  the  truth  in  this  matter,  or  be  partners  in  your  guilt.  To  incline  you 
more  effectually  to  this  repentance,  let  us,  I  beseech  you,  lift  up  our  eyes  to  the  mercy- 
seat  of  God,  and  to  the  blood  of  the  covenant  which  Jesus  Christ  has  shed  for  us. 
Let  us  not  imagine,  Avhile  we  feel  remorse  for  sin,  that  there  is  "no  balm  in  Gilead," 
no  consolation  in  God.  Doubtless  there  is  ;  and,  were  we  such  as  we  ought,  we 
might  come  with  boldness  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  be  assured  of  obtaining  mercy, 
Heb.  iv   16,  17.     "  Come  now,"  says  God  by  the  prophet,  "It  us  reason  together," 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  143 

&c.,  Isa.  i.  18.  "  Have  I  any  pleasure  at  all  that  the  wicked  should  die,"  saith  the 
Lord  God,  "and  not  that  he  return  from  his  evil  ways,  and  live  ?"  Let  us,  there- 
fore, Avhile  he  is  saying,  "  Seek  ye  my  face,"  say,  "  Thy  face,  O  Lord,  we  will  seek." 

2.  Diligence  in  the  use  of  those  means  by  which  peace  is  preserved.  In  order  to 
work  out  our  salvation,  we  must  not  only  be  reconciled  to  God,  but — 

1.)  Our  faith  must  be  kept  and  increased ;  and  as  both  the  mcrease  and  preserva- 
tion of  our  faith  will  be  promoted  by  a  frequent  perusal  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as- 
siduity in  religious  exercises,  attachment  to  prayer,  0  let  us  form  now  the  design  of 
diligently  applying  our  hearts  to  these,  and  shaking  off  as  much  as  possible  the 
thoughts  and  business  of  this  present  life.  How  can  we  employ  ourselves  better 
than  in  conversing  with  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  religion ! 

2.)  Our  life  must  manifest  our  concern  for  holiness.  Let  us,  my  brethren,  resolve 
to  acquit  ourselves  well  in  the  duties  which  we  owe  to  God  and  our  neighbor,  pre- 
serving a  conscience  void  of  offence.  He  that  repenteth,  and  forsaketh  sin,  shall 
find  mercy ;  repenting  and  sinning  again  will  infallibly  harden  the  heart  still  more. 
This  course  is  dreadful  beyond  compare ;  by  trifling  with  God,  we  are  acting  the 
part  of  hypocrites,  and  thereby  bringing  a  new  species  of  guilt  on  our  souls. 

HL  Notice  the  fear  and  trembling  which  are  to  accompany  these  acts.  As  this 
peace  which  repentance  works  in  us  is  not  a  carnal  security,. a  sinful  lethargy,  it  is 
not  contrary  to  every  kind  of  fear  ;  or,  more  properly,  it  is  not  only  compatible  with 
fear,  but  it  is  preserved  only  by  means  of  fear.  St.  Paul,  therefore,  was  not  content 
with  commanding  us  to  work  out  our  own  salvation,  but  he  adds,  "  with  fear  and 
trembling,"  prescribing  in  these  words  the  manner  of  our  conducting  ourselves  in 
the  work  of  our  salvation.     On  this  we  have  a  few  reflections  to  make. 

1.  By  the  words  "  fear  and  trembling,"  he  means  a  very  different  thing  from  slavish 
fear,  which  would  make  us  regard  God  as  a  judge,  always  severe  and  always  angry  ; 
or  as  a  hard  master,  who,  let  us  do  what  we  would,  would  always  be  dissatisfied 
with  our  services,  who  would  only  meditate  evil,  and  seek  every  occasion  of  avenging 
himself  on  us,  and  who  even  sets  snares  to  entangle  us  into  perdition.  On  the  con- 
trary, nothing  can  be  more  hurtful  to  the  creature,  nothing  more  injurious  to  God, 
nothing  more  injurious  to  true  piety.  This  fear,  which  is  only  proper  to  devils  and 
daixmed  spirits,  is  a  perpetual  source  of  disquietudes  and  agitations,  and  it  can  only 
in  the  end  drive  to  madness  and  despair.  What  possibility  is  there  of  saving  our- 
selves from  the  hands  of  the  devil,  if  God  is  resolved  on  our  destruction  ?  or  what 
hope  can  we  have  of  escaping  punishment,  if  his  natural  properties  incline  him  to 
hate  and  destroy  us  ?  What  can  be  more  injurious  to  God  than  such  a  thought  ? 
"  As  I  live,"  says  Jehovah,  "  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but 
rather  that  he  turn  from  his  evil  way,  and  live."  No,  my  brethren,  God  is  not  nat- 
tually  an  enemy  to  his  own  work.  I  grant  he  is  just ;  and  because  he  is  just,  he  will 
not  always  chastise  us  for  our  sins.  Moreover,  he  has  so  much  goodness  and  ten- 
derness for  us  that  he  freely  opens  a  way  to  return  to  his  favor  by  means  of  a  Medi- 
ator, and  is  now  calling  us  to  repentance.  Besides  all  this,  he  has  promised  to  treat 
us  with  the  kindness  and  tenderness  of  a  father ;  and  as  such,  to  bear  with  our  in- 
firmities. "  As  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pities  them  that  fear  him," 
Ps.  ciii.  13.  Far  then  from  us  be  this  slavish  fear.  Piety  is  nothing  but  a  profound 
esteem,  a  supreme  love  of  God  ;  but  can  this  exist  where  such  fear  remains  ?  "  Per- 
fect love  casteth  out  fear." 

2.  This  fear  is  filial  which  not  only  agrees  with  confidence  and  love,  but  is  their 
perpetual  associate. 

1.)  This  fear  impresses  us  with  profound  veneration  when  we  appear  before  him, 
considermg  his  infinite  majesty,  the  ineffable  wisdom  and  glorious  power  which  shine 
in  all  his  works  ;  his  justice  and  holiness  ;  in  a  word,  all  his  perfections  ;  so  that  we 
can  not  consider  them  without  diminishing  in  his  presence. 

2.)  When  we  reflect  on  the  great  privilege  which  God  has  granted  us,  by  declaring 
himself  our  Father  in  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  not  possible  for  us  not  to  be  under  perpetual 
apprehensions  of  offending  him. 

3.)  When  we  reflect  on  ourselves — how  naturally  we  are  prone  to  evil — this  must 
fill  us  with  apprehensions ;  and  we  see  how  properly  we  should  not  be  high-minded, 
but  fear  ;  that  we  should  serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling. 

4.)  When  we  consider,  further,  our  very  infirmities  and  weaknesses,  which  even 
in  a  renewed  state  cleave  to  us,  and  when  we  compare  these  with  the  various  temp- 
tations to  which  we  are  subject,  we  must  fear. 

5.)  Though  the  grace  of  God  which  supports  us  in  temptations,  be  capable  of  pre- 
serving us,  yet,  should  God  suspend  the  influences  of  grace,  what  advantages  would 
not  the  flesh  obtain  over  the  spirit,  as  the  falls  of  David  and  Peter  demonstrate  to  us ! 


144  LECTURE    IX. 

Need,  indeed,  have  we  to  pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptatiou."  In  a  word,  there 
are  five  kinds  of  fear:  a  fear  of  respect  considering  the  majesty  of  God  ;  a  fear  of 
sorrow,  in  regard  to  sin  ;  a  fear  of  humility,  remembering  that  all  we  are  is  of  pure 
grace  ;  a  feaf  of  precaution,  remembering  our  frailty  ;  and  a  fear  of  attachment  to 
God,  saymg,  "  Forsake  me  not,  0  Lord  :  0  my  God,  be  not  far  from  me." 

In  this  manner,  let  us  "  work  out  our  own  salvation  ;"  and  God,  beholding  his 
talents  multiply  in  our  hands,  will  increase  their  number  by  adding  blessing  upon 
blessing,  till  at  length  he  will  chang'e  grace  into  glory,  and  give  us  the  entire  and 
perfect  enjoyment  of  his  everlasting  inheritance. 

The  above  is  the  original  pattern  given  by  Claude  of  this  kind  of  dis- 
course. Both  Mr.  Robinson  and  Mr.  Simeon  think  very  highly  of  it  as  a 
composition.  I  can  not  but  think  it  would  be  more  effective  if  the  pro- 
nouns in  many  passages  were  put  in  the  second  person,  instead  of  ive,  we, 
in  so  many  sentences.  "  Thou  art  the  man,"  was  Nathan's  address. 
Preachers  can  not  be  too  direct ;  they  should  speak,  as  the  Hebrew  phrase 
is,  ='?  "jy  al  lahe  to  the  heart  and  conscience.  Thus  Moses  addressed  a 
long  discourse  to  the  Israelites  in  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  wherein  we 
shall  find  everything  necessary  to  a  discourse  on  the  principle  of  continued 
application.  I  think  a  student  would  spend  a  few  days  well,  in  studying 
the  temper  and  spirit  in  which  Moses  wrote  it,  the  topics  he  introduces, 
the  passions  he  seeks  to  move,  the  insinuating  style  he  employs,  and  the 
energy  he  discovers.  I  shoidd  conceive  that  no  oration  of  Demosthenes 
is  at  "all  to  be  compared  with  Moses's  sermon.  As  to  the  foregoing  example 
from  Claude,  it  must  be  owned  that  many  of  his  topics  are  excellent,  his 
manner  is  insinuating,  and  his  similes  are  good.  Nevertheless,  I  prefer 
Mr.  Walker  of  Edinburgh  to  any  French  patterns.  English  people  un- 
derstand and  feel  English  eloquence  best.  So  one  of  our  EngUsh  poets 
compares  the  two  kinds  together,  and  says  : — 

"  The  weighty  bullion  of  one  sterling  line, 
Drawn  in  French  wire,  would  through  whole  pages  shine." — Waller. 

My  next  example  is  from  Walker  on  2  Cor.  vi.  1  :  "  W^e  then,  as 
workers  together  with  him,  beseech  you  also  that  ye  receive  not  the  grace 
of  God  in  vain." 

The  first  question  that  will  always  occur  to  an  awakened  sinner  has  been  expressed 
by  the  prophet  Micah  in  these  words  :  "  Wherewith  shall  I  come  before  the  Lord, 
and  bow  myself  before  the  Most  High  God  1"  and  the  only  answer  to  this  question 
which  an  iinenlightened  mmd  can  suggest,  hath  also  been  expressed  by  the  same 
prophet :  "  Shall  I  come  before  him  with  burnt-off'erings  ?"  &:c.  A  conscience 
alarmed  with  a  sense  of  guilt  naturally  represents  the  Most  High  as  clothed  Avith 
terrible  majesty,  as  a  God  of  vengeance,  a  stern,  unrelenting  creditor,  demanding  pay- 
ment even  to  the  uttermost  farthing.  And  however  the  advocates  for  the  light  of 
nature  may  boast  of  their  discoveries,  it  may  be  pronounced  impossible  for  unassisted 
reason,  proceeding  on  sound  principles,  to  discover  any  means  whereby  guilty  crea- 
tures can  hope  to  satisfy  the  justice,  or  regain  the  friendship  of  their  Maker.  All  our 
knowledge  with  regard  to  this  subject  must  flow  from  revelation  alone.  The  sanc- 
tions of  justice  may,  indeed,  be  comprehended  by  human  reason  :  but  justice  demands 
inexorably  the  punishment  of  transgressors.  Justice  admits  no  claim  for  the  exercise 
of  mercy.  Nay  more,  mercy  does  not  even  come  within  the  strict  conception  of  legal 
admmistration,  but  is  an  act  of  pure  prerogative,  having  no  other  measure  than  the 
will  of  the  sovereign.  .  -1.1 

Why  did  God  create  a  world  ?  No  answer  can  be  given  to  this  question,  but  that 
it  was  his  sovereign  pleasure  so  to  do.  No  other  reason  but  the  same  sovereign 
pleasure  can  be  assigned  for  man's  existence  on  earth,  Avith  all  the  honors  conferred 
upon  him  at  his  first  creation.  And  now  that  man  has  forfi'ited  these  honors,  and 
incurred  the  penalty  annexed  to  his  disobedience,  whither  shall  we  resort  to  find  an 
inducement  for  his  Creator  to  show  him  mercy  ?  Can  rebellion,  outrageous,  unpro- 
voked rebellion,  furnish  a  motive  to  pity  ?    Can  deformity  and  pollution  present  any 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  145 

attractions  of  love  ?  No  :  it  is  manifest  that,  after  all  our  researches,  we  must  finally 
have  recourse  to  what  God  himself  said  of  Moses  of  old  :  "  I  will  be  gracious  to 
whom  I  will  be  gracious,  and  show  mercy  on  whom  I  will  show  mercy."  Upon  this 
principle  the  apostle  proceeds  in  the  passage  I  have  quoted  :  "  All  thmgs  are  of  God," 
saith  he,  "  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself  by  Jesus  Christ,"  &c.  Having  by  his 
infinite  wisdom  and  self-moving  goodness  opened  a  way  for  extending  mercy  to  of- 
fenders, consistent  with  the  honor  of  his  perfections,  he  proceeds  to  complete  the 
gracious  plan  by  sending  forth  some  of  the  apostate  race  as  ambassadors  for  Christ, 
to  beseech  sinners  in  his  own  name,  and  in  Christ's  stead,  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
In  this  character  Paul  beseeches  the  Corinthians,  in  the  most  earnest  manner,  "  not  to 
receive  the  grace  of  God  in  vain."  The  same  exhortation  I  now  address  to  you, 
deeming  it  peculiarly  seasonable  in  the  near  view  we  have  of  celebrating  that  solemn 
ordinance  of  our  religion  in  which  the  grace  of  God  appears  in  all  its  lustre  and 
glory. 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  employ  many  words  m  explaining  the  exhortation,  its 
meaning  being  so  clearly  ascertained  by  the  connexion  in  which  it  stands  as  to  be 
obvious  to  every  intelligent  reader.  All  that  is  necessary  to  be  observed  is,  that  we 
are  to  look  for  the  true  import  of  the  grace  of  God,  which  the  apostle  beseeches 
the  Corinthians  not  to  receive  in  vain,  in  that  mmistry  or  word  of  reconciliation  which 
he  had  already  said  Avas  committed  to  himself  and  to  his  brethren  in  the  apostleship. 
This  appears  to  consist  of  two  parts  : — 

I.  The  declaration  of  an  important  fact:  God  was  in  Christ,  reconcilmg,  &c., 
and — 

II.  An  exhortation  founded  on  this  fact:  We  pray  you,  &c.  Hence  it  is  evident 
that  receiving  this  grace  of  God  imports  neither  more  nor  less  than  believing  the 
fact,  and  complying  with  the  exhortation  :  and  consequently  everything  short  of  this 
is  receiving  the  grace  of  God  hi  vain.  Without  any  further  explanation,  therefore, 
I  shall  now  proceed  to  press  the  exhortation  by  the  most  powerful  arguments  which 
I  am  able  to  present  to  your  minds. 

I.  Let  me,  then,  beseech  you  not  to  receive  the  grace  of  God  in  vain  by  the  con- 
sideration of  the  misery  and  abject  bondage  of  your  condition  while  you  continue 
thus  perverse  and  ungrateful.  I  will  not  enter  into  any  speculative  disquisitions  with 
regard  to  pretensions  of  natural  religion.  Whether  those  who  never  heard  of  the  grace 
of'God  revealed  in  the  gospel  may  yet  be  saved  by  the  efficacy  of  an  unknown  atone- 
ment, is  a  question  with  which  we  have  very  little  concern.  I  speak  at  present  to 
those  whose  fate  has  nothmg  to  do  with  the  determination  of.that  question.  What 
say  the  Scriptures  of  truth  with  respect  to  them  ?  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
hath  life."  Ponder  what  follows :  "  He  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life, 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  How  awful  are  these  words :  "  God  is 
angry  with  the  wicked  every  day  ;  he  hath  bent  his  bow  and  made  it  ready  ;  he  hath 
also  prepared  for  him  the  instruments  of  death."  And  oh,  how  hopeless  a  warfare 
is  that  you  have  undertaken  !  Is  there  any  that  ever  hardened  himself  agamst  God 
and  prospered  ?  Is  there  any  stronghold  or  lurking-place  where  the  enemies  of  his 
government  may  be  safe  ?  Go,  try  the  whole  creation  round.  Ascend  to  heaven ; 
and  he  is  there  'in  the  brightness  of  his  majesty.  Go  doAvn  to  the  regions  of  dark- 
ness ;  and  he  is  there  in  the  severity  of  his  justice.  Take  the  wings  of  the  morning, 
and  fly  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea  ;  even  there  his  boundless  dominion  extends, 
even  there  his  right  hand  shall  hold  thee  a  prisoner  to  his  vengeance.  Go,  ask  pro- 
tection of  the  highest  angel ;  and  he  will  tell  you  that  one  sin  rumed  m\Tiads  of  his 
companions,  and  how  should  he  protect  you  from  the  penalty  of  multiplied  trans- 
gressions ?  And,  if  so  exalted  a  being  can  not  save  you,  what  can  you  hope  from 
any  other  part  of  the  creation  ?  "  Surely  in  vain  is  salvation  looked  for  from  the 
hills  and  the  mountains."  There  is  no  other  deliverer  than  this  Jesus  whom  we 
preach.  He  is  the  only  surety  that  can  pay  all  our  debts,  and  even  he  can  profit  us 
nothing  till  we  receive  him  into  our  hearts  by  faith ;  till  that  happy  moment  the 
weight  of  all  our  sins  lies  upon  us,  and  nothing  but  the  brittle  thread  of  life  suspends 
us  from  sinking  for  ever  into  the  pit  where  there  is  no  hope. 

But  the  prospect  of  impending  misery  is  not  the  only  circumstance  that  character- 
izes your  unhappy  condition.  Present  bondage,  distressing  and  disgraceful  bondage, 
is  no"  less  a  just  description  of  your  state.  The  enemy  of  God  and  naan  rules  m  your 
hearts,  and  by  his  imperious  commands  all  your  uiclinations  and  actions  are  swayed. 
It  is  possible,  indeed,  that  this  shameful  slavery  may  be  unknowTi  to  yourselves. 
You  may  flatter  yourselves  with  a  supposed  liberty,  and  even  boast  of  your  freedom 
from  those  restraints  to  which  the  religious  part  of  mankind  are  subject.  But  be 
assured,  this  is  no  proof  that  your  shackles  are  not  real  and  binding.     The  tyrayt  to 

10 


146  LECTURE    IX. 

whom  you  are  subject  rules  by  deceit  still  more  than  by  force,  and  all  his  artifices 
are  used  to  blind  the  eyes  of  his  prisoners.  Nay,  it  may  be  asserted  with  confidence 
that  if  you  have  not  felt  your  chains,  if  you  have  not  been  conscious  of  a  struggle  to 
get  free  from  them,  your  redemption  is  not  yet  begun ;  for  violence  there  must  be, 
and  violence  that  can  not  but  be  felt,  before  the  usurper  of  your  liberty  be  dethroned, 
yuch,  then,  is  your  unhappy  and  disgraceful  condition  while  you  receive  the  grace 
of  God  in  vain  :  and  let  me  remind  you  that  this  is  no  painting  of  mine ;  I  have  only 
declared  the  oracles  of  truth,  to  which  you  must  submit. 

11.  Let  me  beseech  you  not  to  receive  the  grace  of  God  in  vain  by  the  considera- 
tion of  the  happiness  of  those  who  give  it  a  full  and  cordial  reception.  Every  one 
of  this  happy  number  is  justified  froni  the  guilt  of  alibis  iniquities;  and  say  whether 
you  have  well  weighed  the  value  of  even  this  lowest  privilege  of  a  believer.  I  am 
aware  that  thoughtless  transgressors  can  have  no  conception  of  its  importance ;  in 
their  mad  and  desperate  folly  they  even  make  a  mock  at  sin,  and  deride  the  fears  of 
the  contrite  and  penitent.  But  go  ask  the  pardoned  sinner  what  he  thinks  of  the 
benefits  of  forgiveness.  Hear  the  grateful  accents  of  one  who  spoke  from  deep  and 
thorough  experience :  "  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgressions  are  forgiven,  whose  sin  is 
covered  ;  blessed  is  the  man  to  Avhom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  iniquity.  For  day  and 
night  thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me,  so  that  my  moisture  is  turned  into  the  drought 
of  summer.  0  Lord  my  God,  I  cried  unto  thee,  and  thou  hast  healed  me,  thou  hast 
brought  up  my  soul  from  the  grave ;  thou  hast  kept  me  alive  that  I  should  not  go 
down  to  the  pit;  thou  hast  put  off"  my  sackcloth,  and  girded  me  with  gladness; 
therefore  shall  every  one  that  is  godly  pray  unto  thee  in  a  time  when  thou  mayest  be 
found,  and  I  will  give  thanks  unto  thee,  O  Lord  my  God,  for  ever  and  ever."  But 
this  forgiveness,  precious  and  valuable  as  it  is,  is  only  the  introductory  blessing  be- 
stowed on  those  who  give  the  grace  of  God  a  cordial  reception.  Being  justified  by 
faith,  they  have  peace  with  God,  and  peace  with  their  own  consciences.  The  cause 
of  enmity  being  removed,  they  are  restored  to  friendship  with  their  Maker  ;  God  is 
not  ashamed  to  be  called  their  Father,  nor  reluctant  to  bestow  on  them  all  the  bles- 
sings and  honors  that  appertain  to  his  children.  Hence  the  rapturous  gratitude  of 
the  apostle  John,  too  big  for  expression,  and  yet,  for  the  very  want  of  expression, 
more  forcible  than  the  most  descriptive  eloquence :  "  Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons 
of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be  ;  but  we  know  that,  when  he 
shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  The  meanest 
individual,  nay,  the  most  abandoned  sinner  that  now  hears  me,  may  yet  become  an 
heir  of  God  and  a  joirA-heir  with  Christ,  a  king  and  a  priest  unto  God,  and  a  pillar 
in  the  heavenly  temple,  never  to  be  removed.  Let  you*-  desires  soar  to  the  greatest 
height — stretch  your  imaginations  to  the  utmost — yet  the  liberality  of  God  will  be 
still  more  unbounded.  Much  he  has  bestowed  on  his  people,  and  many  similitudes 
he  has  condescended  to  use  that  their  slow  minds  might  be  assisted  in  conceiving  of 
his  bounty ;  but  nowhere  hath  he  said,  "  This  is  all  your  portion,  or  beyond  this  no 
more  is  to  be  expected :"  no,  his  bounty  will  be  an  everlasting  fountain,  and  benefits 
for  ever  shall  nourish  everlasting  gratitude  in  the  bosoms  of  the  redeemed.  "  For  he 
that  spared  not  his  oAvn  Son,  but  gave  him  up  to  the  death  for  us  all,  how  shall  he 
not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ?"  Peruse  the  valedictory  discourse  of  our 
Lord  to  his  disciples,  and  learn  from  it  what  you  may  lawfully  expect  from  a  recon- 
ciled Father.  All  your  prayers  shall  be  heard.  The  Comforter,  even  the  Holy 
Ghost,  shall  come  into  your  hearts,  and  lead  you  into  the  knowledge  of  all  truth. 
You  shall  be  made  fruitful  in  the  works  of  righteousness.  God  himself  shall  make 
his  abode  with  you.  You  shall  be  kept  from  the  evil  of  the  world  while  in  it,  and 
atlast  shall  be  where  your  Redeemer  is,  to  behold  his  glory,  and  to  partake  of  his 
bliss. 

And  shall  these  considerations  be  still  insuflficient  to  determine  your  choice  ? 
Oh,  wonder  not  at  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  persecuted  and  slew  the  Lord  of  life. 
Let  not  your  indignant  sentiments  rise  at  their  injustice  and  cruelty.  Their  sin 
and  Tolly  was  light  compared  with  yours,  who  now  reject  his  counsels  and  despise 
his  grace.  Their  scorn  was  excited  by  his  mean  appearance,  and  they  hid  their 
faces  from  him  because  disguised  in  the  form  of  a  servant.  But  I  will  tell  you  a 
thing  more  horrible  and  astonishing:  the  Son  of  God,  clothed  in  all  the  mild  array 
of  an  exalted  Savior,  and  stretching  forth  his  hands  to  bestow  all  the  blessings  pur- 
chased with  his  blood,  is  still  despised  and  rejected.  Thou,  0  impenitent  sinner, 
thou  art  the  man  guilty  of  this  contempt  and  ingratitude  ;  yet,  blqgsed  be  God,  though 
thou  mayest  justly  be  charged  with  this  almost  incredible  guilt,  I  am  still  warranted 
to  beseech  thee  not  to  receive  the  grace  of  God  in  vain. 

HL  By  the  consideration  of  the  riches  of  his  long-suffering  and  forbearance.    Long 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  147 

as  his  mercy  has  been  insulted,  it  is  still  offered  you.  I  need  not  appeal  to  particu- 
lar  passages  of  scripture  to  confirm  this  comfortable  truth.  It  appears  conspicuously 
through  the  whole  tenor  of  revelation,  every  page  of  which  contains  the  language  of 
love  and  compassion  to  sinners.  Review  the  history  of  Jesus,  and  after  you^have 
seen  what  he  has  already  done  for  your  sakes,  try  if  you  can  possibly  question  his 
good  will.  Did  he  condescend  to  be  clothed  with  our  mortal  flesh,  and  will  he  dis- 
dain the  entertainment  of  an  aff'ectionate  and  grateful  heart  ?  Did  he  bleed  and  die 
on  the  cross  for  our  sins,  and  will  he  fail  to  perfect  his  work  in  our  salvation  ?  It 
was  a  powerful  argument  which  the  apostle  Paul  employed  on  a  certain  occasion : 
"  Agrippa,  believest  thou  the  prophets  ?"  So  say  I  to  you  :  Do  you  believe  the  histo- 
ry of  our  Savior,  as  recorded  by  the  four  evangelists?  How  do  yuu  read  them  ?  What 
was  it  that  aff"ected  him  with  grief  ?— was  it  not  the  hardness  of  men's  hearts  ?  What 
was  it  that  drew  tears  from  his  compassionate  eyes  ?— was  it  not  the  view  of  Jerusa- 
lem, that  impenitent  city,  which  knew  not  or  regarded  not  the  day  of  its  merciful 
visitation  ?  Nay,  what  was  the  errand  on  which  he  solemnly  declared  himself  to 
have  come  into  the  world  ?— was  it  not  "  to  seek  and  to  save  those  who  were  lost  ?" 
And  oh,  will  you  counteract,  by  your  obstinate  folly,  all  these  gracious  intentions  on 
his  part  ?  Will  you  persist  in  rejecting  his  grace  until  you  have  extorted  vengeance 
and  mdignation  from  him  whose  heart  is  love?  How  dreadful  in  that  case  must 
your  doom  be !  As  you  love  your  souls,  be  warned  in  time  against  this  desperate, 
this  ruinous  madness.  The  gracious  call  still  resounds  in  your  ears,  "  To-day,  if  you 
will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts;"  and  we,  as  ambassadors,  are  still 
charged  "  to  beseech  you,  in  Christ's  stead.  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God." 

And  now,  let  me  ask,  what  impression  have  these  plain  and  obvious  remonstrances 
made  on  your  minds  ?  What  may  be  their  effect  I  can  not  tell :  this,  I  know,  that, 
if  I  could  hope  to  succeed  better,  I  would  with  pleasure  come  down  and  address  each 
of  you  even  on  my  bended  knees,  obtesting  you  by  every  solemn,  every  tender  argu- 
ment,  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  I  easily  foresee  the  time  when  the  remem- 
brance of  this  ofl'ered  grace  shall  fill  you  either  with  joy  unutterable  or  with  fruitless 
and  everlasting  anguish.  For,  Avhatever  thoughtless  sinners  may  imagine,  no  word 
of  God  shall  ever  return  to  him  void,  but  shall  accomplish  the  purpose  for  which  he 
sent  it.  "We  are  a  sweet  savor  to  God,"  saith  Paul,  "  in  those  that  believe,  and  in 
those  that  perish  ;  to  the  one  we  are  a  savor  of  life  unto  life,  and  to  the  other  of  death 
unto  death."  I  am  aware  that  pleadings  of  this  kind  are  sometimes  treated  with  ridi- 
cule, but  the  time  is  at  hand  when  the  scoffer  shall  be  made  sober ;  the  day  of  death 
may  do  it — the  day  of  judgment  certainly  will. 

Now  then  is  the  accepted  time.  Now  you  may  obtain  an  interest  in  this  Savior ; 
and,  if  you  apply  to  him,  as  sure  as  God  liveth  you  shall  find  mercy.  Thus  far  I  can 
go  ;  but  one  step  further  I  can  not  proceed  upon  sure  ground.  I  can  not  promise  you 
any  future  time.  If  you  reject  the  counsel  of  God  now,  I  can  not  assure  even  the 
youngest  of  you  another  opportunity.  Before  to-morrow  your  doom  may  be  fixed 
unalterably.  May  God  enable  you  to  profit  by  these  instructions,  and  to  his  name  be 
praise ! 

\^hen  I  reflected  on  the  matter  and  arrangement  of  this  sermon,  I  was 
lost  in  admiration.  How  suited  to  the  nature  of  the  text — to  the  charac- 
ter of  an  amhassador  of  Jesus  !  In  what  impressive  points  of  view  does 
the  author  place  the  Scriptures  he  quotes !  Nay,  how  scriptural  is  every 
line  !  for,  though  it  is  not  filled  with  the  words  of  scripture,  it  would  be 
quite  easy  to  find  scripture  language  for  every  sentiment.  Though  the 
language  is  supplicatory,  yet  it  is  dignified  ;  though  strong,  yet  not  bom- 
bastic. The  author's  judgment  is  everywhere  as  striking  as  his  affec- 
tionate manner.  What  admirable  topics  !  how  skilfully  introduced  !  how 
well  conducted  !  how  decently  dismissed,  before,  they  become  wearisome  ! 
How  beautiful  his  figures  of  speech,  and  expressed  in  the  fewest  and 
choicest  words  !  Upon  the  whole,  I  scruple  not  to  recommend  Walker 
as  a  pattern  of  imitation  to  young  preachers,  and  permit  me  to  remind 
you  that  such  solemn  truths  require  a  grave  and  deliberate  delivery ;  after 
many  of  the  appeals,  there  ought  to  be  pauses  to  produce  and  give  time 
for  reflection. 


148  LECTURE    IX. 

The  following  is  from  the  Horae  Homileticse,  on  Numbers  x.  29  : — 

I.  The  invitation.  The  journey  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  was  altogether  typical 
of  our  journey  heavenward.  When,  therefore,  in  the  name  of  all  Israel,  we  say  to 
every  individual  among  you,  Come  thou  with  us,  we  in  effect  say — 

1.  Set  your  faces  in  good  earnest  toward  the  promised  land — a  land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey — all  gospel  blessedness.  Estimate  these  things  properly ;  lose  no 
time  in  preparation ;  engage  at  once  in  their  pursuit,  lest  you  fail  of  obtaiaing  them. 
See  Heb.  iv.  1. 

2.  Let  nothing  be  suffered  to  retard  you  in  your  progress  thitherward  ;  Matt.  x.  37- 
39.  What  considerations  can  outweigh  the  value  of  heaven  ?  What  should  hinder, 
what  should  discourage  you  ? 

3.  Proceed  steadily  till  you  are  m  possession  of  it.  No  tardiness  or  weariness,  no 
impatience  or  change  of  purpose. 

4.  Object  not  on  account  of  him  or  those  whose  counsel  is  offered  you,  for  the  prime 
inviter  is  your  divine  Savior.  Parties  or  sects  are  nothing  ;  you  are  to  be  on  the  Lord's 
side.     Exod.  xxxii.  26. 

II.  The  arguments  by  which  it  is  enforced.  If  you  accept  the  invitation,  con- 
sider— 

1.  What  benefit  will  accrue  to  yourselves.  "God  has  spoken  good  concerning  Is- 
rael ;  both  in  their  way  and  in  their  end  they  shall  be  truly  blessed." 

2.  What  benefit  you  will  confer  upon  others.  "  Thou  shalt  be  to  us  instead  of 
eyes."  You  will  become  a  blessing  by  your  prayers,  and  an  example  by  your  works 
of  faith  and  labors  of  love. 

III.  Address — 

1.  Those  who  have  never  yet  thought  of  the  invitation  given  them. 

2.  Those  who,  having  once  accepted  it,  are  disposed  or  half  inclined  to  turn 
back. 

3.  Those  who,  having  given  themselves  up  to  Christ,  are  cleaving  to  him  with 
full  purpose  of  heart. 

Though  the  above  is  only  a  meager  outline,  you  will  easily  perceive 
that  it  is  so  constructed  as  to  furnish  admirable  openings  in  every  part  for 
direct  address. 

To  promote  variety,  which  is  both  pleasing  and  edifying,  I  shall  attempt 
an  example,  which  may  serve  to  show  that  even  doctrinal  subjects  are 
capable  of  being  discussed  on  the  principles  of  continued  address.  I 
will  found  this  attempt  on  Dr.  Gill's  sermon  on  Colossians  i.  19  :  "For 
it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell."  The  doc- 
tor's sermon  is  destitute  of  application,  at  least  in  my  view  of  it :  he  rested 
everything  on  statement  and  argument.  I  shall  adopt  from  him  what 
appears  most  proper  for  my  purpose,  and  diminish  or  add  as  occasion 
requires  : — 

This  unequivocal  assertion  of  the  mediatorial  fulness  of  Christ  is,  my  dear  breth- 
ren, of  the  utmost  importance  to  your  present  and  everlasting  interests.  Give  me 
therefore  your  best  attention.  I  will  not  say  I  have  a  right  to  demand  it  (though  I 
might  say  so),  but  rather  in  love  I  entreat  it ;  and  what  greater  proof  of  my  love  can 
I  give  than  to  introduce  you  to  Him  who  is  "  altogether  lovely,"  and  who  is  able  and 
willing  to  supply  your  every  want  out  of  his  fulness  ?  I  shall  set  before  you  some 
particulars  of  this  fulness. 

I.  To  excite  your  adoration,  look  at  the  personal  fulness  of  Jesus.  This  is  not  an 
affair  of  philosophic  reasoning;  as  "none  by  searching  can  find  out  God,"  so  none 
knoweth  the  Son  but  the  Father.  You  are  to  receive  it  on  the  evidence  of  the  text, 
and  on  corresponding  attestations.  I  refer  you  to  chapter  ii.  9 :  "In  him  dwelleth 
all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  He  is  not  only  like  God,  but  he  is  the 
"  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,"  Heb.  i.  3. 
There  is  no  perfection  essential  to  Deity  but  what  dAvells  in  him,  nor  is  there  any  the 
Father,  has  but  he  has  it  likewise.  Eternity  is  peculiar  to  the  Godhead  ;  so  Christ 
"  is  before  all  things,"  ver.  17.  In  this  manner  we  prove  by  scripture  that  every 
other  attribute  and  perfection  of  the  divine  nature  equally  belongs  to  Jesus.  But  our 
context  answers  all  purposes;  see  ver.  15-19.  Was  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
heavenly  hosts  descended  to  worship  Jesus  when  he  assumed  our  nature  ?  the  fact 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  149 

proclaimed  was-  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  peace  pn  earth,  and  good  will  to 
men."  Oh,  my  brethren,  "come  into  this  secret"— this  mystery  of  godliness— and 
let  all  inferior  or  worldly  attractions  perish  before  it  in  your  view.  Tear  every  idol 
from  your  hearts.     "He  is  thy  Lord,  and  worship  thou  him." 

II.  After  meditating  on  the  astonishing  dignity  of  Christ,  you  would  think  nothino- 
could  be  wanting  to  him  ;  yet  see  what  matchless  grace  :  he  is  not  satisfied  without 
?i  relative  fulness.  Though  we  are  absolutely  "complete  in  him,"  yet  he  is  not 
complete  without  his  church;  therefore  the  church  is  called  "his body,  the  fulness 
of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all."  The  head  can  not  be  complete  without  the  members  : 
as  such  you  are  dear  to  him.  Having  his  spirit,  you  are,  and  ever  shall  be,  his.  '  Be- 
longing to  his  body,  you  can  not  perish  ;  nay,  as  a  part  of  himself,  you  must  share  his 
light,  his  love,  his  glory.  The  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  will  dwell  in  you  and 
prepare  you  to  be  where  Christ  is.  Then,  my  brethren,  what  an  overflow  of  blessed 
consequences  are  entailed  in  this  relationship  !  Why,  are  not  "  all  things  yours,  if 
ye  are  Christ's"  ?  Now,  dare  you  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment  in'^this  view  ? 
Can  your  faith  lay  its  hand  on  Christ?  This  is  the  point  of  comfort.  Or  are  you 
timorous  and  fearful,  being  weak  ?  Yet  faith  in  his  fulness  will  soon  give  you  joy, 
and  the  joy  of  the  Lord  should  be  your  strength.  But  if  any  of  you  are  of  a  different 
character— if  you  are  refusing  Christ's  headship  and  authority— there  is  but  one  law 
for  you :  you  must  be  destroyed.  Therefore,  "  kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and 
you  perish  from  the  way:  blessed  are  all  those  that  put  their  trust  in  him." 

III.  There  is  a  fulness  of  cojigruity  or  fitness  m  Jesus.  Some  of  our  greatest  men 
are  the  least  of  men  in  practical  fitness  for  oflRce.  But  whatever  could  be  required 
of  Christ  as  Mediator  was  so  complete  that  nothing  could  be  added  or  desired  :  and 
if  you  consider  the  various,  distinctive,  remote,  and  almost  contrary  qualities  that  cen- 
tred in  him,  you  must  allow  that  Christ  is  eminently  "  the  Wonderful  ;"*  qualities, 
I  say,  which  could  not  have  met  and  combined  if  he  had  not  been  at  the  same  time 
God  and  man,t  by  an  ineffable  union.  And  here  lay  the  very  clearest  essence 
of  his  Mediatorial  character,  that  by  the  dignity  of  his  Godhead  he  laid  his  hand  on 
heaven,  and  by  the  attributes  of  humanity  he  allied  himself  to  creatures  of  the  earth. 
Here  was  a  matchless  adaptation  to  his  work,  the  want  of  which  no  other  high 
qualities  could  have  compensated.  You  now  behold  him  a  sin-atoning  lamb  on 
earth,  and  a  priest  in  heaven.  The  blood  he  shed  on  earth  he  could  offer  in  heav- 
en ;  and  though  a  priest  of  such  dignity,  yet  is  he  full  of  compassion,  of  lowliness,  and 
meekness.  Havmg  participated  m  the  circumstances  of  our  nature,  he  knows  how 
to  pity  us. 

And  now,  my  brethren,  do  we  not  feel  ourselves  lost  in  wonder  that  we  should  be 
mterested  in  this  glorious  Mediator  ?— that  our  eternal  salvation  should  through  him 
be  even  a  possible  event  ?  But  how  much  more  if  a  certain  one— if  he  actually  has 
acquired  "  eternal  salvation  for  us  !"  Oh,  then,  commit  your  souls  into  his  hands. 
I  beseech  you,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  look  unto  him  and  be  ye  saved ;  for  his  is  the 
hand  of  power,  as  well  as  of  suitability  ;  and  his  love  is  as  great  as  his  name  is  won- 
derful. "  Did  e'er  such  love  and  sorrow  meet  ?"  Such  is  Christ's  excellency  in  this 
view  that  our  meditations  might  rest  upon  it,  as  the  cherubim  were  intent  upon  the 
ark,  nay,  so  intent  that  the  other  glories  of  the  holy  of  holies  which  surrounded  them 
shared  not  their  view.:]: 

IV.  Christ's  dispensatory  and  communicative  fulness  deserves  your  regard.  My 
beloved  brethren,  your  experience  takes  away  this  mystery :  you  know  that  all  tha't 
you  ever  received  in  grace  was  from  his  exhaustless  store  ;  just  as  all  the  bread  that 
the  people  in  Egypt  received  was  from  Joseph  ;  so  out  of  this  communicative  fulness 
which  dwells  in  Jesus  "  have  all  we  received,  and  grace  for  grace ;"  but,  particu- 
larly— 

1.  There  is  a  fulness  of  natural  supply.  All  the  supplies  of  nature  and  providence 
are  deposited  by  Jehovah  in  his  hands.  "  All  things,"  says  Jesus,  "  are  delivered 
unto  me  of  my  Father,"  and  therefore  there  remaineth  nothing  that  is  not  delivered. 
If  this  were  not  "  all  things,"  in  an  absolute  and  universal  sense,  it  would  destroy 
the  perfection  of  his  Mediatorship.  As  all  the  affairs  of  Egypt  were  delivered  over 
to  Joseph  by  Pharaoh,  so  all  the  aflfairs  of  the  world  are  committed  to  the  hands  of 
Christ.  If  therefore  you  look  to  Christ  in  sincerity  for  any  one  thing,  you  will  look 
to  him  for  everything.  He  is  the  light  of  the  morning  and  the  light  of  life.  He  is 
Lord  of  the  dews  of  Hermon.  The  showers  that  water  the  earth,  the  fountains  in 
Its  bowels,  and  the  mfluences  of  heaven,  are  his.  The  all-refreshing  air  which  we 
breathe,  and  the  breath  of  our  spiritual  existence,  the  fire  of  life  and  the  fire  of  divuie 

*  Isa.  ix.  6.  t  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  %  Exod.  xxv.  20  ;  1  Pet.  i.  12. 


150  LECTURE    IX. 

love,  are  his.  He  is  the  fountain  of  all  natural  and  spiritual  knowledge,  of  civil,  po- 
litical, and  divine  power.  He  is  the  giver  and  the  taker-away  of  our  lives ;  and  he 
has  "  the  keys  of  the  invisible  world."  I  ask  not  what  our  freethinkers  and  unita- 
rians think  of  Christ;  their  hearts  are  not  prepared  to  receive  evidence  of  his  great- 
ness. But  I  ask  you,  my  dear  brethren,  "  What  think  you  of  Christ  ?"  Do  you  con- 
ceive of  him  as  Lord  of  all?  Remember  that  "no  one  can  call  Jesus  Lord,"*  in  his 
complex  and  universal  character,  but  by  a  divine  faith :  nor  can  you  have  the  sensi- 
ble benefit  of  this  fulness  without  this  faith.  Do  not,  therefore,  evade  the  question, 
"  What  think  you  of  Christ"  as  the  fountain  of  supply  ?  The  world's  misery  is,  that 
they  see  not,  that  they  hear  not,  that  they  understand  not  this  article  of  the  Chris- 
tian's faith.  But  why  not  believe  in  him  who,  while  in  this  world,  held  all  power  in 
his  hands,  and  who,  after  his  crucifixion,  reassumed  his  own  life  ?  Why  not  believe 
in  Christ's  providence,  who  fed  4,000  and  5,000  by  a  miracle,  which  was  an  emblem 
of  his  sufficiency  in  bestowing  all  supplies  of  providence  and  grace  ?  How  ready 
are  you  to  believe  what  you  greatly  desire,  as  to  worldly  good  !  How  does  your 
fancy  paint  all  objects  as  certainties,  and  all  this  after  you  have  been  cheated  a  thovi- 
sand  times  !  In  short,  I  fear  there  are  some  of  you  that  believe  anything  except  what 
you  ought  to  believe.  But  I  turn  from  such  to  you  who  have  "  tasted  that  the  Lord 
is  gracious."  Has  he  not  supplied  your  temporal  wants  to  the  present  moment  ?  and 
do  you  not  see  that,  being  sinful,  ruined  creatures,  you  could  not  have  received  evea 
a  drop  of  water  to  satisfy  your  thirst  but  by  and  through  a  Mediator  ? 

2.  There  is  a  fulness  of  spiritual  supply.  The  supplies  of  grace  are  communica- 
ted by  him.  This  you  know  is  especially  noticed :  "  Of  his  fulness  have  all  we 
received,  and  grace  for  grace."!  Although  at  some  times  your  common  cares 
are  excessive,  yet  I  know  that  in  your  better  moments  you  are  most  solicitous  for 
supplies  of  grace.  With  what  the  Scriptures  declare  on  this  subject  there  is  a 
concurrence  in  what  your  hearts  feel.  You  know  that  his  grace  has  been  hitherto 
sufficient  for  you ;  you  know  that  scripture  declares  that  Jesus  was  "  anointed  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  above  measure;"  the  Spirit  of  grace,  personal  and  communicative  ; 
it  could  be  no  more  measured  than  could  the  sands  or  the  waters  of  the  seas.  Now 
you  know  that  we  want  a  fulness  of  every  kind  of  grace.  It  is  here  as  in  providence, 
we  have  nothing  properly  within  ourselves,  all  is  communicated.  Our  breath  and 
being  are  from  without ;  our  food  is  a  gift ;  and  so  is  every  other  mercy.  None  of 
the  creatures  would  obey  our  command,  nor  stay  though  we  bade  them  ;  "  Jesus  we 
know,"  say  they,  "  but  who  are  you  ?"     Hence — 

1.)  You  read  in  the  divine  word  that  there  is  a  fulness  of  communicative  gifts  of 
the  Spirit  in  Christ.  These  were  poured  out  in  a  special  manner  and  degree  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost.  So  true  it  -vvas  that  "  Jesus  ascended  up  on  high  ;  he  led  captivity 
captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto  men,"  fully  adequate  to  the  important  offices  of  apostles, 
prophets,  evangelists,  pastors,  and  teachers,  for  the  perfecting  of  the  church.  In  a 
lower  degree  the  church  is  still  supplied  with  gifts.  Be  it  remembered  that  philoso- 
phy and  human  learning  could  never  prove  a  substitute  for  these  gifts ;  by  these 
gospel  gifts  we  can  still  answer  those  that  reproach  us  for  msignificance  or  ignorance. 
Some  portion  of  a  divine  unction  is  bestowed  even  on  our  meanest  prayer-leaders  that 
affords  evidence  of  this  truth.  And  does  not  that  light  and  consolation  which  you 
receive  under  the  Avord  preached  witness  to  the  fact  ?  Nay,  if  conversions  are  not 
now  numbered  by  thousands  as  formerly,  yet  seals  to  the  ministry  are  not  like  the 
return  of  comets,  at  the  space  of  some  hundreds  of  years,  but  rather,  I  should  hope, 
like  the  returns  of  the  blessed  sabbaths  of  the  Lord.  Oh  !  put  up  your  fervent  prayers 
that  conversions  to  Christ  may  be  like  the  "  drops  of  dew  from  the  womb  of  the 
morning;"  and  cease  not,  my  dear  brethren,  to  pray  for  a  "  door  of  utterance"  to  be 
given,  that  "  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course  and  be  glorified  :"  yet  idolize 
no  man  for  his  gifts,  but  thank  God  on  their  account ;  and  honor  men  only  as  the 
servants  of  Christ,  as  helpers  of  your  faith,  and  praise  God  for  his  most  excellent 
gifts  to  his  church. 

2.)  You  are  accustomed,  my  brethren,  to  consider  all  the  blessings  of  grace  as 
coming  from  Christ's  fulness.  These  are  to  be  considered  as  resulting  from  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  which  is  "ordered  in  all  things  and  sure."  This  covenant  is  made 
with  Christ;  it  is  deposited  in  his  hand  ;  and  he  is,  in  fact,  the  guarantee  of  all  its 
blessings.  "  I  have  given  him  for  a  covenant  of  the  people."  All  its  blessings  are 
upon  the  head  and  in  the  hands  of  our  Joseph,  even  on  the  crown  of  the  head  of 
him  that  was  separated  from  his  brethren  ;  and  therefore,  if  any  are  blessed  with 

*  I  have  not  in  ignorance  quoted  this  scripture,  but  suppose  tbat  the  turn  I  have  given  it  is  allow- 
able, 
t  John  i.  1€. 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  151 

them,  they  are  blessed  with  them  "  in  heavenly  places  ia  Christ."  This  doctrine  is 
mystically  represented  to  us  in  Zechariah  iv.  2,  3,  by  "a  candlestick  all  of  gold,  with 
a  bowl  upon  the  top  of  it,  and  his  seven  lamps  thereon,  and  seven  pipes  to  the  seven 
lamps  which  are  upon  the  top  thereof;  and  two  olive-trees  by  it,  one  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  bowl,  and  the  other  upon  the  left  side  thereof." — "Now  beyond  doubt," 
says  Mr.  Scott,  "  this  represents  the  abundance  of  divine  grace  for  the  use  of  the 
church  ;"  for  grace  in  Christ  is  one  thing,  and  grace  communicated  to  us  is  another ; 
and,  though  there  is  much  mystery  m  the  communication,  yet  the  fact  is  undoubted, 
and  it  is  equally  undoubted  that  this  grace  is  abundant :  "  Of  his  fulness  have  all  we 
received,  and  grace  for  grace."  Oh  !  what  a  blessing  is  it,  my  dear  friends,  that  this 
grace  is  abundant !  that  where  sin  has  abounded  grace  has  much  more  abounded! 
What  a  blessing  is  it  that  the  deposite  is  not  in  us,  to  be  misused,  but  treasured  up  in 
Christ !  Hence  you  are  exhorted  to  "  come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  you 
may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need,"  Heb.  iv.  16.  By  this 
grace  you  "  can  do  all  things  ;"  but  without  this  grace  from  Christ  you  "  can  do  noth- 
ing." May  we  not  say  that  "  God  has  abounded  toward  us  in  all  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence," as  well  as  in  grace  and  mercy  ?  For  consider,  my  brethren,  for  a  moment, 
how  excellent  this  plan  is,  of  placing  this  fulness  of  grace  in  Christ,  and  not  in  our- 
selves. Our  first  parents  had  a  stock,  a  treasure,  committed  to  their  own  hands  ;  but 
how,  like  the  substance  of  the  prodigal,  was  it  wasted !  We  are  not  trustworthy ; 
for,  even  when  we  design  well,  we  have  such  a  defect  of  wisdom  and  such  a  want  of 
energy  that  grace  is  not  used  aright.  This  is,  however,  the  best  supposable  case ; 
but  when  we  consider  that  Satan  has  access  to  our  hearts,  to  disturb  our  peace,  and, 
by  injecting  his  fiery  darts,  to  infuse  a  deadly  poison  into  our  spirits — when  we  con- 
sider that  we  still  have  a  law  in  our  members,  warring  against  the  law  of  our  minds, 
and  frequently  bringing  us  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin  and  death — we  must  per- 
ceive that  we  are  unfit  repositaries  of  grace.  Do  but  consider  again  how  merciful 
this  part  of  the  divine  conduct  toward  us  is  ;  for  in  the  misuse  of  grace  we  should  be 
very  liable  to  the  sm  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  at  least  of  being  vastly  m.ore 
criminal  than  we  now  are.  Do  but  consider  that  herein  God  deals  out  to  us  his  grace 
as  he  does  our  natural  breath — as  we  need  and  require  it ;  and  that  he  deals  out  to 
us  all  other  mercies  in  the  same  manner.  Wherever  exceptions  appear,  where  men 
have  something  in  hand,  we  see  how  little  mfluence  wise  maxims  and  just  principles 
have  upon  human  conduct.  Where  the  blessings  of  power,  of  talents,  of  riches,  of 
beauty,  of  public  favor,  are  possessed  by  the  creature,  how  rarely  it  is  that  these 
blessings  are  used  to  their  proper  end !  But  in  Christ  our  grace  is  not  only  a  fulness 
of  grace,  but  the  security  of  grace  for  supply,  for  mcrease,  for  utility  of  all  kinds; 
and  it  is  dispensed  as  every  one  has  need. 

3.)  When  you  further  reflect  that  the  grace  which  justifies  the  ungodly,  and  so 
introduces  us  into  our  Christian  state,  and  the  grace  which  confirms  us  in  it  and  en- 
ables us  to  persevere  unto  the  end,  are  treasured  up  m  Christ  in  all  their  fulness,  to 
be  dispensed  to  every  member  of  his  mystical  body,  you  must  admire  the  design. 

(1.)  In  regard  to  pardonmg  grace.  Is  not  this  clear,  that  "  the  Son  of  man  hath 
power  to  forgive  sin,"  even  a  fulness  of  power?  "  Thy  sins,  which  are  many,  are 
forgiven  thee  ;"  many  sins,  as  well  after  as  before  conversion  ;  our  sins  of  omission 
and  commission,  in  thought  and  in  act,  our  sms  of  ignorance,  and  our  sins  against 
light  and  against  love.  The  covenant  of  grace  has  largely  and  fully  provided  for  the 
sins  of  true  penitents  ;  one  branch  of  this  covenant,  and  a  considerable  one  it  is,  runs 
thus  :  "  I  will  be  merciful  to  their  unrighteousness,  and  their  sins  and  their  iniquities 
will  I  remember  no  more."  The  issue  of  this  is,  "We  have  redemption  through  his 
blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace."  This  is  a 
prime  point  in  the  gospel  dispensation,  and  so  it  is  marked  by  St.  Paul :  "For  I  de- 
livered unto  you  first  of  all  that  which  I  also  received,  how  that  Christ  died  for  our 
sins  according  to  the  Scriptures."  And  where  are  these  scriptures  ?  Examine  the 
sacrifices  of  the  law,  and  say  what  was  their  import ;  hear  the  prophet  Isaiah  :  "  He 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions ;  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities,"  &c.  ;  and,  to 
show  that  the  purpose  was  really  answered,  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead,  ascended  to 
heaven,  and  sent  down  his  Spirit  to  give  his  seal  to  this  doctrine.  O,  ye  believing  Jews, 
exult,  exult  at  this  precious  fact :  the  sins  which  once  separated  between  you  and  your 
God  are  pardoned.  If  you  have  a  spiritual  ear,  oh,  listen  to  the  sweet  sound  of  this 
word  "  pardon."  0  sweet  word  '  abide  with  me  for  ever  ;  let  thy  music  cheer  me  in 
my  sorrows,  render  my  labors  sweet,  my  long  journey  short,  soothe  all  my  disturbed 
passions,  and  give  me  peace  and  assurance  for  ever ! 

My  dear  brethren,  do  any  of  you  seem  to  be  cast  out  of  this  blessed  lot  ?  Do  you  go 
on  sinning  because  there  is  no  hope,  or  despairing  because  there  is  no  pardon  equal 


152  LECTURE    IX. 

to  your  transgressions  ?  But  who  told  you  that  the  plenitude  of  these  pardons  has 
failed  ?  Is  it  not  written.  As  high  as  heaven  is  above  the  earth  so  high  are  the  Lord's 
thoughts  and  ways  above  those  of  his  creatures?  Does  he  not  delight  in  mercy? 
Why  then  thy  despondencies  ?  Loose  thyself  from  these  bands  of  unbelief,  0  thou 
distressed  captive  to  folly,  believe  and  live  for  ever. 

(2.)  Whom  the  Lord  pardons  he  justifies.  And  what  is  it  to  be  justified  ?  It  must 
be  something  very  precious  that  accompanies  pardon.  Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you : 
pardon  takes  away  sin  ;  justification  confers  righteousness.  Pardon  relieves  from 
punishment  and  no  more  ;  here  is  still  no  acceptable  character  for  heaven,  where  posi- 
tive righteousness  dwells :  nay,  there  would  be  none  for  the  church  below,  which  is 
its  resemblance.  The  righteous  Lord  would  not  admit  unrighteous  persons,  though 
pardoned,  into  fellowship  with  himself.  The  Lord's  people  that  shall  inherit  the 
land  shall  be  all  righteous,  that  he  may  be  glorified.  Oh,  then,  listen  to  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus  ;  there  is  a  fulness  of  justifying  grace  in  the  Mediator,  by  which  "  all  the 
seed  of  Israel  shall  be  justified  and  shall  glory."  Yes,  in  "  the  Lord  we  have  righ- 
teousness and  strength."  This  is  a  righteousness  that  fully  answers  to  all  the  de- 
mands of  the  law  of  God.  But,  it  may  be  replied,  you  say  there  is  a  fulness  of  righ- 
teousness in  Jesus,  and  we  admit  there  is,  but  how  is  that  made  available  to  us  ? 
The  scripture  tells  us  that  it  is  by  imputation  ;  by  Jesus,  in  his  great  work,  standing 
in  our  law-place,  as  the  head  and  representative  of  his  people,  acting  for  us  under 
sanction  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  according  to  its  special  tenure.  He,  I  say, 
"  fulfilled  all  righteousness,"  or  brought  in  an  "  everlasting  righteousness  :"  he  paid 
the  law's  penalties,  and  fulfilled  its  requirements,  not  for  himself,  but  for  us.  There- 
fore it  is  declared  that  he  is  the  "Lord  our  righteousness." — "He  was  made  sin  for 
us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him." 
Now  this  is  the  declarative  state  of  the  fact:  "It  is  God  himself  that  justifies;"  he 
himself  having  set  forth  Jesus  to  be  a  propitiation,  even  of  his  own  providing  and  of 
his  own  accepting,  for  this  end  r  he  against  whom  sin  had  been  committed  by  un- 
righteous persons.  Yet  there  is  a  further  consideration  to  be  adduced,  according  to 
which  the  Lord's  people  are  made  a  righteous  people,  and  that  is,  by  having  holy 
and  righteous  principles  implanted  in  their  hearts  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Hence  they 
become  fruitful  branches  in  Christ  the  living  vine,  bringing  forth  and  nourishing  the 
fruits  of  righteousness  so  as  to  be  acceptable  to  God  through  Christ,  so  evidencing 
their  justification  before  men.  This  righteousness  by  faith  is  actually  received,  that 
is,  by  believing  the  testimony  of  God  ;  and  this  faith,  working  by  love  in  a  new  crea- 
ture, moulds  the  soul  into  the  divine  image  or  likeness,  and  produces  corresponding 
fruits  and  effects  in  the  life  and  conversation.  And  this  belief  may  well  be  called 
full ;  for  it  has  respect  to  such  a  fulness  of  justifying  righteousness  in  Christ  as  leaves 
no  room  for  doubt  to  act  upon.  Is  this  the  truth  of  God  ?  O  sinner,  there  is  hope  ! 
Is  this  the  truth  of  God  ?  O  saint,  rejoice  I  Is  this  the  truth  of  the  gospel  ?  Is  Christ 
the  end  of  the  law  to  every  one  that  believeth  ?  0  thou  self-righteous  Pharisee,  be 
abased  ;  hide  thy  proud  head,  let  shame  cover  thee,  for  it  is  thy  only  protection.  Oh, 
cast  away  this  refuge  of  lies,  and  say,  with  the  holy  apostle,  "  God  forbid  that  I 
should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

(3.)  Let  every  one  of  you  further  consider  what  blessed  accompaniments  attend 
this  method  of  salvation:  adoption  into  the  family  of  God — nearness  to  him  under  all 
the  endearing  relations  of  sonship — all  the  promises  of  God — all  the  comforts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  all  these  flow  to  us  through  the  mediation  of  Christ,  and  are  enjoyed 
only  in  the  way  of  believing  in  him.  Then  add  to  these  the  joy  of  standing  at  the 
last  day  immaculate  and  pure  in  the  righteousness  of  Jesus.  Whom  God  justifies 
and  sanctifies,  those  he  also  glorifies;  for  there  is  also  in  Jesus  a  fulness  of  glory  tliat 
can  suffer  no  diminution,  that  is  susceptible  of  no  loss,  but  rather  an  increasinsr  fulness, 
expandinjT,  abounding,  and  overflowing  to  everlasting  day.  Can  any  worldly  glory 
compare  Avith  this  ?  Try  the  comparison.  What  is  the  glory  of  the  world  ?  Does 
it  consist  in  riches,  which,  by  a  thousand  circumstances  beyond  human  control, 
"  make  themselves  wings,  and  fly  away  as  an  eagle  toward  heaven  ?"  Is  it  to  be 
souarht  in  the  fame  of  senatorial  wisdom,  or  in  the  laurels  that  adorn  the  brow  of  the 
warrior  ?  Must  we  look  for  it  in  the  pomp  of  princes  and  tlie  splendors  of  majesty  ? 
We  will  not  now  insist  on  the  fact  that  all  tlie  glory  Avhich  dazzles  at  the  distance, 
and  after  which  men  aspire  with  so  much  eagerness,  is  in  the  irreat  majority  of  cases 
but  so  much  gilded  misery,  and  in  all  cases  so  empty  and  unsatisfyinij.  We  will 
even  allow  for  a  moment  that  the  charms  with  which  ima?ination  decks  the  irlory 
of  the  world,  in  all  or  any  of  its  forms,  arc  not  the  wild  and  visionary  fliijhts  of  fancy, 
but  that  they  are  realities.  Yet  there  is  one  point  still  which  disqualifies  all  earthly 
good  from  a  comparison  with  the  blessings  treasured  up  in  Christ.     Hear  the  laa- 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  153 

guage  of  inspiration :  "  All  flesh  is  as  grass,  and  all  the  glory  of  man  as  the  flower 
of  grass,"  &c.  But  the  glory  which  believers  shall  receive  from  the  abounding  ful- 
ness of  Christ  shall  continue  for  ever.  Because  he  lives,  they  shall  live  also.  Can 
you,  believer,  be  poor,  or  wretched,  or  miserable,  with  such  a  hope  ?  No,  it  can  not 
be  ;  for  with  Christ  you  have  all  things  even  in  possession  that  can  promote  your  real 
interest,  and,  in  reserve,  "  an  eternal  weight  of  glory." 

The  subject  of  Dr.  Gill  I  have  not  pursued  to  the  end  ;  it  is  not  necessary 
I  should  do  so.  My  purpose  will  be  answered  if  I  have  succeeded  in  giv- 
ing an  example  of  doctrinal  discussion  with  intermixed  address  ;  and  I  hope 
you  will  find  in  it — first,  a  tolerably  clear  statement  of  gospel  truths  ;  second- 
ly, the  evidence  and  authority  upon  which  that  statement  rests  ;  and  thirdly, 
the  address  attached  to  them  exciting  the  hearers  by  appeals,  by  interroga- 
tions, negative  interrogation,  comment,  expostulation,  personification,  &c. 
Some  attempt  is  occasionally  made  in  this  praxis  on  Dr.  Gill,  to  excite 
admiration,  love,  desire,  hope,  fear,  joy,  and  gratitude  ;  it  is  confessedly 
but  an  attempt,  and  as  such  I  offer  it  to  notice.  I  shall  only  add  one  more 
example,  and  it  is  one  of  the  very  highest  class  of  pulpit  eloquence,  from 
the  pen  of  the  justly-celebrated  Dr.  Payson,  of  America.  It  is  quoted 
from  a  volume  of  his  discourses  published  by  Holdsvvorth  and  Ball,  which 
I  take  this  opportunity  of  heartily  recommending  to  the  attention  and  imi- 
tation of  all  preachers  who  desire  to  see  a  revival  of  spiritual  religion  in 
this  country : — 

Ps.  xc.  8  :  "  Thou  hast  set  our  iniquities  before  thee,  our  secret  sins  in  the  light  of 
thy  countenance." 

The  appearance  of  objects  is  very  much  affected  by  the  situation  in  which  they  are 
placed  with  respect  to  us,  and  by  the  light  in  which  they  are  seen.  You,  O  sinner, 
view  sin  according  to  the  estimation  of  man,  as  something  venial,  and  not  deserving 
of  eternal  punishment;  a  deceived  heart  has  led  you  to  diminish  its  odious  nature. 
But  what  is  the  light  in  which  God  beholds  your  sin  ?  Even  the  clear  light  of  his 
countenance.  All  your  iniquities  or  open  transgressions,  nay,  your  secret  sins,  the 
sins  of  your  hearts,  are,  as  it  were,  placed  full  before  God's  face,  immediately  under 
his  eye.  He  beholds  them  in  the  pure  all-disclosing  light  of  his  own  holiness  and 
glory.  Now  if  you  would  see  your  sins  as  they  appear  to  him  against  Avhom  you 
have  sinned  (that  is,  as  they  really  are),  if  you  Avould  see  their  number,  blackness, 
and  criminality,  and  the  malignity  and  desert  of  every  sin,  place  yourself  as  nearly 
as  possible  in  his  presence,  and  look  at  your  sins  as  it  were  with  his  eyes.  You  must 
place  yourself  and  your  sins  in  the  centre  of  that  circle  which  is  irradiated  by  the 
light  of  his  countenance,  where  all  his  infinite  perfections  are  clearly  displayed,  where 
his  awful  majesty  is  seen,  where  his  concentrated  glories  blaze,  and  burn,  and  dazzle 
with  insufferable  brightness.  And  in  order  to  this  you  must,  in  thought,  leave  our 
dark  and  sinful  world,  where  God  is  unseen  and  almost  forgotten,  and  where  conse- 
quently the  evil  of  sinning  against  him  can  not  be  fully  perceived,  and  mount  up  to 
heaven,  the  peculiar  habitation  of  his  holiness  and  glory,  where  he  does  not,  as  here, 
conceal  himself  behind  the  veil  of  his  works  and  of  second  causes,  but  shines  forth 
the  unveiled  God,  and  is  seen  as  he  is. 

Attempt  this  adventurous  flight.  Follow  the  path  by  which  our  blessed  Savior  as- 
cended to  heaven,  and  soar  upward  to  the  great  capital  of  the  universe,  to  the  palace 
and  the  throne  of  the  Great  King.  As  you  rise,  the  earth  fades  away  from  your  view. 
Now  you  leave  worlds,  and  suns,  and  systems  behind,  and  at  length  reach  the  utmost 
limits  of  creation.  Here  the  last  star  disappears,  and  no  ray  of  created  light  is  seen  :  but 
a  new  light  now  brightens  upon  you :  it  is  the  light  of  heaven,  which  pours  a  flood 
of  glory  from  its  wide  open  gates,  spreading  continual  meridian  day  far  and  wide 
through  the  region  of  ethereal  space.  Passing  still  swiftly  onward  through  this  flood 
of  day,  the  songs  of  heaven  begin  to  burst  upon  your  ears,  and  voices  of  celestial 
sweetness,  yet  loud  as  the  sound  of  many  waters  and  of  mighty  thunderings,  are  heard  • 
exclaiming,  "Hallelujah!  for  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth !  Blessing,  and 
glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb 
for  ever  and  ever  !"  A  moment  more,  and  you  have  passed  the  gates,  you  are  in  the 
midst  of  the  city,  you  are  before  the  eternal  throne,  you  are  in  the  immediate  presence 


154  LECTURE    IX. 

of  God,  and  all  his  glories  are  blazing  around  you  like  a  consuming  fire.  Flesh  and 
blood  can  not  support  it;  the  body  dissolves  into  its  original  dust,  but  your  immortal 
soul  remains,  and  stands  a  naked  spirit  before  the  great  Father  of  spirits.  Nor,  m 
losing  your  tenement  of  clay,  have  you  lost  the  power  of  perception ;  no,  you  are'all 
eye,  all  ear,  nor  can  you  close  the  eyelids,  to  shut  out  for  a  moment  the  dazzlmg, 
overpowering  splendors  that  surroimd  you,  which  appear  like  light  condensed,  like 
glory  which  may  be  felt.  You  see,  indeed,  no  form  or  shape  ;  but  your  soul  will  per- 
ceive with  iatuitive  clearness  and  certainty  the  immediate,  awe-inspiring  presence  of 
Jehovah.  You  see  no  countenance,  and  yet  you  feel  as  if  a  countenance  of  awful 
majesty,  in  which  all  the  perfections  of  divinity  shuie  forth,  beamed  upon  you  where- 
soever you  turn.  You  see  no  eye,  and  yet  a  piercing,  heart-searching  eye,  an  eye  of 
omniscient  purity,  every  glance  of  which  goes  through  your  soul  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning,  seems  to  look  upon  you  from  every  point  of  surrounding  space.  You  feel  as  if 
enveloped  in  an  atmosphere,  or  plunged  in  an  cfcean  of  existence,  intelligence,  per- 
fection, and  glory,  an  ocean  of  which  your  laboring  mind  can  take  in  only  a  drop,  an 
ocean  the  depth  of  which  you  can  not  fathom  and  the  breadth  of  which  you  can  never 
explore.  But,  while  you  feel  utterly  unable  to  comprehend  this  infinite  Being,  your 
views  of  him,  as  far  as  they  do  extend,  are  perfectly  clear  and  distinct.  You  have 
the  most  vivid  perception,  and  most  deeply-engraved  impression  of  an  infinite,  eternal, 
and  spotless  mind,  in  which  the  images  of  all  things,  past,  present,  and  to  come,  are 
most  harmoniously  seen  arranged  in  the  most  perfect  order  and  defined  with  the 
nicest  accuracy— of  a  mmd  which  wills  with  infinite  care,  but  whose  volitions  are 
attended  by  a  power  omnipotent  and  irresistible,  and  who  sows  worlds,  suns,  and 
systems,  through  the  fields  of  space,  with  far  more  facility  than  the  husbandman  scat- 
ters his  seed  upon  the  earth — of  a  mind  whence  have  flowed  all  the  streams  which 
ever  watered  any  part  of  the  universe  with  life,  intelligence,  holiness,  or  happiness, 
and  which  is  still  overflowing  and  inexhaustible.  You  perceive,  also,  with  equal 
clearness  and  certainty,  that  this  infinite,  eternal,  omnipotent,  omniscient,  all-wise, 
all-creating  mmd  is  perfectly  and  essentially  holy— a  pure  flame  of  holiness— and 
that,  as  such,  he  regards  sin  with  unutterable,  irreconcilable  detestation  and  abhor- 
rence.  With  a  voice  which  reverberates  through  the  wide  expanse  of  his  domin- 
ions, you  hear  him  saying,  as  the  sovereign  and  legislator  of  the  universe,  "  Be  ye 
holy,  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy."  And  you  see  his  throne  surrounded,  you 
see  heaven  filled,  by  those  only  who  perfectly  obey  his  commands.  You  see  thou- 
sands of  thousands,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  of  angels  and  archangels — 
pure,  exalted,  glorious  intelligences — who  re"ect  his  perfect  image,  burn  like  flames 
of  fire  with  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  seem  to  be  so  many  concentrations  of  wisdom, 
knowledge,  holiness,  and  love— a  fit  retinue  for  the  thrice  holy  Lord  of  hosts,  whose 
holiness  and  all-filling  glory  they  unceasingly  proclaim. 

And  now,  my  unhappy,  unconverted  hearers,  if  you  are  willing  to  see  your  sms  in 
their  true  colors,  if  you  would  rightly  estimate  their  number,  magnitude,  and  crimi- 
nality, bring  them  mto  this  hallowed  light,  where  nothing  is  seen  but  the  whiteness 
of  unsullied  purity  and  the  splendor  of  uncreated  glory,  where  the  sun  itself  would 
appear  as  a  dark  spot ;  and  here,  in  the  midst  of  this  circle  of  seraphic  intelligences, 
with  the  infinite  God  pouring  in  all  the  light  of  his  countenance  around  you,  review 
your  lives,  and  contemplate  your  off'ences,  and  see  how  they  appear.  Recollect  that 
the  God  in  whose  presence  you  are  is  the  Being  of  whose  eternal  law  sin  is  the  trans- 
gression, and  against  whom  every  sin  is  committed.     Keeping  this  in  mind — 

I.  Bring  forward  what  the  psalmist  in  our  text  calls  "  our  iniquities,'"  that  is,  your 
more  gross  and  open  sins,  and  see  how  they  appear  m  the  light  of  God's  counte- 
nance. 

Have  any  of  you  been  guilty  of  impious,  profane,  passionate,  or  indecent,  corrupted 
language  ?  How  does  such  language  sound  in  heaven,  in  the  ears  of  angels,  in  the 
ears  of  that  God  who  gave  you  your  tongues  for  nobler  purposes  ?  Bring  forward 
all  the  language  of  this  kind  which  you  have  ever  uttered.  See  it  written  as  in  a 
book  :  and,  while  you  read  it,  remember  that  the  eye  of  God  is  reading  it  at  the  same 
time.  Then  say.  Is  this  language  fit  for  an  immortal  being  to  utter  ?  Is  this  fit  lan- 
guage for  God  to  hear?  Especially  let  everyone  of  you  inquire  Avhether  he  has 
ever  violated  the  third  commandment  by  using  the  narne  of  God  in  a  profane  or  ir- 
reverent manner.  If  you  have,  bring  forward  your  transgressions  of  this  kind,  and  see 
how  they  appear  in  the  light  of  God's  presence.  Sinner,  this  is  the  Being  whose 
adorable  name  thou  hast  profaned,  and  who,  bending  upon  thee  a  look  of  awful  dis- 
pleasure, says,  "  I  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  my  name  in  vain."  Oh, 
what  an  aspect  of  shocking,  heaven-daring  impiety ! 
Have  any  of  you  been  guilty  of  uttering  what  is  untrue  ?    If  so,  bring  forward  all 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  155 

the  falsehoods,  all  the  deceitful  expressions,  which  you  have  ever  uttered,  and  see 
hovs^  they  appear  in  the  presence  of  the  God  of  truth,  of  that  God  who  has  declared 
that  he  abhors  the  lying  tongue,  and  that  all  liars  shall  have  their  portion  in  the  burn- 
ing lake.     Oh,  what  is  it  to  stand  convicted  of  falsehood  before  such  a  God  as  this  ? 

Have  any  of  you  been  guilty  of  perjury  ?  If  so,  you  may  here  see  the  awful  Be- 
ing whom  you  mocked  by  calling  him  to  witness  the  truth  of  a  known  deliberate 
lie.  And  how,  think  you,  does  such  conduct  appear  in  his  eyes?  How  does  it  ap- 
pear in  your  own  ?  When  you  took  that  false  oath,  when  you  said.  So  may  God 
help  me  as  I  speak  the  truth,  you  did  in  effect  utter  a  prayer  that  his  vengeance  might 
fall  upon  you  if  what  you  swore  was  untrue.  And  will  not  God  take  you  at  your 
word  ?  Will  not  the  vengeance  which  you  imprecated  fall  upon  you  ?  Oh,  be  as- 
sured that  it  will,  unless  deep  and  timely  repentance  and  faith  in  Christ  prevent. 
Nor  is  the  guilt  of  those  who  share  in  the  gain  of  perjury,  and  permit  such  as  are 
employed  by  them  to  make  use  of  it,  much  less  aggravated  in  the  estimation  of  him 
whose  judgment  is  according  to  truth. 

Have  any  of  you  transgressed  the  command,  "Remember  the  sabbath-day  to  keep 
it  holy  ?"  Such  trangressions,  I  am  aware,  appear  very  trivial  on  earth  ;  but  do 
they  appear  so  to  Him  who  gave  the  command  ?  Do  they  appear  so  in  Heaven, 
where  an  everlasting  sabbath  is  observed  ?  Let  those  who  have  been  guilty  of  such 
transgressions  hear  a  voice  from  the  glory  around  them  saying,  "  I,  to  whom  you 
are  indebted  for  all  your  time,  allowed  you  six  days  for  the  performance  of  your 
necessary  labors,  reserving  but  one  for  myself,  but  one  to  be  employed  exclusively  in 
my  service,  and  in  working  out  your  own  salvation.  Even  this  day  you  deny  me ; 
you  consider  my  service  as  weariness,  and  therefore  employ  it  in  whole  or  in  part  in 
serving  yourselves,  thus  proving  yourselves  to  be  wholly  unqualified  and  unfit  to  en- 
joy an  endless  sabbath  in  my  presence." 

Have  any  of  you — we  must  propose  the  unpleasant  question — been  guilty  of  vio- 
lating the  commandment  which  forbids  adultery  and  its  kindred  vices  ?  If  so,  bring 
forward  those  abominations,  and  see  hoAV  they  look  in  heaven,  in  the  presence  of  the 
holy  angels,  in  the  sight  of  that  thrice-holy  God,  who  has  said,  "  I  will  come  and  be 
a  swift  witness  agamst  the  adulterers,  and  they  shall  have  their  portion  in  the  lake 
of  fire." 

Have  you  been  guilty  of  fraud,  dishonesty,  and  injustice  ?  Have  you  in  your  pos- 
session any  portion  of  another's  property  without  the  owner's  consent  fairly  obtained  ? 
If  so,  bring  forward  your  dishonest  gains,  hold  out  the  hands  which  are  polluted  by 
them,  and  see  how  they  look  in  heaven,  in  the  presence  of  God,  who  hath  said,  "  Let 
no  man  overreach  or  defraud  his  brother  in  any  matter,  for  the  Lord  is  the  avenger 
of  all  such." 

Have  any  of  you  been  guilty  of  intemperance  ?  If  so,  look  at  yourselves  and  see 
a  drunkard,  a  rational  being  self-degraded  to  a  level  with  the  beasts,  and  wallowing 
in  the  mire  of  his  own  pollution.  How  would  you  appear  in  heaven,  in  the  society 
found  there  ? 

Plead  not  your  exemption  from  these  ;  your  hearts  naturally  corrupt,  will  not  abide 
the  penetrating  light  of  God's  countenance.     Let  us  then — 

II.  Bring  your  hearts  into  heaven,  and  there  lay  them  open  to  view,  and  see  how 
they  will  appear  in  that  world  of  unclouded  light  and  unsullied  purity. 

And  oh,  how  do  they  appear  ?  what  a  disclosure  is  made,  when  the  dissecting 
knife  of  a  spiritual  anatomist  lays  open  the  human  heart,  with  all  its  dark  recesses 
and  intricate  windings,  and  exposes  the  lusting  abominations  which  it  conceals,  not 
to  the  light  of  day,  but  to  the  light  of  heaven  !  My  hearers,  even  in  this  sinful  world 
the  spectacle  which  such  a  disclosure  would  exhibit  could  not  be  borne.  The  man 
whose  heart  should  thus  be  laid  open  to  public  view,  would  be  banished  from  society  ; 
nay,  he  would  himself  fly  from  it,  overwhelmed  with  shame  and  confusion.  Of  this 
every  man  is  sensible,  and  therefore  conceals  his  heart  from  all  eyes  with  jealous 
care.  Every  man  is  conscious  of  many  thoughts  and  feelings  which  he  would  be 
ashamed  to  express  to  his  most  intimate  friend.  Even  those  profligate  abandoned 
wretches  who  glory  in  foaming  out  their  own  shame,  these  make  some  reserve,  and 
tell  not  every  thought  within.  And  if  this  be  the  fact,  if  the  heart  laid  open  to  view 
would  appear  thus  black  in  this  dark  sinful  world,  who  can  describe  the  blackness 
which  it  must  exhibit  when  surrounded  by  the  dazzling  whiteness  of  heaven,  and 
seen  m  the  light  of  God's  presence,  in  the  light  of  his  holiness  and  glory?  How 
do  proud  and  self-exaltmg  thoughts  appear  when  viewed  in  the  presence  of 
hmi  before  -^vhom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  are  less  than  nothing,  and 
vanity?  How  do  self-will,  impatience,  and  discontent  with  the  allotments  of 
Providence,  appear  when  viewed  before  the  throne  of  the  infinite  Sovereign? 


156  LECTURE    IX. 


How  do  angry,  envious,  and  revengeful  feelings  appear  in  the  eyes  of  the  God 
of  love,  and  in  those  regions  of  love  where,  since  the  expulsion  of  rebel  angels, 
not  one  such  feeling  has  ever  been  exercised  ?  Hoav  do  wanton  impure  thoughts 
appear?  But  we  can  not  pursue  the  loathsome  sickening  enumeration.  Surely, 
if  all  the  evil  thoughts  and  wrong  feeluigs  which  have  passed  in  countless  num- 
bers, through  any  one  of  your  hearts  were  poured  out  in  heaven,  angels  would 
stand  aghast  at  the  sight,  and  all  their  benevolence  would  scarcely  prevent  them 
from  exclaiming,  in  holy  indignation,  "  Away  with  him,  to  the  abodes  of  his  kindred 
spirits  in  the  abyss !"  To  the  Omniscient  God  alone  would  the  sight  not  be  sur- 
prisinp-.  He  knows,  and  he  only  knows,  what  is  the  heart  of  man ;  and  what  he 
knows  of  it  he  has  described  in  brief,  but  terribly  expressive  terms,  "  The  heart  of 
the  sons  of  men  is  full  of  evil,  and  madness  is  in  their  heart."  Let  it  be  remembered 
that  in  God's  account  thoughts  and  feelings  are  actions,  that  a  wanton  look  is  adultery, 
and  hatred  is  murder.  ,  ^  ,  •      i 

in.  Having  thus  viewed  your  actual  sins  of  heart  and  life,  as  they  appear  m  the 
light  of  heaven,  let  us  take  a  similar  view  of  the  sins  of  omission  (which  are  far  more 
numerous  and  by  no  means  less  criminal  offences)  of  which  you  are  guilty. 

Recollect  all  that  you  have  been  told  of  God's  infinite  perfections,  of  the  works  he  has 
performed,  and  the  blessings  he  has  bestowed  upon  you.  Look  at  him  once  more  as 
he  appears  in  the  eyes  of  holy  angels,  and  then  say  what  he  deserves  of  his  creatures. 
Does  he  not  deserve,  can  you  avoid  perceiving  that  he  deserves,  all  their  admiration, 
love,  gratitude,  and  obedience  ?  Does  he  not  deserve  to  be  loved,  feared,  and  served, 
with  all  the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength  ?  This  you  are  sensible  is  what  his  law 
requires;  and  can  anything  be  more  equitable?  Can  we  withhold  our  heart  and 
services  from  such  a  Being  without  incurring  great  and  aggravated  guilt?  Yet  this 
you  are  justly  chargeable  with.  Your  whole  lives  present  one  unbroken  series  of 
duties  neglected,  of  favors  not  acknowledged.  And  oh,  how  do  they  appear,  when 
you  review  them  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance  ?  When  you  see  before  you  your 
Creator,  your  Preserver,  your  Benefoctor,  your  Sovereign,  and  your  heavenly  Father 
—when  you  see  in  him  to  whom  all  these  titles  belong,  infinite  excellence,  perfection, 
glory,  and  beauty— when  you  see  with  what  profound  veneration,  with  what  rap- 
tures of  holy  grateful  affection,  he  is  regarded  and  served  by  all  the  bright  armies  of 
heaven,  and  then  turn  and  contemplate  your  past  lives,  and  reflect  how  they  must 
appear  in  his  sight,  can  you  refrain  from  exclaiming,  with  Job,  "  I  have  heard  of 
thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee,  and  I  abhor  myself  in 
dust  and  ashes"  ?  "Shall  not  your  shame  and  confusion  be  full  ?  Nay,  more,  when 
you  see  what  God  is,  and  how  he  is  worshipped  in  heaven,  and  then  look  at  the 
coldness,  the  formality,  the  want  of  reverence,  with  which  you  have  approached 
him  in  prayer,  and  listened  to  his  word,  you  must  feel  conscious  that  should  he  call 
you  to  judgment  you  would  be  struck  dumb. 

But  the  duties  which  we  owe  to  God  are  not  the  only  ones  which  we  are  required, 
and  which  we  have  neglected,  to  perform.  It  is  also  required  that  you  love  your 
neighbor  as  yourselves,  and  this  includes  a  great  number  of  subordinate  precepts, 
which  belong  to  our  Avhole  intercourse  with  our  fellow-creatures.  How  have  you 
acquitted  yourself  in  all  the  relations  in  which  you  stand,  in  all  their  ramified  natures 
and  kinds"?     Oh,  we  must  say  we  have  left  undone  many  things  which  we  ought  to 

have  done.  -n,  .  i  i 

Nor  do  our  sins  of  omission  end  here  ;  there  is  another  Being  whom  we  are  under 
infinite  obligations  to  love,  and  serve,  and  praise  with  supreme  affection.  This 
Being  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  considered  as  our  Redeemer  and  Savior,  who  has 
bought  us  with  his  blood.  We  are  required  and  sacredly  bound  to  feel  that  we  are 
not  our  own,  but  his,  to  prefer  him  to  every  earthly  object,  to  rely  on  him  Avith  im- 
plicit confidence,  to  live  not  to  ourselves  but  to  him,  and  to  honor  him  even  as  we 
honor  the  Father.  Every  moment,  then,  in  which  we  neglect  to  obey  his  commands, 
Ave  are  guilty  of  a  new  sin  of  omission,  nor  have  we  the  smallest  excuse  for  neglect- 
ing to  obey  these  commands.  Even  the  angels,  for  whom  he  never  dies,  regard  him 
as^'worthy  to  receive  everything  which  creatures  can  give.  Much  more,  then,  may 
it  be  expected  that  he  for  whom  he  has  done  and  suffered  so  much  should  regard 
and  heed  him  as  worthy.  But  how  grossly  have  we  failed  in  this  particular !  How 
must  the  manner  in  which  we  have  treated  his  beloved  Son  appear  in  the  sight  of 
God  !  How  does  it  appear  to  us,  when  we  contemplate  him  as  he  appears  in  heaven, 
when  we  see  the  place  he  fills,  when  we  recollect  that  in  him  all  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead  dwells,  and  that  to  him  are  unceasingly  ascribed  Avisdom,  and  strength,  and 
blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  ?  .... 

The  subject  before  us  is  far  from  being  exhausted,  and  very  far  from  having  justice 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  157 

done  to  it ;  but  we  must  leave  it,  and  hasten  to  a  conclusion.  Before  I  close,  how- 
ever, permit  me  to  ask  whether  you  can  not  now  perceive  the  reason  why  your 
sins  appear  more  heinous  and  criminal  in  the  sight  of  God  than  they  do  in  your  o^vn  ? 
Have  you  seen  or  heard  nothing  which  convinces  you  that  they  are  far  more  numerous 
and  aggravated  than  you  had  supposed  ?  If  so,  you  have  seen  nothing  aright.  You 
have  not  seen  your  sins  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance  ;  for,  had  you  seen  them 
in  that  light,  they  would  have  appeared  in  some  measure  to  you  as  they  appear  to 
God  himself.  When  Isaiah  had  seen  Jehovah  on  his  august  throne,  he  cried  out, 
"  Wo  is  me,  for  I  am  undone  :  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips."  Can  not  you  perceive 
that,  so  placed,  you  would  be  like  affected,  should  your  sins  appear  in  their  true  nature  ? 
If  so,  allow  me  to  say  that  a  day  is  approaching  in  which  you  will  be  constrained  to  see 
your  sins  as  they  appear  in  the  light  of  his  countenance.  When  that  day  arrives, 
his  Eternal  Son,  the  appointed  Judge,  will  be  seen  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  all  his  Father's  glory  blazing  around  him,  seated  on  a  throne  of  resplendent 
whiteness,  with  a  countenance  from  which  the  heavens  and  the  earth  will  be  af- 
frighted. He  will  call  the  whole  race  before  him,  and  there  cause  their  lives  to  pass 
in  review,  expose  all  their  secret  sins,  lay  open  the  utmost  recesses  of  all  hearts,  while 
the  flood  of  celestial  light  which  pours  itself  around  him  will,  by  contrast,  cause 
their  blackness  to  appear  sevenfold  more  black.  Then  no  more  complaining  of  the 
strictness  of  God's  law,  or  of  the  severity  of  the  punishment  which  will  be  pronounced 
upon  transgressors,  will  be  heard  ;  for  every  mouth  will  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world, 
except  the  Lord's  people,  Avill  stand  guilty  before  God.  Oh,  then,  be  persuaded  now 
to  come  to  the  light ;  make  the  Judge  your  friend ;  his  blood  and  righteousness  can 
effect  your  salvation  if  now  sought  for. 

Lavington's  sermon  on  Luke  xiii.  8,  which  I  have  quoted  at  some 
length  at  p.  105,  is  also  an  excellent  specimen  of  continued  application, 
though  the  divisions  are  observational,  and  I  here  add  an  outline  by  a  liv- 
ing preacher,  in  which  the  divisions  are  interrogatory.  It  is  founded  on 
Ex.  ix.  20,  21,  "He  that  feared  the  word  of  the  Lord,"  &c.  The  text 
suggests  some  important  inquiries. 

I.  Whether  you  have  not  valuable  property  which  is  yet  in  a  state  of  insecurity. 
All  are  not  rich  in  houses  and  lands,  in  silver  and  gold,  &c.  But  even  the  poorest 
possess  property  of  immense  value.     Who  can  count  the  value  of  an  immortal  soul  ? 

II.  Whether  you  can  afford  to  lose  this  property ;  we  can  easily  conceive  of  per- 
sons whose  property  is  so  various,  and  so  extensive,  that  they  can  lose  a  part  without 
any  inconvenience.  Though  they  lose  much,  yet  they  have  enough  remaining  ;  but 
if  you  lose  your  souls,  what  have  you  left?  Men  have  sometimes  been  deprived  of 
all  their  earthly  property,  and  yet  have  been  enabled  to  make  up  their  loss,  &c.  But 
the  loss  of  the  soul  is  irretrievable,  &c. 

III.  Whether  you  can  hope  to  secure  this  property  by  any  other  means  than  by 
regarding  the  word  of  the  Lord.  There  is  but  one  covert  from  the  tempest  of  divine 
wrath.  There  are  indeed  many  refuges,  but  the  storm  of  ordinary  affliction  shakes 
them.  At  the  approach  of  death  they  fall  and  crumble  to  the  dust.  The  covert  pro- 
vided will  avail  you  nothing  unless  you  take  refuge  in  it.  There  were  houses  enough 
in  Egypt  to  shelter  all  that  were  in  the  fields,  but  unless  they  fled  to  the  houses  they 
were  left  unprotected.  It  is  not  enough  that  there  be  a  place  of  refuge  if  you  do  not 
fly  to  it. 

IV.  Whether  you  have  a  moment  to  lose  m  availing  yourselves  of  the  counsel  of 
the  word  of  God.  The  Egyptians  might  say  with  careless  levity,  "  How  unlikely  is 
it  that  there  should  be  a  storm  of  hail  in  Egypt ;  the  day  too  is  calm  and  serene,  and 
it  is  preposterous  to  talk  of  a  storm."  But  the  storm  was  commg.  And  is  not  death 
making  fearful  ravages  ?  How  many  during  even  the  past  week  have  fallen  under  the 
stroke  of  mortality  ?  And  these  were  not  all  aged,  not  all  sickly,  not  all  poor ;  some 
of  them  were  young  and  healthy,  &c.  Are  you  quite  sure  of  another  week,  another 
day  ?  And  if  not,  how  can  you  rest  while  your  souls  are  in  jeopardy  ?  I  am  willing 
to  believe  that  not  many  of  you  utterly  despise  religion,  &c.  You  admit  that  God 
has  a  claim  upon  you.  You  would  not  for  a  thousand  worlds  be  found  at  last  among 
the  neglecters  of  the  gospel.  You  hope  to  be  converted  before  you  die.  But  you  are 
hngering,  procrastinating,  and  in  the  meantime  the  bands  of  sin  are  gaining  strength. 
Why  do  you  hesitate  to  cast  yourselves  at  the  foot  of  the  cross?  When  will  the 
claims  of  God  be  stronger  than  noAV  ?  When  will  the  cords  of  iniquity  be  weaker  ? 
Shall  I  tell  you  of  the  terrors  of  the  Almighty— the  wrath  revealed  against  ungodli- 


158  LECTURE    IX. 

ness  ?  &c.     0  let  me  lead  you  to  Calvary.     Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

IMPROVEMENT. 

1.  We  see  from  this  subject  that  there  is  prudence  in  piety. 

2.  There  is  no  folly  so  great  as  want  of  piety. 

3.  The  source  of  this  folly  will  be  found  in  the  neglect  of  God's  word. 

Whole  discourses  constructed  on  the  principle  of  entire  or  uniform  ap- 
plication, and  ably  supported,  I  consider  the  ne  flus  ultra  of  pulpit  ex- 
cellence. It  is  not  the  study  of  school  eloquence,  nor  a  parade  of  words 
or  clustered  ornaments  of  speech,  much  less  a  theatrical  assumption  of 
character,  that  can  furnish  the  requisite  qualifications  for  maintaining  such 
a  mode  of  address.  It  is  rather  the  boon  of  Heaven,  a  blessed  unction 
from  above,  a  large  measure  of  which  was  imparted  to  the  great  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  as  his  writings  abundantly  manifest;  and,  if  I  may  be  allowed 
to  select  a  single  instance  of  modern  date  in  which  this  gift  was  eminently 
possessed,  I  would  point  you  to  George  Whitefield.  He  held  a  command 
over  the  minds  of  his  hearers  like  that  which  superior  spirits  are  supposed 
to  possess  over  the  inferior.  It  would,  however,  be  wrong  to  suppose  that 
any  gift  is  exclusive  which  the  wants  of  mankind  render  necessary.  This 
excellence  has  its  degrees ;  and  some  share  of  it  may  be  expected  wher- 
ever a  ministerial  talent  is  imparted,  where  means  are  used  for  its  attain- 
ment, and  especially  where  the  preacher  is  blessed  with  strong  natural  as 
well  as  gracious  affections ;  for,  as  an  argumentative  talent  is  improved  and 
sanctified  by  the  general  influence  of  the  gospel,  and  a  natural  sagacity  in 
observation  is  increased  by  grace,  so  the  benevolent  affections  are  suscep- 
tible of  immense  improvement  from  those  powerful  considerations  which 
divine  grace  impresses  on  the  heart.  "Covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts,"  is 
a  direction  which  applies  to  the  present  as  well  as  to  past  ages  of  the 
church ;  and,  influenced  by  an  ardent  desire  to  win  souls  to  Christ,  you 
may  hope  for  considerable  success. 

While  the  art  of  conducting  a  whole  discourse  by  continued  application 
is  worthy  your  highest  ambition,  it  will  also  be  proper  in  your  practice  to 
intersperse  some  portion  of  this  excellency  of  speech  throughout  every 
sermon,  in  the  manner  of  my  example,  p.  148.  The  importance  of  ob- 
taining a  just  idea  of  this  essential  of  a  discourse  must,  I  think,  be  appa- 
rent. Observation  marks  your  wisdom,  argumentation  your  talent,  and 
close  address  your  Christian  feeling.  By  the  first  you  enlighten  the  mind; 
by  the  second  you  convince  the  judgment;  and  by  the  third  you  influence 
the  will  and  affection.  Shall  I  say  that  the  greatest  of  these  is  persuasion? 
There  is  a  perfection  in  everything.  As  I  said  of  observation  and  of  ar- 
gumentation that  each  might,  in  a  proper  manner  and  degree,  fill  an  im- 
portant place  in  every  discourse,  and  must  do  so,  I  may  also  observe 
that  there  is  a  manner  and  degree  of  throwing  in  all  the  qualities  of  address 
or  application,  and  this  will  be  its  savor,  its  "sweet  incense."  This  may 
be  clone  at  the  pauses  of  your  discourse,  or  at  some  periods  of  your  argu- 
ment, by  the  interposition  of  a  few  sentences,  by  an  ejaculation,  an  in- 
terjection, an  expostulation,  an  interrogation,  an  appeal,  an  abrupt  digres- 
sion, &c.  In  short,  you  must  be  ever  on  the  watch  to  find  an  opening  for 
application,  and  let  your  arrangements  be  so  formed  as  to  favor  such  open- 
ings. Keep  the  object  in  view  when  your  text  is  read,  and  let  its  magnetic 
power  be  felt  throughout,  taking  care  however  not  to  wander  too  far,  but 


ON    UNIFORM    APPLICATION.  159 

soon  return  to  the  place  where  you  broke  ofF.  Some  people  may  call  these 
the  excrescences  of  a  discourse,  but  I  call  them  its  beauties.  It  is  not  ne- 
cessary that  I  should  prescribe  what  you  are  to  introduce  at  these  inter- 
vals; your  own  judgment  and  Christian  feeling,  assisted  by  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  real  state  of  those  you  are  addressing,  will  suggest  what  is 
most  appropriate.  Consider  for  what  end  you  stand  before  a  congrega- 
tion, whose  message  it  is  you  bear,  and  what  is  its  subject  (Christ  cru- 
cified*); and,  "knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,"  and  feeling  that  the 
"love  of  Christ  constraineth  you,"  you  will  not  fail'  successfully  to  "per- 
suade men;"  you  will  be  at  no  loss  what  to  introduce  on  such  occasions. 

When  I  consider  what  thousands  of  valuable  sermons  are  almost  lost  for 
want  of  this  excellence,  I  am  grieved ;  and  I  am  especially  grieved  that  in 
so  many  of  my  own  very  little  of  this  savor  has  been  seen,  and  even  in  such 
as  have  cost  me  much  labor  in  preparing;  but  what  avail  laborious  inves- 
tigation, sound  argument,  and  correct  diction,  if  this  be  wanting?  The 
people  are  but  litde  moved,  and  anxiously  wait  for  the  end  of  the  discourse. 
On  the  other  hand,  look  at  those  ministers  who  excel  in  pathos,  and  who 
occasionally  incorporate  address  or  application ;  by  what  crowds  is  their 
ministry  attended  !  and  that  by  enlightened  as  well  as  by  less-cultivated 
hearers.  Here  then  is  the  attractive  power,  and  here  the  sanctified  magic 
of  their  speech,  and  nowhere  else.  Pure  nature  loves  it;  while  man  is 
man  he  will  own  its  power.  I  am  not  discountenancing  other  excellences 
by  urging  the  cultivation  of  this,  but  only  putting  in  a  just  claim  to  that 
which  is  so  essential  to  a  gospel  minister  and  the  success  of  his  ministry. 
Ministers,  like  others,  are  too  much  the  creatures  of  habit  and  the  slaves 
of  custom  ;  and,  whatever  track  a  minister  first  takes,  from  this  he  can  not 
be  easily  removed,  until  at  last  he  justifies  himself  by  pleading  that  he  is  too 
old  to  alter  his  manner  of  preaching.  How  careful  then  should  you  be, 
my  young  friends,  to  take  the  right  course  at  the  first ;  and  if,  like  others, 
you  feel  the  force  of  example,  to  take  for  your  exemplars  those  that  excel 
in  close  preaching  and  just  application. 

It  has  indeed  been  matter  of  debate  whether  persuasion  or  address 
should  be  conducted  in  this  way  or  reserved  for  the  last  part  of  the  dis- 
course. 1  have  formerly  pointed  out  the  latter  as  the  proper  place ;  and 
when  I  come  to  treat  of  perorations,  in  these  lectures,  I  shall  do  so  again. 
I  say  an  argument  should  in  general  be  first  concluded  before  you  make 
the  appeal  from  it ;  yet  even  here  a  little  occasional  address  may  be  em- 
ployed, for  this  keeps  the  audience  attentive  throughout ;  and  the  argu- 
ments on  which  your  address  is  founded  will  not  only  be  better  received, 
but  will  also  be  longer  remembered,  where  they  are  interspersed  with  suit- 
able applicatory  remarks,  which  is  somewhat  like  striking  the  iron  while,  it 
is  hot.  How  sensibly  is  reserved"  address  weakened  in  Brown's  and 
Scott's  Commentaries !  These  respectable  authors  accomplish  their  object 
of  keeping  their  exposition  or  argument  from  interruptions ;  but  then  at 
the  end  of  a  chapter  what  a  confused  heap  of  reflections  and  observations 
are  hurried  upon  us !      Here,  instead  of  feeling  their  force,  we  are  full  of 

*Dr.  Williams's  Christian  Preacher  is  a  very  valuable  work — it  is  forn:ed  chiefly  by  bringing:  to- 
gether some  very  valuable  treatises,  which  we  should  have  had  some  difficulty  in  collecting,  and  per- 
haps we  should  not  otherwise  even  have  known  their  names.  One  of  these  treatises  is  called 
Preaching  Christ,  by  the  great  and  good  Mr.  Jennings,  the  tutor  of  Dr.  Doddridge.  This  treatise,  in 
reference  to  my  present  subject,  I  beg  leave  most  earnestly  to  recommend  to  your  notice,  and  also 
Ambrose's  Looking  to  Jesus.  This  latter  work,  the  value  of  which  is  not  sufficieutly  known,  may  be 
had  very  cheap.     There  is  a  modern  edition  in  small  pocket  volumes. 


160  LECTURE    IX. 

perplexity  for  a  time  to  know  what  truth  each  reflection  or  practical  obser- 
vation is  intended  to  apply.  The  great  charm  of  Henry's  invaluable  com- 
mentary, on  the  contrary,  arises  from  his  peculiar  skill  in  applying  every 
part  of  the  truth  as  he  proceeds  in  a  manner  at  once  simple,  natural,  and 
pointed.  His  arguments  and  criticisms,  though  often  profound,  generally 
judicious,  are  rather  insinuated,  or  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  being  im 
mediately  apphed,  than  drawn  out  in  form.  In  perusing  this  work  the  au 
thor  is  forgotten,  while  the  heart  acknowledges  his  power,  or  rather  the 
moral  power  of  the  truth. 

Reserved  address  is  also  in  danger  of  becoming  inefficient  by  exhaustion 
of  the  preacher's  strength,  or  the  lapse  of  the  appointed  time  for  preaching, 
to  which  I  may  add  that  if  a  preacher  excels  in  argument  he  relies  more 
upon  this  arm  than  he  ought  to  do,  and  becomes  habitually  indifferent  to 
address;  and  here  he  loses  himself. 

In  order  to  prevent  these  and  other  bad  consequences,  let  the  object  of 
this  lecture  give  the  turning  point  of  decision  as  to  the  question  at  issue. 
Address  can  hardly  be  put  out  of  its  place  except  it  be  wholly  excluded: 
its  purpose  will  be  fulfilled  wherever  its  appears,  if  presented  with  any 
tolerable  degree  of  judgment.  Therefore  let  nothing  of  this  high  value  be 
left  to  the  chapter  of  accidents.  The  preacher  must  not  trust  himself;  he 
must  fix  a  firm  resolution,  and  as  firmly  keep  it,  that  his  argumentative  part 
shall  not  be  too  long,  so  that  full  time  may  be  left  for  the  persuasive. 

Having  now  passed  through  the  nine  textual  divisions,  I  shall  conclude 
the  present  lecture  by  presenting  to  you  a  view  of  the  whole  at  once,  that 
you  may  thereby  clearly  perceive  the  points  of  difference,  and  on  studying 
a  text  be  assisted  by  a  reference  to  this  scheme  in  determining  which  kind 
of  discourse  will  be  most  eligible. 


GENERAL    VIEW   OF    THE    NINE    DIVISIONS. 


161 


A  GENERAL  VIEW 

OF 

THE  NINE  KINDS  OF  DIVISION, 
FocNDED  ON  Matt.  iv.  19,  20. 


First,  the  Natural  division,  on  the  19th 
and  20th  verses. 

I.  The  gracious  call  of  Christ  (to  follow 

him). 

II.  The  obedience  paid  to  it. 

Secondly,  the  Accommodational  ki7id,  on 
the  Ist  clause  of  the  19th  verse. 

I.  The  effectual  call. 

II.  Its  gracious  design. 

[This  kind  would  admit  of  several 
other  forms  of  expression.] 

Thirdly,  the  Expository  division,  on  the 
whole  of  the  19th  verse. 

I.  The  call  here  spoken  of. 

II.  Its  nature. 

III.  Its  operation. 

IV.  Its  design. 

Fourthly,  the  Distributive  division. 
Christ's  call  mat  be  considered, 

I.  In  reference  to  those  disciples  to  whom 

it  Avas  primarily  addressed. 

II.  In  reference  to  all  men  as  sinners  be- 

fore God. 

III.  As  it  respects  the  work  of  the  min- 

istry. 

IV.  As  to  the  exercise  of  our  particular 

talent. 

V.  As  to  our   general   duty  to  promote 

Christian  interests. 

Fifthly,  the  Regular  division. 

I.  The  person  of  Jesus  (who  calls). 

II.  The  call  itself. 

III.  Its  end  or  design. 


Sixthly,  the  Interrogative  division. 

I.  Who  is  the  person  commanding  ? 

question     1 

II.  "What  is  the  import  of  the  command  ?  2 

III.  To  whom  is  it  addressed  ?     -     -     4 

IV.  To  what  end  is  it  given  ?   -     -     -     5 
N.  B.  The  other  questions  here  are  in- 
applicable, as  is  often  the  case. 


Seventhly,  the  Observational  plan. 

I.  Christ's  great  work  is  the  calling  of 

his  people ;  Col.  i.  13,  and  Luke 
xix.  10. 

II.  As  he  designed  to  use  instruments  in 

the  establishment  of  his  cause,  so 
he  also  selects  them. 

III.  The  instruments  he  chooses  are  often 

such  as  in  the  eyes  of  men  appear 
the  most  imsui table,  poor  untutored 
fishermen,  &c. 

IV.  The  instruments  chosen  always  wil- 

lingly obey  the  call. 

V.  It  is  the  highest  honor  to  be  employed 

in  the  service  of  Christ. 


Eighthly,  the  Propositional  division. 

I.  Christ  only  can  effectually  call  sinners. 

II.  The  call  to  be  effectual  must  be  irre- 

sistible. [In  supporting  this  prop- 
osition, care  should  be  taken  to 
show  that  there  is  no  violation 
of  free-agency.  Hos.  xi.  4 ;  Ps. 
ex.  3.] 

III.  Christ's  call   is  always   to  glorious 

objects. 

Ninthly,  the  Continued  Application. 

I  commence  (the  preacher  will  say), 
my  brethren,  by  assuming  that  the  call 
of  Christ  in  the  text,  though  primarily  ad- 
dressed to  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew  his 
brother,  with  an  especial  view  to  the 
apostleship,  is  in  effect  addressed  to  every 
one  of  you..  "  Follow  me,"  is  the  gracious 
language  in  which  he  now  speaks  even  to 
you  who  are  still  in  an  unconverted  state 
before  God  ;  hence, 

I.  Seriously  consider  your  present  con- 

dition. 

II.  Behold  the  love  of  Jesus  in  giving 

you  the  gospel  call  and  all  its  ad- 
vantages. 

III.  Reflect  seriously  upon  the  consequen- 

ces of  compliance  or  refusal. 

IV.  Consider  the  immediate  and  pressing 

necessity  of  decision. 


11 


162  LECTURE    X. 

LECTURE  X. 

THE  TOPICS,  THEIR  USES,  PRACTICAL  REMARKS,  ETC. 

Dr.  Watts  speaks  disrespectfully  of  the  Topics,  as  being  necessary 
only  to  barren  minds.  "  Persons  of  any  invention  or  imagination  need 
not  go  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  topics  to  help  them  out  of  their  difficul- 
ties." I  think  it  would  be  no  difficult  task  to  show  that  he  himself,  and 
others  of  equal  talents,  have  borrowed  assistance  from  them  ;  and  if  Cicero 
and  other  Roman  pleaders  thought  it  no  disgrace  to  use  them,  we  who 
are  so  confessedly  inferior  need  not  be  ashamed  to  follow  their  example. 
Claude  saw  their  utility  in  Roman  hands,  and  rendered  them  convertible 
to  Christian  purposes.  In  various  ways  Dr.  Blair  made  very  great  use  of 
them,  and  Mr.  Simeon  still  more.  But  Claude  and  Simeon  laid  them  un- 
der no  further  contribution  than  to  aid  observational  preaching.  On  an 
attentive  consideration,  however,  it  will  appear  that  they  are  capable  of 
furnishing  hints  for  an  exordium,  a  basis  for  division,  and  mat- 
ter FOR  amplification  IN  EVERY  KIND  OF  DISCOURSE,  AND  OF  SUP- 
PLYING SOME   OF  THE    BEST    THOUGHTS    FOR  A  PERORATION.       In  faCt, 

the  eight  interrogatives  stated  in  the  Lecture  on  the  Interrogative  Division, 
and  these  Topics,  will  go  very  far  to  aid  us  in  the  investigation  of  all  truth, 
and  the  examination  of  subjects  in  general,  in  laying  open  their  several 
parts,  qualities,  and  adjuncts,  adjusting  the  circumstances  of  things,  esti- 
mating their  comparative  value,  marking  their  peculiarities,  and  reverting 
to  the  intention  of  persons'  words  and  actions  ;  so  that  we  may  by  these 
assistances  almost  exhaust  any  subject  whatever.  We  can  by  them  make 
right  appear  right  and  wrong  appear  wrong,  as  well  as  disclose  things  that 
were  hidden  under  other  things  or  seen  but  very  imperfectly.  The  Topics 
therefore  form  an  arm  of  power  which  it  would  be  imprudent  to  neglect. 
They  are  a  magnifying  glass  to  view  things  more  perfectly  ;  and  we  need 
not  knock  at  the  door  of  the  Topics  to  beg  for  their  assistance,  for  they 
throw  open  their  advantages,  and  invite  our  inspection. 

Claude's  notice  of  these  topics  is  introduced  in  the  following  enumera- 
tion :  "  To  open  more  particularly  some  sources  of  observations,  you  should 
carefully  remark  everything  that  may  help  you  to  think  and  facilitate  in- 
vention. You  may  rise  from  species  to  genus  or  descend  from  genus  to 
species.  You  may  remark  the  different  characters  of  a  virtue  commanded 
or  of  a  vice  prohibited.  You  may  inquire  whether  the  subject  in  question 
be  relative  to  any  other,  or  whether  it  do  not  suppose  something  not  ex- 
pressed. You  may  reflect  on  the  person  speaking  or  acting,  or  on  the 
condition  of  the  person  speaking  or  acting.  You  may  observe  time,  place, 
persons  addressed,  and  see  whether  there  be  any  useful  considerations 
arising  from  these.  You  may  consider  the  principles  of  a  word  or  action, 
or  the  good  or  bad  consequences  that  follow.  You  may  attend  to'the  end 
proposed  in  a  speech  or  action,  and  see  if  there  be  anything  remarkable  in 
the  manner  of  speaking  or  acting.  You  may  compare  words  or  actions 
with  others  similar,  and  remark  the  differences  of  words  and  actions  on 
difTerent  occasions.  You  may  oppose  words  and  actions  to  contrary 
words  and  actions,  by  contrasting  either  speakers  or  hearers.     You  may 


RISE    FROM    SPECIES    TO    GENUS.  163 

examine  the  foundations  and  causes  of  words  or  actions,  in  order  to  de- 
velop the  truth  or  falsehood,  equity  or  iniquity,  of  them.  You  may  some- 
times make  suppositions,  refute  objections,  and  distinguish  characters  of 
grandeur,  majesty,  meanness,  infirmity,  necessity,  utility,  evidence,  and  so 
on.  You  may  advert  to  degrees  of  more  or  less  and  to  different  interests. 
You  may  distinguish,  define,  divide,  and,  in  a  word,  by  turning  your  text 
on  every  side,  you  may  obtain  various  methods  of  elucidating  it." 


TOPIC  I. 

RISE  FROM  SPECIES  TO  GENUS. 

These  are  terms  of  natural  history,  and  on  this  subject  very  well  express 
the  thing  intended.  Gmm  means  a  class  of  being,  comprehending  under 
it  many  species.  For  instance,  the  word  animal  is  a  genus,  because  it 
agrees  to  many  sorts  of  living  subjects,  as  man,  horse,  dog,  lion,  whale, 
bird  ;  consequently  all  these  several  names,  man,  horse,  &c.,  are  what  we 
call  species,  under  the  genus  animal.  In  the  same  manner  an  idea  ex- 
pressed in  a  book  may  be  a  general  idea  or  subject — a  genus,  compre- 
hending under  it  many  ideas.  Or  we  may  first  meet  with  a  branch,  a 
species,  in  the  course  of  our  reading  ;  and  in  this  case,  if  we  would  extend 
meditation,  we  pass  from  the  species  to  the  genus  to  which  this  species 
belongs.  So  also  in  studying  a  particular  text.  Suppose,  for  example, 
we  take  Ps.  1.  14,  or  Ps.  cvii.  22.  Here  the  particular  offering  of  thanks- 
giving may  lead  us  to  reflect  on  the  nature  and  design  of  sacrifices  m  gcn- 
eraU  and  to  observe  that  the  offering  of  an  appointed  sacrifice  is  the  ini- 
mediate  commerce  of  a  creature  with  his  God,  an  action  in  which  it  is 
difficult  to  judge  whether  earth  ascends  to  heaven  or  heaven  descends  to 
earth — that  while  in  almost  every  other  act  of  religion  the  creature  receives 
of  his  Creator,  in  this  the  Creator  receives  of  his  creature — that  the  Lord 
of  the  universe,  who  needs  nothing,  and  who  eternally  lives  In  rich  abun- 
dance, exercises  amazing  condescension  in  being  willing  to  receive  offer- 
ings at  our  hands,  &c. 

In  ordinary  cases  the  observations  founded  on  this  Topic  will  only  occu- 
py a  small  portion  of  a  sermon,  but  sometimes  they  will  furnish  the  ontlhie, 
as  in  the  case  of  observational  discourses,  where  particular  facts,  &c.,  are 
made  the  groundwork  for  enlarging  on  those  general  truths  from  which 
they  arise.  In  other  cases  the  subject  of  discourse  may  be  furnished  by 
this  Topic.  Thus,  for  example,  suppose  the  text  to  be,  as  above,  Ps.  1.  14. 
Having  briefly  illustrated  the  grounds  and  obligations  of  thanksgiving,  and 
turned  attention  to  the  dignity  of  sacrifices,  the  subject  might  be  cast  into 
the  following  form  : — 

I.  Consider  the  general  history  of  sacrifices,  with  their  appendages. 

1.  From  Abel's  time  to  that  of  Moses,  including  the  age  of  Job. 

2.  From  Moses  to  Christ. 

Notice  in  both  parts  the  quality  of  the  things  offered,  the  persons  of  the  offerers, 
the  acceptance  they  received,  with  all  the  specialities  of  appointment  with  respect 
to  them. 

II.  Their  real  design,  and  their  instructive  lesson  to  man.  Their  design  was  to 
give  a  perpetual  intimation  "  that  without  the  shedding  of  blood"  there  could  be 
"  no  remission  of  sin.''  Though  this  was  not  recorded  in  any  form  of  words  till  the 
Mosaic  dispensation  arrived,  yet  the  patriarchal  ages  received  divine  intimations  upon 


164  LECTURE    X. 

the  subject.  This  I  judge  to  have  been  the  case  because  such  an  institution  could 
scarcely  have  entered  into  the  mind  of  man  without  some  previous  intimation  from 
Heaven.  Upon  the  natural  view  of  things  there  was  no  connexion  between  the  act 
of  shedding  an  animal's  blood  and  offering  the  victim  upon  the  altar  and  the  pardon 
of  sin.  But  the  sacrifice  met  the  same  acceptance  as  when  offered  by  divine  appoint- 
ment in  subsequent  times,  and  everything  happened  just  as  it  would  have  happened 
upon  a  divine  appointment.  Hence  we  conclude  that  some  previous  intimation  had 
taken  place ;  and,  by  whatever  means  the  ancient  church  acquired  its  ideas  of  sac- 
rifices and  their  typical  intention,  the  fact  is  undoubted  that  many  of  the  earliest 
saints  had  clearer  views  on  the  subject  than  millions  of  professors  in  the  present  day. 
By  faith  Abel  ofl!'ered  an  acceptable  oflTering.  The  Lord  smelled  a  sweet  savor  from 
Noah's  sacrifice.  So  Abraham,  and  others  in  succeeding  ages,  appear  to  have  had 
increasing  light  on  this  interesting  subject,  corresponding  to  its  true  intent,  while  the 
heads  of  families  were  regarded  as  the  proper  persons  to  officiate.*  But  in  the  time 
of  Moses  the  doctrine  of  mediation,  which  sacrifices  implied,  was  regularly  revealed 
in  the  ritual  of  the  tabernacle  service,  and  particularly  in  the  person  and  office  of 
Aaron,  the  great  type  of  our  blessed  Savior,  of  which  the  apostle  Paul  gives  us  a 
very  luminous  view  in  his  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  as  exhibiting  the  gospel  of  the 
church  in  the  wilderness,  as  the  shadow  of  good  things  to  come,  as  being  perfectly 
suflScient  for  saving  faith  to  act  upon,  which  faith  was  really  operative  in  the  hearts 
of  many,  though  (as  in  our  day)  ineffectual  as  to  others.  "  These  all  (that  is,  all  the 
saints,  as  Avell  under  the  patriarchal  as  the  Mosaic  economy)  died  in  faith,  not  hav- 
ing received  the  promises  (not  having  lived  to  see  their  full  accomplishment  in 
Jesus),  yet  being  persuaded  of  them,  and  embracing  them,"  as  their  own  property  and 
enjoyment,  as  a  pledge  of  the  grace  by  these  things  intimated. 

HI.  Their  perfect  adaptation  to  these  ends  exclusive  of  all  others. 

Here  it  may  be  necessary  to  show  that  sacrifices  were  the  true  mirror  of  the  mys- 
tery of  redemption,  of  Christ's  being  substituted  for  us,  a  real  vicarious  act,  dying  for 
us  to  relieve  us  from  the  guilt  and  punishment  of  sin  ;  thus  far  the  offering.  Return 
again  to  this  mirror  of  redemption :  see  the  divine  ordination,  co-operation,  and  com- 
plete acceptance.  The  Almighty  ordains  everything  pertaining  to  the  ritual  with 
the  greatest  precision,  accompanies  the  act  of  sacrifice  by  the  holy  fire  from  heaven 
to  consume  the  burnt-offering,  the  Shechinah,  the  emblem  of  the  divine  presence, 
resting  on  the  ark  of  the  covenant  within  the  veil,  while  the  divine  acceptance  is 
portrayed  by  the  burning  incense  in  Aaron's  hand  before  the  ark,  and  the  blood  which 
he  shed  or  sprinkled  over  the  mercy-seat.  It  is  true  this  is  a  silent  acceptance,  yet 
real ;  for  when  God  disapproves  he  destroys,  of  which  we  have  an  instance  in  the 
case  of  Nadab  and  Abihu.  In  this  mirror  we  see  Jesus,  the  sin-atoning  Lamb,  fore- 
ordained in  the  di^^ne  counsels,  voluntarily  co-operating  in  the  plan  of  redemption. 
Jehovah  laid  on  him  the  iniquities  of  all  the  redeemed.  We  see  Jesus  actually 
"  bearing  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree."  We  see  also  the  divine  Father's 
acceptance  of  his  sacrifice  demonstrated  in  his  raising  his  Son  from  the  dead,  re- 
ceiving it  as  a  sweet-smelling  savor,  and  exalting  him  to  the  highest  glory  in  the 
heavens,  as  the  reward  of  his  unparalleled  humiliation  and  obedience. 

This  representation  and  perfect  analogy,  ordained  of  God  for  our  instruction,  is 
divinely  adapted  to  its  end,  which  could  not  be  effected  so  well  in  any  other  manner, 
if  indeed  it  were  at  all  possible  ;  for  we  ahvays  conceive  of  things  most  perfectly  by 
our  sight,  and  what  we  perceive  by  our  natural  eye,  as  a  figure,  is  the  securest  way 
to  our  mental  sight  or  understanding.  Thus,  by  tracing  back  our  thoughts  to  au 
ancient  economy,  we  see  more  clearly  the  system  of  the  new.  Had  these  lessons 
been  given  us  in  language  only,  or  merely  in  the  form  of  doctrinal  statements,  this 
subject  Avould  have  been  to  us,  ignorant  creatures,  in  a  great  measure  incomprehen- 
sible. But  when  Ave  see  the  victim  slain  according  to  the  laiv — when  Ave  see  Aaron 
ofliciating  for  the  people,  and  confessing  the  iniquities  of  the  people  OA^r  the  head 
of  the  scape-goat — and  Avhen  Ave  sec  him  carrying  the  blood  of  the  slain  goat  into  the 
most  holy  place,  and  sprinkling  it  upon  the  mercy-seat,  kc,  we  are  furnished  Avith 
a  vieAA'-,  a  conception,  of  the  mystery  of  redemption,  Avhich  no  AA'ords  could  convey  to 
us.  In  like  manner  the  mystery  of  Christ's  union  with  his  people  could  not  be  so 
Avell  comprehended  as  it  is  by  the  simile  of  the  vine  and  its  branches.  In  short,  the 
wisdom  of  God  is  much  displayed  in  the  medium  or  means  of  instruction  afforded  us 
in  the  Levitical  economy ;  therefore  those  Avho  despise  the  means  under\'alue  the 
Avisdom  that  devised  them. 

IV.  The  light  in  Avhich  we  should  view  them  in  our  day. 

*  See  Outram  on  Sacrifices,  translated  from  the  Latin  by  my  friend  Mr.  Allen  of  Hackney. 


RISE    FROM    SPECIES    TO    GENUS.  165 

Here  it  may  be  remarked  that  we  must  study  the  law  in  order  that  we  may  the 
better  understand  the  gospel.  We  shall  thus,  as  it  were,  bring  back  into  existence 
and  reduce  to  profit  a  much-neglected  part  of  holy  writ.  We  shall  better  understand 
the  ground  of  our  faith  in  Jesus.  As  preachers  of  the  gospel  we  shall  be  better  fur- 
nished with  the  materials  of  discourse  in  the  types  and  shadows  of  ancient  times  ;  we 
shall  be  enabled  to  find  and  preach  Christ  from  passages  we,  perhaps,  thought  the 
proper  province  of  Jewish  rabbles  only.* 

Another  example  of  rising  from  species  to  genus  may  be  founded  on 
James  i.  9  :  "  Let  the  brother  of  low  degree  rejoice  in  that  he  is  exalted." 
In  the  exordium  give  a  short  view  of  the  text.  The  character  is  one  of 
low  degree,  perhaps  in  worldly  circumstances,  or  in  gifts,  or  in  the  esteem 
of  the  world,  perhaps  also  of  the  church  ;  but  chiefly  it  is  one  who  is  so  in 
his  own  eyes,  Prov.  xvi.  19  ;  Matt.  v.  3.  Let  him  rejoice  in  the  divine 
favor,  Isaiah  Ixvi.  2  ;  let  him  rejoice  in  his  future  prospects,  James  ii.  5. 
Now  contrast  this  poor  man's  state  with  that  of  the  rich  man,  ch.  i.  10, 11. 
You  may  then  intimate  to  the  congregation  that  from  the  term  brother,  in 
the  text,  you  are  led  to  consider  the  great  doctrine  of  adoption,  by  which 
believers  are  all  made  brethren  in  Christ  Jesus.  You  may  then  divide 
upon  the  subject  (not  the  text)  by  describing  the  nature,  the  reality,  the 
importance,  and  the  consequences  of  adoption. 

In  the  first  part  you  may  observe  that  an  adopted  child  is  one  taken  by 
a  rich  man  from  a  family  not  his  own,  introduced  to  his  house,  regarded 
as  his  own,  and  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  and  blessings  belonging  to  this 
relationship,  agreeably  to  the  practice  of  many  ancient  nations,  and  not  un- 
known in  our  country.  Moses  was  an  adopted  child ;  Acts  vii.  So  we 
find  in  this  case,  as  in  the  last,  an  appropriate  analogy  to  represent  to  our 
minds  a  most  important  gospel  truth,  viz.,  our  real  adoption  into  the  family 
of  God,  we  having  been  by  nature  aliens  and  outcasts. 

In  the  SBcond  part  you  may  give  the  earliest  instances  of  this,  viz.,  God's 
favor  to  his  own  people,  as  in  Gen.  vi.,  wherein  the  name  of  sons  of  God 
is  first  mentioned.  Noticing  several  patriarchs,  you  come  to  Abram,  the 
father  of  an  adopted  nation,  the  figure  of  the  more  spiritual  family,  of  whom 
God  says,  '*  I  will  be  your  God,  and  you  shall  be  ray  people."  And  with 
respect  to  this  people,  when  in  Egypt,  God  says  to  Pharaoh,  "  Let  my 
son  go,  that  he  may  serve  me."  Next  show  that  prophecy  confirms  this 
relation,  Hosea  i.  10 :  "  In  the  place  where  it  is  said.  You  are  not  my 
people,  there  shall  it  be  said,  You  are  the  sons  of  the  living  God."  Then 
pass  to  the  New  Testament,  and  show  how  the  types  and  prophecies  took 
their  real  efiect  under  the  gospel  economy,  as  by  John  i.  12 ;  Eph.  i.  5 ; 
Rom.  viii.  14,  17  ;  1  John  iii.  2.  And  we  are  also  said  to  be  baptized 
into  this  name,  ti-t  to  ovo^ia. 

Then,  again,  for  the  third  part,  its  importance  is  very  easily  perceived. 
A  real  relationship  to  God  must  be  of  the  most  interesting  kind,  eternal  in 
duration,  always  increasing  in  its  benefits. 

Lastly,  as  to  the  consequences  that  immediately  flow  from  this  relation. 
Our  heavenly  Father  provides,  sustains,  protects,  instructs,  corrects,  cher- 
ishes, speaks  to  his  children  kind  and  comfortable  words,  &c. 

I  am  aware  that  it  may  be  objected,  in  reference  to  both  these  exam- 
ples, that  more  appropriate  texts  might  have  been  selected,  and  that  there 
was  no  occasion  to  bring  in  these  great  points  by  a  side  door.     Such  a 

•  See  Outram  on  Sacrifices,  and  also  Magee  on  the  Atonement. 


166  LECTURE    X. 

method  certainly  should  not  be  adopted  without  good  reason,  nor  adopted 
with  frequency.  The  preacher  must  of  course  consult  his  own  discretion 
in  this  matter.  Cases  may  sometimes  occur  in  which  there  would  be  an 
evident  propriety  in  adopting  this  method  of  discussing  a  general  subject. 
For  instance,  might  not  the  preacher  be  lecturing  on  the  fifrieth  Psalm  ? 
and  then  to  consider  sacrifices  in  general  would  be  proper  enough.  Or 
suppose  he  were  lecturing  on  the  epistle  of  James,  the  same  liberty  might 
be  permitted. 

I  shall  now  cluster  together  several  other  examples,  without  enlarge- 
ment ;  as,  for  instance — 

Dr.  Dwight,  volume  i.,  page  234,  on  Job  xxiii.  13  :  "  He  is  of  one 
mind,"  &c.,  establishes  the  general  doctrine  of  God's  decrees.  Thus 
he— 

I.  Explains  the  doctrine. 

II.  Proves  it. 

III.  Removes  objections. 

Also  Dwight,  volume  i.,  page  271,  on  Jer.  x.  23  :  "  The  way  of  man 
is  not  in  himself,"  &c.,  establishes  the  general  doctrine  of  God's  sovereign- 
ty ;  and  this  he  proves  by  a  series  of  undeniable  facts. 

The  late  Mr.  Potts,  of  Crispin  street,  on  Jonah  iii.  2,  runs  over,  in  a 
whole  volume  of  four  hundred  and  thirty  pages,  all  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  and  shows  how  a  minister  ought  to  preach  them.  This  is  indeed 
going  rather  too  far. 

Dr.  Blair  grounds  on  the  text  Gen.  xlii.  21,  22,  a  general  dissertation 
on  the  power  of  conscience.  His  division  comprises  the  following  obser- 
vations : — 

I.  That  a  sense  of  right  and  wrong  is  inseparable  from  homan  nature. 

II.  That  this  produces  an  apprehension  of  future  punishment. 

III.  That  though  stifled  for  a  time,  during  prosperity,  yet  in  adversity  it  will  re- 
vive. 

IV.  That,  when  awakened,  it  leads  us  to  conclude  that  every  infliction  of  evil  is  a 
punishment  from  heaven. 

Blair  on  Ps.  xxvii.  3  :  "  Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me," 
&c.  From  this  text  he  takes  occasion  to  discourse  on  tlie  virtue  of  forti- 
tude.    He  considers — 

I.  Its  importance. 

II.  Its  grounds. 

III.  Its  assistances. 

The  same  author  on  John  xxi.  21,  22:  "Lord,  what  shall  this  man 
do  ?"   gives  a  general  essay  on  curiosity  as  to  our  neighbors'  affairs. 

The  same  author  on  Ps.  cxxii.  6-9  :  "  Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusa- 
lem," treats  generally  on  love  to  our  country. 

These  examples  will,  I  think,  be  amply  sufficient,  and  I  shall  now  pro- 
ceed to  offer  some  cautions  and  directions. 

1.  Take  care  of  the  abuse  of  this  plan  of  preaching;  for  it  does  not  dis- 
cover good  sense  often  to  go  extensively  into  the  general  subject,  which 
those  that  have  talent  for  it  are  very  apt  to  indulge.  Dr.  Blair,  in  his  lec- 
tures, vol.  ii.,  p.  319,  says :  "  I  do  not  by  any  means  say  that  it  is  neces- 
sary in  every  discourse  to  take  in  all  that  belongs  to  the  doctrine  of  which 
we  treat.  Many  a  discourse  is  spoiled  by  an  attempt  to  render  it  too  co- 
pious and  comprehensive.     The  preacher  may,  without  reprehension,  take 


DESCEND    FROM    GENUS    TO    SPECIES.  167 

up  any  part  of  a  great  subject  to  which  his  mind  may  at  any  time  lead  him, 
and  make  that  his  theme.  But,  when  he  omits  anything  which  may  be 
thought  essential,  he  ought  to  give  notice  that  this  is  a  part  which  for  the 
time  he  lays  aside."  A  living  youthful  preacher  is  very  faulty  in  being 
always  extensive. 

2.  I  have  already  suggested  (p.  165)  that  when  this  plan  is  adopted  it  is 
always  necessary  to  give  a  short  view  of  the  text  by  way  of  explication,  and 
it  may  be  well  to  hint  that  you  may  at  another  time  treat  the  text  more 
fully.  Allow  me  to  add,  that,  as  the  view  you  take  may  he  short,  so  it 
ought  to  be  ingenious,  a  complete  compendium. 

3.  You  will  find  that  the  division  of  these  examples  is  not  founded  on 
the  text,  but  on  the  subject;  for,  when  you  have  a  doctrine  or  general 
truth  to  state  and  to  discuss,  the  division  must  entirely  bend  to  the  sub- 
ject. Thus  Dr.  Dwight's  Body  of  Divinity  has  the  division  of  each  arti- 
cle formed  to  suit  the  subject  in  hand  ;  and  the  doctor  is  unquestionably 
right  in  his  view  of  propriety. 

4.  When  you  do  not  found  a  discourse  upon  this  Topic,  but  treat  your 
text  in  some  of  the  ordinary  ways,  a  little  reflection  on  the  Topic  will  often 
suggest  some  pertinent  observations  for  the  conclusion  of  your  discourse. 
For  instance,  in  concluding  a  sermon  on  John  vii.  27,  "  We  know  this 
man  whence  he  is,  but  when  Christ  cometh  no  man  knoweth  whence  he 
is,"  you  might  make  these  general  observations  : — 

1.  That  a  depraved  heart  offers  objections  against  religion,  without  understanding 
the  subject,  or  venturing  to  believe  it. 

2.  That  ignorance  adopts  anything,  however  unscriptural  or  unreasonable. 

3.  That  the  whole  system  of  infidelity  is  but  a  vain  bravado,  devoid  of  every  con- 
solation.— (Masillon's  Sermon,  sur  la  Careme,  torn.  4.) 

Also,  when  this  text,  Ezek.  xxxvi.  32,  "  Not  for  your  sakes  do  I  this," 
&c.,  is  treated  in  the  expository  manner,  you  may  draw  from  it  at  the  end 
these  two  general  observations  : — 

1.  Though  God  never  punishes  a  nation  without  its  deserving  it,  yet  he  very  often 
blesses  a  nation  when  it  does  not  deserve  it. 

2.  A  sense  of  these  undeserved  favors  should  work  upon  men's  hearts,  and  stir 
them  up  to  repentance. — Bishop  Beveridge.* 

5.  Never  enter  into  a  general  subject  without  very  clear  views  and  ade- 
quate arguments. 


TOPIC  11. 

DESCEND   FROM   GENUS   TO   SPECIES. 


If  elegance,  combined  with  utility,  be  desirable,  this  Topic  must  be  al- 
lowed to  possess  no  ordinary  claim  to  our  attention.  If  the  last  affrighted 
you  with  a  difficult  ascent  to  elaborate  discussion,  this  will  delight  you  by 
its  easy  descent  into  a  luxurious  vale,  profuse  of  sweet  variety,  and  where 
you  may  gather  wholesome  fruits  on  every  hand,  to  deal  out  plentifully  to 
all  the  diversified  wants  of  your  beloved  people. 

^  That  this  order  of  discourse  partakes  of  the  same  properties  as  the  dis- 
tributive of  the  present  lectures  I  readily  admit;  but  as  Claude  thought  it 
proper  to  treat  of  different  views,  and  also  the  second  Topic,  its  counter- 

*  These  last  tv/o  articles  are  takeu  from  Robinson's  Claude,  vol.  ii.,  22,  23. 


168  LECTURE    X. 

part,  so  I  hope  I  shall  be  excused  in  following  his  example.  It  is  true, 
the  examples  generally  come  to  the  same  result ;  but  I  conceive  some  va- 
riety lies  in  the  way.  Perhaps  we  may  find  in  our  present  examples  dif- 
ferent degrees  as  well  as  different  kinds  of  subject ;  and  1  reiterate  my  de- 
sire to  render  your  aids  as  ample  as  possible. 

Claude  exempHfies  the  use  of  this  Topic  by  referring  to  Ps.  cxxiii.  2 : 
"  Behold  !  as  the  eyes  of  servants  look  unto  the  hand  of  their  masters," 
&c.  Here  you  may  aptly  observe,  in  masters  with  regard  to  servants  and 
in  God  with  regard  to  us,  the  following  senses  of  the  phrase :  There  is  a 
hand  of  beneficence,  a  hand  of  protection,  a  hand  of  correction,  and  some- 
times the  hand  is  employed  as  a  hand  of  directio?i.  All  these  ideas  afford 
rich  and  beautiful  illustration.  Again,  on  the  phrase,  "  until  he  shall  have 
mercy  on  us,"  or,  "  until  he  succor  us."  Until  he  send  some  gracious 
word  (Ps.  cxix.  82)  to  cheer  me  in  my  offliciion — to  enlighten  me  in  my 
darkness — to  set  my  soul  at  liberty — to  deliver  me  from  my  strong  ene- 
my,^^  &c. 

Dr.  Blair,  on  Ps.  xxvi.  8  :  "  Lord,  I  have  loved  the  habitation  of  thy 
house  and  the  place  where  thy  honor  dwelleth."  Upon  this  text  he  vin- 
dicates public  worship  in  a  very  masterly  manner  by  considering  it  in  dif- 
ferent aspects  : — 

I.  With  respect  to  God :  he  claims  it  as  his  right. 

II.  With  regard  to  ourselves  :  it  is  most  needful. 

III.  With  respect  to  the  world:  it  is  inviting,  it  is  healthful  to  the  state  of  society. 

Mr.  Jay's  sermons,  vol.  i.,  p.  247,  Amos  vi.  1  :  "  Wo  to  those  that  are 
at  ease  in  Zion."  Here  the  genus  is  false  ease,  deceitful  as  the  calm  that 
precedes  an  earthquake.  Mr.  Jay's  discourse  is  a  most  cutting  one,  full 
of  admirable  comment.     He  describes  those  tliat  are  at  ease — 

I.  In  selfish  insensibility. 

II.  In  infidel  presumption. 

III.  In  vain  confidence. 

IV.  In  practical  indifi'erence. 

This  lamentable  state  frequently  follows  a  lively  and  active  profession 
of  religion.  Having  cooled  in  their  affections,  and  settled  down  into  this 
false  ease,  they  are  alike  unaffected  by  promises  and  threatenings  ;  they 
know  both,  but  care  for  neither.  If  we  preach  to  a  people  that  never  had 
the  gospel  in  their  possession,  they  commonly  receive  it  with  avidity. 
You  may  build  places  of  worship,  and  easily  fill  them.  But  in  the  other  case 
you  may  shut  up  those  that  are  built,  or  turn  them  to  some  other  purpose. 
This  is  exactly  the  case  in  the  east,  or  rather  northeast,  of  London.  Here, 
seventy  or  eighty  years  ago,  nay,  say  only  fifty  or  sixty  years  since,  religion 
was  triumphant ;  now  there  is  no  need  of  more  than  one  place  of  worship 
where  seven  before  were  filled,  one  of  which  is  converted  (Osad  change  !) 
into  a  brewer's  store  ;  another  is  used  by  a  mathematical  society ;  two  or 
three  others  are  either  entirely  deserted  or  only  so  thinly  attended  that  we 
might  write  ^n2^^<  ichabod  upon  their  walls.  The  only  relief  wo  find  in 
this  sad  state  of  things  is  that  there  are  "  a  few  names  in  this  Sardis"  who 
still  are  alive  to  God,  that  some  thousands  of  children  are  under  Sunday- 
school  education,  and  Christian  instruction  societies  are  establishing.  At 
present  a  district  so  low  in  divine  things  is  hardly  to  be  found  in  the 
British  dominions.  What  course  of  events  are  we  to  look  for  ?  This  is 
an  important  inquiry.     Shall  not  our  bowels  be  moved,  like  those  of  the 


DESCEND    FROM    GENUS    TO    SPECIES.  169 

weeping  prophet  at  some  tokens  of  divine  anger  ?  or  shall  we  still  hope 
that  God  may  in  mercy  "revive  his  work,"  in  the  midst  of  a  population 
of  a  hundred  thousand  souls  ?  And,  what  is  remarkable,  there  is  none 
to  cry  aloud  among  the  ministers  of  the  district ;  if  they  lament,  it  is  in 
secret. 

Jay's  sermons,  vol.  ii.,  page  31,  Rom.  v.  5  :  "And  hope  maketh  not 
ashamed."  Here  the  author  presents  us  with  a  novelty — two  divisions, 
the  one  textual,  the  other  topical.  Our  second  Topic  is  introduced  after 
the  explanation  of  the  first  textual  head.  The  genus  is  false  hope,  which 
is  the  ruin  of  thousands,  and,  to  speak  in  terms  suggested  by  the  Topic, 
the  species  are  the  hopes  of  the  Pharisee,  the  worldly  man,  and  the  Anti- 
nomian.     The  vanity  of  false  hope  is  shown — 

I.  By  the  insufficiency  of  its  object,  as  to  the  worldly  character. 

II.  By  the  weakness  of  its  foundation,  as  to  the  Pharisee. 

III.  By  the  falseness  of  its  warrant,  as  to  the  Antinomian. 

After  Mr.  Jay  has  textually  explained  the  second  general  head,  he  again 
adopts  a  Topic,  viz.,  the  third,  but  this  it  is  not  to  our  present  purpose  to 
consider.  In  his  Short  Discourses,  vol.  i.,  p.  165,  on  Heb.  xii.  16,  17, 
the  character  of  Esau,  Mr.  Jay  divides  by  our  second  Topic,  and  discus- 
ses by  the  sixteenth.  Then,  again,  to  make  the  subject  one  of  continued 
address,  he  skilfully  proceeds  as  follows  : — 

I.  View  Esau  in  his  original  state,  and  compare  your  privileges  with  his  privi- 
leges. 

II.  View  Esau  in  the  surrender  of  his  privileges,  and  compare  your  sin  with  his 
sin — voluntary  and  base. 

III.  Consider  Esau  in  his  misery,  and  compare  your  doom  with  his  doom. 

You  will,  even  by  my  quotations  from  Jay,  perceive  that  he  excels  in 
discrimination  of  character,  and  in  severity  of  remark  as  to  what  he  con- 
ceives to  be  wrong  ;  but  he  is  perhaps  sometimes  too  bold. 

Burder,  vol.  iv.,  p.  73,  Luke  xxiv.  34  :  "  The  Lord  has  risen  indeed." 
Consider  the  text  as  the  language — 

I.  Of  wonder. 

II.  Of  certainty. 

III.  Of  joy. 

This,  though  simple,  is  yet  elegant,  and  as  just  as  it  is  delightful  ;  and 
the  more  closely  it  is  examined,  the  better  it  will  appear. 

The  following  furnishes  the  next  example,  on  Heb.  xi.  13  :  "  They 
confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth."  Christians 
are  so — 

I.  With  respect  to  the  company  and  treatment  they  meet  with. 

II.  With  respect  to  property  and  state  :  they  are  the  despised  of  this  world. 

III.  With  respect  to  their  stay  and  continuance. 

Blair  on  Eccles.  xii.  8  :  "  Vanity  of  vanities,"  &c.  The  preacher  here 
discovers  the  different  characters  who  join  in  the  complaint : — 

I.  The  skeptic,  who  quarrels  with  Providence. 

II.  The  -peevish  man,  who  is  discontented  with  his  condition. 

III.  The  licentious  c/iaracier,  groaning  under  miseries  in  which  his  vices  have  in- 
volved him. 

IV.  The  wise  and  good  man,  making  a  due  estimate  of  sublunary  things. 

These  ideas  seem  to  be  suggested  by  Saurin's  division  of  Eccles.  ii.  17, 
which  see,  torn,  ii.,  336,  in  French. 


170  LECTURE    X. 

Again,  Blair  on  Phil.  iv.  5.  Moderation  is  the  genus.  Then,  he  says, 
exercise  moderation — 

I.  lu  your  ivishes. 

II.  In  your  pursuits. 

III.  In  your  expectations. 

IV.  In  your  pleasures. 

V.  In  the  indulgence  of  your  passions. 

Again,  vol.  v.,  p.  119,  England  is  the  genus.     Consider  it — 

I.  As  the  seat  of  private  enjoyment  and  happiness. 

II.  Of  true  religion. 

III.  Of  liberty  and  laws. 

In  these  instances  we  see  a  single  Topic  furnishing  complete  divisions 
and  discussions. 

My  next  instance  is  from  Bishop  Burnet,  on  Ps.  cxliv.  15  :  "  Happy- 
are  the  people,"  &c.  This  happiness,  then,  is  the  theme  or  genus  ;  hence, 
alluding  to  the  preceding  verses,  he  says — 

I.  Happy  is  Great  Britain,  in  being  so  secured  from  breaking  in  (that  is,  from  for- 
eign invasion). 

II.  Happy  in  the  security  of  liberty  and  property. 

III.  Happy  the  English,  who  are  secured  from  going  out  (that  is,  who  are  not  ban- 
ished, or  harassed  into  voluntary  exile),  alluding  to  ver.  14. 

IV.  Happy  the  English,  Avho  have  no  complaining  in  their  streets  (no  perversion 
of  public  justice,  no  invasion  of  the  rights  of  conscience,  &c.). 

V.  Happy  the  English,  whose  God  is  the  Lord,  who  .have  the  Christian  religion 
in  its  reformed  purity. 

Isa.  liii.  10  :  "  He  shall  see  his  seed."     He  shall  see  them — 

I.  Removed  and  brought  nigh. 

II.  Educated  and  brought  up. 

III.  Supported  and  brought  through. 

IV.  Sanctified  and  brought  home. 

V.  With  the  utmost  approbation  and  delight. 

Acts  vii.  22  :  "  Moses  was  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians, 
and  was  mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds."  The  subject  or  genus  is  the 
right  use  of  human  learning.     Then  say — 

I.  Use  not  learning  unnecessarily. 

II.  Use  it  not  vaingloriously. 

III.  Use  it  not  proudly. 

IV.  Use  it  not  heretically. 

V.  Use  it  not  too  profoundly  ;  but — 

VI.  Use  it  with  humility,  moderation,  sobriety,  and  as  a  handmaid  to  Christ. 

Learning  is  a  jewel  of  high  value,  and  is  seen  to  be  so  when  this  last 
rule  is  observed,  but  we  are  disgusted  to  see  it  degraded  to  the  purposes 
of  foppery  and  display. 

1  have  hinted  in  this  Lecture  that  something  might  be  found  to  render 
this  Topic  the  vehicle  of  variety,  by  forming  particulars  in  degrees  as  well 
as  in  kinds.  This  I  will  now  endeavor  to  exemplify.  On  the  temptations 
of  Christ,  Matt,  iv.,  a  transitfon  is  made  to  the  temptations  connected  with 
the  ministry,  and  issuing  in  clerical  depravity  ;  and  this  has  no  less  au- 
thority than  Father  Masillon  : — 

I.  A  scheme  to  live  like  gentlemen :  "  Command  these  stones  to  be  made  bread.'* 
This  danger  belongs  to  the  first  entrance  on  the  ministry. 

II.  Presumptuously  to  aspire  after  preferment :  "  He  set  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the 
temple."  Thus  he  excites  a  vain  hope  that  God  will  be  glorified  by  rash  enterprises. 
"  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge."  This  belongs  to  an  aspiring  minister,  the  second 
degree. 


DESCEND    FROM    GENUS    TO    SPECIES.  171 

III.  A  boundless  desire  of  riches  and  honor  in  elevated  stations,  by  which  a  man 
is  induced  to  submit  to  abject  services  for  the  sake  of  elevation  :  "All  this  -wiW  I  give 
thee  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me." 

Happy  had  it  been  if  this  were  only  a  supposable  case  ;  but  alas !  it  is 
too  common.  Cardinal  Wolsey  here  seems  to  be  drawn  to  the  life;  and 
modern  times  will  give  copies  of  that  vile  original.  Happy  is  the  man 
that  endures  temptation,  who  preserves  his  integrity,  his  simplicity,  his  dis- 
interestedness, who  enters  on  and  pursues  the  honorable  track  of  the  bles- 
sed apostle  Paul,  who  would  rather  labor  with  his  hands  for  his  support, 
than  impair  his  independence. 

I  now  turn  to  a  more  agreeable  picture — degrees  of  excellence  and 
blessedness.  The  instance  is  taken  from  our  excellent  Dr.  Watts,  founded 
on  Ps.  Ixv.  4:  "Blessed  is  the  man  whom  thon  choosest,  and  causest  to 
approach  unto  thee,  that  he  may  dwell  in  thy  courts." 

I.  Happy  are  those  who,  though  sinners  by  nature,  are  yet  brought  so  near  as  to  be 
within  the  sound  and  call  of  his  grace,  whether  as  a  nation  such  as  England,  or  as 
living  in  the  vicinity  of  public  worship,  or  as  placed  in  religious  families.  This  is 
the  first  step  of  blessedness. 

II.  Happy  are  those  who  have  been  taught  to  improve  their  outward  advantages 
of  nearness  to  God,  so  as  to  obtain  reconciliation  with  him  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
(Eph.  ii.  16,  18),  who  are  weary  of  their  old  ways,  and  experience  the  happy  change. 
This  is  the  second  step  of  blessedness. 

HI.  The  blessedness  of  saints  and  angels  in  the  upper  world.  They  are  fully  satis- 
fied with  the  divine  favor  ;  they  draw  very  near  ;  they  behold  the  divine  Being  in 
righteousness ;  they  behold  him  face  to  face,  i  Cor.  xiii.  12.  And  even  here  there 
doubtless  exist  different  degrees  of  favor  ;  it  can  not  be  imagined  that  Abraham,  Mo- 
ses, Isaiah,  and  Paul,  will  have  no  more  glory  than  the  thief  on  the  cross,  or  the  pas- 
sing infant  that  scarcely  looks  upon  this  world.  The  very  idea  of  reward,  so  much 
promised,  must  have  regard  to  the  circumstances  xinder  which  the  state  of  trial  was 
passed. 

To  these  three  steps  of  blessedness  two  others  are  added,  but  as  they 
are  somewhat  mystical  I  omit  them.  And  here  we  must  remark  that, 
while  the  twenty-fourth  topic  refers  to  degrees,  the  descending  to  their  con- 
sideration from  a  general  subject,  as  in  the  foregoing  example,  constitutes 
the  application  of  the  second  topic;  they  come  from  the  same  point;  they 
discover  grades  of  subject,  different  views,  if  you  please,  of  the  same  char- 
acter at  different  points  of  time.  The  idea  of  gradation  is  also  perfectly 
scriptural,  as  Job  xvii.  9;  Ps.  Ixxxiv.  7;  Prov.  iv.  IS;  Isa.  xxx.  26.  Ex- 
amples might  easily  be  formed  upon  these  passages  in  a  skeleton,  by  ma- 
king time  and  circumstances  the  instruments  of  division.  The  Pilgrim's 
Progress  is  formed  upon  this  idea,  and  experience  attests  its  propriety ;  it 
is  delightful  to  note  the  steps  by  which  growth  in  grace  is  effected.  To 
mark  progression  strongly,  all  the  stages  of  the  Israelites,  in  their  journey- 
ings  toward  Canaan,  were  very  accurately  and  distinctly  marked  in  history, 
as  by  Numbers  xxxiii.  The  stations  there  named  had  no  importance ;  the 
floating  sands  of  Arabia  might  else  have  covered  them  in  everlasting  ob- 
livion ;  but  as  points  of  progression  in  God's  church  they  were  important. 

Having  proceeded,  as  I  conceive,  far  enough  in  examples,  I  take  my 
leave  for  the  present  by  offering  two  or  three  directions. 

1.  Always  before  you  commence  branching  ideas,  take  care  to  prove 
that  the  general  one  from  which  they  descend  is  true,  otherwise  your  build- 
ing is  set  upon  a  bad  foundation.  I  may  add,  it  should  not  only  be  true 
but  very  important,  sufficient  for  such  various  branchings  of  discourse. 


172  LECTURE    X. 

2.  As  these  branches  are  pretty  much  formed  In  the  Imagination,  care 
must  be  taken  that  they  be  sober,  just,  natural,  and  scriptural. 

3.  It  is  very  certain  that  this  Topic,  like  some  other,  will  either  wholly 
divide  the  discourse  or  a  principal  branch  of  it.  Nothing  more  than  a 
little  reflection  is  necessary  to  point  out  its  proper  use  in  different  cases. 
Sometimes  a  great  number  of  particulars  may  be  clustered  together  in  one 
period ;  and  even  here  they  answer  well ;  for  instance,  Paul  so  places 
them,  Rom.  viii.  38 :  "  For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  hfe,  nor 
angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to 
come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord;"  these 
are  all  branchings  of  opposing  difficulties,  each  of  which  might  have  been 
separately  amplified ;  but  as  here  placed  they  are  calculated  to  produce  a 
very  powerful  effect  upon  the  mind- 

4.  But  the  most  common  and  best  way  is,  when  intending  to  divide 
ivholly  upon  the  Topic,  to  explicate  the  text  in  a  neat  and  luminous  exor- 
dium, in  which  every  essential  point  might  be  passed  over  in  ten  minutes, 
or  a  little  more.  Suppose  the  text  to  be  Ps.  cxix.  77:  "Let  thy  tender 
mercies  come  unto  me,  that  I  may  live."     Say, 

The  text  is  a  prayer  for  God's  tender  mercies,  dictated  by  an  enlightened  mind,  in 
the  spirit  of  humility,  conceived  in  faith  and  expectation.  As  a  prayer  it  is  a  pattern 
to  us,  so  expressive  as  to  include  nearly  all  that  we  need.  It  is  clear  that  all  our  ex- 
pectations in  prayer  must  be  founded  on  God's  "  tender  mercies  ;"  for  we  can  claim 
nothing.  Eph.  ii.  4 :  1  Pet.  i.  3  ;  Titus  iii.  4-7.  Observe,  further,  that  we  have  con- 
tinual need  of  these  tender  mercies,  and  therefore  ought  to  seek  the  bestowment  of 
them  to  help  us  in  every  time  of  need  (Heb.  iv.  16),  that  we  may  live,  in  the  highest 
sense,  both  in  this  world  and  in  the  next.  Having  amplified  these  ideas,  you  will  say 
that  the  Lord's  "  tender  mercies"  are  of  several  kinds,  suited  to  our  several  wants  and 
necessities ;  as, 

I.  Preserving  mercies,  Gen.  xlviii.  15, 16  ;  Ps.  xxiii.  ult.,  &c. 

II.  Preventing  mercies,  Ps.  xxi.  3,  and  lix.  10. 

III.  Delivering  mercies,  Ps.  cxvi.  8,  and  Ixxxvi.  13. 

IV.  Restoring  mercies,  Ps.  xxiii.  3,  and  xix.  7 ;  viz.,  converting. 

V.  Pardoning  mercies,  Ps.  xxxii.  1,2;  Heb.  x.  16,  18,  &c. 

VI.  Enlightening  mercies,  Eph.  i.  18 ;  2  Cor.  iv.  6. 

VII.  Guiding  mercies,  Ps.  xxxii.  8,  and  xxxvii.  23. 

VIII.  Comforting  mercies,  Ps.  cxix.  76 ;  Isa.  xii.  1. 

IX.  Communion  mercies,  1  John  i.  3  ;  John  xiv.  18. 

X.  Fructifying  mercies,  Ps.  i.  3,  and  xcii.  14. 

XL  Prayer-hearing  mercies,  Isa.  xlv.  19 ;  Ps.  Ixv.  2. 

XII.  Persevering  mercies.  Job  xvii.  9  ;  Phil.  ii.  6. 

XIII.  Eternal  mercies,  Prov.  ciii.  17 ;  Isa.  Ixv.  17. 

The  above  example  is  of  course  far  too  extensive,  but  as  many  particu- 
lars may  be  taken  as  are  proper,  and  a  good  sermon  might  thus  be  formed. 
In  sketching  out  a  discourse  of  this  kind,  if  our  thoughts  begin  to  show 
too  much  luxuriancy,  it  is  easy  to  prune  away  the  superfluous  branches ; 
and  indeed,  if  this  be  not  done,  the  sermon  will  be  all  branches  and  no 
fruit. 


DIVERS    CHARACTERS    OF    VIRTUES    AND    VICES.  173 

LECTURE  XL 

TOPIC  III. 
REMARK  THE  DIVERS  CHARACTERS  OF  VIRTUES  AND  VICES, 

Of  the  discoveries  which  human  ingenuity  has  been  enabled  to  make, 
whether  in  the  natural,  the  moral,  or  the  intellectual  world,  those  seem  to 
give  us  the  greatest  delight  which  are  of  the  more  boundless  kind.     In  the 
first  of  these  three  orders  we  identify  the  starry  heavens ;  in  the  second,  the 
moral  sense  in  its  restored  state,  eternal  in  its  nature  and  consequences; 
and  in  the  third,  the  pleasures  of  the  intellectual  faculties.     The  study  of 
these  affords  the  most  refined  delight,  while  such  objects  of  pursuit  as  im- 
mediately find  their  end  and  bearing  are  always  esteemed  of  inferior  con- 
sideration.    They  may  be  useful,  and  consequently  of  considerable  com- 
parative importance.     Some  intellect  was  necessary  to  construct  a  spade, 
but  then  it  scarcely  admits  of  improvement ;  some  intellect  is  necessary  to 
describe  it,  yet  its  description  is  very  simple,  and  soon  ended.     The  case 
is  widely  different  when  we  come  to  conceive  and  describe  the  perfections 
of  God,  "the  operations  of  his  hands,"  the  truths  of  his  word,  which  are 
of  eternal  duration,  or  even  the  high  quahties  and  virtues  of  his  favored 
people — their  "works  of  faith  and  labors  of  love."      These  open  a  range 
of  description  perfectly  boundless ;  consequently  the  pleasures  we  feel  in 
these  studies  and  descriptions  possess  a  character  of  infinity  in  which  the 
mind,  if  duly  spiritualized,  delights  to  expands  itself  either  in  meditation 
or  description  ;  and  the  more  excellently  such  subjects  are  drawn  or  de- 
scribed, the  more  exquisitely  will  our  own  feelings  be  affected,  or  the  feel- 
ings  of  others  diat  read  or  hear  them  recited.     If  subjects  in  religion 
admitted  of  no  description,  if  they  were  incapable  of  beauty,  harmony, 
and  just  proportions  of  light  and  shade,  they  might  remain  true,  but  they 
would  fail  to  yield  us  that  delight  in  contemplating  them  which  we  now  de- 
rive from  their  variety,  their  infinity,  their  symmetry  and  proportions,  and 
their  wise  adaptation  to  the  end  proposed.     But  in  experience  we  find  that 
divine  subjects  are  generally  of  blessed  elasticity  and  expansion,  beyond 
all  the  powers  of  man  to  describe.      Theology  admits  and  cherishes  de- 
scription, for  the  glory  of  God,  for  the  profit  and  dehght  of  man;  and  a 
preacher  may  well  be  ambitious  to  excel  in  this  almost  sublime  art,  whether 
this  be  confined  to  occasional  touches,  comprised  in  a  few  sentences,  or  in 
one  division  of  a  discourse,  or  extending  itself  to  a  whole  sermon. 

When  you  introduce  a  subject  to  an  audience,  it  is  natural,  at  the  very 
first,  not  only  to  say  what  the  subject  is,  but  also  what  are  its  circum- 
stances, quahdes,  adjuncts,  &c.  Description  abounds  everywhere,  in  the 
word  of  God  and  in  the  works  of  men.  Orators  and  poets,  naturalists 
and  philosophers,  all  describe  their  respective  objects.  JHere  we  have  a 
trial  of  genius.  One  man  will  set  the  object  so  completely  and  clearly  be- 
fore you,  that  the  representation  seems  to  live,  and  move,  and  act,  or  he 
represents  the  thing  so  that  it  affects  you  deeply,  and  makes  you  feel  most 
sensibly,  or  it  excites  your  admiration  at  its  truth  and  justness  ;  while  a 
bungling  speaker  or  writer  knows  not  where  to  begin,  which  points  of  de- 
scripdon  should  be  prominent  and  which  should  not,  nor  where  nor  when 


174  LECTURE    XI. 

he  should  end.  There  is  such  mist  and  confusion  throughout  as  to  excite 
your  disgust.  It  must  therefore  be  inferred  that  a  poor  describer  must  be 
a  poor  preacher;  and  hence  it  follows  that  to  remove  any  defect  in  this 
point  much  study  is  necessary.  The  mind  must  be  disciplined  in  the  use 
of  this  topic ;  it  must  occupy  for  a  while  the  chief  attention.  Theory  and 
practice  must  be  equally  and  connectedly  attended  to.  Scripture  begins 
and  ends  with  this  beauty.  The  first  thing  that  was  ever  committed  to 
writing,  as  I  venture  to  presume,  was  that  beautiful  description  of  the  cre- 
ation from  the  pen  of  Moses ;  while  the  last  pages  of  holy  writ  give  a 
lively  and  animated  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  with  its  pearly  foun- 
dations, its  superb  walls,  its  gates,  its  ophir  streets  watered  with  the  river 
of  God,  and  its  ever-during  verdure.  But  how  many  descriptive  beauties 
the  whole  volume  contains  who  can  declare?  Upon  these  the  Holy  Spirit 
breathed  to  give  them  immortal  hfe  and  excellency.  My  present  duty, 
however,  is  to  show  the  foj-ms  that  are  adapted  to  receive  such  description 
as  frail  mortals  can  conceive  and  express,  to  give  the  most  lively  examples 
of  the  divine  art,  and  to  offer  some  directions  how  to  draw  outlines  and 
appoint  situations  for  the  exercise  of  such  talent. 

Mons.  Claude  limits  this  third  topic  to  the  display  of  all  the  qualities  and 
characteristics,  whether  good  or  bad,  belonging  to  any  virtue  or  vice  in 
human  conduct ;  but  I  may  be  permitted  to  extend  the  consideration  be- 
yond virtues  and  vicca  to  the  divers  characters  of  anything  required  to  be 
described,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  a  whole  discourse  may  with  the  ut- 
most propriety  be  formed  on  this  topic,  though,  as  it  must  frequently  turn 
upon  a  single  word  or  term,  there  is  some  degree  of  difficulty  attending  it. 
In  divisions  upon  a  text  you  have  words  and  sentences  to  discuss.  Upon 
a  general  subject  you  have  amplitude  enough :  one  thing  makes  a  first  part, 
another  £f  second,  and  so  on.  But  here  perhaps  you  have  but  a  single 
word  or  idea  to  bear  the  description.  Still  a  division  may  take  place 
upon  circumstances  respecting  that  one  thing,  or  that  idea ;  you  can  take 
up  that  one  thing  in  a  delineatory,  in  a  philosophical,  or  in  an  historical 
manner.  As,  for  instance,  in  a  description  of  sovereign  mercy,  you  can 
describe  it  in  its  source,  its  operations,  and  its  end.  Again,  as  to  the 
Sacred  Scriptures,  you  can  speak  of  their  author,  subject,  and  reception. 
And,  as  to  sin,  you  can  observe  that  it  yields  no  present  fruit,  it  is  followed 
by  shame,  and  it  ends  in  death.  As  to  the  divine  light,  you  may  describe 
its  necessity,  its  medium,  its  residence,  and  its  author,  &c. 

These  I  call  descriptive  outlines,  whatever  other  view  I  may  take  of 
them.  They  lead  to  a  descriptive  discourse,  of  the  lower  order  perhaps, 
and  requiring  litde  more  than  faithfulness  to  the  professed  design,  that  it 
may  not  run  off  into  any  other  species  of  discourse,  and  that  the  facts 
themselves  upon  which  the  description  is  established  may  not  be  distorted. 
Anything  of  this  kind  that  the  preacher  may  think  proper  to  adopt  will 
answer  the  purpose,  provided  it  preserve  the  text  and  subject  pure,  or 
that  some  word  be  found  in  it  which  is  the  index  to  the  sense.  The  dis- 
course will  on  such  plan  have  a  great  deal  of  regularity  and  beauty,  as 
exhibiting  character  in  its  "  form  and  feature." 

The  higher  kind  of  descriptive  discourse  is,  it  must  be  allowed,  of  more 
difficult  execution  ;  ])ut  there  are  few  difficulties  which  will  not  yield  to 
persevering  effort.  When  once  the  idea  to  be  described  is  well  fixed  in 
the  mind  the  task  is  half  performed.     The  preferable  way,  in  early  prac- 


DIVERS    CHARACTERS    OF    VIRTUES    AND    VICES.  175 

tice,  is  not.  to  venture  a  whole  discourse  of  this  kind,  but  a  part  only,  viz. 
one'  division,  allowing  the  rest  to  be  textual.  For  instance,  2  Thess.  iii. 
5:  "  The  Lord  direct  your  hearts  into  the  love  of  God,"  &c.  Here  let 
the  first  and  third  parts  be  expository  and  the  second  descriptive. 

I.  The  sovereign  agent  in  the  text — the  Holy  Ghost. 

II.  The  blessmg  to  be  communicated — "  the  love  of  God." 

III.  The  ends  for  which  this  grace  of  love  is  dispensed. 

In  the  second  part  you  may  attempt  a  description  of  the  love  of  God 
as  the  ruling  principle  in  the  heart  of  believers  ;  and  to  the  best  of  your 
ability  present  such  a  portraiture  of  the  subject  as  may  at  once  interest  and 
edify  your  hearers. 

Claude  furnishes  thirteen  subdivisions  on  the  subject. 

1.  This  love  has  its  seat  in  the  heart. 

2.  Possesses  the  whole  heart. 

3.  Occupies  the  chief  place. 

4.  Exists  without  measure  or  subordination,  without  bounds  or  partitions. 

5.  Sets  bounds  to  every  other  emotion. 

6.  Is  attended  by  humility  and  holy  fear. 

7.  Imitates  the  divine  love  in  its  expansion  and  extent. 

8.  Consists  in  obedience. 

9.  Is  inflamed  under  the  rod  of  correction. 

10.  Is  free  from  superstition. 

11.  Is  peaceable. 

12.  Is  always  active. 
3.  Is  spontaneous. 

But  there  are  other  important  particulars  which  should  be  named,  viz., 
that  this  love  is  the  sum  of  the  first  division  of  the  commandments,  that  it 
is  implanted  in  regeneration,  that  it  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
that  without  it  there  can  be  no  religion. 

Mr.  Simeon  observes  that  the  whole  might  be  reduced  to  three  heads, 
so  as  to  include  the  entire  subject,  as  follows  : — 

1.  This  love  is  supreme,  possessing  the  whole  heart. 

2.  Uniform,  as  well  under  corrections  as  under  smiles. 

3.  It  is  obediential,  influencing  to  active  performance. 

Thus  1  have  pointed  out  an  introductory  plan. 

"  Little  boats  must  keep  near  shore  ; 
But  larger  boats  may  venture  more." 

When,  however,  genius  and  experience  will  justify  it,  then  occasionally 
divide  wholly  upon  the  topic.  Thus,  take  for  an  example  Mr.  Simeon's 
discourse  on  Eph.  ii.  4 :  "  But  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,"  &c.  Noav  I 
allow  that  this  sermon  is  expository,  but  it  is  exposition  by  way  of  descrip- 
tion, and  that  of  the  most  beautiful  and  evangelical  kind,  and  I  claim  it  for 
my  present  purpose.*  This  divine  mercy  is  displayed  in  its  source,  its 
operations,  and  its  end,  as  I  stated  before  in  this  Lecture,  et  inter  alia. 
It  is  too  well  known  to  be  preached  in  Mr.  S.'s  own  form  ;  yet,  for  an 
example,  I  state  it  more  largely. 

I.  In  its  source.  It  arises  out  of  the  riches  of  the  divine  mercy,  out  of  the  abun- 
dance of  his  love  (textual  phrases).  His  mercy  and  his  love,  of  all  his  perfections, 
are  his  treasure,  Exod.  xxxiv.  6,  7.  They  direct  themselves  to  outcast  man  (iViic. 
vii.  18) ;  and  this  was  the  very  purpose  of  Christ's  advent  and  sufi^erings.  U  toun- 
tains  of  benevolence,  ever  refresh  us ! 

*  Great  numbers  of  sermons  are  of  this  mixed  character,  expository  and  descriptive ;  and  much 
notice  should  be  taken  of  them  with  a  view  to  the  present  subject. 


176  LECTURE    XI. 

II.  In  its  operations. 

1.  It  quickens  us  when  "dead  in  sins;"  see  the  context. 

2.  It  raises  us  up  to  sit  togetlier  in  heavenly  places,  &c.  In  adoption,  1  John  iii.  2. 
[What  a  beautiful  theme  of  description  !] 

III.  In  its  end— that  God  might  exhihit  these  first-fruits  of  his  mercies  after  Christ's 
ascension  to  all  future  ages,  as  an  earnest  of  greater  things.  We  are  hereby  encour- 
aged to  preach  the  gospel,  assured  that  divine  grace  will  appear  exactly  aecording 
to  this  pattern  in  alf  its  parts  and  bearings.  "  His  arm  is  not  shortened  ;  his  ear  is 
not  heavy  ;  his  purposes  change  not ;"'  Mai.  iii.  6.  His  heart  still  burns  in  the  riches 
of  sovereign  grace  and  love.  But  in  the  ages  of  eternity  the  greatest  display  will  be 
exhibited  to  admiring  worlds.  What  a  blessed  work  will  it  be  to  recount  the  won- 
ders of  his  love,  the  riches  of  his  mercy,  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  to  all  eternity ! 
and  blessed  are  ministers  at  this  day  in  "being  authorized  to  tell  sinners  of  such  replete 
riches  of  divine  love. 

From  such  a  specimen  as  this,  contracted  and  marred  as  it  is,  as  well 
as  from  other  similar  instances,  you  see  that  description  is  true  eloquence, 
at  least  an  important  branch  of  it ;  and  we  need  not  have  recourse  to 
Demosthenes  or  Cicero,  nor  to  any  such  names,  to  instruct  in  this  art. 
The  gospel  has  resources  within  itself  amply  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

Take  another  description.  The  river  of  grace,  Ps.  xlvi.  4 :  "  There 
is  a  river  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the  city  of  God." 

The  following  was  written  many  years  ago,  and  designed  for  delivery 
on  board  ship  to  a  party  of  friends  on  the  Thames.  I  omit  the  introduc- 
tion and  conclusion,  and  retain  no  part  but  the  descriptive,  in  which  I 
attempt  to  show  the  analogies  of  a  river  and  divine  grace. 

1.  A  river  is  small  in  its  beginnings.  From  the  declivity  of  a  hill  it  leaves  the 
parent  spring.  It  finds  a  ready  course  along  the  flowery  meadow,  where  the  playful 
lambs  frisk  over  its  narrow  bounds  or  sip  its  salubrious  stream.  Soon  joined  by  other 
Httle  streams  in  its  meandering  way  (for  it  loves  association),  it  becomes  capable  of 
watering  the  garden  of  an  industrious  cottager,  or  filling  his  daughter's  pitcher  for 
domestic  uses.  Joined  by  other  kindred  streams  it  turns  a  mill,  maintains  a  family, 
and  grinds  the  bread-corn  of  a  village.  Again,  having  courted  greater  alliances,  it 
carries  a  lusty  boat,  and  conveys  the  farmer's  corn  to  some  distant  mart.  At  length 
it  receives  other  rivers  to  widen  and  deepen  its  copious  stream  ;  it  majestically  meets 
the  tide  of  the  sea,  and  becomes  capable  of  the  honor  of  bearing  ships  of  2,000  tons 
burden,  laden  with  the  rich  produce  of  the  eastern  and  western  worlds.  Lastly,  it  is 
engulfed  in  the  mighty  ocean,  and  aids  the  traffic  of  enipires.  Sweet  emblem  of 
ever-growing  grace  !  small  in  its  beginnings,  yet  not  despised  by  Him  from  whom  it 
flows,  nor  ought  it  to  be  by  man.  How  small  it  may  be  none  can  tell.  Its  course 
may  be  long  concealed  from  common  observation.  When  it  first  appears  it  may  at- 
tract but  little  notice,  it  may  serve  but  few  purposes,  and  those  of  the  humblest  order 
of  good:  but  ever  gaining  strength  by  new  accessions,  receiving  grace  for  grace,  it 
will  manifest  its  divine  origin  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  its  sovereign  source.  How 
large  it  may  become,  when  destined  to  glorious  deeds  of  usefulness  by  our  Imnianuel, 
none  can  venture  to  predict.  The  feeble  child  of  grace  shall  become  as  David,  and 
David  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  Zcch.  xii.  8.  Thus  Paul  first  lisped,  "  Lord,  what 
wouldst  thou  have  me  to  do?"  Acts  ix.  6.  But,  gaining  daily  strength,  he  became  a 
mighty  champion  for  the  truth,  and  blessed  the  nations  with  the  message  of  eternal 
love.  "At  the  end  of  his  glorious  career  we  find  him  testifying  to  the  glory  of  divine 
grace  in  its  most  copious  measure.  "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight ;  I  have  finished 
my  course  ;  I  have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  croAvn  of 
righteousness,  which  the  Lord  shall  give  me  at  that  day,"  when  grace  shall  be  ex- 
changed for  glorJ^ 

2.  A  river  is  pure  in  its  nature,  as  the  sources  whence  it  arose,  unlike  the  stagnant 
lake,  whose  offensive  exhalations,  contaminating  the  air,  often  produce  diseases 
around  its  borders.  Divine  grace  is  pure  in  its  nature  and  loathes  defilement.  Di- 
vine grace  purifies  all  things,  but  itself  is  incapable  of  pollution.  This  is  one  of  the 
wonders  of  grace,  that,  although  coming  continually  in  contact  with  sin  and  corrup- 
tion, it  never  can  be  vitiated  by  it.  As  a  natural  river,  although  liable  to  meet  pol- 
lution, has  a  power  sufficient  to  cleanse  itself,  to  preserve  itself  in  its  purity,  so  grace 
in  the  heart  is  in  no  danger  though  in  the  midst  of  pollution.     The  final  triumph  is 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  177 

secure  ;  it  shall  wax  stronger,  and  prove  the  force  of  its  influence  in  casting  down 
imaginations,  and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ,  2  Cor.  x.  5. 

3.  A  river  is  peaceable  in  its  course.  It  makes  no  such  noise  in  the  world  as  the 
rapid  torrent  or  foaming  cataract.  In  its  peaceful  course  it  gives  no  manner  of 
alarm  either  to  the  lamb  or  the  timorous  dove :  nay  the  silence  of  night  itself  is  not 
interrupted  by  its  motion.  So  divine  grace  in  the  heart,  like  the  wisdom  that  cometh 
down  from  above,  is  "  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated," 
the  perfect  reverse  of  all  those  fierce  passions,  anger,  wrath,  envy,  pride,  malice, 
jealousy,  and  revenge.  It  confers  the  temper  of  Christ,  the  Prmce  of  Peace,  and 
teaches  to  live  peacably  with  all  men.  And,  as  the  river  confers  its  benefits  in  si- 
lence, so  the  Christian's  works  of  mercy  are  free  from  noise  and  ostentation,  and  are 
characterized  by  modest  silence  and  reserve,  which  adds  so  much  to  their  worth. 
His  grace  is  pure  as  the  crystal  stream,  and  his  peace  flows  like  a  river. 

4.  A  river  is  perpetual  in  its  motion,  unlike  other  phenomena  in  nature,  which  are 
ever  changing  their  appearances  and  actions.  The  earth  fructifies  in  the  summer. 
The  rain  pours  down  for  a  season,  and  then  clears  away.  The  land-floods  prevail  a 
few  days.  The  hail  and  the  snow  are  of  short  duration.  Light  interchanges  with 
darkness,  and  summer  with  winter.  The  appearances  of  the  heavens  are  perpetually 
inconstant :  now  they  are  clear  from  every  spot ;  in  a  few  hours  covered  with  black- 
ness and  darkness,  and  tempest.  The  lightnings  flash  and  the  thunder  rolls  for  an 
hour  ;  but  the  river  glides  with  a  stately  and  constant  motion,  by  a  law  of  its  own, 
which  time  and  circumstances  do  not  alter,  giving  a  figure  of  the  invariable  purposes 
of  God  its  Maker,  who  suff'ers  no  shadoAv  of  a  change ;  like  him,  it  fainteth  not  in 
its  course,  nor  Avaits  for  the  sons  of  men.  It  might  at  first  appear  to  be  a  hazardous 
assertion  to  say  that  grace  in  the  heart  is  as  regular  as  the  stream,  and  perhaps  it 
would  be  more  hazardous  to  say  it  is  not :  appearances  are,  indeed,  often  against  the 
sentiment  of  its  regularity ;  but  this  we  observe,  the  work  of  grace  is  often  very  deep 
in  the  heart,  too  deep  for  human  inspection  and  for  human  judgment.  The  be- 
liever's life  is  very  justly  called  a  hidden  life  (Col.  iii.  3),  more  concealed  at  some 
seasons  than  others;  like  the  river  Guadiana,  in  Spaui,  which  for  a  long  space  (15 
miles)  hides  itself  in  the  earth,  so  that  a  superficial  observer  of  it  might  pass  a  wrong 
judgment,  supposing  that  it  ceased  to  be ;  but  it  shows  itself  again,  and  keeps  above 
ground  for  the  remainder  of  its  course.  So  we  might  suppose  that  Peter's  grace 
failed  when  he  denied  his  Lord  ;  but  Jesus  declares  otherwise:  "I  have  prayed  for 
thee  that  thy  faith  (or  grace)  fail  not,"  Luke  xxii.  32.  This  accords  with  the  testi- 
mony of  Paul :  "  Being  confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  he  who  has  begun  a  good 
work  in  you  will  carry  it  on  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ,"  Phil.  i.  6.  But  with  what 
propriety  could  that  work  be  said  to  be  carried  on  which  in  fact  suff'ered  suspension  ? 
With  what  propriety  could  it  be  asserted,  "  The  righteous  shall  hold  on  his  way,  and 
he  that  hath  clean  hands  (or  a  gracious  person)  shall  wax  stronger  and  stronger  ?' 
Job  xvii.  9.  ^  With  what  propriety  is  another  figure  used  to  the  same  purpose,  "  The 
path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect 
day?"  The  rismg  sun,  as  he  mounts  the  horizon,  may,  for  a  little  time,  be  hidden 
behind  a  cloud  ;  but  still  his  course  is  not  interrupted  ;  so  the  Lord,  in  his  work  of 
grace,  will  work,  and  none  shall  hinder  ;  he  will  perfect  that  which  concerneth  us, 
and  will  work  in  us  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  and  the  work  of  faith  with 
power.     The  Christian  in  his  course  shall  be  like  the  flowing  stream. 

5.  A  river  is  irresistible  in  its  motion.  It  is  true  the  stream  of  Jordan  was  by  a 
miracle  throAvn  back  to  make  a  way  for  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  to  pass  over  ;  yet 
in  the  common  course  of  nature  the  stream  is  irresistible  ;  its  weight  of  water  from 
above  bears  down  all  opposition.  This  property  resembles  divine  grace  in  the  heart ; 
it  overcomes  all  opposition  from  our  rebellious  nature,  and  makes  its  subjects  wil- 
Img  in  the  day  of  power,  Ps.  ex.  3.  "  The  right  hand  of  the  Lord  doeth  valiantly" 
in  the  work  of  subduing  the  heart  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.  Thus  persecuting  Saul 
of  Tarsus  was  reduced  to  the  obedience  of  the  faith  ;  the  stout-hearted  lion  became 
so  gentle  that  a  little  child  might  lead  him  in  perfect  safety.  Thus  divine  grace 
casts  down  every  imagination  and  every  high  thought.  Prejudice,  and  even  enmity 
Itself,  like  the  bands  of  Samson,  are  broken  off"  in  an  instant. 

6.  It  is  devious  in  its  course.  How  various  are  its  windings  and  turnings  !  what  a 
great  distance  will  it  sometimes  go,  and  return  almost  to  the  same  spot !  Again,  for 
a  while,  it  takes  a  straight  course,  then  a  curved  one.  Through  what  varietj^  of 
scenes  it  passes  !  It  now  washes  the  \vivn\  of  a  palace,  then  the  cottage  of  a  revered 
Saint ;  again,  it  visits  the  habitation  of  sorrow,  and  joins  its  murmurs  to  the  throbbing 
breast  of  the  disconsolate  widow ;  now  it  aids  the  woodland's  echo,  and  the  sweet 

15? 


178  LECTURE    XI. 

sound  of  the  nightingale's  note  ;  at  length  it  finds  its  course  through  the  open  coun- 
try, where  the  bleak  wind  or  sudden  squall  for  a  while  disturbs  its  peace,  and  fills 
the  boat's  company  with  fear  and  disorder  ;  but,  wearied  with  this  course,  it  returns 
to  the  peaceful  vales,  its  chief  delight  to  give  lessons  of  moral  and  religious  instruc- 
tion to  the  contemplative  mind,  to  the  thinking  few  who  visit  its  banks,  to  search  for 
wisdom  in  the  works  of  God,  and  from  the  flowing  stream,  as  a  subject,  to  pour  forth 
their  praises  to  the  God  of  rivers.  What  a  portraiture  is  this  of  that  divine  Provi- 
dence which  to  the  saints  is  the  handmaid  of  grace  !  The  windings  and  turnings  of 
divine  Providence  in  the  life  of  a  Christian  are  truly  astonishing,  and  these  we  are 
commanded  to  notice  with  reverential  regard  :  "  Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  led  thee  these  forty  years  in  the  wilderness"  (Deut. 
viii.  2,  &:c.),  and  all  the  ends  which  he  had  in  view  thereby  toward  thee.  No  course 
was  ever  more  devious  than  that  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  yet  we 
are  told  this  was  "a  right  way"  (Ps.  cvii.  7):  yes,  the  "ways  of  the  Lord  are 
right,  and  the  just  shall  walk  in  them,"  Hos.  xiv.  9.  What  windings  and  turnings 
there  were  in  the  life  of  Joseph,  yet  these  were  under  a  divine  direction.  For  a  long 
time  he  understood  them  not,  yet  every  turn  w"as  marked  with  grace,  and  led  to  his 
advancement.  What  turnings  and  windings  were  in  the  life  of  David  !  yet  these  he 
was  led  to  see  were  necessary  parts  to  that  well-ordered  covenant  which  God  had 
formed  in  his  favor.  But  what  history  so  interesting  as  that  of  a  man's  own  life? 
yes,  it  is  sweet  to  view,  over  and  over,  the  windings  and  turnings  of  divine  Providence 
that  brought  you  within  the  range  of  gospel  blessings.  With  a  little  attention  you 
will  perceive  that  all  providences  were  subservient  to  this  end.  Every  removal  and 
every  new  connexion  that  marked  your  earlier  life,  brought  you  nearer  to  this;  and 
every  aAvakening  or  afflictive  providence  prepared  you  for  the  benefit.  The  marvel- 
lous, in  common  biography,  obtains  the  chief  place  ;  but  that  which  only  tends  to 
temporal  interests,  though  it  Avere  I'rom  a  cottage  to  an  empire,  as  in  the  instance  of 
Catherine  of  Russia,  is  hardly  worth  recording,  while  that  which  issues  in  grace  de- 
serves to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold,  or  engraven  with  the  point  of  a  diamond. 
Learn,  then,  hence,  one  of  the  sweetest  subjects  for  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  thy 
God. 

7.  A  river  is  copious,  ofen,  free,  and  diffusive.  It  is  abundantly  copious,  beyond 
all  the  wants  of  nature  and  her  various  tribes  ;  it  never  seems  the  less,  though  the 
cattle  of  a  thousand  hills  quench  their  thirst  from  it ;  it  is  open  and  free  to  every  ap- 
plication of  every  kind  ;  nay,  it  seems  to  invite  all  creatures  to  partake  of  its  salubri- 
ous streams.  It  is  diffusive  of  its  blessings  to  the  greatest  possible  extent ;  not  con- 
tent with  yielding  its  benefits  by  its  shortest  course  to  the  sea,  it  makes  as  many 
turnings  as  it  can  in  order  to  extend  its  beneficence :  if  its  course  might  be  run  in  a 
hundred  miles,  it  seeks  a  thousand.  It  glides  from  city  to  city,and  from  province  to 
province,  to  satiate  the  thirsty  and  to  enrich  the  soil,  John  i.  14.  We  readily  recog- 
nise in  this  description  that  river  which  makes  glad  the  city  of  God,  that  fulness  of 
grace  from  which  all  receive  that  belong  to  the  family  of  heaven.*  0  ye  copious 
streams  of  grace,  you  far  transcend  the  fairest  type  of  nature,  as  heaven  your  source 
transcends  the  world  below.  I  hear  the  voice  from  heaven  say,  "  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth,  come  you  to  the  Avaters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money ;  come,  buy  without 
money  and  without  price  (Isa.  Iv.  1) ;  yea,  let  every  one  that  is  athirst  come,  and  let 
him  take  of  the  waters  of  life  freely,"  Rev.  xxii.  17.  Yes,  here  is  enough  and  to 
spare,  and  "  blessed  are  those  that  thirst,  for  they  shall  be  filled."  But  to  what  pur- 
pose is  this  grace  bestoAved  ?  is  it  merely  to  satisfy  the  receiver  ?  No,  it  is  to  become 
in  the  heart  a  diff'usive  principle,  that  Avill  prompt  it  to  communicate  its  blessings  to 
others  with  the  most  generous  aff'ection.  It  Avas  in  this  manner  the  Avoman  of  Sa- 
maria, having  received  of  the  grace  of  Christ  from  his  OAvn  lips,  could  not  rest  till 
she  had  conveyed  the  information  to  her  neighbors.  And  as  soon  as  Paul  experi- 
enced this  grace  in  his  heart  he  immediately  convened  the  Jews  of  Damascus,  and 
preached  to  them  that  grace  Avhich  he  had  felt,  and  proA'ed  to  them  the  Messiahship 
and  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus;  but  Damascus  could  not  set  limits  to  his  zeal,  nor 
scarcely  the  Roman  empire  itself  This  noble  impetus  carried  forward  a  Whitfield 
to  the  Avestern  Avorld,  as  an  angel  Avith  the  everlasting  gospel  in  his  hand,  to  spread 
the  savor  of  his  Master's  name  to  distant  tribes  of  men :  and  will  it  not  be  the  more 
general  operation  of  this  principle  that  Avill  give  universal  extension  to  gospel  bles- 
sings? Yes,  Avhen  the  Lord  speaks  the  word,  great  shall  be  the  company  of  the 
preachers,  Psalm  Ixviii.  11.     Such  are  the  benefits  which  the  streams  of  divine  grace 

*  A  river  abundantly  eDiichea  the  lande  contigaoas  to  it :  suob  lajods  are  often  worth  three  times  as 
much  as  other  land. 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  179 

convey,  like  a  river,  copious,  free,  and  diffusive.  Let  none  presume  to  restrain  or 
confine  these  blessings  to  themselves.  Freely  you  receive  ;  freely  give.  Never  ought 
we  to  rest  till  the  gospel,  like  the  river  of  Egypt,  overspreads  the  face  of  our  own 
country,  at  the  least ;  then  we  may  hope  that  the  overflow  will  reach  beyond  our 
hounds,  and  bless  the  nations  of  the  earth  with  the  all-satiating  streams  of  life.* 

8.  A  river  seeks  its  passage  along  the  humble  valleys  or  the  level  plains — shuns 
the  hills,  the  mountains,  the  cliffs,  and  rocks ;  these  elevations  suit  not  its  humble 
nature.  So  grace  often  passes  by  the  wise,  the  mighty,  and  the  noble,  the  elevated 
philosopher  and  self-conceited  Pharisee,  and  seeks  the  humble  in  heart.  "  To  this 
man  will  I  look,  saith  the  Lord,  even  to  him  that  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit,  and 
that  trembleth  at  my  word,"  Isa.  Ixvi.  2.  "  The  meek  will  he  guide  in  judgment, 
and  the  meek  will  he  teach  his  way,"  Ps.  xxv.  9.  Heaven-taught,  the  believer  shuns 
the  precipices  of  pride  and  ambition.  He  leaves  to  others  to  climb  the  ragged  rocks 
and  lofty  mountains,  at  the  greatest  hazards,  to  explore  Avhatever  may  be  gratifying 
to  their  vanity.  He  seeks  and  loves  the  valley  of  humiliation  ;  there  sweet  peace  and 
tranquillity  mingle  their  soft  pleasures,  and  soothe  his  thoughts  to  contemplations 
heavenly  and  divine.  The  blessed  Redeemer  chose  an  humble  course,  and  sanctified 
it  to  all  his  followers,  and  commended  it  to  their  choice.  "  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  you  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls^"  Matt.  xi.  29.  Yes, 
he  that  by  original  right  was  above  all  principalities  and  powers,  the  very  image  of 
the  invisible  God,  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  ser- 
vant, to  give  a  pattern  worthy  of  all  imitation  to  his  followers.  Here,  Christian,  is 
wisdom  worthy  of  your  choice.  Let  sweet  humility  be  thy  constant  guide  :  like  the 
river,  seek  thy  course  along  valleys,  Avhere  He  that  loves  you  has  appointed  you  to 
be,  and  where  you  shall  be  safe  and  happy  ;  while  others  pierce  themselves  through 
with  many  sorrows,  and  learn  too  late  that  eminence  and  wisdom  are  rarely  found 
together. 

9.  A  river,  except  swollen  by  accident,  keeps  within  its  proper  bounds ;  it  only 
asks  leave  to  pass  quietly  along,  and  takes  no  more  room  than  is  necessary ;  nay,  it 
often  suffers  its  bounds  to  be  diminished,  by  one  and  another  covetous  being,  who 
steals  from  its  shore  to  add  a  few  feet  to  his  adjacent  property.  We  have  an  inter- 
esting similarity  to  this  figure  in  the  Christian,  and  the  example  I  would  adduce  to 
prove  it  is  my  favorite,  Paul.  "  T  have  learat  in  whatsoever  state  I  am  therewith  to 
be  content"  (Phil.  iv.  16)  ;  and  to  show  that  it  was  not  his  own  peculiar  trials  that 
made  this  necessary  with  regard  to  himself,  but  that  it  was  a  Christian  principle  of 
universal  obligation,  he  says,  "  Let  your  conversation  be  without  covetousness,  and 
be  content  with  such  things  as  you  have  (Heb.  xiii.  5) ;  for  he  hath  said,  I  will  never 
leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee."  It  is  a  lovely  sight  to  behold  a  Christian  contented  and 
satisfied  with  the  appointments  of  Providence  and  the  designation  of  the  divine  will ; 
but  it  is  an  unnatural  sight  to  observe  a  Christian  grasping  at  gain  in  many  an  indi- 
rect way,  and  never  satisfied  with  the  appointments  of  Providence.  Were  a  river  to 
lose  its  natural  bed,  and  to  stray  into  towns,  meadows,  and  fields,  it  would  not  be 
more  unsightly,  nor  more  unnatural,  nor  more  destructive  of  its  end  and  design,  than 
for  a  Christian  to  leave  the  wise  track  of  Providence  with  views  of  worldly  advantage. 
It  were  well  if  we  attended  to  the  apostle's  caution :  ''  Those  that  will  be  rich  fall 
into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown 
men  in  destruction  and  perdition,"  1  Tim.  vi.  9.  It  is  worth  your  observation  that  a 
river,  while  keeping  within  its  proper  bounds,  passes  unenvied  through  the  country. 
So,  in  the  exercise  of  your  Christian  moderation,  you  secure  to  yourselves  a  peaceable 
and  quiet  passage  through  life.  At  least  it  will  most  commonly  so  happen  ;  as  you 
give  no  offence  to  any,  by  pressing  unreasonably  upon  their  interests,  so  they  will 
leave  you  in  the  undisturbed  possession  of  your  own.  This  is  the  reward  of  Chris- 
tian contentment ;  it  procures  respect,  and  it  shows  more  than  any  words  can  do  that 
you  are  seekers  of  a  better  country,  that  is,  a  heavenly  (Heb.  xi.  16),  and  a  resting- 
place  (Heb.  iv.  9)  better  suited  to  your  renewed  nature. 

10.  The  last  analogy  we  can  now  notice  is,  that  as  a  river  ultimately  falls  into  the 
sea,  is  engulfed  ui  the  mighty  ocean,  so  all  the  streams  of  grace  have  their  blessed 
issue  in  the  vast  ocean  of  eternal  glory. 

"  'Tis  brooks  make  rivers  :  rivers  tnrn  to  seas." 

Then  the  immensity  of  heaven's  glory  shall  be  realized ;  grace  shall  be  consum- 
mated in  eternal  glory. 

*  See  the  Rev.  J.  Harris's  eloquent  sermon  on  "  The  Witnessing  Church." 


180  LECTURE    XI. 

Let  it  be  your  endeavor  to  mix  description  even  in  your  explicatory  dis- 
courses, whenever  opportunity  presents  itself.  Wherever  you  can  accom- 
plish this  purpose  you  will  do  much  toward  relieving  that  heaviness  which 
hangs  upon  the  explicatory  system  ;  and,  while  you  discharge  the  very 
necessary  duty  of  instructing  the  people,  you  will  do  this  in  a  manner  that 
is  agreeable  as  well  as  useful. 

A  description  may  sometimes  be  historical  ;  that  is,  the  manner  of  his- 
tory formed  in  the  imagination.  This  may  be  done  by  personifying  the 
subject  you  wish  to  describe.  Here  you  may  ascribe  to  it  a  birth,  a  course 
of  life,  and  a  death.  Suppose  you  take  the  subject  "  Sin."  To  per- 
sonify sin  is  perfectly  scriptural,  as  in  James  i.  15  ;  Rom.  v.  21.  Sin, 
says  Milton — 

"  Brought  death  into  the  world,  with  all  our  wo." 

Here,  to  suit  the  occasion,  alter  Dr.  Witherspoon's  argument,  and  make 
it  a  kind  of  original  discourse.  The  doctor's  sermon  is  exegetical,  and 
very  suitably  executed ;  what  he  has  said  is  proper  enough,  though  it  suits 
not  the  present  purpose. 

Dr.  Witherspoon's  text  is  Heb.  iii.  13  :  "  The  deceitfulness  of  sin," 
In  varying  his  plan,  you  may  speak — 

I.  Of  the  origin  of  sin. 

1.  In  heaven.    Satan,  "  the  father  of  lies,"  owns  the  sad  progeny  of  sinners. 

"  He  of  the  hosts  of  heaven  sat  chief  (God  only  except)." 

He  first  demonstrated  sin,  and  stirred  rebellion  to  its  awful  height,  amid  the  ranks 
of  angels  once  pure  and  holy.  The  insinuating  mysterious  principle  was  permitted 
to  mfuse  itself,  and  to  give  a  character  of  black  deformity  only  suited  to  the  regions 
of  eternal  gloom.  Those  who  Avere  once  in  the  beauties  of  holiness,  pure  as  the 
morning  stars,  took  a  new  and  awful  character ;  here  the  sad  effects  produced  by 
sin  were  seen  in  their  expulsion  from  the  regions  of  light  and  day. 

2.  In  paradise  was  "  sin  again  conceived,  and,  being  conceived,  brought  forth 
death."  The  mystery  of  iniquity  overspread  the  earth's  surface,  and  "God  looked 
upon  the  earth,  and  behold  it  was  corrupt ;  for  all  flesh  had  corrupted  his  way  upon 
the  earth."     Here  then  we  must  remark — 

II.  The  progress  of  sin,  not  indeed  ui  its  broad  character  and  general  acts,  for  m 
that  case  our  discourse  would  never  be  ended,  but  the  progress  that  sin  makes  in  the 
heart  of  every  individual  that  is  under  its  power,  and  in  the  life  as  the  natural  effect. 

III.  The  end  of  sin— death.  Ah  !  who  can  tell  what  this  death  is  ?  Sinful  appe- 
tites have  a  natural  tendency  to  destroy  our  bodies ;  but  especially  the  sentence  of 
Jehovah,  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thou  shalt  surely  die."  All  that  we  know  is  that, 
as  to  this  world,  Ave  cease  to  be,  to  move,  to  act.  The  body,  lost  to  all  its  life  and 
health,  begins  to  perish,  to  become  loathsome  ;  it  is  concealed  from  the  sight  of  the 
living.  Of  this  we  know  a  little,  but  what  is  the  death  of  the  immortal  part  of  man  ? 
How"'is  it  at  all  a  death,  since  it  docs  not  die,  but  removes  into  another  and  (if  not 
cleansed  and  pardoned)  an  awful  state  ?  That  unknown  awfulness  is  to  us  death's 
terror.  Conscious  of  deserving  the  divine  displeasure,  the  sinner  reluctantly  meets 
his  Judge,  having  a  dreadful  presentiment  of  his  anger,  though  its  power  can  not  be 
told.  But  what  is  this  death  ?  It  is  the  death  of  hope  ;  it  is  all  happiness  engulfed 
and  sunk  forever  ;  it  is  nothing  surviving  but  a  consciousness  of  loss,  a  sense  of  pain 
deserved,  and  a  melancholy  association  Avith  partners  in  iniquity.  Death  !  it  is  the 
divine  sentence  ever  in  execution,  but  never  consummated  to  produce  relief.  A  few 
struggles  for  the  body,  eternal  struggles  for  the  spirit.  Oh,  Avho  knows  the  power 
of  the  divine  anger  ?  God  alone  can  tell  its  measure  to  the  impenitent  unpardoned 
sinner.  But  the  sentence  speaks,  "  Go,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  aiigels."  But  is  there  no  hope  ?  Yes,  verily,  "  Life  and  immortality 
are  brought  to  light  by  the  gospel."    Wipe  away  thy  tears,  then,  poor  simier.     "  Sm 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  181 

hath  reigned  unto  death,  that  so  grace  might  reign  unto  eternal  life,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord."* 

The  above  specimen  is  not  given  to  be  merely  imitated,  but  to  be  ex- 
ceeded. When  I  was  a  boy  I  was  placed  under  a  writing-master  who 
could  not  write  well  himself,  but  who  suggested  such  ideas  to  the  scholars 
that  many  of  them  turned  out  excellent  penmen  :  I  myself  was  an  unhappy 
exception.  So,  if  I  can  but  suggest  a  few  ideas  upon  the  subject  of 
description,  the  end  will  be  answered  ;  unless,  like  me,  you  should  be  dull 
scholars,  which  I  hope  will  not  be  the  case.  There  is  nothing  more  de- 
lightful than  to  make  an  imperfect  thing  perfect ;  and,  that  the  attainment 
may  be  better  secured,  go  to  a  finishing  master — listen  to  some  preacher 
that  possesses  the  happy  talent,  or  read  some  excellent  published  sermons 
of  the  descriptive  kind,  as  Blair's  beautiful  description  of  candor.  Far- 
quhar's  description  of  charity  is  also  very  beautiful.     He  says  : — 

Charity  may  be  defined  as  that  disposition  which  inclines  us  to  think  and  speak 
well  of  our  fellow-creatures  and  to  deal  kmdly  with  them.  Mere  benevolence  or 
good-will  regards  the  beneficence  of  our  actions,  and  our  dispositions  to  do  good. 
Charity  includes  these,  but  respects  more  immediately  the  sentiments  and  affections 
which  we  feel  tOAvard  others.  Under  the  definition  now  given  are  comprehended 
various  virtues,  to  which,  in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  life,  we  give  different  names. 
Thus  it  comprehends  candor  in  our  judgments,  fairness  in  our  actions,  humanity 
and  kindness  in  our  whole  behavior.  It  also  implies  the  absence  of  several  of  the 
blackest  vices  of  human  nature — malice,  envy,  falsehood,  deceit,  cruelty,  oppression, 
slander.  Charity,  in  this  respect,  may  be  compared  to  a  liberal  fountain,  giving  rise 
to  a  large  river,  which  in  its  course  divides  itself  into  several  branches,  and  disperses 
health  and  plenty  over  the  countries  through  which  it  runs.  And  as  this  disposition 
of  mind,  which  we  are  now  considering,  may  properly  be  denominated  the  parent  of 
many  distinct  virtues,  so  it  may  be  remarked  that  a  small  variation  in  the  objects 
toward  which  it  is  exercised  occasions  its  being  called  by  different  appellations. 
Thus,  our  love  to  our  coimtry  is  patriotism,  our  love  to  our  friends  friendship,  our  love 
to  our  kindred  or  families,  affection.  Neither  is  it  surprising  that  from  the  same 
simple  original  quality  should  proceed  such  various  and  distinct  effects.  We  may 
observe  in  the  natural  world  that  from  the  same  seed  arise  many  stalks,  each  con- 
taining many  ears  of  the  same  kind  that  was  sown.  From  a  small  seed  arises  a  tree, 
with  a  trunk,  branches,  and  leaves,  between  which  and  the  seed  deposited  in  the 
ground  the  most  sharp-sighted  can  trace  no  resemblance,  and  which  produces  in  its 
turn  many  seeds  of  the  same  kind. 

There  is  likewise  an  analogy  between  these  things  and  the  principles  of  our  minds, 
or  perhaps  the  qualities  of  the  latter  admit  of  still  greater  and  more  surprising  varia- 
tions. The  simple  original  qualities  of  our  minds  are  probably  not  very  numerous  ; 
but  they  are  as  it  were  seeds  sown  by  the  hand  of  the  Creator,  which  gradually  ex- 
pand themselves,  grow  up  and  assume  very  various  and  distinct  appearances.  The 
simple  quality  itself  requires  some  abstraction  and  attention  to  observe  it,  like  a  small 
seed,  scarcely  visible  to  the  naked  eye  ;  but  its  effects  are  observable  to  every  person. 

As  charity,  therefore,  comprehends  so  many  virtues,  and  has  such  extensive  influ- 
ence on  the  conduct  of  life,  both  in  impelling  to  that  which  is  right  and  in  restrain- 
ing from  that  which  is  wrong,  it  will  be  more  useful  to  consider  it  with  respect  to  its 
effects  and  consequences  than  to  regard  it  merely  m  an  abstract  light,"  &c. 

The  character  of  the  preceding  valuable  extract  I  call  delineatory,  con- 
nected with  definition  and  nice  discrimination.  A  frequent  use  will  be 
found  for  such  description;  it  is  what  Blair  and  some  others  resort  to  very 
frequently,  as  in  his  character  of  idleness  (vol.  iii.,  ser.  ix.),  from  which  I 
•shall  make  no  extract,  because  1  think  this  vice  can  not  belong  to  young 

*  The  most  elaborate  work  that  I  possess  on  the  sin  of  the  heart  is  Jamieson's,  in  two  vols.,  thick 
8vo.  The  work  is  indeed  a  most  elaborate  investigation  or  description  of  heart-sin ;  but  it  appears 
to  be  grounded  on  Dr.  Owen's  Treatise  on  the  nature,  power,  deceit,  and  prevalence  of  indwelling 
em  m  believers,  which  last  can  be  had  at  a  moderate  price.  The  subject  is  highly  interesting  to  a 
preacher,  'giving  him  a  vast  insight  into  human  nature,  views  that  are  scriptural  and  necessarily  lead 
to  the  means  of  restoring  grace  by  the  gospel,  a  subject  fully  treated  of  by  Dr.  Owen  in  his  Mortifi- 
cation of  Sm  in  Believers.    Thia  is  another  cheap  book. 


182  LECTURE    XI. 

preachers.  Between  study,  preaching,  and  a  proper  attention  to  lawful 
worldly  business,  there  can  can  be  no  time  for  this  rust  to  contract. 

I  know  not  whether  I  may  mention  descriptive  poetry  to  you,  for 
preaching  is  one  thing  and  poetry  another;  yet  they  have  some  relation  to 
each  other.  Preaching,  however  descriptive,  must  have  no  very  lofty 
flights,  no  high-sounding  words.  The  language  must  be  level  to  the  com- 
monest capacities;  yet  the  thoughts  of  the  preacher  may  be  full  of  poetic 
life,  even  in  the  simplest  forms  of  expression.  Of  this  you  have  innu- 
merable instances  in  holy  writ:  "As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass;  as  a 
flower  of  the  field,  so  he  flourisheth.  For  the  wind  passeth  over  it,  and 
it  is  gone ;  and  the  place  thereof  shall  know  it  no  more."  This  is  poetry 
in  plain  words ;  and  it  teaches  us  a  great  and  important  lesson ;  oh,  that  we 
may  learn  it!  The  words  are  thus  paraphrased  by  Bishop  Home:  "  Man, 
fallen,  mortal  man,  'his  days  are  as  grass:'  like  that  he  cometh  out  of  the 
earth,  and  continueth  but  a  short  time  upon  it.  'As  a  flower  of  the  field,' 
fair,  but  transient,  so  he  unfoldeth  his  beauty  in  youth,  and  'flourisheth' 
awhile  in  the  vigor  of  manhood ;  but  lo !  in  a  moment  the  breath  of  Heav- 
en's displeasure,  as  a  blighted  'wind,  passeth  over  him,  and  he  is  gone;' 
he  boweth  his  drooping  head,  and  mingleth  again  with  his  native  dust ;  his 
friends  and  his  companions  look  for  him  at  the  accustomed  spot  which  he 
once  adorned,  but  in  vain;  the  earth  has  opened  her  mouth  to  receive  him, 
and  'his  place  shall  know  him  no  more.' " 

Now,  so  far  as  you  proceed  in  this  sober  manner,  yoiu*  descriptions  will 
do  you  honor. 

The  following  passage  is  of  a  more  lofty  character — ^poetical,  but  still 
easy  of  comprehension  :  "Clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  him; 
righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne."  Thus  par- 
aphrased by  the  same  author :  "  When  the  mercy  and  grace  of  our  heav- 
enly King  are  to  be  described,  he  is  hkened  to  the  sun  shining  in  a  clear 
firmament  and  gladdening  universal  nature  with  his  beneficent  rays.  But 
when  we  are  to  conceive  an  idea  of  him  as  going  forth  in  'justice  and 
judgment,'  to  discomfit  and  punish  his  adversaries,  the  imagery  is  then 
borrowed  from  a  troubled  sky;  he  is  pictured  as  surrounded  by  'clouds 
and  darkness,'  whence  issue  lightnings  and  thunders,  storms  and  tempests, 
affrighting  and  confounding  the  wicked  and  impenitent." 

Here,  in  the  text  and  paraphrase,  the  thoughts  are  poetical,  awful,  and 
grand,  yet  easy  of  comprehension.  The  figures  are  all  such  as  we  are 
acquainted  with ;  and  by  the  terrors  of  a  storm  we  are  led  to  consider  the 
Lord's  majesty  when  he  "awakes  to  judgment." 

I  shall  add  a  kind  of  dclineatoiy  pei*spective  description,  altered  (chiefly 
in  transposition  of  parts)  from  Mr.  Simeon,  which  is  done,  not  with  a  view 
of  amending  Mr.  Simeon,  but  to  suit  my  present  purpose,  which  I  hope  he 
will  excuse.  The  text  is  Prov.  iv.  18:  "The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the 
shining  light,  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 

I.  The  believer's*  natural  state  of  darkness  and  misery.  By  nature  he  is,  like 
others,  in  "  the  rei^ion  and  shadow  of  death,"  Matt.  iv.  16  ;  Eph.  ii.  1-5.  He  is  so 
far  incapable  of  self-improvement  that,  if  not  prevented  by  sovereign  grace,  he  would 
sink  into  eternal  darkness.  Already  he  is  a  captive  of  the  devil,  a  slave  to  his  lusts, 
passions,  and  appetites;  his  pursuits  are  ruinous;  and  success  in  his  own  course  is 
his  greatest  misery.     The  light  that  is  in  him  is  darkness.     His  wisdom  is  folly.     He 

*  It  is  here  taken  for  granted  that  the  character  "just"  in  the  text  is  the  same  in  import  as  that  of 
believer,  for  a  sinner  is  justified  by  believing  the  gospel. 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  183 

labors,  strives,  and  wearies  himself  for  very  vanity.  But,  hark  !  a  sovereign  voice 
calls  to  him:  "0  sinner!  thou  hast  sold  thyself  for  naught,  and  thou  shalt  be  re- 
deemed without  money,"  Isa.  lii.  3.  "  Thou  hast  destroyed  thyself,  but  in  me  is  thy 
help  ;"  it  is  I  alone  that  can  "  break  the  gates  of  brass  and  cut  in  sunder  the  bars  of 
iron,''  that  can  "say  to  the  prisoners,  Go  forth,  and  to  those  that  are  in  darkness, 
Show  yourselves."     Hence — 

II.  The  brilliant  course  he  pursues  after  being  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and 
from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God :  his  way  is  "  as  the  shining  light,"  or  as  the  sun. 

1.  Beautiful  in  its  appearance.  The  sun  is  as  glorious  an  object  as  any  in  the 
whole  creation.  At  its  approach  it  tinges  the  distant  clouds  with  light,  and  throws 
upon  them  unspeakable  and  varied  beauties.  On  its  first  appearance  it  gilds  the 
mountain's  top,  and  the  tops  of  waving  trees.  After  a  short  conflict  it  dispels  all  the 
shades  of  night,  it  illuminates  the  whole  horizon.  How  delightful  is  this  to  every 
beholder  !  Thus  the  path  of  the  righteous  is  exceedingly  beautiful.  "  To  the  up- 
right there  ariseth  light  in  the  darkness."  Their  path  at  the  very  outset  is  beautiful 
to  behold.  The  light  of  grace  begins  to  adorn  their  actions.  Their  simplicity  of 
mind  and  teachableness  of  spirit  endear  them  to  all  their  brethren  ;  their  lovvliness 
and  humility  attract  universal  notice,  while  the  fervor  of  their  love  excites  admiration 
and  esteem.  The  very  shades  in  their  character  serve  as  a  contrast  to  the  excellency 
of  the  change  that  has  passed  upon  them.  As  they  proceed,  their  graces  are  more 
matured,  and  even  thus  early  they  "  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  their  Savior."  (See 
also  Phil.  iv.  8  ;  2  Pet.  i.  5-7.)  Such  are  said  to  be  "  beautified  with  salvation,"  and 
"  the  Spirit  of  glory  rests  upon  them."  They  have  the  sweetest  sympathies  of  the 
godly  with  them ;  angels  behold  and  rejoice  ;  the  church  is  glad  ;  even  the  wicked 
"admire,"  though  they  "  hate,  the  change."  Satan  wars,  but  his  efforts  are  un- 
availing ;  he  can  not  prevent.  But  has  this  enemy  no  hope  of  regaining  the  subjects 
he  has  lost  1  Will  no  impediments  arrest  their  course  ?  Will  they  not  faint  by  the 
way  ?  Will  they  not  be  entangled  and  ensnared  by  the  temptations  of  the  world  ? 
Will  not  the  mind  revert  and  change,  like  that  of  Israel  of  old  ?  Oh,  no  ;  for  that 
were  contradictory  of  the  text,  and  a  hundred  other  scriptures.     On  the  contrary — 

2.  They  shall  continue  to  be  beneficial  in  their  influence.  They  have  a  work  to 
do  :  and  God  will  secure  them  in  a  course  of  well-doing,  or  the  divme  purpose  would 
fail.  In  this  well-doing  they  shall  even  "wax  stronger  and  stronger."  The  sun  in 
our  heavens  does  not  rise  to  mock  expectation,  but  to  shine  with  productive  splendor ; 
the  light  which  this  luminary  spreads  over  the  earth  enables  the  several  orders  of 
men  to  resume  their  respective  callings.  "  In  the  darkness  they  could  not  go  without 
stumbling,"  but  now  they  follow  their  occupations  without  fear  or  difficulty.  The 
prowling  children  of  iniquity  hide  themselves  till  the  return  of  night.  What  amazing 
varieties  of  employment  now  recommence,  suited  to  the  various  talents  of  mankind  ! 
What  purposes  are  pursued  by  the  great  and  the  elevated  among  mankind !  By  one 
day's  sun  a  kingdom  may  be  obtained,  as  in  Joshua's  day.  If  a  sabbath-day,  what 
conquests  may  be  achieved  over  Satan's  kingdom  !  Nay,  "  who  knows  what  a  day 
may  bring  forth?"  Again,  does  not  the  natural  sun  rise  to  fructify  the  earth,  to 
make  it  feel  his  genial  influence  ?  Yes,  "  first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  afterward 
the  full  corn  in  the  ear."  No  sun,  no  ripeness ;  but  every  part  of  the  earth  feels  the 
sun's  invigorating  beams,  either  for  utility  or  beauty,  for  the  growth  of  the  finest  of 
the  wheat  or  to  beautify  the  flowers  of  the  field,  to  cause  the  little  hills  to  rejoice  on 
every  side  ;  and  without  this  the  husbandman  would  sow  in  vain,  in  vain  the  show- 
ers would  descend  upon  hill  and  vale  ;  without  it  no  hopes  could  be  entertained  for 
the  food  or  the  pleasures  of  human  life.  And  does  not  the  sun  say  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  universe,  "  Work  while  it  is  day,"  for  night  will  soon  return  ?  Nor  is  the  Chris- 
tian unprofitable  in  his  ascension  ;  his  light  shines  before  men  for  beneficial  pur- 
poses. The  light  of  nature  is,  like  that  of  the  moon  and  stars,  highly  beneficial  to 
mankind  ;  but,  when  "  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel"  shines  into  the  believer's 
heart,  it  breaks  forth  in  radiance  over  his  life  and  actions,  which  no  human  power  can 
extinguish,  but  which  will  continue  to  flame  even  in  persecutions  and  distresses  for 
Christ's  sake.  And  while  the  sons  of  wickedness  are  a  snare  and  a  stumbling-block 
to  each  other,  to  the  ignorant,  and  to  the  unwary,  the  believer  throws  a  light  around 
him.  "  He  shines  in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation,"  by  which  en- 
tangled souls  may  see  their  situation  and  way  of  escape.  Such  "  hold  forth  the  word 
of  life"  in  the  family,  the  village,  the  public  concourse  of  the  city,  and  often  in  the 
sick  chamber,  where  disease  preys  on  its  victim,  Avhere  timorous  dying  mortals  shrink 
at  the  approach  of  the  grim  messenger,  to  soothe  the  anguish  of  the  troubled  mind. 
The  sympathizing,  compassionate  Christian  proves  the  welcome  messenger  that 
brings  the  good  news  of  salvation.     But,  eminently,  some  favored,  gifted  Christian 


184  LECTURE    XI. 

holds  forth  a  light  in  the  pulpit  of  the  congregation.  The  doctrines  of  the  righteous 
are  a  light  of  inestimable  value,  "  even  the  power  of  God  to  salvation"  to  very  many 
at  the  same  moment.  And  "not  in  vs^ord  only,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth,"  he  bears 
"the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  God."  His  personal  fruitfulness  is  comely,  his  benevolence  unfeigned,  his 
friendship  sincere,  his  conduct  just,  his  zeal  steady,  his  candor  exemplary.  Morals 
can  not  be  a  dead  letter  or  a  mere  name  while  he  lives  to  exemplify  them.  He  ex- 
cites holy  impressions  m  others,  or  cherishes  such  as  are  Aveak.  He  aids  the  begin- 
nings of  grace,  and  contributes  to  the  general  good. 

3;  Believers,  like  the  sun,  are  constant  in  their  progress.  The  sun  invariably  pur- 
sues his  wonted  course.  From  the  instant  that  he  rises  he  hastens  toward  the  me- 
ridian. He  receives  his  power  of  ascension  from  God.  His  movements  are  such 
that  we  are  assured  of  the  very  moment  of  his  perfect  elevation.  The  believer's 
progress  is  directed  by  the  same  power ;  the  self-confident  mortal  may  "  faint  and  be 
weary,"  and  some  may  utterly  fail ;  "  but  those  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength,"  till  they  are  "strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  his  might." 
The  sun's  splendor  may  indeed  be  intercepted  by  the  clouds  that  mtervene,  and  some 
of  these  are  very  dense  and  black  ;  yet  his  real  existence  is  not  doubted  ;  his  light 
penetrates  the  thick  darkness,  so  that  the  character  of  day  is  yet  preserved,  and, 
though  unseen,  yet  his  course  suffers  no  interruption.  Sad,  indeed,  are  the  clouds 
that  at  times  overspread  the  believer,  as  it  were  "  thick  clouds  of  the  sky."  To  him- 
self he  seems  to  stop  in  his  course,  and  his  progress  is  often  doubtful  to  others.  Here 
is  one  of  the  mysteries  of  grace.  Sometimes  there  is  an  apparent  declension,  yet  the 
divine  purpose  is  the  same  toward  the  believer  ;  there  may  be  a  secret  preparation 
in  all  this  for  bursting  forth  again  in  greater  splendor  than  ever ;  his  re\4val,  if  he  be 
indeed  a  child  of  God,  is  secured  ;  Job  xvii.  9  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  33-37  ;  Phil.  i.  6  ;  Ps.  Ixxxiv. 
7  ;  1  Pet.  i.  5 ;  1  Cor.  xiii.  9,  10  ;  Dan.  xii.  3.  And,  although  for  a  time  the  bright- 
ness of  his  light  may  be  obscured,  yet  it  is  never  wholly  extinguished  ;  there  is  still  a 
light  penetrating  the  clouds  which  surround  him,  and  it  is  evident  that  grace  is  not 
suspended.  At  length  the  Christian's  light  is  no  longer  doubtful ;  all  his  enemies  are 
disappointed :  hear  him  say,  "  Though  I  sit  in  darkness,  the  Lord  shall  be  a  light 
about  me."  He  renews  his  course  ;  he  presses  "  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of 
his  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus ;"  and  he  is  again  one  of  the  "  lights  of  the 
world,"  by  his  knowledge,  his  doctrine,  and  his  example. 

But  a  greater  triumph  of  light  awaits  our  world  than  any  yet  experienced,  when 
the  church  collectively  shall  rise  into  brightness  by  the  general  spreading  of  the  gos- 
pel, when  "  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light  of 
the  sun  shall  be  sevenfold."  Here  the  whole  church  will  blaze  as  one  light  into  a 
more  perfect  day.  Blessed  shall  be  those  eyes  that  see  this  gospel  brightness,  when 
it  shall  be  said,  "  Arise,  shine,  for  thy  light  has  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  has 
risen  upon  thee,"  when  Gentile  nations  shall  come  to  the  church's  light,  and  heathen 
"  kings  to  the  brightness  of  her  rismg."     But  consider — 

in.  The  glorious  consummation  of  the  text,  beyond  what  can  be  seen  in  this 
world.  The  believer's  individual  glory,  and  the  glory  of  the  whole  church,  can  not 
be  perfect  here.  The  full  blaze  of  eternal  day  can  alone  bear  the  testimony.  The 
natural  sun  shall  cease  to  be  a  just  image  of  the  saints.  Creation  will  not  furnish  a 
likeness  sufficiently  glorious.  Then  will  the  saints  arise  in  the  likeness  of  Jesus,  in 
some  resemblance  to  him  who  is  now  the  great  head  of  ail  things,  and  the  "light  of 
the  world."  They  shall  then,  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  be  clothed  Avith  his  righteous- 
ness :  then  shall  they  be  "  the  just"  in  the  strictest  and  purest  sense  of  the  term  ;  their 
imperfections  shall  disappear  for  ever.  Many  of  the  saints  have  shone  brightly  on 
earth  ;  but  their  best  light,  though  it  were  equal,  to  that  of  the  apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, shall  be  nothing  in  comparison  with  that  which  shall  hereafter  be  manifested. 
"  Then  shall  they  know  even  as  they  are  known."  Nay,  their  light  of  intelligence 
shall  be  ever  growing,  as  millions  of  years  shall  roll  on  their  way  ;  for  "  eye  hath  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive,"  what 
great  things  are  laid  up  for  "  those  who  love  God,  and  are  the  called  according  to 
his  purpose."  But,  as  we  are  even  now  the  "  children  of  the  light,"'  let  us  study  to 
act  a  part  becoming  our  high  calling ;  let  us  impart  to  a  dark  world  that  which  we 
have  received  ;  and,  being  faithful  unto  death,  we  shall  receive  a  crown  of  glory, 
which  shall  never  fade  away.  Oh,  how  great  is  the  privilege  to  be  permitted  to 
shed  any  degree  of  light,  effulgence,  and  lustre,  upon  our  dark  world  !  that  God  has 
favored  us  with  faculties,  powers,  and  a  willingness  of  mind  to  exert  ourselves  in  the 
great  work  of  salvation. 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  185 

Dr.  Chalmers  on  1  John  ii.  15.  Subject,  The  love  of  God  the  only- 
instrument  to  destroy  the  love  of  the  world,  by  an  exhibition  of  the  supe- 
riority of  heaven  to  earth. 

Conceive  a  man  to  be  standing  on  the  margin  of  this  green  vsrorld,  and  that,  when 
he  looked  toward  it,  he  saw  abundance  swelling  every  field,  and  all  the  blessings 
which  earth  can  afl'ord  scattered  about  in  profusion  through  every  family,  and  the 
light  of  the  sun  sweetly  resting  upon  all  the  pleasant  habitations,  and  the  joys  of  hu- 
man companionship  brightening  many  a  happy  circle  of  society.  Conceive  this  to 
be  the  general  character  of  the  scene  upon  one  side  of  his  contemplation,  and  that  on 
the  other,  beyond  the  verge  of  the  goodly  planet  on  which  he  was  situated,  he  could 
descry  nothing  but  a  dark  and  fathomless  unknown.  Think  you  that  he  would  bid 
a  voluntary  adieu  to  all  the  brightness  and  all  the  beauty  that  were  before  him  upon 
earth,  and  commit  himself  to  the  frightful  solitude  away  from  it  ?  Would  he  leave 
its  peopled  dwelling-places  and  become  a  solitary  wanderer  through  the  fields  of 
nonentity  ?  If  space  offered  him  but  a  wilderness,  would  he  for  it  abandon  the  home- 
bred scenes  of  life  and  of  cheerfulness  that  lay  so  near,  and  exercised  such  a  power 
of  urgency  to  detain  him  ?  Would  he  not  cleave  to  the  regions  of  sense,  and  of  life, 
and  of  society?  and,  shrnking  from  the  desolation  that  was  beyond  it,  would  he  not 
be  glad  to  keep  his  firm  footing  on  the  territory  of  this  world,  and  take  shelter  under 
the  silver  canopy  that  was  stretched  over  it  ? 

But  if,  during  the  time  of  his  contemplatiC)n,  some  happy  island  of  the  blessed  had 
floated  by,  and  there  had  burst  upon  his  senses  the  light  of  its  surpassing  glories  and 
its  sounds  of  sweet  melody,  and  he  saw  clearly  tliat  there  a  purer  beauty  rested  upon 
every  field  and  a  more  heartfelt  glow  spread  itself  among  all  the  families,  and  he 
could  discern  there  peace,  and  piety,  and  benevolence,  which  put  a  moral  gladness 
into  every  bosom,  and  united  the  whole  society  with  one  rejoicing  sympathy  with 
each  other  and  with  the  beneficent  Father  of  them  all — could  he  further  see  that 
pain  and  mortality  were  unknown,  and,  above  all,  that  signals  of  welcome  were  hung 
out,  and  an  avenue  of  communication  was  made  for  him — perceive  you  not  that  what 
was  before  the  Avilderness  would  become  the  land  of  invitation,  and  that  now  the 
world  would  be  the  wilderness  ?  What  unpeopled  space  could  not  do  can  be  done 
by  space  teeming  with  beautiful  scenes  and  beautiful  society.  And,  let  the  existing 
tendencies  of  the  heart  be  what  they  may  to  the  scene  that  is  near  and  visibly  around 
us,  still  if  another  stood  revealed  to  the  prospect  of  man,  either  through  the  channel 
of  faith  or  through  the  channel  of  his  senses,  then,  without  violence  done  to  the  con- 
stitution of  his  moral  nature,  may  he  die  unto  the  present  world,  and  live  to  the 
lovelier  world  that  stands  in  the  distance  away  from  it. 

The  following  example  I  have  selected  from  Dr.  Payson's  volume  of 
Sermons,  from  which  I  have  already  inserted  a  quotation  filled  with  beau- 
tiful description,  though  for  another  purpose.  See  p.  153.  The  text  is 
Rev.  i.  7.     Subject,  The  second  coming  of  Christ. 

What  are  the  pompous  triumphs,  the  gaudy  pageants,  the  long  processions,  on 
which  men  gaze  with  eager  delight,  compared  with  the  descent  of  the  Creator,  the 
Judge,  from  heaven,  surrounded  by  all  the  seraphic  hosts,  and  bearing  with  him  the 
final  sentence,  the  eternal  unchangeable  destiny  of  every  child  of  Adam  ?  Pause  then, 
and  contemplate  with  the  eye  of  faith,  or,  if  you  have  no  faith,  with  the  eye  of 
imagination,  this  tremendous  scene.  Look  at  that  point,  far  away  in  the  ethereal 
region,  where  the  gradually  lessening  form  of  our  Savior  disappeared  from  the  gaze 
of  his  disciples  when  he  ascended  to  heaven.  In  that  point  see  an  uncommon,  but 
faint  and  undefined  brightness,  just  beginning  to  appear.  It  has  caught  the  roving 
eye  of  yon  careless  gazer,  and  excited  his  curiosity.  He  points  it  out  to  a  second  and 
a  third.  A  little  circle  soon  collects,  and  various  are  the  conjectures  which  they 
form  respecting  it.  Similar  circles  are  formed,  and  similar  conjectures  made,  in  a 
thousand  different  parts  of  the  world  ;  but  conjecture  is  soon  to  give  place  to  cer- 
tainty— awful,  appalling,  overwhelming  certainty.  While  they  gaze,  the  appearance 
which  excited  their  curiosity  rapidly  approaches,  and  still  more  rapidly  brightens. 
Some  begin  to  suspect  what  it  may  prove,  but  no  one  dares  to  give  utterance  to  his 
suspicions.  Meanwhile  the  light  of  the  sun  begins  to  fade  before  a  brightness  supe- 
rior to  his  own.  Thousands  see  their  shadows  cast  in  a  new  direction,  and  thousands 
of  hitherto  careless  eyes  look  up  at  once  to  discover  the  cause.  Full  clearly  they  see 
it,  and  now  new  hopes  and  fears  begin  to  agitate  their  breasts.  The  afflicted  and 
persecuted  servants  of  Christ  begin  to  hope  that  the  predicted  long-expected  day  of 


186  LECTURE    XT. 

their  deliverance  has  arrived.  The  wicked,  the  careless,  the  unbelieving,  begin  to 
fear  that  the  Bible  is  about  to  prove  no  idle  tale ;  and  now  fiery  shapes,  moving  like 
streams  of  lightning,  begin  to  appear  indistinctly  amidst  the  bright  dazzling  cloud 
which  comes  rushing  down  as  on  the  wmgs  of  a  whirlwind.  At  length  it  reaches 
its  destined  place.  It  pauses ;  then,  suddenly  unfolding,  discloses  at  once  a  great 
white  throne,  Avhere  sits,  starry  resplendent,  in  all  the  glory  of  the  Godhead,  the 
man  Christ  Jesus.  Every  eye  sees  him.  Every  heart  knows  him.  Too  well  do  the 
wicked  unprepared  inhabitants  of  earth  now  know  what  to  expect ;  and  one  uni- 
versal shriek  of  anguish  and  despair  rises  to  heaven,  and  is  echoed  back  to  earth. 
But  louder,  far  louder,  than  the  universal  cry,  now  sounds  the  last  trumpet,  and  far 
above  all  is  heard  the  voice  of  the  Omnipotent,  summoning  the  dead  to  rise  and 
come  to  judgment.  New  terrors  assail  the  living.  On  every  side,  nay,  under  their 
very  feet,  the  earth  heaves  as  in  convulsions ;  graves  open,  and  the  dead  come  forth  ; 
while,  at  the  same  moment,  a  change,  equivalent  to  that  occasioned  by  death,  is 
effected  by  almighty  power  on  the  bodies  of  the  living  ;  their  mortal  bodies  put  on 
immortality,  and  are  thus  prepared  to  sustain  a  weight  of  glory  or  of  wretchedness 
which  flesh  and  blood  could  not  endure.  Meanwhile,  legions  of  angels  are  seen 
darting  from  pole  to  pole,  gathering  together  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ  from  the 
four  Avinds  of  heaven,  and  bearmg  them  aloft  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  where  he 
causes  them  to  be  placed  at  his  OAvn  right  hand,  preparatory  to  the  sentence  which 
is  to  award  to  them  everlasting  life.  But,  oh  appalling  truth  !  "  where  shall  the 
ungodly  and  wicked  appear  ?"  appear  they  will,  and  in  the  same  moment,  and  in 
the  same  view  of  the  Judge ;  but  it  will  be  to  hear  the  sentence  of  everlasting  ban- 
ishment "  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and  the  glory  of  his  power."  Let  imagi- 
nation paint  a  doom  like  this,  for  it  defies  words  to  utter. 

Any  remarks  on  the  foregoing  beautiful  extracts  would  be  superfluous. 
Such  bright  examples  show  how  effectually  this  branch  of  our  subject  may 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  all-important  work  of  publishing  the  "  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ,"  and  persuading  sinners  "  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come." 

I  can  not  dismiss  this  portion  of  my  present  Lecture  without  referring 
you  to  the  following  sublime  descriptions,  which,  among  many  others,  are 
interspersed  throughout  the  sacred  writings  : — 

The  Song  of  Moses,  Exod.  xv. 

Israel's  exultation  over  the  humiliation  and  final  ruin  of  the  proud  king 
of  Babylon,  Isa.  xiv. 

The  circumstances  accompanying  and  following  the  general  resurrec- 
tion and  the  final  judgment.  Rev.  xx.,  &c. 

Representation  by  means  of  words  is  a  kind  of  picture  held  up  to  the 
mind,  and  is  intended  for  the  same  purpose,  viz.,  to  create  some  excitement, 
either  for  entertainment  or  instruction.  It  has  already  been  observed  that 
the  more  exquisitely  these  representations  are  drawn,  the  more  delight  or 
profit  they  afford  ;  and  it  would  be  in  vain  to  look  for  a  similar  effect  from 
mere  preceptive  or  didactic  forms  of  language  addressed  to  such  fallen 
creatures  as  we  are,  so  obtuse  to  impression  of  a  spiritual  character.  Con- 
ceiving it  to  be  your  desire  to  avail  yourselves  of  every  means  which  may 
aid  you  in  your  public  exercises,  I  deem  no  apology  necessary  for  extend- 
ing my  remarks  on  this  subject.  If  I  can  avoid  throwing  perplexity 
around  it  instead  of  light,  I  shall  think  myself  so  far  happy,  while  it  is  cer- 
tainly my  aim  to  contribute  such  assistance  as  may  serve  your  purpose 
until  better  aid  presents  itself. 

That  scripture  is  the  purest  source  of  instruction  in  this  art  can  not  be 
doubted;  and  that  your  ideas  of  scripture  excellence  may  be  greatly  en- 
larged by  a  careful  investigation  of  its  descriptive  beauties  is  equally  plain, 
to  which  I  may  add,  that  the  closer  you  keep  to  this  rule  the  better  you 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  187 

will  succeed :  the  truth  of  this  will  be  attested  by  a  slight  observation  and 
a  very  short  experience.  Human  literature  is  not  without  its  advantages ; 
but,  when  drawn  from  its  purest  sources  and  cultivated  in  its  highest  per- 
fection, it  will  be  found,  if  brought  into  competition  with  divine  revelation, 
only  as  the  puerilities  of  childhood  compared  with  the  maturity  of  wisdom. 
Weigh  their  respective  claims  in  the  balance,  and  observe  on  which  side 
is  the  preponderance.  Observe  the  elements  of  each,  the  fitness  of  the 
one  and  the  total  unfitness  of  the  other.  You  will  perceive  that  the  one 
operates  in  a  gracious  manner,  yet  quite  suited  to  the  natural  feelings  of 
tlie  heart;  while  the  other  is  trivial,  without  any  natural  connexion  with 
our  internal  movements,  totally  incapable  of  a  divine  or  gracious  effect, 
and  gratifying  only  to  a  vitiated  taste. 

The  elements  of  description  are  characters,  objects,  &c.,  the  circum- 
stances pertaining  to  them  existing  at  some  certain  moment,  and  clothed 
in  appropriate  language.  In  proportion  as  these  are  fit  or  unfit  for  the 
purpose  of  improving  the  mind,  our  decision  terminates.  We  judge  by 
the  effects  that  follow,  just  as  a  "  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit."  For  the  ben- 
efit of  mankind  at  large,  the  Sovereign  Ruler  and  Disposer  of  all  things  has 
created  and  established  the  elements  of  instruction  on  the  site  of  the  Jew- 
ish nation  and  its  various  dependencies,  on  himself,  on  the  heavens  above, 
and  the  earth  beneath.  All  these  are  agencies  under  his  command.  So 
exactly  are  the  means  and  the  end  adapted  to  each  other,  that  we  are  con- 
strained to  say,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God." 

You  will  observe  that  Judea  is  the  site  of  descriptive  teaching;  this 
was  God's  school,  and  he  was  himself  the  teacher.  It  pleased  God  to 
make  the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  suited  to  figurative  instruction.  In 
this  he  displayed,  as  in  a  mirror,  his  own  divine  perfections,  particularly 
his  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  and  this  so  effectually  that  the  abstract 
doctrine  of  his  perfections  was  not  at  all  necessary  to  be  taught  by  system ; 
and  in  fact,  by  this  method  of  instruction  they  never  could  have  been  so 
well  known.  Now,  as  you  read  the  Scriptures  consecutively,  you  will  not 
fail  to  remark  the  descriptive  instruction  or  figurative  language  that  is 
founded  upon  the  historical  events  of  the  Jewish  nation,  in  their  migra- 
tions from  Egypt  to  their  setdement  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  You  will  see 
how  far  the  language  of  instruction  is  founded  upon  those  important  events, 
when  each  of  the  sacred  writers  would  display  the  divine  perfections  that 
so  eminently  appear  in  them  ;*  you  will  remark  that  God's  dealings  with 
his  ancient  people  are  exhibited  as  grounds  of  encouragement  and  hope ; 
you  will  notice  what  frequent  reference  is  made  to  this  history  in  the  book 
of  Psalms,  particularly  in  the  68th,  7Sth,  105th,  106th,  and  107th,  and 
very  frequently  throughout  the  prophetic  books;  and  that,  without  this  sup- 
ply of  descriptive  language,  the  purposes  of  Divine  Wisdom  in  them  could 
not  have  been  so  well  answered.  In  their  history  you  will  also  see  a  picture 
of  the  perverseness,  the  obstinacy,  and  the  unbelief,  of  the  natural  heart, 
so  ill  requiting  the  divine  benevolence ;  you  will  see  in  the  exercise  of  di- 

•"When  you  travel  in  Judea  you  behold  extraordinary  appearances  everywhere  proclaim- 
ing a  country  teeming  with  prodigies.  The  scorching  sun,  the  towering  eagle,  the  bairen  fig-tree, 
all  the  poetry  and  all  the  pictures  of  scripture,  are  found  here.  Every  name  revives  the  recollection 
of  something  significant ;  every  grotto  indicates  something  symbolical;  every  hill  suggests  the  voice  of 
a  prophet.  In  these  regions  the  Almighty  himself  has  spoken.  Rivers  that  are  now  dried  up,  rocks 
that  are  rent  in  sunder,  sepulchres  half  open,  attest  a  miracle  ;  the  desert  still  appears  mute  through 
terror ;  and  you  would  imagine  that  it  never  presumed  to  interrupt  the  awfulness  of  silence,  since  it 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Eternal." — Jones's  Bib.  Encyc,  sub  voc.  "Bead  Sea.'\ 


188  LECTURE    XI, 

vine  mercy,  long-suffering,  and  forbearance  toward  such  a  people,  as  well 
as  in  the  occasional  chastisements  of  an  offended  but  faithful  Jehovah,  a 
striking  and  forcible  representation  of  the  unfathomable  riches  of  divine 
mercy.  It  must  be  admitted  that  no  didactic  forms  of  language  could  be 
so  easy  of  common  apprehension.  Here  the  images  held  up  to  the  mind 
are  so  familiar,  and  yet  so  convincing,  that  we  can  not  read  without  admi- 
ration, while  both  the  history  itself  and  the  facts  connected  with  it,  furnish 
the  surest  grounds  of  dependence  on  all  the  covenants  and  promises  made 
to  that  people. 

The  descriptive  language  of  scripture  is  further  enriched  by  the  Aaron- 
ical  and  more  spiritual  economy,  wherein  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel 
were  preached  to  that  people  in  pictures;  as  the  mediatorship  of  Christ  in 
the  person  and  office  of  Aaron  and  partly  in  that  of  Moses,  the  vicarious 
nature  of  his  death  in  the  various  kinds  of  sacrifices,  &c.  Independently 
of  these,  the  wilderness  originated  very  wonderful  types  or  shadows  of 
good  things  to  come ;  such  as  the  miraculous  supply  of  manna,  the  waters 
of  Horeb,  the  brazen  serpent,  the  appointment  of  cities  of  refuge,  &c. 
Observe  what  a  large  range  of  descriptive  instruction  is  contained  in  the 
following  parts  of  scripture  grounded  on  these  points,  and  how  necessa- 
rily these  become  the  vehicle  of  divine  language,  as  often  as  it  is  found 
necessary  to  point  out  the  manner  or  means  by  which  a  holy  God  can  hold 
intercourse  with  his  sinful  creatures,  in  what  way  he  is  pleased  to  forgive 
sin  and  receive  the  sinner  into  favor. 

The  descriptive  elements  of  instruction  were,  moreover,  abundantly  en- 
riched by  another  fi'uitful  source.  It  pleased  God,  in  his  providence,  to  con- 
stitute the  posterity  of  Abraham  a  rural  people,  conversant  with  nature  in 
its  purest  forms,  conversant  with  husbandry,  horticulture,  and  the  feeding  of 
flocks  and  herds,  a  pleasing  account  of  which  you  will  find  in  M.  Fleury's 
History  of  the  Israelites,  translated  by  Dr.  A.  Clarke.  Their  rural  scenes 
were  nurseries  of  instruction.  What  this  people  daily  saw,  heard,  and 
felt,  became  the  language  of  their  morals  and  of  their  religion  also.  From 
sensible  objects  they  were  led  to  such  as  are  intellectual.  Hence  the  rains 
and  the  dews  furnished  them  with  ideas  of  the  divine  grace,  the  returning 
seasons  taught  them  the  doctrine  of  divine  providence,  the  extraordinary 
products  of  their  country  became  emblems  of  virtue,  the  mountains  and 
hills  gave  them  ideas  of  the  magnificence  of  Jehovah,  particulai'ly  the 
Mount  Zion,  at  once  the  glory  and  beauty  of  their  nation ;  the  thunder 
and  vivid  lightning  impressed  them  with  ideas  of  God's  anger;  clouds 
and  darkness  taught  the  mysteries  of  his  will.  David's  early  occupation 
taught  him  to  look  up  to  Jehovah  as  his  divine  Shepherd,  as  he  who  led 
Israel  like  a  flock,  and  guarded  them  as  with  a  shepherd's  care. 

Now,  if  you  carefully  examine  the  language  of  scripture,  you  will  see 
how  much  its  descriptive  elements  are  taken  from  these  circumstances, 
and  how  inimitably  ideas  are  transferred  from  them  to  things  intellectual, 
moral,  and  spiritual,  and  we  may  defy  the  ingenuity  of  man  to  furnish  any 
adequate  substitute  for  these  materials.  See  what  uses  the  prophets,  and 
especially  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  made  of  these  things,  of  which  more 
will  be  said  under  the  sixteenth  Topic. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  in  this  place  how  admirably  the  Hebrew, 
idiom  received  these  elements  of  instruction.  Its  beautiful  copiousness 
and  simplicity  are,  in  this  respect,  without  a  parallel ;  and,  as  all  this  de- 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  189 

scriptive  instruction  was  ultimately  to  become  common  property  to  all 
nations,  the  language  was  constructed  in  such  manner,  and  the  things 
spoken  of  were  of  such  kinds,  as  were  most  easy  of  translation.  This  fact 
may  almost  rank  with  miracles.  There  is  no  parallel  to  be  found.  The 
orio-inal  beauties  of  the  Hebrew  language  are  so  completely  retained  in  our 
own,  though  literally  translated,  that  a  faithful  picture  of  the  original  is 
produced  T  whereas,  take  a  literal  translation  of  Virgil,  and  you  will  find 
it  produces  litde  better  than  nonsense,  of  which  a  thousand  instances  might 
be  quoted  out  of  a  volume  now  before  me. 

But,  that  God  might  leave  nothing  imperfect,  he  not  only  furnished  the 
elements  of  descriptive  language,  but  raised  up,  in  different  periods,  holy 
prophets,  who,  under  a  divine  impulse,  applied  and  gave  direction  to  the 
use  of  this  holy  language,  of  which  you  have,  in  the  Psalms  and  the 
prophets,  instances  without  end ;  and  these  applicatory  instances  are,  to 
this  day,  the  standard  of  descriptive  instruction,  affording  you,  as  preach- 
ers, the  best  rules  for  this  kind  of  discourse.  Thus  has  God  given  us 
"line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little  and  there  a  litde,"  in 
matter,  manner,  and  example,  equal  to  all  desire.  If  you  wish  to  be  de- 
scriptive preachers,  here  are  your  patterns  of  oratory;  draw  copiously; 
fulfil  your  pleasure. 

Now  collect  all  these  circumstances  together,  take  a  full  view  of  them, 
as  the  elements  of  descriptive  instruction,  and  I  think  you  must  be  filled 
with  wonder  and  admiration  at  their  variety,  their  riches,  and  their  adapta- 
tion to  the  end  proposed.  On  the  contrary,  look  at  the  state  of  things  in 
any  other  ancient  nation,  as  supposed  to  afford  similar  elements  of  mental 
instruction.  Take  the  state  of  either  Greece  or  Rome.  Where  is  the 
acknowledged  superintending  Jehovah?  What  adaptation  is  there  in  the 
materials  of  their  history  upon  which  to  form  a  view  of  such  a  ground- 
plot  of  instruction  as  in  the  Jewish  people?  What  wonders  of  God  ever 
appeared  among  them,  conveying  such  a  display  of  the  divine  character? 
What  instruction  will  be  found  in  their  heathen  mythology,  in  their  filthy 
and  abominable  rites?  We  see  that,  even  from  their  scenes  of  civil  life, 
the  poets  could  produce  nothing  that  could  interest  the  world  without  the 
introduction  of  a  tribe  of  imaginary  beings,  as  fauns  and  satyrs,  fairies  and 
demigods,  transformed  to  human  locality  and  converse.  Where  are  their 
holy  rites,  or  their  holy  prophets,  to  direct  them?  They  may  indeed  aim 
at  a  moral,  but  they  find  a  perfect  vanity.  We  are  ready  to  allow  that 
those  nations  produced  some  great  men,  but  what  real  wisdom  they  posses- 
sed was  manifestly  derived  from  the  Israelitish  nation.  Suppose  you  were  to 
make  the  attempt  to  adorn  your  instruction  with  their  materials,  how  do  you 
think  you  would  succeed?  where  would  you  hide  your  disgrace?  Their 
whole  stock  would  not  furnish  one  spiritual  idea.  In  this  wilderness  you 
would  find  nothing  wherewith  to  feed  your  people ;  and  return  you  must 
to  Salem's  happy  land  and  the  language  of  Canaan.  The  language  thence 
derived  will  supply  you  with  descriptive  eloquence  that  all  nature  owns, 
that  God  and  all  good  men  approve,  into  whatever  nation  under  heaven 
you  enter. 

And  here  it  may  be  observed  that  though  the  aposdes  after  their  Lord's 
ascension  could  not,  from  the  altered  state  of  things,  keep  so  completely 
to  the  old  standard  of  teaching  as  in  earlier  times,  though  they  had  to 
preach  upon  facts  and  doctrines,  and  prove  them  by  inductions  of  partic- 


]90  LECTURE    XI. 

ulars  which  must  differ  materially  from  the  ancient  simplicity,  yet  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Epistles  is  very  much  borrowed  from  the  Old  Testament, 
and  as  much  as  possible  that  style  is  preserved — enough,  at  least,  to  con- 
vince us  of  the  veneration  in  which  the  ancient  language  was  held  by  them, 
and  to  show  us  that  the  apostles  considered  the  representative  or  descrip- 
tive manner  as  the  most  edifying  to  the  people,  and  that  without  it,  they 
could  not  be  understood,  as  a  reference  to  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
would  fully  manifest. 

If,  therefore,  we  were  to  decide  against  the  descriptive  system,  or  cor- 
rupt it  through  a  vitiated  taste  and  perverted  judgment,  or  decline  it  as  un- 
attainable, I  think  we  should  be  answerable  for  the  consequences.  More 
culpable  still  should  we  be  were  we  to  adopt  that  tinsel  language  which  is 
now  so  much  indulged  in.  If  our  descriptions  were  no  longer  taken  from 
scripture,  from  nature,  and  common  life,  but  from  modern  arts  and  sci- 
ences, from  the  wisdom  of  the  world  and  the  maxims  of  the  schools,  and 
clothed  with  words  above  the  comprehension  of  the  great  mass  of  mankind, 
here  the  mischief  and  the  consequent  responsibility  would  be  great  indeed. 
No  authority  can  justify  such  a  practice  ;  no  example  of  God-fearing  men 
can  be  found  in  its  favor. 

If  then  I  am  asked.  How  is  pure  description  now  to  be  acquired  ?  I 
answer.  Certainly  at  the  fountain-head — the  Holy  Scriptures.  Study  the 
Scriptures  with  this  view,  and  do  it  diUgently.  The  very  language  of 
scripture,  merely  adopted,  will  indeed  answer  the  purpose,  but  then  it  must 
be  properly  and  skilfully  introduced,  and  humble  well-meant  imitations 
are  not  to  be  despised.  Nor  are  you  to  think  that  your  discourses  upon 
this  scripture  plan  will  be  destitute  of  elegance.  No ;  be  true  to  scripture, 
to  nature,  and  to  experience,  and  you  will  not  fail,  in  some  degree,  of 
true  elegance.  Elegance  does  not  consist  in  finery  of  dress,  but  in  that 
which  is  becoming  and  appropriate ;  and,  as  there  is  a  native  simplicity,  so 
is  there  also  a  native  dignity.  This,  perhaps,  is  a  preacher's  greatest 
recommendation. 

Nobody  would  suppose  that  if  John  Bunyan  had  taken  lessons  from 
the  classical  vicar  of  Bedford,  or  even  the  bishop  of  his  diocese,  that  his 
Pilgrim's  Progress  would  have  been  thereby  improved.  His  descriptions, 
without  lessons  of  this  sort,  are  inimitably  simple,  scriptural,  true  to  nature, 
and  just.  His  own  unfettered  conceptions  drew  the  plan,  formed  the 
characters,  determined  the  dialogues,  and  effected  the  moral  of  the  whole. 

The  following  directions  may  not,  however,  be  unacceptable  : — 

1.  Let  the  thing  you  wish  to  describe,  the  thought  itself,  be  worthy  of 
your  words  ;  for  to  give  a  labored  description  of  a  thing  that  is  litde  or 
mean  would  disgrace  you.* 

2.  Endeavor  to  place  this  object  of  thought  before  the  eye  of  your 
mind ;  take  sufficient  time  for  this  purpose  ;  impatience  here  is  ruin. 
Nebuchadnezzar  was  wise  in  one  thing  ;  as  his  notion  of  his  image  was 
but  confused  and  imperfect,  he  would  not  attempt  the  description  of  it  at 
all.  The  goodness  of  God  gave  Daniel  a  perfect  perception  of  this  image ; 
it  was  placed  before  the  eye  of  his  mind  in  perfect  unison  with  truth. 
See  Dan.  ii.  31-35.  In  Daniel's  description  of  this  image  you  observe 
that  the  first  thing  mentioned  is  its  greatness  ;  and  this  precedency  is  per- 

*  It  has  been  judged  a  fault  in  our  excellent  Hervey  that  everything  he  describes,  in  his  Medita- 
tions, &c.,  receives  from  him  the  same  labored  description.  There  is  no  relief,  no  discrimination 
between  an  important  and  an  unimportant  object,  in  his  descriptions. 


DESCRIPTIVE    DISCOURSES.  191 

fectly  natural,  for  magnitude,  or  indeed  exceeding  diminutiveness,  is  the 
first  impression.  So  the  spies,  when  they  returned  to  Moses  and  related 
what  they  saw,  began  by  statmg  the  gigantic  size  of  the  men,  the  amazing 
height  of  the  city  walls,  reaching  to  heaven.  Thus  also  Shakspere,  when 
describing  the  world  in  a  brief  manner,  commences  with  "  the  cloud- 
capped  towers."  So  when  David  would  speak  of  the  divine  goodness, 
he  exclaims,  "  Oh,  how  great  is  thy  goodness  !"  But  to  return  to  the 
royal  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  :  there  were  general  qualities  belonging 
to  this  image  besides  that  of  size  ;  these  very  naturally  come  next  in  de- 
scription. Its  brightness  was  excellent,  yet  this  brightness  was  not  like 
the  brightness  of  the  diamond,  for  it  contributed  to  its  terribleness :  "  The 
form  thereof  was  terrible."  Here  you  see  the  description  commences  and 
continues  by  words  which  express  the  feelings  of  the  mind.  I  would  not 
give  a  straw  for  a  description  that  had  no  relation  to  my  feelings.  Some- 
thing may  be  allowed  to  accuracy,  purely  ;  but  some  touch  of  feehng  must 
be  communicated  either  by  the  pencil  or  the  pen,  or  by  the  lips.  The 
form  of  this  image  was  altogether  terrible,  though  it  uttered  no  terrible 
things — its  looks  were  enough.  Next  you  read  that  his  head  was  of  gold, 
and  so  on  to  the  end.  Here  you  observe  is  an  enumeration  of  particulars 
that  renders  the  description  complete,  and  which  Daniel  was  able  to  give, 
because  he  had  a  complete  impression  upon  his  mind  respecting  this  image. 
While,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  enumerate  particulars,  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  be  too  precise  ;  nothing  would  have  been  said  about  the  toes 
of  this  huge  image  had  they  not  had  peculiar  reference  to  the  Roman 
power.  In  short,  as  it  is  a  great  point  in  a  description  to  know  where  to 
begin,  so  it  is  not  less  important  to  know  when  you  ought  to  have  done. 

3.  Let  the  language  employed  be  suitable  to  the  occasion,  or  the  thing, 
or  thought,  or  subject,  you  are  about  to  describe.  If  the  subject  be  of  the 
pathetic  kind,  the  language  must  be  serious  and  tender,  &c.  Take,  for 
your  example,  the  story  of  Abraham  offering  up  his  son  Isaac,  Gen.  xxii. 
Nothing  could  be  more  exquisitely  touching  than  the  dialogue  of  the  father 
and  the  son.*  If  the  subject  be  awful,  the  subhme  descriptions  of  the 
sacred  writers  will  abundantly  direct  you;  such  as,  "Our  God  shall  come, 
and  shall  not  keep  silence ;  a  fire  shall  devour  before  him,  and  it  shall  be 
very  tempestuous  round  about  him." — "O  God  !  when  thou  wentest  before 
thy  people,  when  thou  didst  march  through  the  wilderness,  the  earth  shook, 
the  heavens  also  dropped  at  the  presence  of  God;  even  Sinai  itself  was 
moved  at  the  presence  of  God,  the  God  of  Israel." — "  Upon  the  wicked, 
God  shall  rain  snares,  fire,  and  brhnstone,  and  a  horrible  tempest." 
Again,  the  animated  description:  "Let  the  heavens  rejoice,  and  let  the 
earth  be  glad ;  let  the  sea  roar,  and  the  fulness  thereof;  let  the  fields  be 
joyful,  and  all  that  is  therein :  then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice 
before  the  Lord." — "For  you  shall  go  out  with  joy,  and  be  led  forth  with 
peace;  the  mountains  and  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing, 
and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands,"  &c. 

In  general  the  language  of  description  is  copious,  and  diffusive,  often 
reduplicating  the  same  idea  in  varied  forms  of  expression ;  as,  "  Remember 
tne,  O  Lord!  with  the  favor  that  thou  bearest  to  thy  people:  O  visit  me 
with  thy  salvation,  that  I  may  see  the  good  of  thy  chosen,  that  I  may  re- 

•  The  tract  of  the  Dairyman's  Danghter,  by  Legh  Eiclunond,  which  ie  of  easy  purchase,  is  a  fine 
specimen  of  the  tender  kind  of  deecription. 


192  LECTURE    XI. 

joice  in  the  gladness  of  thy  nation,  that  I  may  glory  with  thy  inheritance." 
This  is  a  description  of  what  the  psalmist  desired ;  here  are  five  modes 
of  expressing  the  same  thing.*  Mere  poverty  of  thought  sometimes  puts 
people  upon  repetition ;  but  in  description  the  retaining  of  a  thought,  as  in 
the  above  example,  is  very  beautiful.  The  books  of  Job,  Psalms,  Prov- 
erbs, and  Ecclesiastes,  abound  with  reduplications,  sometimes  with  a  little 
variation  of  sense,  but  mostly  without.  Indeed  I  think  fulness  of  language 
is  essential  to  description,  though  sometimes  beauty  and  brevity  go  hand 
in  hand  together,  as  1  Kings  xix.  11 ;  Gen.  i.  3;  Ps.  xxxiii.  9. 

Descriptions  must,  however,  possess  beauty  as  well  as  amplitude.  You 
see  that  scriptural  descriptions  abound  with  representative  language,  or 
such  as  is  figurative,  with  metaphorical  words,  as,  "  God  is  a  sun  and 
shield,"  with  beautiful  similes,  as.  The  godly  man  "  shall  be  like  the  trees 
planted  by  the  rivers  of  water,"  &c.,  or  with  strong  contrasts,  "But  the 
wicked  are  not  so;  they  are  like  the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away." 
The  book  of  Proverbs  abounds  with  descriptive  contrast:  "  The  memory 
of  the  just  is  blessed  ;  but  the  name  of  the  wicked  shall  rot."  These  fig- 
urative expressions  give  great  beauty  and  energy  to  the  sense,  as  Blair  has 
observed:  "When  I  say  that  a  good  man  enjoys  comfort  in  the  midst  of 
adversity,  I  just  express  my  thought  in  the  simplest  manner  possible ;  but 
when  I  say,  '  To  the  upright  there  ariseth  light  in  darkness,'  the  same  sen- 
timent is  expressed  in  a  figurative  style ;  light  is  put  in  the  place  of  com- 
fort, and  darkness  is  used  to  signify  adversity."  Thus  figures  of  speech 
are  the  natural  vehicles  of  description.  They  must,  however,  be  judi- 
ciously chosen,  such  as  exist  in  real  life  and  pure  nature,  which  the  common 
people  can  understand  and  relish ;  for  if  our  figures  of  speech  be  formed 
from  the  arts  and  sciences,  or  philosophy,  or  from  circumstances  in  hea- 
then history,  they  are  to  be  reprobated.  Yet  beautiful  expressions  are  not 
to  be  made  too  cheap,  nor  placed  too  thickly  ;  and  those  which  are  retained 
must  be  neatly  conducted,  and  everything  expressed  in  an  easy  and  flowing 
manner,  without  the  appearance  of  labor  and  study. 

It  is  a  poor  pitiful  trick  to  announce  to  the  people  that  you  are  about  to 
describe  such  or  such  a  thing;  it  looks  like  saying,  "Now,  I  am  about  to 
exhibit  to  you  one  of  the  grandest  things  imaginable."  Nor  should  any 
kind  of  humble  apology  be  made  either  before  or  after  such  attempts ; 
every  one  would  then  say,  "  The  man  is  preaching  himself,  and  not  Christ." 
Do  your  best  in  sincerity,  and  your  intention  will  be  well  received  and 
duly  appreciated. 

4.  As  I  have  ventured  thus  far  in  recommending  figurative  language,  1 
must  point  out  the  faults  to  which  you  will  be  liable  in  the  use  of  it.  How 
often  do  we  hear  of  a  "beautiful  tune,"  and  a  "beautiful  flavor;"  whereas 
there  can  be  no  beauty  in  a  tune  nor  in  the  taste  of  an  apple ;  the  tune 
may  be  melodious,  the  flavor  may  be  delicious,  but  not  beautiful.  Good 
taste  is  often  similarly  offended  by  the  phrase  "monotonous  scenery,"  or 
"monotonous  employment;"  whereas  the  high-sounding  term  thus  unnat- 
urally associated  is  applicable  only  to  sounds.  Such  gross  inconsistencies 
must  be  carefully  avoided. 

*  "A  diffuse  writer,"  pretty  much  the  same  with  a  descriptive  writer,  "  unfolds  his  thought  fully. 
He  places  it  in  a  variety  of  lights,  and  gives  the  reader  every  possible  assistance  for  understanding  it 
completely.  He  is  not  v^ry  careful  to  express  it  at  first  in  its  full  strength,  because  he  is  to  repeat  the 
impression  ;  and  what  he  wants  in  strength  he  proposes  to  supply  by  copiousness.  Writers  of  thi.a 
character  generally  love  magnificence  and  amplification.  Their  periods  naturally  run  out  into  some 
length,  and,  having  room  for  ornameut  of  every  kind,  they  admit  it  freely."— £/«('/■,  Lect.  xviii. 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  193 

Again,  when  you  design  to  give  a  thought  in  a  figurative  or  metaphor- 
ical manner,  this  style  must  be  wholly  continued  to  the  end.  Had  the 
psalmist,  for  instance,  said,  "  To  the  upright  there  ariseth  light  in  afflic- 
tion," there  would  have  been  a  manifest  inconsistency ;  but  as  light  is  set 
against  darkness,  it  is  quite  correct.  Blair  is  perfectly  right  when  he  says : 
"It  must  be  carefully  attended  tc,  in  the  conduct  of  metaphors,  never  to 
jumble  metaphorical  and  plain  language  together,  never  to  construct  a  pe- 
riod so  that  a  part  of  it  must  be  understood  metaphorically,  part  literally, 
which  always  introduces  a  most  disagreeable  confusion.  Pope,  in  compli- 
menting the  king,  says, 

" '  To  thee  the  world  its  present  homage  pays, 
The  harvest  early,  but  mature  the  praise.' 

It  is  plain  that,  had  not  the  rhyme  misled  him  to  the  choice  of  an  improper 
phrase,  he  would  have  said,  '  The  harvest  early,  but  mature  the  crop,'  and 
so  would  have  continued  the  figure  which  he  had  begun ;  whereas,  by 
dropping  it  unfinished,  and  employing  the  literal  word  praise,  the  sentence 
is  altogether  spoiled." 

"Of  a  like  nature,"  says  the  doctor,  "is  the  sentence  of  Mr.  Addison: 
'  There  is  not  a  single  view  of  human  nature  which  is  not  sufficient  to  ex- 
tinguish the  seeds  of  pride.'  Observe  the  incoherence  of  the  things  here 
joined  together,  viz.,  making  '  a  view  extinguish,'  and  '  extinguish  seeds.'  " 

5.  If  you  would  improve  in  description,  avoid  reading  bad  authors ;  for 
they  liave  an  unhappy  tendency  to  vitiate  the  taste.  It  was  said  of  Sir 
Peter  Lely  (and  which  I  quote  from  Bishop  Home's  Essays)  that  he  never 
would  look  at  a  bad  picture,  having  found  by  experience  that,  whenever 
he  did  so,  his  pencil  took  a  tint  from  it.  This  will  apply  to  bad  books 
and  bad  company.  However,  here  we  may  go  too  far.  Our  old  divinity 
authors  are  not  to  be  discarded  for  their  quaintness  of  expression  or  their 
want  of  taste. 

1  am  aware  that  I  am  involving  myself  in  a  difficulty:  you  are  to  read 
the  most  correct  authors,  and  yet  to  read  old  divinity;  how  is  this  to  be 
settled?  Allow  me,  in  reply,  to  recommend  the  plan  of  the  eloquent 
Bossuet :  a  little  before  you  commence  the  study  of  a  sermon,  of  which 
description  is  to  form  the  whole  or  a  part,  read  appropriate  chapters  of 
scripture,  or  a  book  of  the  purest  taste  that  is  evangelical,  till  you  feel 
something  of  true  descriptive  animation  flowing  into  your  thoughts.  This 
will  preserve  you  from  error  on  the  one  hand  and  from  cold  formality  on 
the  other. 


LECTURE  XII. 

TOPIC  IV. 
OBSERVE  THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  WITH  ANOTHER. 

The  main  design  of  Mons.  Claude  in  this  Topic  is  to  suggest  suitable 
remarks,  in  illustration  of  the  immediate  subject  of  discourse,  drawn  from 
the  consideration  of  other  subjects  to  which  it  may  more  or  less  bear  a 
relation.     In  order,  however,  that  you  may  avail  yourselves  of  this  topic 

13 


194  LECTURE    XIT. 

skilfully  and  appropriately,  it  is  necessary,  not  only  that  your  minds  be 
stored  with  scripture  truth  in  general,  but  that  you  aim  to  acquire  clear 
ideas  of  the  mutual  dependence  of  the  various  facts  and  doctrines  of  the 
gospel.     But  I  must  allow  Mons.  Claude  to  illustrate  the  topic. 

"For  example,  when  in  scripture  God  is  called  a  Father,  the  relation 
of  that  term  to  children  is  evident,  and  we  are  obliged  not  only  to  remark 
the  paternal  inclinations  which  are  in  God  toward  us,  and  the  advan- 
tages which  we  receive  from  his  love,  but  also  the  duties  to  which 
we  are  bound  as  children  of  such  a  father.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  all  these  expressions  of  scripture,  God  is  our  God,  we  are  his  peo- 
ple— he  is  our  portion,  we  are  his  heritage — he  is  our  master,  we  are  his 
servants — he  is  our  Icing,  we  are  the  subjects  of  his  Jci^igdom — he  is  our 
■prophet  or  teacher,  we  are  his  disciples — with  many  more  of  the  same  kind. 
When  we  meet  with  such,  single  and  separate,  they  must  be  discussed  in 
relation  to  one  another,  and  this  relation  must  be  particularly  considered. 
Thus,  when  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  spoken  of,  all 
things  relative  to  this  kingdom  must  be  considered — as  its  laws,  arms, 
throne,  crown,  subjects,  extent  of  dominion,  palace  where  the  king  resides, 
&c.  So  when  our  mystical  marriage  with  Jesus  Christ  is  spoken  of, 
whether  it  be  where  he  is  called  a  bridegroom  or  his  church  a  bride,  you 
should,  after  you  have  explained  these  expressions,  turn  your  attention  to 
relative  things — as  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  to  us,  which  made  him  consent 
to  this  mystical  marriage — the  dowry  that  we  bring  him,  our  sins  and  mis- 
eries— the  communication  which  he  makes  to  us  both  of  his  name  and 
benefits — the  rest  that  he  grants  us  in  his  house,  changing  our  abode — the 
banquet  at  his  divine  nuptials — the  inviolable  fidelity  which  he  requires  of 
us — the  right  and  power  he  acquires  over  us — the  defence  and  protection 
which  he  engages  to  afford  us :  but,  when  these  relative  things  are  discus- 
sed, great  care  must  be  taken  neither  to  insist  on  them  too  much  nor  to 
descend  to  mean  ideas,  nor  even  to  treat  of  them  one  after  another,  in  form 
of  a  parallel ;  for  nothing  is  more  tiresome  than  treating  these  apart,  and 
one  after  another.  They  must  then,  be  associated  together.  A  body  com- 
posed of  many  images  must  be  formed ;  and  the  whole  must  be  always 
animated  with  the  sensible  and  the  spiritual.  I  think  a  preacher  ought  to 
content  himself  with  making  one  single  observation,  or,  at  the  most,  two, 
in  case  the  relative  things  are  too  numerous  to  be  collected  into  one  point 
of  view.  In  such  a  case,  you  must  endeavor  to  reduce  them  to  two 
classes,  but  in  two  different  orders ;  and  always  make  the  difference  per- 
ceptible, so  that  it  may  not  be  said  you  have  made  two  observations  of 
what  was  naturally  but  one." 

The  doctrine  of  relationships  is  not  less  extensive  than  that  of  creature- 
ship,  for  no  being  nor  subject  can  be  literally  isolated  and  independent. 
A  preacher  can  therefore  never  be  at  a  loss  for  something  to  say,  and 
something  pertinent  and  profitable  too,  if  he  properly  understand  this 
subject. 

Among  the  relations  between  one  subject  and  another  which  will  most 
frequently  furnish  suitable  reflections,  are  those  between  doctrine  and  pre- 
cept, between  one  doctrine  and  another,  between  privilege  and  obligation, 
promises  and  threaten ings,  reasons  for  hope  and  fear,  joy  and  sorrow,  be- 
tween the  different  graces  of  the  spirit  in  believers,  and  between  one  class 
of  wickedness  and  another  in  the  ungodly,  &c.     In  referring  to  correlative 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  195 

subjects,  care  must,  however,  be  taken,  that  the  relation  be  real  and  not 
fanciful.  Reach's  Parallels  and  Comparisons,  along  with  much  excellent 
matter,  have  many  fanciful  relations  which  can  never  be  justified,  and  these 
are  sometimes  run  to  such  an  extravagant  length  as  to  burlesque  Christi- 
anity. I  hope  I  shall  not  fall  under  this  imputation  in  the  relations  of  things 
which  1  am  about  to  consider  ;  that  is,  in  the  relation  between  God's  pa- 
ternal regard  to  us  and  our  obligations  as  his  children,  between  types  and 
their  anti-types,  prophecies  and  their  accomplishment,  parables  and  their 
doctrines,  miracles  and  their  symbolical  meaning. 

First,  of  the  relation  between  God's  paternal  regard  for  us  and  our  ob- 
ligations as  his  children.  Claude's  rule  is,  "  When,  in  scripture,  God  is 
called  a  Father,  the  relation  of  that  term  to  children  is  evident,  and  we  are 
obliged  to  notice  it  as  implied."  I  am  here  without  an  example  that  ex- 
actly suits  my  purpose  ;  if  I  had  such  an  example,  most  certainly  it  would 
be  preferred  ;  the  following  outline  may  serve  for  illustration.  Take  for  a 
text  Jer.  xxxi.  9  :  "  For  I  am  a  Father  to  Israel."  The  text  presents 
the  blessed  God  in  the  endearing  character  of  a  Father  to  his  people. 
Consider — 

I.  The  nature  of  this  relationship. 

1.  It  is  spiritual.  God  is  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  us 
through  him,  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant  of  grace:  "They  shall  be  my 
people,  and  I  Avill  be  their  God."  Of  this  the  Israelitish  nation  was  a  type.  Jer. 
XXX.  22,  and  xxxi.  1-9,  kc.  ;  Eph.  i,  5.  This  differs  materially  from  our  relation  to 
him  as  his  creatures.  Hence  believers  are  represented  as  a  new  creation.  "  We 
are  his  workmanship  (spiritually),  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works."  By  a 
sovereign  act  of  God  his  people  are  adopted  into  his  family  ;  he  puts  them  among  the 
children,  and  gives  them  "a  name  better  than  that  of  sons  and  daughters."  This  re- 
stored order  of  things  is  the  subject  treated  of  in  the  chapter  out  of  which  our  text  is 
taken,  as  well  as  that  which  precedes  it.  On  this  principle  the  apostle  could  say, 
"  Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God  ;"  and  our  Lord  himself  taught  his  disciples 
10  say,  "  Our  Father,"  &c. 

2.  It  is  near  and  interesting.     This  is  evident — 

1.)  From  the  love  and  tenderness  expressed  toward  his  adopted  children:  Zech.  ii. 
8 ;  Ps.  ciii.  13  ;  Isa.  liv.  6-10  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  3. 

2.)  From  the  fact  that  his  Spirit  dwells  in  them:  Romans  viii.  14-17  ;  Galatians 
iv.  4-7. 

3.)  From  the  interest  which  Christ  has  in  them.     See  the  tenth  chapter  of  John. 

4.)  From  the  exceedingly  great  and  precious  promises  which  are  recorded  for  their 
encouragement  and  support. 

3.  It  is  permanent.  Hence  the  declared  purpose  of  God  never  to  break  or  deny 
this  relationship  :  Matt.  iii.  G  ;  Jer.  xxxiii.  20-26. 

II.  The  tokens  of  this  relationship.  Adoption  is  not  merely  an  immanent  act  of 
God,  but  also  an  operative  purpose.  We  shall  perceive  this  from  the  following  views : — 

1.  Our  heavenly  Father  bestows  upon  his  children  spiritual  faculties. 

1.)  He  opens  their  ears  and  imparts  instructions :  Job.  xxxiii.  16  ;  Isa.  xxix.  18, 
and  XXX.  21.     They  listen  to  his  voice :  Ps.  xxvii.  8  ;  Hab.  ii.  1. 

2.)  He  opens  their  eyes  :  Isa.  xxxv.  5  ;  Ps.  cxix.  18,  and  cxlvi.  8  ;  Eph.  i.  18.  They 
exercise  the  blessing  obedientially,  Ps.  cxxiii.  2  ;  fiducially,  Ps.  cxxiii.  ] . 

3.)  He  gives  divine  affections:  Ps.  ex.  3  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  3.  They  say,  "  We  will  love 
thee,  0  Lord !  our  strength,"  Ps.  xviii.  1  ;  "  We  love  him  because  he  first  loved  us," 
1  John  iv.  19.  See  also  Ps.  cxix.  97.  These  and  similar  reciprocal  acts  may  be 
traced  throughout  the  whole  of  Christian  experience. 

2.  He  exercises  a  paternal  government  over  them,  such  as  is  suited  to  the  charac- 
ter of  a  Father. 

1.)  He  throws  his  protection  around  them :  Zech.  ii.  5  ;  Ps.  cxxv.  2.  They  say, 
"We  will  trust  under  the  covert  of  thy  wings,"  Ps.  Ixi.  4. 

2.)  He  assigns  them  their  work  :  Matt.  xxv.  15  ;  Luke  xix.  13.  They  run  in  the 
way  of  his  commands,  Ps.  cxix.  32 ;  use  the  talents  which  he  commits  to  them,  and 
"  occupy  till  he  come." 


196  LECTURE    XII. 

3.)  When  needful  he  corrects  them:  Heb.  xii.  5-11.  They  submit,  or  ought  to 
submit,  to  him,  Heb.  xii.  9  ;  Mic.  vii.  9. 

4.)  He  provides  for  them  ;  Psalm  xxiii.  1,  2.  They  delight  in  his  goodness,  Ps. 
XXXI*  19« 

3.  He  regards  the  specialties  of  their  relationship  to  himself  in  everything  that  is 
kind,  indulgent,  and  suitable,  &c.  ■ 

III.  The  inferences  which  may  be  deduced  from  this  subject. 

1.  We  see  the  folly  of  attempting  to  separate  what  God  has  joined  together. 
Privilege  and  duty  are  inseparably  connected  in  the  divine  purpose  and  adminis- 
tration. 

2.  The  infinite  blessedness  of  the  new  covenant  state. 

3.  If  God  be  our  Father,  we  ought  to  imitate  him  in  all  his  imitable  perfections : 
Matt.  V.  48.  • 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  foregoing  example  the  Topic,  in  its  strict 
and  legitimate  application,  performs  a  very  useful  service  under  the  second 
general  head,  where,  in  noticing  the  tokens  of  God's  paternal  regard  to  his. 
children,  the  corresponding  tokens  of  their  regard  for  him  are  introduced 
so  as  to  aid  the  general  impression. 

While  on  this  subject  I  shall  offer  no  apology  for  introducing  a  general 
view  of  our  relations  as  men  and  as  Christians,  which  w-ill  not  be  wholly 
without  its  use  in  showing  the  student  how  to  avail  himself  of  correlative 
topics,  agreeably  to  Claude's  rule,  while  its  intrinsic  excellence  renders  it 
well  worth  being  treasured  up  in  the  mind.  It  comprises  the  substance 
of  a  chapter  in  Mason's  Self-knowledge  : — 

Our  duty  requires  us  to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  various  relations  in  which 
we  stand  to  other  beings,  and  the  several  duties  Avhich  result  from  those  relations. 

I.  Our  principal  concern  is  to  consider  the  relation  we  stand  in  to  Him  who  gave 
us  our  being.  We  are  the  creatures  of  his  hand,  and  the  objects  of  his  care.  His 
power  upholds  the  being  his  goodness  gave  us ;  his  bounty  accommodates  us  with 
the  blessings  of  this  life  ;  and  his  grace  provides  for  us  the  happiness  of  a  better.  Nor 
are  we  merely  his  creatures,  but  his  rational  and  intelligent  creatures.  It  is  the  dig- 
nity of  our  nature  that  we  are  capable  of  knowing  and  enjoying  him  that  made  us. 
And  as  rational  creatures  there  are  two  relations  especially  that  we  stand  in  to  him, 
the  frequent  consideration  of  which  is  absolutely  necessary ;  for,  as  our  Creator,  he 
is  our  King  and  Father,  and,  as  his  creatures,  we  are  the  subjects  of  his  kingdom  and 
the  children  of  his  family. 

1.  We  are  the  subjects  of  his  kingdom,  and  are  therefore  bound — 

1.)  To  yield  a  faithful  obedience  to  the  laws  of  his  kingdom.  The  advantages  by 
which  these  come  to  be  recommended  to  us  above  all  human  laws  are  many.  They 
are  calculated  for  the  private  interest  of  every  one,  as  well  as  that  of  the  public,  and 
are  designed  to  promote  our  present  as  well  as  our  future  happiness.  They  are 
plainly  and  explicitly  published,  easily  understood,  and  in  fair  and  legible  characters 
written  in  every  man's  heart ;  and  the  wisdom,  the  reason,  and  the  necessity  of  them, 
are  readily  discerned.  They  arc  urged  with  the  most  mighty  motives  that  can  pos- 
sibly affect  the  human  heart.  And,  if  any  of  them  are  difficult,  the  most  efficacious 
grace  is  freely  offered  to  encourage  and  assist  our  obedience.  These  are  advantages 
which  no  human  laws  have  to  enforce  the  observance  of  them. 

2.)  As  his  subjects  we  must  readily  pay  him  the  homage  due  to  his  sovereignty. 
And  tliis  is  no  less  than  the  homage  of  the  heart,  humbly  acknowledging  that  we 
hold  everything  of  him  and  have  everything  from  him.  Earthly  princes  are  obliged 
to  be  content  with  verbal  acknowledgments,  or  mere  formal  homage  ;  for  they  can 
command  nothing  but  what  is  external.  But  God,  who  knows  and  looks  at  the  hearts 
of  all  his  creatures,  will  accept  nothing  but  what  comes  thence.  He  demands  the 
adoration  of  the  Avhole  soul,  which  is  most  justly  due  to  him  who  formed  us  and  gave 
us  capacities  to  know  and  adore  him. 

3.)  As  faithful  subjects  we  must  cheerfully  pay  him  the  tribute  he  requires  of  us. 
This  is  not  like  the  tribute  exacted  by  earthly  kincrs,  Avho  as  much  depend  upon  their 
subjects  for  the  support  of  their  power  as  their  subjects  do  upon  them  for  the  protec- 
tion of  their  property.  The  tribute  God  requires  of  us  is  one  of  praise  and  honor, 
which  he  stands  in  no  need  of  from  us,  for  his  power  is  independent  and  his  glory 
immutable,  and  he  is  infinitely  able  of  himself  to  support  the  dignity  of  his  universal 


THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  WITH  ANOTHER.      197 

government.  But  it  is  the  most  natural  duty  we  owe  to  him  as  creatures ;  for  to 
praise  him  is  only  to  show  forth  his  praise,  to  glorify  him  is  to  celebrate  his  glory, 
and  to  honor  him  is  to  render  him  and  his  ways  honorable  in  the  eyes  and  esteem  of 
others.  And,  as  this  is  the  most  natural  duty  that  creatures  owe  to  their  Creator,  so 
it  is  a  tribute  he  requires  of  every  one  of  them  in  proportion  to  their  respective  talents 
and  abilities  to  pay  it. 

4.)  As  dutiful  subjects  we  must  contentedly  and  quietly  submit  to  the  methods  and 
administrations  of  his  government,  however  dark,  involved,  or  intricate.  All  gov- 
ernments have  their  arcana  imperii,  or  secrets  of  state,  which  common  subjects  can 
not  penetrate,  and  therefore  they  can  not  competently  judge  of  the  wisdom  or  recti- 
tude of  certain  public  measures,  because  they  are  ignorant  of  the  springs  of  them,  or 
the  ends  of  them,  or  the  expediency  of  the  means,  arising  from  the  particular  situa- 
tion of  things  in  the  present  juncture.  And  how  much  more  true  is  this  with  rela- 
tion to  God's  government  of  the  world,  whose  wisdom  is  far  above  our  reach,  "  and 
whose  ways  are  not  as  ours  !"  Whatever  then  may  be  the  aspect  and  appearance 
of  things  as  dutiful  subjects  we  are  bound  to  acquiesce,  to  ascribe  wisdom  and  "righ- 
teousness to  our  Maker,"  in  confidence  that  the  King  and  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will 
do  right- 

5.)  As  good  subjects  of  God's  kingdom  we  are  bound  to  pay  a  due  regard  and  rev-  ■ 
erence  to  his  ministers,  especially  if  they  discover  an  uncorrupted  fidelity  to  his 
cause  and  a  pure  unaffected  zeal  for  his  honor,  if  they  do  not  seek  their  own  interest 
more  than  that  of  their  divine  Master.  The  ministers  of  earthly  princes  too  often  do 
this ;  and  it  would  be  happy  if  all  the  ministers  and  ambassadors  of  the  heavenly 
King  were  entirely  clear  of  the  imputation.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  honor 
of  an  earthly  monarch  to  be  wounded  through  the  sides  of  his  ministers.  The  defa- 
mation and  slander  that  is  directly  thrown  at  them  is  obliquely  intended  against  him, 
and  as  such  it  is  taken.  So  to  attempt  to  make  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  in  gen- 
eral the  objects  of  derision,  as  some  do,  plainly  shows  a  mind  very  dissolute  and  dis- 
affected to  God  and  religion  itself,  and  is  to  act  a  part  very  unbecoming  the  dutiful 
subjects  of  his  kingdom. 

6.)  As  good  subjects  we  are  to  do  all  we  can  to  promote  the  interest  of  his  kingdom, 
by  defending  the  wisdom  of  his  administrations,  and  endeavoring  to  reconcile  others 
thereunto,  under  all  the  darkness  and  difficulties  that  may  appear  in  them,  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  profane  censures  of  the  prosperous  wicked  and  the  doubts  and  dismays 
of  the  afflicted  righteous.  This  is  to  act  in  character,  as  loyal  subjects  of  the  King  of 
heaven.  And  whoever  forgets  this  part  of  his  character,  or  acts  contrary  to  it,  shows 
very  awful  insensibility  to  the  nature  of  the  relation  subsisting  between  his  heavenly 
King  and  him  his  unworthy  subject  and  servant- 

2.  As  the  creatures  of  God  we  are  not  only  the  subjects  of  his  kingdom,  but  the 
children  of  his  family.  And  to  this  relation,  and  the  obligations  of  it,  must  we  care- 
fully attend.  We  are  his  children  by  creation,  in  which  respect  he  is  truly  our  Fa- 
ther, Isa.  Ixiv.  8.  And,  in  a  more  special  sense,  we  are  his  children  by  adoption.  Gal. 
iii.  26.  And  therefore  we  are  under  the  highest  obligations  to  him  as  our  Father. 
The  love  of  children  to  parents  is  founded  on  gratitude  for  benefits  received  which 
can  never  be  requited,  and  ought  in  reason  to  be  proportioned  to  those  benefits,  espe- 
cially if  they  flow  from  a  conscience  of  duty  in  the  parent  And  what  duty  more  nat- 
ural than  to  love  our  benefactors  ?  What  love  and  gratitude  then  are  due  to  him 
from  whom  we  have  received  the  greatest  benefits,  even  that  of  our  being  and  every- 
thing that  contributes  to  the  comfort  of  it ! 

1.)  As  his  children  we  must  honor  him  ;  that  is,  we  must  speak  honorably  of  him 
and  for  him,  and  carefully  avoid  everything  that  may  tend  to  dishonor  his  holy  name 
and  ways,  Mai.  L  6. 

2.)  We  must  apply  to  him  for  what  we  want-  Whither  should  children  go  but  to 
their  father  for  protection,  help,  and  relief,  in  every  danger,  difficulty,  and  distress  ? 

3.)  We  must  trust  his  power,  and  wisdom,  and  paternal  goodness,  to  provide  for 
us,  take  care  of  us,  and  do  for  us  that  which  is  best.  To  be  anxiously  fearful  what 
will  become  of  us,  and  discontented  and  perplexed  under  the  apprehension  of  future 
evils,  while  we  are  in  the  hands  and  under  the  care  of  "  our  Father  who  is  in 
heaven,"  is  not  to  act  like  children.  Earthly  parents  can  not  avert  from  their  chil- 
dren all  the  calamities  they  fear,  because  their  wisdom  and  power  are  limited  ;  but 
our  all-v/ise  and  almighty  Father  in  heaven  can.  They  may  possibly  want  love 
and  tenderness  for  their  offspring,  but  our  heavenly  Father  can  not  for  his.  See 
Isa.  xlix.  15. 

4.)  We  must  quietly  acquiesce  in  his  disposals,  and  not  expect  to  see  into  the  wis- 
dom of  all  his  will.     It  would  be   indecent  and  undutiful  in  a  child  to  dispute  his 


198  LECTURE    XII. 

parent's  authority,  or  question  their  wisdom,  or  neglect  their  orders,  every  time  he 
could  not  discern  the  reason  and  design  of  them.  Much  more  unreasonable  and  un- 
becoming is  such  a  behavior  toward  God,  "  who  giveth  not  account  of  any  of  his 
matters,"  whose  judgments  are  imsearchable,  and  whose  ways  are  "past  finding 
out,"  Job  xxxiii.  13  ;  Rom.  xi.  33. 

5.)  We  must  patiently  submit  to  his  discipline  and  correction.  Earthly  parents 
may  sometimes  punish  their  children  through  passion,  or  for  their  pleasure,  but  our 
heavenly  Father  always  corrects  his  for  their  profit  (Heb.  xii.  10),  and  only  if  needs 
be  (1  Pet.  i.  6),  and  never  so  much  as  their  iniquities  deserve,  Ezra  ix.  13.  Under 
his  fatherly  rebukes,  then,  let  us  be  ever  humble  and  submissive.  Such,  now,  is  the 
true  filial  disposition.  Such  a  temper  and  such  a  behavior  should  we  show  toward 
God,  if  we  would  act  in  character  as  his  children. 

These,  then,  are  the  two  special  relations  which,  as  creatures,  we  stand  in  to  God. 
And  not  to  act  toward  him  in  the  manner  before  mentioned  is  to  show  that  we  are 
ignorant  of,  or  have  not  yet  duly  considered,  our  obligations  to  him  as  his  subjects 
and  his  children,  or  that  we  are  yet  ignorant  both  of  God  and  ourselves.  Thus  we 
see  how  truly  it  has  been  said,  "  He  that  is  a  stranger  to  himself  is  a  stranger  to  God, 
and  to  everything  that  may  denominate  him  wise  and  happy." 

II.  There  is  another  important  relation,  that  in  which  we  stand  to  Jesus  Christ  as 
our  Redeemer.  The  former  was  common  to  us  as  men  ;  this  is  peculiar  to  us  as 
Christians,  and  opens  to  us  a  new  scene  of  duties  and  obligations,  which  a  Christian 
can  never  forget  that  does  not  greatly  forget  himself;  for,  as  Christians,  we  are  the 
disciples,  the  followers,  and  the  servants  of  Christ,  redeemed  by  him. 

1.  As  the  disciples  of  Christ  we  are  to  learn  of  him,  to  take  our  religiovss  senti- 
ments only  from  his  gospel,  in  opposition  to  all  the  auihoritative  dictates  of  men,  who 
are  weak  and  fallible  as  ourselves.  "  Call  no  man  master  on  earth."  While  some 
aff'ect  to  distinguish  themselves  by  party-names,  as  the  Corinthians  formerly  did  (for 
which  the  apostle  blames  them),  one  saying,  "I  am  of  Paul,"  another,  "I  am  of 
Apollos,"  another,  "  I  am  of  Cephas"  (1  Cor.  i.  12),  let  us  remember  that  we  are  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  and  in  this  sense  make  mention  of  his  name  only.  It  is  really 
injurious  to  it  to  seek  to  distinguish  ourselves  by  any  other.  There  is  more  carnality 
in  such  party  distinctions  than  many  good  people  are  aware  of,  though  not  more  than 
the  apostle  Paul  (who  was  unwillingly  placed  at  the  head  of  one  himself)  has  ap- 
prized them  of.  We  are  of  Christ ;  our  concern  is  to  honor  that  sviperior  denomina- 
tion by  living  up  to  it,  and  to  adhere  inflexibly  to  his  gospel  as  the  only  rule  of  our 
faith,  the  guide  of  our  life,  and  the  foundation  of  our  hope,  whatever  contempt  or 
abuse  we  may  suffer  either  from  the  profane  or  bigoted  part  of  mankind  for  so  doing. 

2.  As  Christians  we  are  followers  of  Christ,  and  are  therefore  bound  to  imitate 
him,  to  copy  after  that  most  excellent  pattern  he  has  set  us  (1  Pet.  ii.  21),  to  see 
that  the  same  holy  temper  be  in  us  that  was  in  him,  and  to  manifest  it  in  the  same 
manner  he  did.  To  this  he  calls  us  (Matt.  xi.  29) ;  and  a  man  is  no  further  a  Chris- 
tian than  as  he  is  a  follower  of  Christ,  aiming  at  a  more  perfect  conformity  to  thai 
most  perfect  example  which  he  has  set  us  of  universal  goodness. 

3.  As  Christians  we  are  the  servants  of  Christ ;  and  the  various  duties  which  ser- 
vants owe  to  their  masters  in  any  degree,  those  we  owe  in  the  highest  degree  to  him, 
who  expects  we  should  behave  ourselves  in  his  service  with  that  fidelity,  and  zeal, 
and  steady  regard  to  his  honor  and  interest,  at  all  times,  which  we  are  bound  to  by 
virtue  of  this  relation,  and  to  which  his  unmerited  and  unlimited  goodness  and  love 
lay  us  under  infinite  obligations.  We  are  moreover  his  redeemed  servants,  and  as 
such  are  under  the  strongest  motives  to  love  and  trust  him.  This  deserves  to  be 
more  particularly  considered,  because  it  opens  to  us  another  vieAV  of  human  nature, 
in  which  we  should  often  survey  ourselves,  if  we  desire  to  know  ourselves,  and  that 
is  as  depraved  or  degenerate  beings.  The  inward  contest  we  so  sensibly  feel,  at 
some  seasons  especially,  between  a  good  and  a  bad  principle  (called  in  scripture  lan- 
guage the  flesh  and  the  spirit),  of  which  some  of  the  wisest  heathens  seem  not  to  have 
been  ignorant,  this,  I  say,  is  demonstration  that,  some  way  or  other,  the  human  na- 
ture has  contracted  an  ill  bias  (and  how  that  came  about  the  Sacred  Scriptures  have 
sufficiently  informed  us),  and  that  it  is  not  what  it  Avas  when  it  came  originally  out 
of  the  hands  of  its  Maker;  so  tliat  the  words  Avhich  St.  Paul  spoke,  with  reference 
to  the  Jews  in  particular,  are  justly  applicable  to  the  state  of  mankind  in  general. 
"There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one;  they  a^e  all  gone  out  of  the  way;  they  arc 
together  become  unprofitable  ;  there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one."*  This  is 
a  very  mortifying,  but  an  undeniable  truth.     It  forms  one  of  the  first  principles  of  the 

*  I  am  not  aware  that  tbia  was  said  of  the  Jews  only  -,  I  think  it  was  without  limitatiou. 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  199 

science  of  self-knowledge,  and  is  very  necessary  to  be  attended  to  if  we  would  be 
sensible  of  the  duty  and  obligations  we  owe  to  Christ  as  the  great  Redeemer,  in 
which  character  he  appears  for  the  relief  and  recovery  of  mankind  under  this  their 
universal  depravity.  Now  we  can  not  hold  our  most  comfortable  or  obediential  re- 
lations to  Christ  without  seeking  and  endeavoring,  by  divine  assistance,  to  subdue 
and  mortify  all  our  depraved  appetites,  passions,  and  inclinations,  without  taking  up 
our  cross  and  following  him  in  the  regeneration.* 

III.  We  must  also  consider  the  relation  in  which,  if  Christians,  we  stand  to  the 
Holy  Spirit,  no  less  than  tx)  the  divine  Father  and  the  Son.  The  part  which  he  acts 
in  the  economy  of  redemption  is  that  of  the  sanctifier  of  the  church,  from  which 
office  he  seems  to  derive  his  name.  As  his  business  is  to  carry  into  effect  the  eternal 
purposes  of  the  Father,  and  the  redeeming  love  of  the  Son,  so  it  is  only  through  his 
almighty  agency  that  any  of  the  fallen  race  of  Adam  are  regenerated,  called,  sancti- 
fied, and  made  meet  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.  No  sinful  mortal  ever 
understands  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  but  by  his  teaching,  or  believes  it  but  by  his 
persuasion,  or  obeys  it  but  through  his  power  and  influence.  He  opens  the  eyes  of 
our  understandings,  illuminates  our  dark  minds,  causes  us  to  behold  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  shining  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  works  in  us  to 
will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure,  and  sanctifies  us  through  the  word  of  truth. 
Hence  we  are  said  to  "  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit,  whereby  we  are  sealed  to  the  day  of 
redemption" — to  "  resist  the  Holy  Ghost,"  &:c.  Nor  is  there  anything  which  more 
evinces  the  depravity  of  our  nature,  or  exhibits  a  more  awful  view  of  the  power  of 
darkness  over  the  carnal  mind,  than  the  actual  resistance  which  is  made  to  his  sacred 
influences,  the  neglect  and  disregard  that  is  paid  to  his  suggestions,  the  want  of  reliance 
on  his  aid  as  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication,  and  the  contempt  of  that  guiding 
light  which  he  is  continually  throwing  upon  our  path.  Our  relative  duties  to  him 
must  correspond  with  the  nature  of  his  gracious  offices,  as  the  Spirit  of  light,  and 
peace,  and  consolation,  of  holiness  and  truth.  While  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  that  works 
in  ns  both  to  will  and  to  do,  we  must  manifest  our  co-operation  with  him,  by  exer- 
cising the  power  we  possess  for  this  end,  and  cherishing  his  sacred  influences,  by 
keeping  ourselves  unspotted  from  the  world,  cleansing  ourselves  from  all  filthiness 
of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  and  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,  by  praying  for  in- 
timate communion  with  him  and  for  the  completion  in  us  of  the  work  of  sanctifica- 
tion.  And  it  must  always  be  remembered  that  there  is  a  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost 
which  "  shall  never  be  forgiven,  neither  in  this  world  nor  in  that  which  is  to  come." 

IV.  Due  regard  is  to  be  had  to  the  several  relations  in  which  we  stand  to  our  fellow- 
creatures,  and  the  obligations  which  result  from  them.  We  must  remember  the 
condescension,  benignity,  and  love,  that  are  due  to  inferiors,  the  affability,  friendship, 
and  kindness,  we  ought  to  show  to  equals,  the  regard,  deference,  and  honor,  we  owe 
to  superiors,  and  the  candor,  integrity,  and  benevolence,  we  owe  to  all. 

The  particular  duties  requisite  in  these  relations  are  too  numerous  to  mention  here. 
Let  it  suffice  to  say  that  if  a  man  does  not  well  consider  the  several  relations  in 
which  he  stands  to  others,  and  does  not  take  care  to  preserve  the  decorum  and  pro- 
priety of  those  relations,  he  may  justly  be  charged  with  self-ignorance.  And  this  is 
fto  evident  in  itself,  and  so  generally  allowed,  that  nothing  is  more  common  than  to 
say,  when  a  man  does  not  behave  with  due  decency  toward  his  superiors,  such  a  one 
"does  not  understand  himself"  But  why  may  not  this  with  equal  justice  be  said  to 
tbose  who  act  in  an  undue  manner  toward  their  inferiors  ?  The  expression,  I  know, 
is  not  so  often  thus  applied  ;  but  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not,  since  one  is  as 
common  and  as  plain  an  instance  of  self-ignorance  as  the  other.  Nay,  of  the  two, 
perhaps,  men  in  general  are  more  apt  to  be  defective  in  their  conduct  toward  those 
beneath  them  than  toward  those  that  are  above  them ;  and  the  reason  seems  to  be, 
because  an  apprehension  of  the  displeasure  of  their  superiors,  and  the  detrimental 
consequences  that  may  accrue  from  it,  may  be  a  check  upon  them,  and  engage  them 
to  pay  the  just  regards  which  they  expect,  but  there  being  no  such  check  to  restrain 
men  from  violating  the  duties  they  owe  to  their  inferiors  (from  whose  displeasure 
they  have  little  to  fear)  they  are  more  ready,  under  certain  temptations,  to  treat  them 
in  an  unbecoming  manner.  And  as  wisdom  and  self-knowledge  will  direct  a  man  to 
be  particularly  careful  lest  he  neglect  those  duties  he  is  more  apt  to  forget,  so,  as 
to  the  duties  he  owes  to  inferiors,  in  which  he  is  most  in  danger  of  transgressing,  he 
ought  more  strongly  to  urge  upon  himself  the  indispensable  obligations  of  religion 

*  This  closing  sentence  of  the  parae^raph  is  not  in  Mr.  Mason's  treatise,  and  I  have  omitted  the 
rest  of  his  paragraphs  on  this  head,  that  I  might  not  extend  my  extract  to  an  undue  length. 
The  paragraph  on  our  relation  to  the  Holy  Spirit  I  have  also  taken  the  liberty  to  introduce,  to  com- 
plete the  view  given. 


200  LECTURE    XII. 

and  conscience.  And  if  he  does  not,  but  suffers  himself,  through  the  violence  of 
ungoverned  passions,  to  be  transported  into  the  excesses  of  rigor,  tyranny,  and  op- 
pression, toward  those  whom  God  and  nature  have  put  into  his  power,  it  is  certain 
he  does  not  know  himself,  is  not  acquainted  with  his  own  particular  weakness,  is 
ignorant  of  the  duty  of  his  relation,  and,  whatever  he  may  think  of  himself,  has  not 
the  true  spirit  of  government,  because  he  wants  the  art  of  self-government.  For  he 
that  is  unable  to  govern  himself  can  never  be  fit  to  govern  others. 

Would  we  therefore  know  these,  the  several  relations  in  which  we  stand,  we  must 
be  regardful  of  their  nature,  in  order  to  maintain  the  propriety  and  to  fulfil  the  duties 
of  those  relationships. 

When  it  is  considered  that  all  the  decencies,  all  the  comforts  of  the 
social  order,  depend  on  our  fulfilling  relative  duties  in  a  suitable  manner, 
it  will  not  be  thought  inexcusable  that  I  should  occupy  so  many  pages 
upon  this  subject.  The  divine  benevolence  is  seen  in  binding  mankind 
together  by  the  several  relations  of  life,  and  in  your  endeavors  to  enforce 
the  duties  of  these  relations  on  your  hearers,  on  gospel  principles,  you  may 
expect  the  divine  assistance  and  blessing. 

According  to  the  plan  proposed  we  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  the 
relation  between  types  and  antitypes.  The  New  Testament  points  out 
this  relation,  and  it  will  be  admitted  that  some  system  for  managing  texts 
of  this  character  is  desirable.  Mr.  Simeon  has  shown  his  sense  of  the 
importance  of  this  relation  by  devoting  fifty  discourses  to  the  subject  in 
his  second  volume,  under  the  heads  of  typical  persons,  typical  institutions, 
and  typical  events.  The  first  example  I  shall  lay  before  you  is  from  Mr. 
Simeon,  on  Gal.  iv.  22-24,  &c. 

He  considers  Sarah  and  Hagar  with  their  children  as  types  of  the  two 
covenants  of  scripture.  This  relation  is  closely  marked  ;  and  the  skeleton 
formed  on  the  subject  is  of  great  value,  as  it  elucidates  a  very  difficult  pas- 
sage of  sacred  scripture.  "  We  observe,"  says  Mr.  S.,  "a  corresponding 
difference  between  the  two  women  and  their  offspring  and  the  two  cove- 
nants and  their  offspring."  Here  observe  that,  though  he  speaks  of  differ- 
ences, yet  his  design  is  to  show  the  relation  that  the  types  had  to  their 
antitypes.     This  appears  in  their  nature,  disposition,  conduct,  and  end. 

I.  In  their  nature.  One  (Ishmael)  a  common  birth,  the  son  of  a  slave,  conse- 
quently partaking  of  the  mother's  state.  The  other  (Isaac)  the  son  of  a  lawful 
wife,  and  of  special  promise,  and  under  very  special  circumstances,  by  a  kind  of 
miracle.  (See  the  history.)  Now  see  the  relation  this  has  with  the  two  charac- 
ters of  the  natural  and  the  gracious  man,  between  whom  many  circumstances  agree, 
but  the  important  ones  differ.  The  one  is  bom  under  circumstances  of  bondage 
to  the  law  of  God,  and  in  him  a  legal  spirit  prevails,  "  he  is  born  after  the  flesh  ;" 
but  the  other  is  "  born  after  the  Spirit,"  and  under  "  the  promise  of  eternal  life,"  in 
every  view  the  most  extraordinary  imaginable. 

II.  In  their  disposition.  Ishmael,  being  born  of  the  bond-woman,  was  himself  a 
slave,  subject  to  a  slavish  disposition  and  a  servile  spirit.  The  other  (Isaac),  the 
child  of  promise,  felt  all  that  freedom  of  spirit  which  an  affectionate  and  beloved 
child  is  privileged  to  enjoy.  Every  action  of  each  would  follow  those  circumstances  ; 
in  one  case  it  would  be  the  consequence  of  fear,  or  a  selfish  expectation  of  reward ; 
in  the  other  case,  it  Avould  result  from  love,  filial  affection  ;  it  would  be  a  free  ser- 
vice, and  of  the  most  generous  kind.* 

III.  In  their  conduct.  This  follows  their  respective  dispositions  with  a  precision 
that  is  wonderful  ;  both  obey  (it  is  supposed),  but  from  different  principles.  The 
malignancy,  the  jealousy,  the  ill-will  of  Ishmael  against  Isaac,  for  no  other  reason 
than  because  the  sovereignty  of  God  had  distinguished  the  rival,  are  remarkable. 
The  antitype  corresponds,  as  is  evident  from  St.  Paul's  words :  "  Now  we,  brethren, 

*  The  relation  these  two  personages  have  in  disposition  of  mind  to  those  of  the  natural  and  gracious 
man  is  bo  obvious  that  Mr.  Simeon's  description  need  not  he  transcribed. 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  201 

as  Isaac  was,  are  the  children  of  the  promise  ;  but,  as  then  he  that  was  born  after 
the  flesh  persecuted  him  that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  even  so  it  is  now." 

IV.  In  their  end.  Ishmael,  by  his  conduct,  brought  upon  himself  that  very  exclu- 
sion which  he  had  confidently  supposed  would  never  take  place ;  and  Isaac  in  due 
time  inherited  the  portion  which,  in  dependence  on  God's  word,  he  had  professed  to 
expect.  Nor  was  the  difference  made  through  the  partiality  of  the  parents,  but  by 
the  express  command  of  God  himself.  Gen.  xxi.  10-12. 

Here  is  the  relation  recurring  in  the  last  instance  ;  and  it  is  a  very  sol- 
emn one  indeed.  Those  who  live  and  die  under  the  law  will,  like  Ish- 
mael, be  cast  out  of  God's  family  ;  though  there  may  be  pleaded  a  natural 
affinity,  yet  "  he  that  made  them  will  not  have  mercy  on  them."  This 
arises  not  from  an  inevitable  necessity,  or  decree  of  reprobation,  for  the 
Scriptures  mention  no  such  exclusion,  but  from  their  own  obstinate  ad- 
herence to  the  old-covenant  state,  in  contempt  of  the  provisions  of  the 
new.     On  the  other  hand,  heirs  of  grace  will  be  heirs  of  glory. 

I  beg  leave  here  to  remind  you,  my  brethren,  that  you  ought,  on  all 
suitable  occasions,  to  show  the  people  that  an  obstinate  adherence  to  the 
covenant  of  works  is,  in  fact,  a  rejection  of  the  gospel  as  revealing  the 
only  way  of  salvation,  and  that  this  rejection  is  a  moral  evil  of  the  most 
grave  nature,  because  it  places  any  individual  at  a  far  greater  distance  from 
salvation  than  all  other  sins  whatever.  I  allow  that  it  is  perfectly  natural 
to  cleave  to  the  covenant  of  works,  but  it  is  human  nature  in  its  most  blind 
and  infatuated  form  ;  and  surely  this  is  not  to  be  urged  in  extenuation,  for 
it  is  the  most  sinful  as  well  as  the  most  silly  act  of  a  human  being,  and 
therefore  is  the  very  worst  plea  that  can  be  set  up.  Even  a  cleaving  in 
part  to  this  error  mends  the  matter  but  litde,  for  works  wholly  or  grace 
wholly  must  be  adopted,  as  a  proof  of  which  I  may  observe  that  the  Epistle 
to  the  Galatians  was  designed  to  forbid  this  mixture,  this  abominable  anom- 
aly.    See  also  Rom.  xi.  6. 

Mr.  Simeon  on  Gen.  xlix.  22-24.  Here  the  author  considers  Joseph 
as  a  type  of  Christ.*  The  relation  of  the  type  with  its  antitype  is  pur- 
sued by  Mr.  S.  with  a  clearness  of  method,  accuracy  of  remark,  and  close- 
ness of  analogy,  which  can  scarcely  be  exceeded.  He  considers  the  re- 
semblance of  Joseph  to  our  blessed  Savior  in  four  particulars  :  He  views 
Joseph — 

I.  In  his  distinguishing  character.  Joseph  is  represented  in  the  text  as  "  a  fruitful 
bough."  Each  of  Jacob's  sons  became  the  head  of  one  tribe :  Joseph  by  his  two 
sons  had  two  tribes  of  Israel  (may  I  add  his  fruilfulness  in  good  and  noble  deeds  ?) 
Jesus  was  that  "  beautiful  and  glorious  branch"  which  was  in  due  time  to  spring 
from  "  Jesse's  root,"  "  the  fruit  whereof  was  to  fill  the  whole  earth."  In  all  things 
Jesus  was  to  have  the  pre-eminence,  yet  the  likeness  is  not  broken.  See  Isa.  iv.  2, 
xi.  1,  and  xxvii.  6  ;  Ps.  Ixxii.  16 ;  Gen.  xv.  5,  and  xxii.  17 ;  Ps.  lxx:x.  9-11,  &c. 

II.  In  his  grievous  sufferings. 

III.  His  unshaken  constancy. 

IV.  His  glorious  advancement. 

Mr.  Simeon's  enlargements  are  quite  correct,  and  replete  with  instruc- 
tion ;  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  quote  them,  as  all  the  materials  are  in  your 
hands,  and  you  can  find  little  difficulty  in  arranging  them  in  your  own 
manner  from  Joseph's  history  (Gen.  xxxvii.  and  xxxix.),  and  the  history 

While  desirous  of  preserving  a  proper  medium  between  the  visionary  typist  and  him  who 
allows  nothing  to  be  a  type  but  what  the  New  Testament  expressly  warrants,  we  must  urge  against 
the  latter  the  absolute  certainty  of  Joseph  being  a  type  of  Christ,  although  there  be  no  color  of  war- 
rant tor  It  in  the  New  Testament.  Such  a  series  of  parallels  could  hardly  have  existed  without  a 
divine  ordination. 


202  LECTURE    XII. 

of  Clirisl's  sufferings  is  to  be  collected  from  the  Psalms,  the  prophets,  and 
the  gospels.     The  proper  improvements  of  the  subject  will  also  be  obvious. 

Some  wiseacre  may  say,  "  Suppose  such  resemblances  be  found  betweea 
Joseph  and  Christ,  what  ends  are  answered  by  them?"  I  say,  in  some 
cases  resemblances  prove  nothing  but  the  ingenuity  or  industry  of  finding 
them  out ;  but  here — 

First,  God  has  established  a  real  relation  between  the  two,  the  type  and 
the  great  antitype.  He  who  saw  "  the  end  from  the  beginning"  raised  up 
certain  characters  and  controlled  certain  events  for  our  instruction.  These 
types  have  really  a  prophetic  character  ;  they  might  be  dark  to  the  early 
ages,  though  that  is  not  certain,  but  in  their  fulfilment  they  add  to  the  sta- 
bility of  truth.  They  were  also  symbolical ;  they  were  pictures  of  heav- 
enly things,  as  St.  Paul  shows  ;  and  the  New-Testament  application  of 
Jonah's  concealment  or  imprisonment  in  the  belly  of  the  fish  proves  the 
point.  Some  say  that  such  references  were  only  intended  by  way  of  ac- 
commodation or  illustration,  but  this  I  deny ;  we  may  enervate  the  Scrip- 
tures till  two  thirds  of  them  mean  nothing,  but  how  then  could  Christ 
have  said,  "  Search  the  Scriptures,  for  these  are  they  that  testify  of  me  ?" 
Christ  does  not  say,  Search  the  Scriptures,  and  there  you  will  find 
many  passages  that  testify  of  me  ;  but  the  meaning  is,  they  wholly  testify 
of  Christ,  or  his  church  and  people  ;  and  without  our  idea  of  relation  the 
Scriptures  become,  like  the  tables  of  Moses,  broken  to  pieces  ;  they  are 
no  longer  a  glorious  whole. 

Secondly,  Nothing  could  be  better  adapted  to  the  instruction  of  the  early 
ages  than  these  venerable  materials.  The  appearance  of  typical  characters 
was  a  vehicle  of  moral  instruction  even  before  the  relation  of  which  we  treat 
was  understood,  and  they  will  continue  to  impart  instruction  to  the  latest 
posterity.  When  these  ancient  types  conveyed  specific  intimations  respect- 
ing the  character  and  work  of  the  coming  Savior,  they  became  exceedingly 
precious;  and  doubtless  the  pious  Jew  was  taught  to  look  beyond  the  out- 
ward emblems — the  shadows  of  good  things  to  come,  and  to  understand 
their  relation  to  him  of  whom  Moses  (through  the  medium  of  these  fig- 
ures) is  declared  to  have  written.  Even  those  examples  in  which  the  type 
was  obscure,  but  which  contained  a  near  resemblance  to  the  Messiah,  were 
sources  of  real  instruction.  Here  is  Joseph — an  extraordinary  character. 
This  extraordinary  character  is  preserved  very  wonderfully ;  we  see  virtue 
suffering  unmerited  cruelty,  yet  afterward  proving  triumphant.  But  the 
excellences  of  this  character  are  found  in  their  resemblance  to  him  who  is 
perfect.  As  now  the  Christian  whose  life  is  most  like  Christ's  in  all  cir- 
cumstances carries  our  minds  back  to  him,  so  when  we  see  a  venerable 
character  of  antiquity  approximating  to  the  great  Author  of  our  salvation, 
and  agreeing  in  so  many  circumstances,  the  relation  of  one  to  the  other 
gives  force  and  excellency  to  the  instruction  thus  conveyed. 

I  will  now  close  this  part  of  the  subject  by  referring  you  to  John  iii.  14, 
15,  "As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,"  &c.  The  rela- 
tion of  this  type  with  Christ  the  antitype  will  not  be  disputed.  I  think 
every  minister  ought  to  preach  once  on  this  text  in  every  station  where  he 
is  called  to  labor.  The  answerableness  of  tyj)e  and  antitype  maybe  made 
out  in  various  forms,  but  the  matter  of  the  discourse  should  satisfy  these 
three  heads: — 

Fii'st,  The  occasion  in  both  cases,  of  Moses  lifting  up  the  serpent  in 


THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  WITH  ANOTHER.      203 

the  wilderness,  and  of  Christ  being  hfted  up  on  the  cross,  should  be  satis- 
factorily made  out  by  a  statement  of  facts.  There  was  a  real  necessity 
existing  in  both  cases  or  occurrences.  Christ  pronounces  a  must  to  con- 
firm the  point. 

Secondly,  The  relation  should  appear  in  the  resemblances  of  the  two 
histories,  so  as  to  produce  the  intended  gospel  picture,  suitable  to  the  type 
as  well  as  its  antitype,  so  as  to  show  that  the  gospel  was  really  preached  to 
the  bitten  Israelites  (Heb.  iv.  2)  under  the  figure  of  a  serpent  so  exhibited, 
and  on  the  other  hand  that  that  exhibition  was  a  lively  pattern  of  what  was 
about  to  take  place  on  Mount  Calvary,  and  a  true  index  to  it,  explanatory 
of  that  part  of  human  redemption  in  which  it  is  confessed  on  all  hands 
there  is  mystery,  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  You  will  particularly  explain  that,  though 
this  is  an  assisting  representation  of  the  benefits  we  may  receive  by  Christ 
Jesus,  yet  it  is  not  sufficient  to  us  without  faith.  The  Israelite  was  to 
look  upon  the  serpent,  and  we  are  to  look  to  Jesus,  to  "behold  the  Lamb 
of  God."  In  both  cases  faith  is  absolutely  necessary ;  for  there  is  no  pos- 
itive demonstrative  evidence  before  us,  such  as  a  logician  or  a  mathema- 
tician would  require,  of  the  connexion  of  the  means  and  the  end  as  to  re- 
demption by  the  cross,  nor  even  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  means,  nor  of 
our  personal  interest  in  it.  You  will  therefore  point  out  that  God  has 
given  the  saving  point  to  all-efficacious  faith  (Heb.  xi.  1),  a  method  far 
more  safe  to  us  weak  creatures  than  demonstrations  could  ever  be. 

In  this  second  part,  besides  the  necessity  of  faith  on  our  part,  there  are 
other  resemblances  which  require  to  be  noticed — mercy  in  both  cases, 
sovereignty,  publicity,  and  the  total  exclusion  of  all  other  remedies.  Acts 
iv.  12.     Then, 

Thirdly,  the  relation  of  type  with  antitype  should  be  shown  in  their 
similar  complete  sufficiency  to  their  respective  ends.  No  preparatory 
process,  no  additional  application,  was  necessary  to  effect  the  cure  on  the 
part  of  the  Israelites ;  they  were  simply  required  to  loyk  at  the  brazen  ser- 
pent ;  and  in  every  case,  however  inadequate  the  means  might  appear,  the 
cure  was  complete.  So  also  with  regard  to  Christ,  "whosoever  believeth 
in  him  shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

We  now  come  to  consider  the  relation  of  prophecies  with  their  accom- 
plishments. The  simplest  method  of  tracing  this  relation  is  that  adopted  by 
Mr.  Simeon  on  the  first  prophecy,  Gen.  iii.  15,  "I  will  put  enmity,"  &c. 
The  plan  is, 

I.  Make  some  remarks  on  the  prophecy :  viz.,  on  the  occasion,  on  its  suitableness, 
and  on  its  seasonableness. 

II    Trace  the  accomplishment. 

It  is  not  always  necessary  that  the  relationship  should  be  absolutely  or 
immediately  apparent,  for  several  reasons.  The  event  predicted  may  not 
depend  on  any  one  certain  prophecy,  but  may  as  to  essential  particulars  be 
secured  by  many.  Many  of  the  prophecies  are  confessedly  "dark  say- 
ings." The  prophecy  of  the  foregoing  text  is  mystical.  Its  blessings 
were  in  a  manner  concealed  by  a  cloud,  not  indeed  a  very  dark  one,  but 
just  sufficiently  luminous  to  afford  comfort.  A  remedy  for  sin  is  strongly 
implied;  grace  was  undoubtedly  intimated;  this  grace  was  to  be  revealed 
by  some  great  character  that  was  to  be  strictly  and  properly,  though  won- 
derfully, "the  seed  of  the  woman,"  corresponding  with  Isa.  vii.  14,  and 
with  the  fact  as  stated  in  gospel  history.     It  is  by  the  help  of  the  gospel 


204  LECTURE    XII. 

history  that  we  are  enabled  to  trace  the  relation  of  the  prophecy  in  this  text 
with  its  accomplishment.  The  seed  of  the  woman  Christ  certainly  was. 
The  enmity  intimated  in  the  text  between  Christ  and  Satan  was  fully  man- 
ifested, and  also  between  Christ's  spiritual  seed  and  the  seed  of  the  ser- 
pent. Christ  was  certainly  wounded,  as  represented  in  the  text;  his  heel 
was  bruised.  But  Satan  was  crushed;  "his  head,"  where  all  the  venom 
of  the  serpent  lies,  was  "bruised;"  his  full  destruction  is  yet  reserved. 
Now  each  of  these  particulars  you  will  examine  and  state  seriatim,  and 
then  it  will  appear  that  the  relation  of  the  prophecy  and  accomplishment 
is  wonderfully  correct.  God  has  faithfully  made  good  the  assurance  given 
to  our  first  parents  in  a  season  of  awful  gloom  and  despondency,  and  our 
faith  is  strengthened  by  the  happy  correspondence.* 

Mr.  Simeon  has  favored  us  with  sixty  similar  examples ;  and  almost  all 
prophecies  would  admit  of  being  treated  in  the  same  manner,  though  per- 
haps some  variety  of  method  might  be  introduced. 

When  we  consider  the  vast  range  of  prophecy  that  has  actually  been 
fulfilled  in  Christ,  and  the  importance  which  Christ  himself  gave  to  the 
predictions  concerning  himself  in  the  discourse  which  he  addressed  to  his 
disciples  on  the  way  to  Emmaus,  that  he  took  a  general  view  of  all  that 
related  to  himself,  and  thus  conveyed  conviction  to  the  minds  of  those 
hitherto  "  slow-of-heart"  disciples,  it  must  surely  be  evident  that  Christ's 
ministers  ought  not  to  neglect  the  prophecies,  lest  they  fall  under  the  same 
censure ;  and,  if  ministers  be  ignorant,  the  people  will  be  so.  I  would 
not,  however,  be  understood  to  recommend  or  approve  curious  specula- 
tions respecting  unfulfilled  prophecy,  now  so  much  in  fashion.  So  numer- 
ous, indeed,  and  so  diversified  are  the  hypotheses  stated  and  confidently 
defended  as  undoubted  truth  by  modern  writers  on  prophecy,  and  so  great 
the  obscurity  which  they  have  succeeded  in  throwing  around  the  subject, 
that  many  have  been  led  to  question  whether  prophecy  be  intended  to  be 
understood  till  it  shall  be  completely  unravelled  by  the  events  to  which  it 
refers,  and  we  are  almost  induced  to  look  at  every  new  attempt  as  another 
ingenious  guess  at  the  meaning  of  a  seemingly  inexplicable  enigma.  Per- 
haps those  prophecies  which  relate  to  the  general  spread  of  the  gospel, 
should,  in  our  times,  be  regarded  as  particularly  deserving  our  attention. 
However,  the  young  preacher  will  very  properly  consider  prophecy  as  a 
subordinate  subject  of  study,  and  one  which  will  only  occasionally  occupy 
a  place  in  his  ministrations. 

Having  considered  the  first  three  divisions  of  our  Topic,  I  shall  now 
pursue  the  subject  to  its  termination.  The  plan  which  I  have  adopted 
affords  me  the  opportunity  of  treating  on  some  branches  of  public  dis- 
course which  I  conceive  to  be  very  important  to  the  due  edification  of  the 
people,  without  altering  my  original  intentions;  and  though  I  give  but 
brief  sketches,  the  student  can  pursue  them  to  any  length  he  may  think 
proper.  Or  these  hints  may  possibly  provoke  some  abler  pen  to  do  the 
subject  more  ample  justice.  In  the  meantime,  I  proceed  to  treat  on  the 
relation  of  parables  with  their  doctrine.  I  do  not  pretend  to  prove  this 
relation,  but  to  improve  it,  or  to  draw  instruction  from  it.  I  do  not  recol- 
lect one  parable  uttered  by  pur  Lord  that  can  be  of  dubious  interpretation, 
though  there  were  some  things  delivered  by  him  in  the  form  of  parable, 

*When  time  and  circumstances  permit,  Bishop  Newton  on  the  Prophecies  should  be  studied,  aa 
also  the  Index  to  Prebendary  Home's  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Scriptures. 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  205 

which  were,  in  fact,  rather  prophecies,  carrying  our  views  to  the  end  of 
time,  that  yet  are  dai'k  to  us;  but,  leaving  such  out  of  the  account,  the 
parables  and  their  doctrinal  import,  either  by  immediate  intuition  or  from 
our  Lord's  familiar  explanations  of  them,  were  readily  comprehended,  at 
least  by  his  disciples;  their  drift  and  design  were  abundantly  apparent, 
promoting  various  distinct  objects,  and  displaying  the  wisdom  of  Christ 
which  eminently  shone  in  them.  Truly  we  may  say  that  in  them  "grace 
poured  from  his  lips"  in  copious  measure,  and  in  every  varied  form  of 
speech. 

"  These  parables  are  supereminent  in  beauty,  in  simplicity,  in  impor- 
tance, and  in  variety;  they  are  of  universal  application,  and  have  an  im- 
perishable ascendency  over  the  heart  of  man."  ......  "Still  our  Lord's 

parables  arraign  guilt,  redress  misery,  and  open  the  page  of  immortality. 
They  have  so  pressed  nature  into  the  service  of  religion  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  walk  abroad  without  connecting  the  natural  with  the  spiritual 
world.  The  preacher  that  goes  into  the  cornfield  shall  see,  in  the  sowing 
of  the  seed  and  the  hopes  of  the  husbandman,  his  own  present  duties, 
anxieties,  and  expectations — in  the  dying  of  the  grain  in  order  to  be  re- 
produced, the  need  of  his  own  mortality  and  the  triumphant  issue  of  his 
faith — in  the  growth  of  the  corn  his  own  advancement  in  religion — in  the 
weeds  which  choke  it  the  mixed  state  of  society — in  the  ripening  of  the 
ear  the  preparation  of  the  nations  for  the  reception  of  the  gospel — in  the 
harvest  the  end  of  the  world — and  in  the  gathering  home  of  the  shocks  of 
corn,  fully  ripe,  his  own  eternal  rest.  If  one  part  of  nature  is  so  instruc- 
tive, if  one  litde  plant  teaches  so  many  and  such  important  truths,  what 
advantage  must  it  not  be  to  follow  our  Lord  through  the  whole  range  of 
creation,  which  he  subordinated  to  spiritual  purposes!"* 

Mr.  Simeon  on  Luke  x.  30-36.  Subject,  "  The  parable  of  the  good 
Samaritan."  The  relation  of  the  parable  with  its  moral  or  doctrine  is 
pointed  out  by  our  blessed  Lord.  The  moral  is.  Our  proper  duty  to  our 
neighbor,  one  half  of  the  whole  law  of  our  Maker.  Mr.  Simeon's  division 
is.  Explain  the  parable,  and  improve  it. 

In  the  first  part  you  will  show  the  occasion  upon  which  the  parable  was 
spoken,  and  state  the  circumstances  of  the  parable  as  detailed  in  the  text. 
Brief  explanation  and  comment  will  best  suit  in  this  place,  taking  care  to 
show  how  suitable  the  representation  was  to  the  proud,  self-righteous  char- 
acter that  gave  occasion  to  its  delivery. 

In  the  second  place  you  will  expose  the  self-righteous  character,  and 
the  miserable  littleness  of  his  soul,  his  contracted  ideas  of  benevolence,  the 
summary  manner  in  which  he  consigns  to  perdition  all  but  himself  and  a 
few  ultra  lords  of  the  ascendance  of  the  moral  system,  whom  Jehovah 
could  not  do  without  in  the  regions  of  paradise.  Animadvert  freely  upon 
the  blindness  and  gross  ignorance  of  such  as  resemble  the  Pharisees  of 
our  Lord's  time,  in  supposing  a  partiality  in  their  favor  while  so  totally 
destitute  of  the  love  of  God,  which  in  the  divine  law  is  placed  before  all 
other  moral  obligations,  and  on  their  want  of  real  love  to  any  creature  ex- 
cept their  own  selves.  Show  them  that  this  self-love  is  the  only  founda- 
tion of  those  morals  that  they  seem  to  have,  and  that  if  they  have  any 

See  Dr.  CoUyer's  Lectures  on  the  Parables,  lect.  iv.  and  v. ;  or  qaotatiou  from  them  in  Jones's 
Bibhcal  CyclopBBdia,  vol.  ii.,  under  the  word  Parable.  The  student  will  also  find  advantage  in 
consulting  on  this  subject  Home's  Introduction,  vol.  ii.,  p.  276 ;  Mrs.  More's  Christian  Morals,  vol.  i., 
p.  108.  -  ,  F  . 


206  LECTURE    XII. 

zeal  for  God  it  Is  an  ignorant  zeal,  seeking  to  do  God  service  by  persecu- 
ting, hating,  and  slaying  the  Lord's  people,  wherever  they  acquire  power 
to  do  it. 

Then  contrast  this  conduct  with  that  of  the  good  Samaritan.  You  may 
observe  that  "  in  every  nation  he  that  feareth  God  and  worketh  righteous- 
ness is  accepted  of  him" — that  Jesus,  by  this  Samaritan  and  the  centurion, 
was  giving  an  intimation  that  the  time  was  near  at  hand  when  God  would 
cast  off  the  Jews  as  a  people,  and  raise  up  a  people  to  show  forth  his 
praise  who  had  long  been  an  outcast — that  church  privileges  have  no  lim- 
its but  the  earth's  utmost  boundaries — and  that  the  benevolent  affections 
exercised  by  this  good  Samaritan  were  as  first-fruits  of  the  true  Christian 
character  and  a  pattern  of  what  the  world  might  expect  when  real  Christi- 
anity should  obtain  the  ascendency  in  the  world.  You  will  observe  that 
this  good  man  at  once  suspended  all  consideration  about  himself,  ceased  to 
prosecute  his  journey,  sacrificed  his  own  comforts,  poured  the  best  of  sym- 
pathies into  the  sufferer's  bosom,  and  oil  into  his  wounds.  His  brotherly 
love,  his  compassion,  his  anxieties,  harmonize  with  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 
The  beast  that  was  to  relieve  his  weariness  he  assigns  to  the  afflicted  ;  and, 
as  he  could  not  do  enough  himself,  he  interested  others  in  his  behalf, 
pledging  himself  to  repay  all  charges,  whatever  they  might  be,  for  perfect- 
ing the  cure  of  the  unhappy  sufferer.  All  this  he  did  without  any  inquiry 
whether  he  was  a  worthy  object  and  of  the  proper  nation  to  whom  cour- 
tesy might  be  shown.* 

You  must  remark  with  what  authority  our  Lord  could  exhibit  this  be- 
nevolence, being  himself  the  bright  sunshine  of  all  its  lovely  qualities.  The 
benevolence  of  Jesus  vastly  transcends  that  of  this  good  Samaritan.  He 
fortuitously  became  a  deliverer  ;  but  Jesus  came  from  heaven  by  design, 
the  effect  of  eternal  love,  "  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost."  He 
had  compassion  on  the  man's  miseries  ;  but  Jesus  on  our  guiltiness.  He 
used  means  to  heal  the  body ;  Jesus  heals  our  souls.  He  expended  his 
property  to  support  the  poor  man ;  but  Jesus  spent  his  life  In  our  service, 
and  shed  his  blood  for  our  redemption.  He  conducted  the  poor  man  to 
an  Inn  ;  Jesus  conducts  us  to  glory.  In  some  particulars  the  likeness  is 
great,  you  will  observe,  but  in  others  the  similitude  fails  ;  so  that  I  think 
you  are  scarcely  warranted  to  consider  it  as  affording  a  typical  reference 
to  Christ :  for  instance,  Jesus  was  not  a  Samaritan  by  nation,  nor  did  he 
travel  In  the  style  of  the  good  Samaritan  ;  and,  though  the  same  benevo- 
lence is  common  to  both,  yet  Christ's  love  can  have  no  parallel ;  it  sur- 
passes all  love. 

As  Jesus  had  a  high  claim  to  recommend  benevolence,  so  a  similar  con- 
fidence will  attend  his  ministers  when  they  are  the  true  patterns  of  what 
they  in  words  commend  or  preach.  You  will  also  observe  that  fine  senti- 
ments of  humanity  are  of  small  value  compared  with  the  habit  and  prac- 
tice of  that  virtue. 

Thus  reflecting  upon  the  present  parable,  and  so  of  most  others,  after 
you  have  explained  the  parable  itself,  you  will  proceed,  in  the  second  part, 
to  improve  or  enforce  the  relative  obligation. 

In  general,  as  to  the  forms  of  your  principal  divisions,  they  must  be  of 
the  simple  kind,  something  like  the  accommodational ;  as.  Illustration  and 
improvement — fact  and  inference — or  by  interrogatives — by  observations — 
*  All  tbcsc  contrasts  should  be  reviewed  in  connexion  with  the  16th  Topic. 


THE    RELATION    OF    ONE    SUBJECT    WITH    ANOTHER.  207 

consider  the  scope  of  the  parable  and  the  lessons  we  should  deduce  from 
it — the  principle  inculcated  and  its  importance  in  human  hfe  ;  here  see 
Luke  xiv.  7-10.  Some  will  be  best  discussed  by  contrast,  as  Luke  xviii. 
13,  14 — by  comparison,  as  Matt.  xxi.  28-31  ;  so  on  Matt.  xxv.  10,  com- 
pare their  character  and  contrast  their  end. 

Some  parables,  however,  admit  a  broader  distribution,  as  Matt.  xiii.  33. 
The  metaphor  and  thing  intended  unite  in  three  particulars  :  they  are  as- 
similating in  their  nature — mysterious  in  their  operation — universal  in  their 
influence.  Again,  Matt,  xviii.  32-35.  Here  the  parable  is  changed  into 
a  subject,  viz.,  the  duty  of  forgiveness.  You  must  speak  of  its  extent — 
its  reasonableness — and  its  necessity.  Again,  see  Luke  xv.  The  prodi- 
gal son.  Let  the  text  be  restricted  to  verses  23  and  24 ;  but  the  view  of 
the  whole  may  be  retained.  Observe  his  departure — his  return — his  re- 
ception. 

It  is  quite  unnecessary  to  trouble  you  with  more  detail,*  but  let  me  urge 
it  upon  you  in  discoursing  on  a  parable  carefully  to  preserve  the  lesson 
which  the  parable  was  originally  framed  to  teach.  Never  attempt  to  affix 
more  meanings  to  a  parable,  nor  to  make  any  other  use  of  it  than  the  one 
intended  ;  and,  if  this  appear  at  all  doubtful,  you  must  consult  a  judicious 
expositor.  A  lively  imagination  is  in  many  respects  a  high  qualification, 
but  here  it  is  liable  to  mislead.  It  has  been  held  by  the  Greek  fathers  that 
in  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan  we  have  a  picture  of  fallen  human 
nature  in  the  wounded  traveller  :  in  the  priest,  man's  state  before  the  giv- 
ing of  the  law  (sacrifices  existed  then,  but  they  brought  no  relief) — in  the 
person  of  the  Levite,  man's  state  under  the  law,  receiving  no  benefit  by  it 
— in  the  person  of  the  good  Samaritan,  man's  state  under  the  Redeemer; 
he  performs  the  kind  offices  which  the  priest  and  Levite  left  undone.  But 
against  this  it  is  urged,  and  very  properly,  by  Mr.  Scott,  that  such  a  repre- 
sentation is  not  correct,  as  the  sinner's  state  is  not  merely  pitiable  but  guilty, 
that  no  reflection  could  lie  against  either  the  patriarchal  or  legal  ages,  for 
sacrifices  were  always  good  and  effectual  if  mixed  with  faith  in  the  Messiah 
to  whom  they  pointed. 

Other  more  pious  than  wise  applications  have  been  made  of  this  para- 
ble. The  oil  and  the  wine  have  been  supposed  to  represent  the  Spirit  and 
blood  of  Christ  in  healing  us,  the  inn  his  church,  the  host  Christ's  minis- 
ters, the  two  pence  his  two  sacraments,  &c. 

We  come  now  to  consider  the  relation  of  miracles  with  their  symbolical 
intendments.  It  is  not  my  design  to  introduce  any  of  the  miracles  record- 
ed in  the  Old  Testament,  not  because  they  are  deficient  in  interest  or  im- 
portance, in  reference  to  instruction,  for  "  all  scripture  is  given  by  inspira- 
tion of  God,"  and  no  comparison  is  to  be  instituted  between  them  and  the 
miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  to  the  disparagement  of  the  former  ;  but  I 
omit  them,  because,  once  for  all,  they  are  capable  of  the  same  rules  of  man- 
agement in  preaching  as  those  are  which  I  select,  while  a  good  expositor  will 
afford  the  preacher  the  materiel  of  discourse  on  all  or  any  of  the  more  an- 
cient displays  of  the  divine  interfering  power  over  the  ordinary  course  of 
naturd.  Besides,  if  I  were  to  be  extensive  in  my  arrangement,  I  should 
defeat  my  purpose  of  brevity.     Those  who  remain  unsatisfied  must  con- 

*  I  have  said  nothing  of  the  parables  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  see  Dr.  Collyer's  Lectures  and 
Hornes  Introduction  :  these  are  full  on  the  subject.  The  management  of  them  in  dificourses  must  be 
precisely  similar  to  the  foregoing. 


208  LECTURE    XII. 

suit  more  elaborate  works.  Dr.  Collyer  on  Miracles  is  in  many  hands  ; 
Home's  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Scriptures  is  very  valuable  ;  and 
on  this  point  you  can  consult  his  general  index.  See  also  Bragg  on  Mira- 
cles, 2  vols.,  8vo. 

With  regard  to  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  I  shall  take  no  fur- 
ther notice  of  them  than  to  show  the  relation  existing  between  them  and 
their  symbolical  intendments,  leaving  the  evidence  they  afford  to  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus,  and  the  confirmation  of  the  Christian  religion,  to  other 
works.  My  present  time  will  be  well  employed  if  I  should  be  so  happy 
as  to  fix  your  attention  and  practice  to  this  most  important  point  of  signifi- 
cancy  which  our  Lord's  divine  acts  of  mercy  carry  with  them,  but  which, 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  seems  so  remote  from  the  general  view  as  to  induce  me 
to  justify  my  recommendation  by  referring  to  the  opinions  of  others  whose 
authority  may  supply  what  is  lacking  in  my  own  : — 

*'  The  design  of  miracles  is  to  mark  the  divine  interposition  ;  yet,  when 
perusing  the  miracles  recorded  in  the  sacred  writings,  we  are  not  to  lose 
sight  of  the  moral  and  religious  instruction  concealed  under  them,  and  es- 
pecially under  the  miracles  performed  by  our  Savior.  All  his  miracles, 
indeed,  were  undoubtedly  so  many  testimonies  that  he  was  sent  from  God, 
but  they  were  much  more  than  this  ;  for  they  were  all  of  such  a  kind,  and 
attended  with  such  circumstances,  as  to  give  us  an  insight  into  the  spiritu- 
al state  of  man  and  the  great  work  of  his  salvation.  They  were  significant 
emblems  of  his  designs  and  figures  aptly  representing  the  benefits  to  be 
conferred  by  him  upon  mankind,  and  consequently  have  in  them  a  spiritu- 
al sense.  Thus  he  cast  out  evil  spirits,  who  by  divine  Providence  were 
permitted  to  exert  themselves  at  that  time  and  to  possess  many  persons. 
By  this  act  he  showed  that  he  came  to  destroy  the  empire  of  Satan,  and 
seemed  to  foretell  that,  wheresoever  his  doctrine  should  prevail,  idolatry, 
the  doctrine  of  devils  (compare  Jer.  x.  8,  Ps.  xxiv.  4,  1  Tim.  iv.  1),  and 
vice  should  be  put  to  flight.  He  gave  sight  to  the  blind,  a  miracle  well 
suited  to  him  who  brought  immortality  to  light,  and  taught  truth  to  an  ig- 
norant world.  Lucem  caliganti  reddidit  mundo,  applied  to  Quintus  Cur- 
tius,  a  Roman  emperor,  can  be  strictly  applied  to  Christ,  and  to  him  alone. 
No  prophet  ever  did  this  miracle  before  him,  as  none  ever  made  the  reli- 
gious discoveries  which  he  made.  Our  Savior  himself  leads  us  to  this 
observation,  and  sets  his  miracle  in  the  same  view,  saying,  '  I  am  the 
light  of  the  world  :  I  have  come  into  the  world  that  those  who  see  not 
might  see.' 

"  He  cured  the  deaf,  the  dumb,  the  lame,  and  the  infirm,  cleansed  the 
lepers,  and  healed  all  manner  of  sicknesses — to  show  at  the  same  time  that 
he  was  the  physician  of  souls,  which  have  their  diseases  corresponding  in 
some  manner  to  those  of  the  body,  and  are  deaf,  and  dumb,  and  impotent, 
and  paralytic,  and  leprous,  in  the  spiritual  sense.  He  fed  the  hungry  mul- 
titudes by  a  miracle,  which  aptly  represented  his  heavenly  doctrines,  and 
the  gospel  preached  to  the  poor,  and  which  he  himself  so  explains  :  '  I  am 
the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven  ;  if  any  man  eat  this  bread, 
he  shall  live  for  ever.'  He  raised  the  dead,  a  miracle  peculiarly  suited  to 
him  who  at  the  last  day  should  call  forth  all  mankind  to  appear  before  him  ; 
and  therefore,  when  he  raised  Lazarus,  he  uttered  those  majestic  words — 
'  1  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life  ;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live.'     He  performed  some  miracles  upon  persons 


THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  WITH  ANOTHER.      209 

who  were  not  of  his  own  nation  ;  and  it  was  so  ordered  by  divine  Provi- 
dence that  these  persons,  as  the  centurion,  the  Syrophoenician  woman,  the 
Samaritan  leper,  should  show  a  greater  degree  of  faith  and  of  gratitude 
than  the  Jews  to  whom  the  same  favors  were  granted.  This  was  an  in- 
dication that  the  gospel  should  be  more  readily  received  by  the  Gentiles 
than  by  the  Jews  ;  and  this  our  Savior  intimates,  saying,  when  he  had 
commended  the  centurion's  faith,  '  Many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the 
west,'  &c. 

"  Lastly,  the  two  states  of  the  Gadarene  demoniac  (whom  Christ  healed), 
while  under  the  influence  of  Satanic  possession  and  when  restored  to  his 
right  mind,  respectively  represented  the  two  states  of  man,  first  while  liv- 
ing in  a  course  of  sinful  practice,  and,  secondly,  '  when  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  his  mind,'  listening  to  the  precepts  of  the  gospel,  and  walking  in 
hoHness  and  righteousness." — Horne's  Litroduction,  vol.  ii.,  632-634, 
second  edition. 

After  this  long  but  excellent  quotation,  I  am  sure  you  are  convinced  of 
the  importance  of  the  symbolical  intendment  of  miracles,  for  yourself  and 
for  your  people.  It  is  a  part  of  the  scheme  of  scripture,  which  is  to  con- 
vey a  double  sense,  the  ordinary  and  the  more  refined,  or,  as  it  is  com- 
monly called,  the  spiritual,  and  which  is  applicable  chiefly  to  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  the  gospels.  Here  under  the  government  of  a  sober  judgment 
you  may  rove  with  ever-new  delight.  This  secondary  sense,  or  symboli- 
cal intendment,  is  not  a  creature  of  the  fancy,  but  forms  a  part  of  the  mer- 
ciful design  of  our  heavenly  Father.  It  was  no  doubt  this  spiritual  sense  to 
which  David  referred  when  he  prayed  in  these  words  :  "  Open  thou  my 
eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law  ;"  for  the  hteral 
sense  could  not  be  much  mistaken.  For  want  of  this  spiritual  sense  the 
Jews  are  not  to  this  day  believers  :  there  is  a  veil  over  their  mind's  eye  ; 
but  this  shall  be  taken  away. 

It  is  now  necessary  that  I  should  give  you  that  practical  help  which  it 
is  the  design  of  these  lectures  to  afford,  and  I  can  not  better  effect  my  pur- 
pose than  by  referring  you  to  Mr.  Simeon's  introductory  discourse  to  his 
Lectures  ou  Miracles  : — 

If  we  trace,  (says  Mr.  S.),  Jesus  in  his  circuits  through  the  country,  and  view  in 
every  place  the  objects  that  surround  him,  we  shall  behold  at  one  time  the  eyes  he 
just  now  opened  gazing  on  him  with  wonder  and  amazement,  at  another  time  the 
ears  he  has  unstopped  drinking  in  his  words  with  insatiable  eagerness  and  attention. 
Here  we  shall  behold  the  hands  he  has  restored  to  use  stretched  forth  to  proclaim 
his  praise,  and  the  feet  he  has  strengthened  leaping  and  dancing  round  him  with  in- 
expressible delight.  There  we  shall  hear  the  tongues  he  has  loosed  shouting  with 
incessant  acclamations,  and  see  those  whom  he  has  dispossessed  of  devils  sitting  with 
composure  at  the  feet  of  their  benefactor.  Sometimes  we  shall  see  the  very  dead 
start  forth  into  life  and  vigor  at  his  command,  and  either  rapturously  saluting  their 
disconsolate  relations  or  rending  the  air  with  their  acclamations  and  hosannas.* 
Such  accounts  as  these,  if  considered  only  in  a  temporal  view,  can  not  but  excite  in 
us  a  sympathetic  joy,  and  afford  the  most  pleasing ' sensations ;  but  no  doubt  they 
were  intended  also  to  convey  some  spiritual  instruction,  in  which  view  they  acquire 
an  additional,  and  almost  an  infinite  importance.  In  this  view  we  propose  to  con- 
sider the  following  passage,  Luke  vi.  19  :  "  And  the  whole  multitude  sought  to  touch 
him,  for  there  went  virtue  out  of  him  and  healed  them  all."  To  illustrate  this  sub- 
ject and  improve  it,  we  shall — 

I.  Trace  the  analogy  between  the  miracles  wrought  by  our  Lord,  on  the  bodies 
of  men  and  those  which  he  still  works  on  men's  souls.  For  a  more  distinct  elucida- 
tion we  may  observe — 

*  This  is  an  instance  of  beautiful  description,  the  subject  of  the  third  Topic. 

14 


210  LECTURE    XII. 

1.  There  is  a  resemblance  between  the  disorders  of  the  body  and  the  disorders  of 
the  soul.  Many  were  brought  to  our  Lord  who  were  blind,  deaf,  leprous,  and  pos- 
sessed with  devils ;  and  such  are  men  at  this  time,  in  a  spiritual  view.  Like  the 
Laodiceans,  however  they  may  think  themselves  "  rich  and  increased  with  goods," 
they  are  "  wretched,  miserable,  poor,  and  blind,"  and  therefore  have  need  to  take 
counsel  of  our  Lord,  and  to  "  anoint  their  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  they  may  see." 
Their  eyes  must  be  opened  before  they  will  "  turn  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God."  The  natural  man,  too,  is  represented  as  deaf,  as  having  ears  and  not  hear- 
ing, as  being  unable  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  good  Shepherd,  yea,  as  "  like  the  deaf 
adder  that  stoppeth  her  ears."  The  leprosy  also  of  sin  lies  deep  in  our  hearts,  as  the 
prophet  intimates,  when,  in  allusion  to  the  convicted  leper,  he  says  of  himself  and 
all  aromid  him,  "  Wo  is  me,  for  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the 
midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips."  Though  demoniacal  possessions  were  not  prop- 
erly diseases,  yet  are  they  always  enumerated  with  them  when  the  miracles  of  our 
Lord  are  recited ;  and,  however  humiliating  the  truth  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  we 
are  all,  while  in  an  unconverted  state,  possessed  by  Satan.  The  unbelieving  world 
are  blinded  (2  Cor.  iv.  4),  governed  (Eph.  ii.  2),  and  led  captive  by  him  at  his  will, 
2  Tim.  ii.  26.  And,  whatever  evil  they  are  excited  to  commit,  it  is  through  the  in- 
stigation of  that  wicked  fiend,  John  xiii.  27. 

2.  There  is  a  resemblance  between  the  cures  wrought  by  our  Lord  upon  the 
bodies  of  men  and  those  which  he  works  upon  their  souls.  "Wherever  the  blessings 
of  salvation  are  mentioned  by  the  prophets,  they  are  set  forth  by  some  highly  figura- 
tive expressions,  and  by  none  more  commonly  than  by  those  relating  to  bodily  cures 
(as  Isa.  XXXV.  5,  6,  10),  which  figures  are  elsewhere  explained  as  relating  to  the 
spiritual  salvation  of  the  church,  Isa.  xxxii.  3.  The  application  which  the  apostles 
make  of  these  prophecies  proves  this ;  compare  Isa.  liii.  4,  with  Matt.  vfii.  16,  17. 
Our  Lord  himself  makes  this  application,  John  ix.  39. 

3.  There  is  a  resemblance  between  the  manner  in  which  diseased  persons  applied 
to  our  Lord  and  the  manner  in  which  we  should  apply  to  him  for  spiritual  healing. 
Of  all  the  multitudes  that  approached  to  Jesus  for  healing  there  was  not  one  who 
was  not  sensible  of  his  disease.  Every  one  came  also  with  humility.  Every  one 
pressed  his  suit  with  earnestness,  though  with  some  different  degrees  of  faith,  as  is 
manifest  from  the  plain  gospel  history.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  show  how  exactly 
this  agrees  Avith  spiritual  applicants.  , 

4.  There  is  a  resemblance  between  the  manner  in  which  our  Lord  cured  their 
disorders  and  the  manner  in  which  he  will  cure  ours.  Sometimes  he  healed  his  pa- 
tients secretly,  took  them  aside  (as  Mark  vii.  33-35),  sometimes  openly.  So  now 
sometimes  saving  benefits  are  received  unknown  to  the  church,  and  sometimes  with 
evident  demonstration.  Sometimes  he  cures  his  patients  instantaneously  (John  v.  8), 
at  other  times  gradually  ;  we  have  exact  parallels  in  every  day's  experience.  Some- 
times he  used  means,  but  these  means  were  always  of  such  a  nature  as  to  render  the 
miracle  an  evident  display  of  divine  power  (as  m  John  ix.  6) ;  frequently  he  wrought 
cures  without  employing  any  means. 

II.  Improve  these  observations.  The  multitude  is  not  always  a  safe  guide ;  but 
here  it  is  perfectly  so.  Follow  them  in  the  convictions  which  they  had  of  their  need 
of  Christ,  in  their  earnestness,  in  their  faith.  No  laith,  no  healing-power;  they  be- 
lieved, instead  of  reasoning,  or  questioning,  or  trying  other  means.  This  is  our  fair 
example.  In  the  affairs  of  the  body  we  apply  to  an  eminent  physician  or  surgeon 
without  hesitation  or  doubt ;  we  venture  on  many  a  scheme  without  doubt ;  we  be- 
lieve many  a  story  without  doubt;  but  in  going  to  Christ  we  act  a  quite  different 
part ;  here  we  are  a  composition  of  skepticism  and  inconsistency.  But  this  conduct 
stands  rebuked  by  the  very  character  of  Jesus :  behold  his  compassion  ;  behold  his 
power  ;  behold  his  impartiality  ;  all  are  alike  blessed  that  come  to  him.  See  the 
joy  that  follows  the  reception  of  these  blessings,  the  honest  readiness  with  Avhich 
they  acknowledge  that  their  cures  are  wholly  his  ;  and  see  also  with  what  prompti- 
tude they  go  and  tell  to  others  what  a  Savior  they  have  found. 

The  following  treatment  of  a  miracle  by  Mr.  Simeon  is   admirable. 
Mark  V.  25-29. 

I.  Sin  has  introduced  many  lamentable  evils  into  the  world. 

1.  Of  a  natural  kind.     (Give  instances.) 

2.  There  is  a  melancholy  parallel  of  a  spiritual  kind.     See  Isa.  i.  5,  6,  and  many 

similar  passages.  „      '      .        ,  tit  .i 

II.  We  are  prone  to  rest  in  carnal  methods  of  removmg  them,     we  are  exactly 


THINGS    SUPPOSED    OR   IMPLIED.  211 

like  this  afflicted  woman :  we  first  spend  all  we  have  before  we  come  to  Christ ;  we 
flee  to  duties,  to  penitence,  promises  of  amendment.  But  here  is  our  error;  if  we 
rest  in  these,  how  proper  soever,  it  leads  to  disappointment. 

III.  However  desperate  our  disorders  be,  the  Lord  Jesus  is  able  to  heal  them. 
This  afflicted  woman's  disease  baffled  all  the  art  of  medicine,  yet  she  was  instantly- 
healed  by  a  touch  of  his  garment,  by  that  virtue  that  "  went  out  of  him."  So  sin- 
ners long  immersed  in  guilt  will,  on  believing,  be  instantly  pardoned  and  healed. 

IV.  The  more  we  honor  Christ  by  faith,  the  more  he  will  bless  and  honor  us. 
She  was  asisured  that,  if  she  could  only  press  through  the  crowd  so  as  to  be  able  to 
touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment,  she  should  be  whole.  Christ  healed  her,  and 
publicly  acknowledged  her  faith,  and  said,  "  Daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee 
whole ;  go  in  peace." 


LECTURE  XIII. 

TOPIC  V. 

OBSERVE  WHETHER  SOME  THINGS  BE  NOT  SUPPOSED  WHICH  ARE  NOT 

EXPRESSED. 

*'  This  source  of  invention  is  different  from  the  former,  for  the  former 
is  confined  -to  things  really  relative ;  but  this  speaks  in  general  of  things 
supposed,  which  have  no  relation  to  each  other ;  as,  when  we  speak  of  a 
change  of  place,  what  the  schools  call  the  terminus  a  quo  necessarily  sup- 
poses the  terminus  ad  quern,  and  the  same  in  the  reversed  order  ;  or,  in 
plain  English,  an  arrival  at  a  certain  place  supposes  a  place  of  setting  out, 
and  the  contrary.  Again,  a  covenant  supposes  at  least  two  contracting 
parties,  though  often  there  are  several.  A  reconciliation,  or  peace  effected, 
supposes  war  and  enmity.  A  victory  supposes  enemies,  arms,  a  combat, 
disabled  artillery,  loss  of  territory,  &c.  Life  supposes  death,  and  death 
life,  &c. 

"In  preaching  from  Rom.  xii.  17,  'Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for 
evil,'  it  might  be  proper  to  notice  the  truths  supposed,  as,  1.  That  sin  has 
thrown  mankind  into  a  state  of  disorder,  so  that  men  are  exposed  to  in- 
juries and  insults  from  each  other,  and  especially  the  good  from  the  bad. 
2.  It  is  supposed  that  Christianity,  with  all  its  distinguished  privileges,  ex- 
empts not  the  good  from  persecution  ;  nay,  our  Savior  says  they  may 
expect  persecution,  and  that  it  is  almost  a  necessary  appendage  of  Christi- 
anity. Having  established  these  points,  you  observe  that  the  gospel  (com- 
plete in  everything)  prescribes  a  suhable  temper  and  conduct  to  all  its 
friends  ;  that  is,  not  to  recompense  evil,  nor  to  resort  to  the  law  of  retali- 
ation, '  An  eye  for  an  eye,'  &c.;  but,  on  the  contrary,  Christ  says,  '  Love 
your  enemies,'  &c.  These  implied  truths  must  not,  however,  be  far- 
fetched, nor  be  introduced  irrelevantly.  They  must  also  be  important, 
either  for  general  instruction  or  for  throwing  light  on  the  text ;  otherwise 
you  will  deliver  trifling  impertinences  under  the  name  of  implied  truths." 
So  far  Mons.  Claude. 

Of  the  different  plans  of  sermonizing  which  we  are  considering,  some 
are  comparatively  easy  of  execution,  others  require  considerable  ingenuity, 
and  some  demand  very  great  caution.     Plans  formed  upon  our  fifth  topic 


212  LECTURE    XIII. 

are  of  this  last  description.  "Observe  whethei  some  things  be  not  sup- 
posed which  are  not  expressed."  Most  certainly  this  is  very  often  the 
case,  and  it  is  quite  proper  to  notice  these  unexpressed  things  with  a  tem- 
perate license ;  but  it  must  be  allowed,  as  was  noticed  in  reference  to  ob- 
servation, that  a  door  is  here  opened  that  is  liable  to  much  abuse  in  prac- 
tice. When  we  speak  upon  a  text,  and  what  it  expresses  only,  a  boun- 
dary is  cast  around  our  thoughts :  but,  when  we  find  more  liberty,  we  are 
apt  to  venture  too  far.  Observations  and  implications,  or  things  supposed, 
offer  us  a  temptation  which  renders  restraint  necessary  at  some  point  or 
other,  which  sound  principles  and  the  honor  of  truth  will,  it  is  hoped, 
point  out  to  us.  As  this  topic  is  of  considerable  consequence  in  its  gen- 
eral uses,  viz.,  of  observation,  illustration,  argumentation,  and  division,  I 
shall  offer  my  free  thoughts  upon  one  of  the  principal  words  by  which  it 
is  expressed.  "  See  if  there  be  not  some  things  siqiposed  which  are  not  ex- 
pressed." Now  the  word  implied  is  almost  the  only  word  that  will  convey 
the  author's  meaning.*  One  would  have  thought  there  had  slipped  an 
error  into  the  translation  from  the  French  ;  but  this  can  not  be  the  case, 
as  the  word  is  radically  the  same  in  French  and  English.  Precision  in 
terms  of  science  is  of  the  utmost  consequence  :  we  must  not  be  deceived 
by  an  apparent  synonyme ;  we  must  not  even  trust  too  implicitly  to  dic- 
tionaries ;  but,  when  much  depends  upon  the  exactness  of  a  word,  we 
must  venture  upon  its  very  philosophy,  and  accurately  define  and  dis- 
tinguish such  word  from  those  which  appear  to  convey  the  same  meaning. 
To  sujjpose,  to  infer,  to  imply,  are  words  which  at  first  view  seem  alike. 
To  suppose  a  thing,  however,  is  to  lay  down  a  thing  without  proof;  so 
we  say  here.  In  France,  using  the  word  supposer,  they  explain  it  by  iien- 
ser,  croire,  s'imaginer,  to  think,  to  believe,  to  imagine  ;  so  that  on  both 
sides  the  water  it  is  to  advance  something  without  proof.  Again,  to  infer 
is  to  bring  in  one  truth  as  a  necessary  consequence  of  another  truth  pre- 
viously established.  Neither  of  the  above  words,  therefore,  suits  the  pur- 
pose :  the  first  is  too  weak,  the  second  too  strong,  for  the  topic.  To  im- 
ply is  to  involve  or  comprise  one  thing  within  another  ;  that  is  the  general 
sense,  and  it  is  to  our  present  purpose.  It  is  to  involve,  comprise,  or  in- 
clude one  thing  or  several  things  unexpressed  within  another  thing  that  is 
expressed,  and  which  other  thing  or  things  are  needful  to  complete  the 
sacred  writer's  meaning,  or  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  the  text,  or  to  prevent 
a  wrong  idea  in  the  auditory  respecting  the  subject  in  hand.  Now  this 
word  imjyly  is  that  which  we  want  for  the  present  occasion.  Admitting 
this,  the  title  of  our  topic  will  run  thus  :  Observe  whether  some  things  be 
not  implied  which  are  not  expressed. 

It  appears  to  me  that  such  implied  things  have  some  relation  to  the  sub- 
ject that  originated  them,  though  Mons.  Claude  is  of  opinion  they  have 
not.  The  very  example  which  he  quotes  to  show  that  there  is  no  relation, 
but  a  supposition  only,  I  think  utterly  fails.  The  terminus  a  quo  and  the 
terminus  ad  quern  are  certainly  associated  together  in  our  minds,  and  that 
association  is  aiul  can  be  nothing  else  but  relation.!  Those  other  things 
which  he  sujjposes  to  have  no  relation  are  a  covenant  and  its  parties,  &c. ; 
but  surely  here  is  a  relation,  something  more  than  a  supposition.     The 

*  It  is  pretty  much  the  same  as  taking  a  thinpr  for  granted  upon  the  principles  of  comiexion  or 
induction,  as  without  such  an  admission  we  can  not  malic  a  complete  sense  of  the  text. 

t  It  is  common  to  say,  "  There  is  never  a  hill  without  a  dale  ;"  the  moral  of  the  adage  is  founded 
on  tlie  above-named  association. 


THINGS    SUPPOSED   OR   IMPLIED.  213 

truth  is,  he  was  intent  upon  showing  a  difference  between  his  fourth  and 
fifth  topics.  These  are,  however,  but  two  branches  of  one  stem,  though 
pointing  or  leaning  different  ways,  and  in  fact  answering  different  purposes. 

I  hope  it  is  quite  unnecessary  to  point  out  to  you  the  abuses  of  impli- 
cation, which  are  the  produce  either  of  an  uncultivated  mind,  a  mind  too 
wild  and  luxuriant,  and  consequently  weak,  or  we  may  call  it  a  mind  "not 
seasoned  with  grace,"  or  of  a  judgment  ill-formed  and  premature.  It  is 
grossly  wrong  to  imply  anything  from  the  hteral  sense  of  scripture  where 
the  spiritual  sense  only  can  be  admitted.  The  disciples  imphed  that  it 
was  lawful  to  use  material  swords  in  defence  of  a  religious  cause  when 
Christ  only  meant  that  the  time  had  come  to  be  prepared  with  spiritual 
armor.  They  likewise  thought  that  the  refusal  of  the  Samaritans  to  re- 
ceive Christ  implied  their  utter  reprobation,  and  therefore  they  asked 
Christ  whether  they  should  not  invoke  the  sentence  of  that  reprobation 
immediately  upon  them.  This  case,  I  allow,  differs  from  the  former ;  but 
both  are  wrong.  The  truth  is,  we  are  too  apt  to  imply  the  reprobation  of 
our  fellow-Christians  because  they  "  follow  not  with  us,"  or  receive  not 
our  doctrines  into  theu-  houses  of  prayer,  or  admit  them  not  as  parts  of 
their  creed.  It  is,  I  conceive,  very  wrong  to  imply  anything  from  a  text 
but  that  which  is  necessary  for  real  practical  uses,  such  things  as  the  people 
ought  to  know,  and  must  know.  Speculative  notions  and  things  remotely 
implied,  if  they  must  come  out,  let  it  be  from  the  press,  not  from  the  pulpit. 

But  I  rely  upon  your  good  sense  fully  to  supply  the  place  of  any  fur- 
ther remarks  upon  the  negative  part  of  our  subject ;  and,  if  you  do  not 
need  these  remarks  at  all,  hand  them  over  to  others  who  do. 

The  proper  uses  of  things  implied  are  several  that  suit  our  present 
purpose,  excluding  that  of  furnishing  occasional  observations,  which  has 
been  sufficiently  noticed  already,  and  that  of  argument,  for  which  we  have 
here  no  place. 

First,  Things  implied,  I  think,  will  often  very  properly  form  the  first 
principal  division  of  a  discourse.     Then  the  division  would  run  thus : 

I.  What  is  implied. 

II.  What  is  expressed- 

Take  the  passage  before  alluded  to  from  Isa.  Iv.  6  :  "  Seek  you  the 
Lord,"  &c.     Here — 

I.  It  is  implied,  1.  That  God  is  {while  we  are  in  a  state  of  nature)  far  from  us. 
2.  That  we  are  far  from  him.  3.  That  a  time  may  arrive  in  which  God  will  not  be 
found  of  us  though  we  seek  him ;  as  Prov.  i.  24,  &c. 

II.  Attend  to  what  is  expressed  :  "  Seek  you  the  Lord." 

It  is  true  we  might  here  also  dilate  upon  what  is  implied  in  "  seeking 
the  Lord;"  but  it  is  preferable  to  stir  up  the  people  to  repentance  and 
prayer  by  all  the  moving  considerations  contained  in  the  chapter  whence 
the  text  is  selected,  as — 

1.  By  the  wretched  state  of  want  and  misery  denoted  by  hunger  and  thirst,  ver.  1, 
and  so  like  that  of  the  prodigal  mentioned  in  the  gospel. 

2.  By  the  vanity  of  all  our  efforts  in  search  of  happiness  from  any  other  source, 

ver.  2.  rr  J  , 

3.  By  assurances  of  grace,  and  an  abundant  supply. 

4.  By  the  language  of  tender  entreaty  and  gracious  assurance  found  in  other 
temammg  parts  of  the  chapter. 

You  will  at  once  perceive  that  this  discourse  should  be  in  the  style  of 
continued  application,  corresponding  with  the  general  style  of  the  chapter 


214  LECTURE    XIII. 

and  with  the  feelings  of  a  tender-hearted  preacher,  intent  upon  winning 
souls  to  Christ,  and  with  the  fulness  of  gospel  blessings.* 

Dr.  Blair  manages  this  kind  of  division  with  great  skill  In  his  sermon 
on  Ps.  xxxi.  15,  "  My  times  are  in  thy  hand,"  which  he  thus  paraphrases  : 
"My  fate  depends  on  thee.  The  duration  of  my  life,  and  all  the  events 
which  are  in  future  days  to  fill  it  up,  are  entirely  at  thy  disposal."  This 
is  very  elegantly  expressed  ;  but  it  is  strange  that  the  doctor  should  use 
the  wordya^e,  for  he  does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  a  fatalist  or  even  a  pre- 
destinarian.  Perhaps  the  term  fate  may  agree  with  his  philosophizing  dis- 
course ;  for  such  his  discourse  is,  and  truly  excellent  in  its  kind.  He 
describes — 

I.  What  the  text  implies. 

1.  It  implies  that  our  times  are  not  in  our  own  hands. 

2.  They  are  not  in  the  hands  either  of  our  enemies  or  our  friends :  here  would 
hang  some  strange  contingencies. 

II.  What  is  more  directly  expressed.     They  are  iu  God's  hands  : — 

1.  As  a  supreme  irresistible  Ruler. 

2.  As  a  merciful  guardian  and  Father. 

III.  The  text  admonishes  us — 

1.  To  check  vain  curiosity. 

2.  To  improve  the  term  of  life  allotted  to  us  (Eccles.  ix.  10),  "  to  redeem  the 
time,"  &c. 

3.  To  submit  patiently  to  God's  pleasure. 

The  first  part  is  all  that  was  wanted  for  our  purpose  :  the  things  implied 
are  of  the  genuine  kind.  The  rest  of  die  skeleton  I  have  transposed  so 
as  to  make  it  appear  better  in  a  compendium.  The  doctor  seems  to  have 
taken  the  hint  of  his  discourse  fi:om  the  remarks  of  our  excellent  com- 
mentator, Matthew  Henry,  who  observes  on  this  passage,  "  It  is  a  great 
support  to  those  who  have  God  for  their  God,  tliat  their  times  are  in  his 
hand  ;  and  he  will  be  sure  to  order  and  dispose  of  them  for  the  best  to  all 
those  who  commit  their  spirits  also  into  his  band,  to  suit  them  to  their 
times,  as  David  here,  ver.  5.  The  time  of  life  is  in  God's  hands,  to 
lengthen  or  shorten,  embitter  or  sweeten,  as  he  pleases,  according  to  the 
counsel  of  his  will.  Our  times  (all  events  that  concern  us,  and  the  timing 
of  them)  are  at  God's  disposal ;  they  are  not  in  our  own  hands,  for  the 
way  of  man  is  not  in  himself,  nor  in  our  friends'  hands,  nor  in  our  ene- 
mies' hands,  but  in  God's  ;  every  man's  judgments  proceedeth  from  him. 
David  does  not,  in  his  prayers,  prescribe  to  God,  but  subscribe  to  him. 
*  Lord,  my  times  are  in  thy  hand,  and  I  am  well  pleased  that  they  are  so  : 
they  could  not  be  in  a  better  hand.     Thy  will  be  done.'  " 

Blair's  sermons  are  so  admirably  calculated  to  illustrate  Claude's  princi- 
ples that  I  could  wish  some  ingenious  hand  would  alter  them,  so  as  to 
turn  them  into  gospel  sermons,  for  the  benefit  of  students  in  general. 

Mr.  Beddome  also  gives  us  an  instance  to  our  present  purpose,  in  vol. 
i.,  p.  145,  on  Ps.  cix.  66  :  "I  have  believed  thy  commandments." 

I.  What  is  implied  in  believing  God's  commandments  ? 

1.  That  we  are  convinced  of  their  reality  and  existence. 

2.  That  we  are  persuaded  of  their  excellency  and  perfection. 

3.  That  we  admit  their  perpetual  authority. 

4.  That  we  have  a  holy  dread  of  their  sanctions. 

5.  That  we  rely  on  divine  grace  to  fulfil  them. 
II.  The  necessity  of  tliis  faith,  Heb.  xi.  6. 

*  Mr.  Simeon  gives  U3  a  skeleton  on  this  text ;  and  the  Evangelical  Magazine,  p.  424  for  the  yew 

1810,  treats  on  it. 


THINGS  SUPPOSED  OR  IMPLIED.  215 

I  shall  give  you  but  one  more  instance  exactly  of  this  kind,  and  that  is 
from  Mr.  Simeon  on  Eph.  vi.  10  :  "  Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong  in 
the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might :" — 

I.  What  is  implied  in  the  words  ? 

1.  That  Christians  have  need  of  strength. 

2.  That  they  have  no  strength  in  themselves. 

3.  That  there  is  enough  in  Christ  Jesus,  the  Lord. 

II.  What  is  expressed  in  the  text?  "Be  strong,"  &c.  There  are  two  things  to 
which  we  are  exhorted  in  these  words : — 

1.  To  rely  on  Christ  for  strength  :  Col.  i.  19  ;  Eph.  i.  22,  23  ;  iv.  10 ;  iii.  19  ;  and 
iv.  7  ;  John  xiv.  1. 

2.  To  do  this  with  assured  confidence  :  Gal.  ii.  20  ;  John  i.  16  ;  Isa.  xlv.  24 ;  1  Sam. 
xvii.  45-47 ;  Rom.  viii.  31-39 ;  Phil.  iv.  13. 

Now  to  such  uses  of  implication  there  can  lie  no  objections,  because 
they  are  all  of  them,  as  far  as  I  can  perceive,  very  fairly  represented :  you 
can  not  separate  such  ideas  from  the  things  really  expressed  ;  they  are  com- 
prehended or  involved  in  them,  particularly  as  to  the  last  outline.  If  Mr. 
Simeon  had  proceeded  in  his  implications  and  said,  4thly,  Such  is  the 
merit  of  our  exertions  that  they  will  necessarily  engage  the  divine  inter- 
ference in  our  behalf,  he  would  have  spread  a  net  for  our  feet.  Here  is 
abuse. 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that,  as  some  texts  will  admit  a  broader  view 
than  their  literahty  expresses,  so  there  are  others  that  require  narrowing 
before  an  illiterate  congregation,  as  in  law,  if  a  rational  interpretation  can 
not  be  made  out  with  regard  to  some  case  under  discussion,  reference  is 
had  to  some  general  principles  to  collate  and  supply  what  is  wanting,  or 
to  hmit  the  sense.  Some  gracious  and  promissory  expressions  are  found 
without  any  limitations  or  qualifications  ;  they  exhibit  the  general  expres- 
sions of  kindness  without  the  exceptions  and  limitations  which  other  pas- 
sages of  scripture,  and  indeed  the  general  tenor  of  divine  truth,  would 
supply.  There  is  no  good  thing  that  God  will  withhold  from  those  that 
walk  uprightly.  "  The  Lord  shall  preserve  thee  from  all  evil:' — "  Who 
is  he  that  will  harm  you  if  you  be  followers  of  that  which  is  good  ?"  These 
general  expressions  maybe  limited  by  a  division  and  its  subdivisions,  or  in 
something  like  the  following  manner : — 

I.  Fix  the  true  sense  of  the  text. 

II.  Confirm  it. 

The  Scriptures  do  not  anticipate  every  possible  misconception  of  men ; 
many  things  are  expressed  with  a  noble  freedom,  and  are  addressed  to  a 
healthful  understanding,  to  considerate  persons.  "  I  speak  as  unto  wise 
men  ;  judge  you  what  I  say."  So  spoke  St.  Paul,  and  so  speak  the 
Scriptures.  They  are  not  to  be  wrested  from  their  proper  sense  ;  nor  di- 
minished or  extended  to  the  dishonor  of  God,  nor  made  to  square  with 
the  unreasonable  expectations  of  those  who,  zealous  to  support  a  system 
of  religion,  come  to  the  inquiry  with  prepossessed  minds.  Neither  are  the 
promises  of  God  to  be  received  but  according  to  their  legitimate  applica- 
tioii,  which  it  will  be  your  duty  as  ministers  to  point  out,  always  remem- 
bering that  scripture  is  the  best  interpreter  of  scripttire.* 

*  These  remarks  on  the  limitation  of  a  sentence  of  scripture  might  perhaps  be  more  properly  intro- 
duced under  the  twenty-sixth  Topic,  "  Define"— but  the  irregularity  may  be  permitted  in  this  in- 
stance, as  It  seems  a  timely  memento  when  speaking  of  extensions.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  too  many 
protessors  greedily  devour  comfortable  truths,  which  do  not  suit  their  present  state,  and  which  they 
ought  at  present  to  be  denied.  ' 


216  LECTURE    XIII. 

Secondly,  I  have  to  notice  a  more  extended  use  of  implication,  or  the 
greatest  extension  of  it  that  can  be,  viz.,  to  construct  an  entire  discourse 
upon  it.  Of  this  I  am  about  to  give  you  instances  from  good  authors. 
But  I  may  be  allowed  to  say  that  "  great  men  are  not  always  wise  :"  how- 
ever, the  matter  must  rest  with  the  judgment  of  the  preacher  ;  if  he  adopt 
this  method,  he  will  no  doubt  devise  some  way  of  tendering  a  rational  ad- 
dress to  the  audience,  to  whom,  as  well  as  to  his  Lord  and  Master,  he  is 
accountable. 

My  first  reference  is  to  Lavington,  volume  ii.,  page  365,  Jeremiah  xxii. 
29  :  "  O  earth  !  earth  !  earth  !  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord."  The  ser- 
mon was  preached  on  a  fast  day,  at  Bideford,  February,  1794,  and  is  very 
eloquent : — 

This  appeal  has  peculiar  solemnity  in  it,  and  seems  to  imply — 

I.  That  mankind  in  general  are  careless  and  inattentive  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
(Here  he  gives  instances.) 

II.  It  further  implies  the  importance  of  the  message,  the  word  earth  being  three 
times  repeated. 

III.  It  carries  with  it  an  earnestness  and  importunity,  as  if  their  not  hearing  the 
word  of  the  Lord  might  be  attended  with  the  utmost  danger. 

Such  are  the  principal  divisions,  and  skilfully  they  are  filled  up.  I  have 
just  said  that  a  wise  preacher  will  take  care  to  furnish  a  rational  discourse. 
This  Mr.  Lavington  has  done,  and  he  closes  his  discourse  with  an  eloquent 
and  pungent  address  to  the  people  suited  to  the  occasion.  You  must  al- 
ways observe  that,  if  the  body  of  your  discourse  be  any  way  defective,  your 
exordium  or  peroration  must  be  auxiliary. 

President  Davies  fixes  on  soraethirlg  like  the  same  plan  ;  there  is  in- 
deed a  shade  of  difference,  owing  to  the  latter  articles  appearing  somewhat 
propositional.  See  vol.  i.,  p.  89,  on  John  iii.  16  :  "  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,"  &c.  He  observes  that  the 
text  implies — 

I.  That  without  Christ  there  is  no  salvation. 

II.  That  through  Jesus  Christ  a  way  of  salvation  is  opened. 

III.  That  the  prerequisite  to  this  is  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

IV.  That  by  faith  there  can  be  no  exclusion. 

V.  That  this  constitution  of  the  way  of  salvation  is  a  most  astonishing  display  of 
the  divine  love. 

But  we  have  another  instance  more  to  the  point  from  the  same  excel- 
lent author,  volume  iii.,  page  66,  on  Matthew  xxiii.  37  :  "  O  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem,"  &c. 

I.  The  text  implies  that  sinners,  while  from  under  the  protection  of  Christ,  are  in 
a  situation  of  danger. 

II.  That  they  may  obtain  safety  by  putting  themselves  under  his  protection. 

III.  That  he  is  willing  to  receive  the  greatest  sinners  under  his  protection. 

Now  if  these  heads  be  followed  up  with  a  searching  address  founded 
upon  the  impending  ruin  consequent  on  their  rejecting  Christ,  while  he  is 
calling  them  under  his  wing,  without  extensively  noticing  the  precise 
words  in  a  textual  way,  the  effect,  by  a  divine  blessing,  will  be  great.  To 
make  a  whole  discourse  upon  implied  particulars  may  seem  to  be  running 
to  the  verge  of  decorum,  but  there  are  some  passages  of  scripture  which 
could  not  be  so  well  discussed  in  any  other  method.  In  the  examples 
hitherto  given,  however,  the  texts  might  very  well  have  been  treated  by  the 
ordinary  methods  of  texual  division.     The  best  is  that  of  Mr.  Lavington. 


THINGS    SUPPOSED    OR    IMPLIED.  217 

Mr.  Davles,  though  a  preacher  and  writer  of  the  very  first  class,  does  not 
discover  that  correctness  of  arrangement  which  our  modern  EngUsh  preach- 
ers have  attained.  I  think  it  very  probable  that  in  his  age  and  remote  sit- 
uation from  England  our  examples  were  not  before  him.  I  very  much 
question  whether  he  ever  heard  of  the  Claudean  system,  or  of  Claude's 
great  disciple,  Blair,  or  many  others  of  the  moderns.  The  following, 
from  Mr.  Henry's  Commentary,  will  show  how  important  are  the  services 
to  which  the  Topic  may  be  applied.  It  is  on  a  passage  which  expresses 
very  little,  and  an  ordinary  mind  would  havepassed.it  over  almost  without 
remark ;  but  Mr.  Henry,  by  looking  at  what  was  implied,  has  beautifully 
shown  the  value  and  importance  of  the  promise  it  contains.  The  text  is 
Zech.  viii.  5  :  "  The  streets  of  the  city  shall  be  full  of  boys  and  girls  play- 
ing in  the  streets."     He  observes  that  this  intimates,  or  implies — 

I.  That  they  shall  be  blessed  with  a  multitude  of  children ;  their  families  shall  in- 
crease and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  city,  which  was  an  early  product  of  the  divine 
blessing,  Gen.  i.  28.  Happy  the  man,  happy  the  nation,  whose  quiver  is  full  of  these 
arrows  !  They  shall  have  of  both  sexes,  boys  and  girls,  in  whom  their  .families  shall 
afterward  be  joined,  and  another  generation  raised  up. 

_  II.  That  their  children  shall  be  healthful,  and  strong,  and  active  ;  their  boys  and 
girls  shall  not  lie  sick  in  bed,  or  sit  pining  in  the  corner,  but  (which  is  a  pleasant 
sight  to  parents)  shall  be  hearty  and  cheerful,  and  play  in  the  streets.  It  is  their 
pleasant  playing  age  ;  let  us  not  grudge  it  to  them  ;  much  good  may  it  do  them  and  no 
harm.  "  Evil  days"  will  come  time  enough,  and  years  of  which  they  will  say  that 
they  have  "  no  pleasure  in  them,"  in  consideration  of  which  they  are  concerned  not 
to  spend  all  their  time  in  play,  but  to  remember  their  Creator. 

III.  That  they  shall  have  great  plenty,  meat  enough  for  all  their  mouths.  In  time 
of  famine,  we  find  the  children  "  swooning  as  the  wounded  in  the  streets  of  the  city," 
Lam.  ii.  11,  12.  If  they  are  playing  in  the  streets,  it  is  a  good  sign  that  they  want 
for  nothing. 

ly.  That  they  shall  not  be  terrified  with  the  alarms  of  war,  but  enjoy  a  perfect  se- 
curity. There  shall  be  no  breaking  in  of  invaders,  no  going  out  of  deserters,  "no 
complaining  in  the  streets"  (Ps.  cxliv.  14) ;  for,  when  there  is  playing  in  the  streets, 
it  is  a  sign  that  there  is  little  care  or  fear  there.  Time  was  when  the  enemy  hunted 
their  steps  so  closely  that  they  could  not  go  in  their  streets  (Lam.  iv.  18),  but  now 
they  shall  play  in  the  streets  and  fear  no  evil. 

V.  That  they  shall  have  love  and  peace  among  themselves.  The  boys  and  girls 
shall  not  be  fighting  in  the  streets,  as  sometimes  in  cities  that  are  divided  into  factions 
and  parties  the  children  soon  imbibe  and  express  the  mutual  resentments  of  the  pa- 
rents ;  but  they  shall  be  innocendyand  lovingly  "  playing  in  the  streets,"  not  devour- 
ing, but  diverting  one  another. 

VI.  That  the  sports  and  diversions  used  shall  be  all  harmless  and  inoflfensive ;  the 
boys  and  girls  shall  have  no  other  play  than  what  they  are  willing  that  persons  should 
see  "  in  the  streets,"  no  play  that  seeks  corners,  no  playing  the  fool,  or  playing  the 
wanton — for  it  is  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  the  holy  mountain — but  honest  and  mod- 
est recreations,  which  they  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of. 

VII.  That  childish,  youthful  sports  shall  be  confined  to  the  age  of  childhood  and 
youth.  It  is  pleasing  to  see  the  "  boys  and  girls  playing  in  the  streets,"  but  it  is  ill- 
favored  to  see  men  and  Avomen  playing  there,  who  should  fill  up  their  time  with 
work  and  business.  It  is  Avell  enough  for  children  to  be  sitting  in  the  market-place, 
crossing  questions  (Matt.  xi.  16,  17),  but  it  is  no  way  fit  that  men,  who  are  able  to 
work  in  the  vineyard,  should  stand  all  the  day  idle  there.  Matt.  xx.  3. 

In  conclusion,  I  beg  leave  to  introduce  a  kind  of  case  conversive  of 
Claude's  ;  that  is,  to  consider  what  is  ?iot  supposed,  instead  of  what  w  sup- 
posed. If  the  preacher  designs  to  draw  his  hearers'  attention  to  one  point, 
to  excite  their  passions,  or  to  produce  conviction,  this  last  method  is  ad- 
mirably suited.  We  have  an  instance  in  Flechier  on  the  text,  "  Soul, 
take  thy  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry."  Designing  to  rebuke  luxury  in 
eating  and  drinking,  he  says,  "  The  rich  man  does  not  propose  to  employ 


218  LECTURE    XIV. 

his  fortune  in  faction.  He  does  not  intend  to  increase  his  estate  by  en- 
croaching on  those  of  his  neighbors,  nor  to  get  rich  by  extortion  and  usu- 
ry. He  does  not  mean  to  trouble  and  persecute  good  people  who  do  not 
live  as  he  does  ;  nor  does  he  design  to  give  himself  up  to  a  sordid  avarice, 
or  to  ostentation  and  pomp.  No  ;  he  says,  '  Soul,  take  thy  ease,''  in  luxury, 
that  beastly,  more  than  beastly,  habit."  It  might  seem  trifling  in  so  great 
a  preacher  as  Flechier  to  talk  of  what  the  rich  man  did  not  do  ;  but  this  was 
an  admirable  and  skilful  preparation  for  a  home-stroke  against  the  beastly 
habit  of  drunkenness  and  gluttony.  Here  was,  indeed,  a  cutting  comment. 
I  also  recollect  several  English  examples  of  this  rule.  Beddome,  on  John 
xvii.  16,  points  out  in  what  senses  the  text  w  not  true.  The  same  author, 
on  Heb.  X.  29,  notices  what  sins  are  not  included  in  the  general  expres- 
sion of  the  text.  We  may  also  refer  to  Davies,  vol.  iii.,  p.  86,  and  to 
Blair,  vol.  iii.,  p.  6.  The  example  from  Flechier  might  be  considered  as 
rhetorical  only  ;  but  these  latter  ones  are  really  necessary  for  the  under- 
standing of  the  text. 

Blair  says,  on  Acts  xxiv.  16,  "  The  text  does  not  imply  boasting  of 
having  attained  to  a  conscience  void  of  every  offence  ;  but  Paul  says  that 
herein  he  exercised  himself;  this  was  his  object  and  study;  to  this  he  formed 
and  trained  himself,"  &c.     This  is  a  just  distinction. 


LECTURE  XIV. 

TOPIC  VI. 
EEFLECT  ON  THE  PERSON  SPEAKING  OR  ACTING. 

Human  agencies  open  to  us  an  extensive  field  of  observation.  Here 
the  historian  collects  the  chief  materials  of  his  labors ;  and  the  divine  also 
can  not  proceed  far  without  contemplating  the  characters  of  those  by  whom 
many  things  are  said  and  done,  as  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Some- 
times, indeed,  supernatural  beings  rise  to  his  view,  or  descend  from  heaven 
demanding  attention ;  but  commonly  men  like  ourselves,  in  several  ages 
of  the  world,  have  become  so  important  as  to  demand  our  study.  They 
have  brought  about  great  events  on  the  theatre  of  the  world,  or  within  the 
narrower  but  the  more  valuable  enclosure — the  church,  or  they  have  con- 
tributed to  the  divine  oracles,  forming  materials  for  the  Holy  Scriptures; 
and  whatever  were  the  things  acted,  or  recorded,  or  said,  something  must 
be  noted  about  the  persons  themselves ;  their  characters  are  connected 
with  their  acts  and  sayings;  and  we  can  not  fully  determine  anything  with- 
out some  investigation  concerning  them.  Whether  these  several  agents 
be  pious  or  wicked,  wise  or  unwise,  whether  they  be  chief  actors  or  sub- 
ordinate, whether  they  excite  our  veneration  or  suggest  motives  to  cau- 
tion, whether  their  example  be  salutary  or  dangerous,  by  what  degree  of 
authority  they  act  or  speak — these  must  be  material  points  of  our  consid- 
eration. 

Hence  we  perceive  the  value  of  our  sixth  Topic,  "Reflect  on  the  per- 


PERSON    SPEAKING   OR    ACTING.  219 

son  speaking  or  acting,"  to  which  I  take  the  Uberty  of  adding,  Reflect  on 
the  ijersons  or  characters  spoken  of.* 

The  person  or  character  named  in  a  text  has  been  already  twice  before 
us,  namely,  in  the  regular  and  in  the  interrogative  divisions,  which  would 
seem  to  militate  against  our  introducing  it  here.  With  these  circumstances 
before  us,  how  can  we  resume  the  subject?  and  how  consider  the  Topic 
again?  The  answer  is  this:  I  think  a  fit  opportunity  here  presents  itself 
of  going  a  iew  steps  further  into  a  beautiful  province,  hoping  that  no  stern 
sentinel  will  forbid  our  approach.  We  will  commit  no  depredations,  enter 
into  no  disputes,  nor  lay  claim  to  anything  which  others  call  private  prop 
erty;  we  shall  very  soon  make  an  exit  as  peaceable  as  our  entre,  and  we 
are  disposed  to  render  a  favorable  report  of  whatever  may  fall  under  our 
observation.  It  may  also  be  observed  that  the  primary  intention  of  this 
sixth  Topic  really  opens  a  distinct  source  of  observation,  as  it  leads  us  to 
examine  whether  any  observations  may  not  be  made  on  the  person  whose 
words  or  actions  are  recorded  in  our  text  which  will  tend  to  elucidate  the 
text  itself,  or  to  furnish  arguments  for  pressing  the  claims  of  duty  drawn 
from  the  character  of  the  person  speaking  or  acting. 

For  example,  let  us  again  take  the  following  text:  "Recompense  to  no 
man  evil  for  evil."  Here,  1.  You  may  very  pertinently  remark  that  this 
precept  is  more  beautiful  in  the  mouth  of  St.  Paul  than  it  could  have  been 
in  that  of  any  other  man.  The  reason  is  this:  he,  of  all  men  in  the 
world,  had  the  greatest  reason  for  resentment  upon  worldly  principles ; 
for  never  was  there  a  man  more  persecuted,  never  a  man  more  un- 
justly persecuted,  than  he;  he  was  persecuted  by  his  own  countrymen  the 
Jews,  persecuted  by  the  Gentiles,  persecuted  by  false  brethren,  persecuted 
by  false  apostles,  persecuted  when  he  preached  the  gospel,  persecuted 
even  by  those  for  whose  salvation  he  was  laboring,  persecuted  to  prison, 
to  banishment,  to  bonds,  to  blood.  How  amiable,  then,  is  such  a  precept 
in  the  mouth  of  such  a  man !  How  forcible  is  such  a  precept,  supported 
by  one  of  the  greatest  examples  we  can  conceive,  by  the  example  of  a  man 
whose  interest  seemed  to  dictate  a  quite  contrary  practice !  When  we 
give  such  precepts  to  the  worldly  they  never  fail  to  say  to  us,  "Yes,  yes; 
you  talk  finely;  you  have  never  been  insulted  as  we  have;  had  you  met 
with  what  we  have,  you  would  talk  otherwise."  But  there  is  no  reason  to 
say  so  to  St.  Paul,  any  more  than  to  Jesus  Christ,  his  master,  the  author 
of  this  divine  morality;  for  who  was  ever  so  persecuted  as  Jesus  Christ? 
and  after  him,  who  suffered  more  than  his  servant  Paul? 

2.  You  may  also  very  properly  remark  that,  to  take  a  different  view  of 
the  apostle  Paul,  no  man  was  more  obliged  to  teach  and  love  such  a  mo- 
rality than  himself.  Why?  Because,  of  all  those  whom  God,  in  his 
ineffable  mercy,  had  called  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  he  had  been  most 
concerned  in  cruel  efforts  of  ras-e  arainst  God  and  his  church.  All  in- 
named  with  fury,  he  went  from  Jerusalem  to  Damascus  to  ravage  the  flock 
of  Jesus  Christ.  In  this  raging  violence  of  his  hatred,  God  made  him 
feel  his  love,  pardoned  his  sins,  softened  his  heart,  and  from  heaven  cried 
to  him,  "  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?"  Who,  then,  could  be 
more  obliged  to  preach  mercy  than  this  man,  to  whom  God  had  shown  so 
much  mercy?     Might  he  not  say,  when  he  gave  this  rule  of  morality, 

•  If  we  do  not  include  persons  spoken  of  under  the  sixth  Topic  there  ifl  none  of  the  Topics  that 
will  include  them,  which  would  be  an  evident  defect. 


220  LECTURE   XIV. 

what  he  said  on  another  subject,  "  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  that  which 
I  deliver  unto  you;  I  have  received  the  same  mercy  which  I  teach  you." 
Add  to  this  that  the  apostle  had  not  only  met  with  pardoning  love  to  an 
enemy,  on  God's  part,  but  he  had  also  experienced  it  from  the  church. 
Far  from  rendering  him  evil  for  evil,  far  from  avenging  his  persecutions, 
the  disciples  of  Christ  reached  out  the  arms  of  their  love  to  him,  received 
him  into  their  communion,  and  numbered  him  with  the  apostles  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

Such  were  Claude's  views  of  the  Topic,  which  requires  no  further  illus- 
tration in  its  primary  intention.  My  present  design,  however,  is  to  offer 
some  remarks  on  its  more  extended  application,  as  opening  a  way  to  dis- 
courses on  sacred  biography.  I  am  quite  satisfied  that  this  province  has 
been  neglected,  though  the  soil  is  rich,  and  such  as  will  abundantly  repay 
the  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  This  neglect  has  not,  however,  been  univer- 
sal; the  late  Dr.  Hunter,  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson  of  Leicester,  Dr. 
Blair,  and  others,  have  been  justly  celebrated  for  their  labors  in  this  de- 
partment ;  but  the  neglect  to  which  I  allude  is  among  the  great  body  of 
preachers.  Or  it  may  be  that  this  has  not  been  wholly  neglect,  for  that  is 
an  offensive  term,  and  sure  I  am  that  I  would  not  wilUngly  wound  the 
feelings  of  any  by  uttering  one  word  in  deprecation  of  their  well-meant 
efforts ;  perhaps  they  have  had  too  humble  an  opinion  of  their  own  talent, 
and,  because  it  has  so  happened  that  great  men  chiefly  have  entered  on  this 
labor,  they  have  imagined  that  it  was  only  fit  for  such  elevated  characters. 
But  I  do  not  see  why  such  a  degree  of  diffidence  should  be  entertained, 
or  why  any  preacher,  competent  to  the  general  duties  of  his  office,  may 
not  enter  into  this  distinct  species  of  sermonizing  with  a  prospect  of  suc- 
cess; nay,  *I  think  some  other  species  far  more  difficult  of  execution.  I 
know  that  it  requires  a  very  sound  and  a  discriminating  judgment,  as  well 
as  great  knowledge  of  the  heart;  but  so  do  other  kinds  of  discourse. 
This  kind  of  preaching  stands  highly  recommended.  St.  Paul,  in  his 
eleventh  chapter  to  the  Hebrews,  briefly  but  effectually  restores  to  our  no- 
tice the  worthies  of  the  Jewish  history.  We  are  reminded  that  "the 
righteous  shall  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance."  Sacred  biography  is 
therefore  a  means  of  preserving  the  knowledge  and  memory  of  the  best 
of  mankind,  their  noble  acts,  their  beneficial  labors,  their  wise  expressions. 
It  is  a  means  of  immortahzing  their  virtues,  or  of  cautioning  us  by  their 
frailties.  It  is  giving  a  voice  to  those  who,  though  dead,  yet  are  willing  to 
speak  to  us  for  our  advantage.  It  is  speaking  on  God's  behalf,  who  made 
these  men  "burning  and  shining  lights"  in  their  generations.  Who  had 
the  honor  of  their  preservation  amidst  all  the  ills  of  life,  and  amidst  all  the 
persecutions  they  endured?  and  who  at  length  brought  them  to  glory? 
The  answer  need  not  be  given.  All  kinds  of  hearers  will  be  entertained 
and  benefited  by  discourses  upon  this  plan.  Great  men  can  obtain  their 
examples  only  here;  and  all  others  can  here  obtain  a  just  view  of  what 
they  must  aim  at  and  follow  after.  Here  emulation  must  begin ;  here  ac- 
tion must  be  excited ;  and  here  reward  must  be  exhibited  to  those  who, 
imitating  their  faith  and  patience,  shall  inherit  the  promises.  But  what  is 
of  very  great  consequence,  ignorant  or  juvenile  hearers  can  understand  a 
life  when  they  can  not  fully  comprehend  a  doctrine.  The  young  who  at- 
tend Sunday  and  other  schools  will  direct  their  attention  especially  to  the 
early  lives  of  others  of  their  young  tribe,  when  nothing  else  would  secure 


PERSON    SPEAKING   OR   ACTING.  221 

it.*  I  do  therefore  recommend  to  you,  and  all  persons  that  are  in  the 
habit  of  addressing  the  young,  to  study  the  art  of  delineating  scripture 
characters.  I  am  very  jealous  of  any  other  characters.  I  do  not  say  we 
must  not  admit  such,  for  instance,  as  are  recorded  in  Janeway's  Token  for 
Children  ;  but  every  account  of  character  except  the  narratives  of  scripture 
is  liable  to  error  or  partiality.  Life-writers  are  too  often  like  those  artists 
who  value  their  paintings  by  the  quantity  of  showy  colors  they  throw  on 
the  canvass.  As  to  justness  of  proportions — light  and  shade — truth  and 
reason — these,  with  such  persons,  are  trifling  considerations.  But,  as  we 
look  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  what  wo  say,  we  must  bear  truth  on 
our  lips,  the  exact  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  upon  the  true  scripture 
plan. 

And  here  one  can  but  take  notice  of  the  biographical  articles  in  our  re- 
ligious periodical  works.  Lives  by  the  score  without  a  fault  (at  least  sub- 
sequently to  conversion),  a  constant  flow  of  holy  affections,  ceaseless  labor 
to  do  good,  a  fair  light  in  the  family,  brilliant  in  the  church — in  short, 
nothing  wanting  but  martyrdom  to  place  them  in  the  highest  rank  of  saints. 
These  writers  must  suppose  that  we  have  lost  our  understanding  or  that 
we  never  had  any.  Human  nature  is  semper  eadem,  and  this  nature 
remains  in  the  best  till  death,  when  all  imperfections  in  the  good  are  done 
away  for  ever.  It  is  highly  proper  to  magnify  divine  grace  by  showing 
its  influence  on  the  character  of  any  whom  we  may  be  called  to  notice ; 
but  then  our  representations,  to  be  effective  and  influential,  should  be  pro- 
portioned to  the  actual  measure  of  our  experience ;  they  should  so  accord 
with  facts  as  to  correspond  with  the  convictions  of  those  who  knew  the 
man ;  they  should  in  fact  be  accurate  and  lively  copies,  in  which  the  fea- 
tures of  the  original  may  be  immediately  brought  before  the  eye  of  the " 
mind.  Hence  it  will  sometimes  be  expedient  to  notice  those  inconsisten- 
cies and  improprieties  which  may  stand  as  blemishes  in  their  character, 
and  this  not  for  the  purpose  of  their  disgrace,  not  to  gratify  their  enemies, 
not  to  throw  a  suspicion  upon  their  whole  character,  nor  to  grieve  their 
surviving  friends,  but  that  these  blemishes,  noticed  in  public  and  put  upon 
record,  may  warn  others  not  to  do  wrong  in  the  same  way,  that  our  ene- 
mies may  see  that  we  are  just  and  impartial  (for  their  eyes  are  open  to 
these  matters),  and  that  the  fearful  and  humble  believer,  or  the  afflicted 
penitent,  may  see  that  other  Christians  were  encompassed  with  infirmities 
and  liable  to  the  same  temptations  as  they  themselves  feel. 

There  are  two  ways  of  delineating  character:  the  one  is  by  commen- 
cing with  a  narration  of  facts,  and  then  tracing  these  to  the  principles 
whence  they  maybe  supposed  to  originate.  Our  Savior  recommends  this 
method  of  examination  in  the  seventh  of  Matthew ;  we  are  first  to  look  at 
the  fruit  and  thence  to  determine  the  quality  of  the  tree.  This  method, 
however,  requires  very  great  caution.  It  is  true  there  must  be  something 
bad  in  the  heart  when  a  bad   action  is  done,  and  vice  versa;  but  then  as 

The  cunning  priests  of  the  catholic  church  take  great  advantage  of  the  disposition  in  their  people 
to  listen  to  the  lives  of  their  saints.  I  once  heard  one  of  their  preaching  priests  recount  the  life  of  an 
eminent  saint :  he  dwelt  with  rapture  upon  his  sanctity,  his  seclusion  from  human  society,  his  fastings, 
his  penances  and  mortifications,  his  conflicts  wath  the  devil,  his  miracles,  the  days  and  nights  he  spent 
m  prayer,  and  the  vast  stock  of  good  works  he  had  more  than  he  had  occasion  for,  which  therefore 
remained  to  pass  into  the  treasury  of  the  church,  for  the  use  of  those  who  had  too  few.  I  take  thi.s  as 
an  instance  that  there  is  something  which  delights  in  these  recitals  of  the  lives  of  eminent  individuals 
of  our  species,  especially  if  marvellous,  and  at  some  great  distance  of  time  ;  and,  unless  it  be  always 
correct  that  fiction  pleases  better  than  truth,  I  should  hope  that  something  like  -the  same  effects  may 
be  produced  when  the  genuine  character.s  of  scripture  are  described. 


222  LECTURE    XIV. 

man  is  of  a  mixed  character,  neither  wholly  bad  nor  wholly  good,  and  as 
at  one  moment  the  evil  principle  and  at  another  the  good  may  prevail,  so 
the  decision  becomes  embarrassing  and  requires  care.  It  may  be  material 
to  observe,  in  regard  to  our  Savior's  discourse  in  the  passage  abovemen- 
tioned,  that  the  case  alluded  to  is  of  an  unequivocal  nature.  When  a  man's 
words  and  professions  are  fair,  but  his  actions  belie  that  profession,  then 
we  argue  justly  that  the  character  is  bad.  So  far  our  Savior's  rule  has  no 
difficulty  in  it.  But  where  a  character  is  not  assumed  to  deceive,  and 
there  are  appearances  both  favorable  and  unfavorable,  then  some  other 
rule  must  be  applied  whereby  actions  are  to  be  traced  to  their  principle. 
The  predominant  character  must  be  ascertained.  If  it  be  proved  that  a 
principle  of  divine  grace  really  exists  and  operates,  that  the  individual  is 
really  governed  by  a  holy  fear  of  God,  evidenced  by  his  reverence  of 
God's  name  and  institutions,  by  love  to  God,  evidenced  by  his  delight  in 
that  which  he  has  commanded  (for  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep 
his  commands),  by  his  affection  toward  those  who  bear  the  divine  image, 
by  a  decided  separation  from  the  world,  and  by  some  Christian  graces 
that  are  peculiar  to  the  divine  life,  then  we  determine  that  such  a  man's 
principles  are  radically  good,  and  that  whatever  appears  to  the  contrary  is 
to  be  pronounced  accidental  only.  The  man  has  a  right  to  be  heard  upon 
St.  Paul's  plea:  "It  is  no  more  I  that  do  it,  but  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me." 
If  this  rule  be  not  admitted,  then  there  is  not  a  Christian  in  the  world; 
but,  if  the  rule  be  correct,  the  difficulty  is  removed;  and,  whether  we  see 
the  individual's  repentance  or  not,  it  is  fairly  to  be  supposed,  for  a  real 
Christian  rests  not  till  he  repents  and  renews  his  faith  in  the  atonement. 
Nay,  even  in  the  awful  case  of  a  backsliding  professor  bordering  on  apos- 
tacy,  we  are  not  to  strip  him  of  his  righteousness  till  he  become  an  enemy 
of  that  which  is  good ;  for  in  all  cases  short  of  this  there  is  a  corrective 
principle  within  him  which  in  time  will  duly  operate  to  his  restoration,  as 
in  the  instances  of  David,  and  Peter,  and  many  others. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  can  see  no  scriptural  marks  of  divine 
grace,  no  holy  fear  or  love  to  God,  no  love  to  his  people,  no  delight  in 
divine  things,  then,  though  there  may  be  some  good  actions,  some  occa- 
sional services  and  compliances,  yet,  in  tracing  actions  to  their  princi- 
ples, we  must  with  reluctance  and  caution,  and  with  real  sorrow,  assign 
such  favorable  actions  and  observances  to  an  occasional  place  only,  and 
insist  that  the  character  itself  is  that  of  an  unrenewed  person,  and  indi- 
cates an  unsafe  state,  but  still  having  the  benefits  of  the  gospel  as  a  plea, 
and  the  declared  mercy  of  God  pleadable,  if  ever  they  should  be  ap- 
proached by  a  living  faith — or,  in  other  words,  should  God  grant  them 
repentance  to  the  acknowledgment  of  the  truth. 

The  other  method  of  delineating  a  character  is  to  commence  with  the 
principles  which  the  individual  is  supposed  to  possess,  and  to  proceed 
from  these  to  the  several  acts  of  the  life  as  flowing  from  them.  Josiah's 
history  commences  with  a  declaration  of  early  uprightness ;  and  the  sacred 
historian  then  exemplifies  this  character  in  his  several  acts  of  holy  zeal  for 
the  glory  of  God.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  asserted,  at  the  beginning  of 
Manasseh's  history,  that  he  was  wicked,  and  his  wickedness  is  subse- 
quently evinced  in  the  several  indictments  that  are  afterward  proved  against 
him.  This  method  is,  in  fact,  proving  an  individual's  "  fiith  [or  the  want 
of  it]  by  his  Works."     Before  closing  this  lecture,  I  shall  give  a  further 


PERSON    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  223 

illustration  of  this  in  the  hves  of  Cain  and  Abel;  and  you  may  recollect 
that  there  is  a  similar  case  of  Isaac  and  Ishmael. 

This,  however,  is  not  the  usual  way,  and  I  think  it  must  give  place  to 
the  former.  Nevertheless,  so  long  as  the  delineation  is  extensive,  ample, 
and  just,  it  is  not  material  which  of  these  two  courses  you  follow,  or 
whether  you  mark  out  a  new  track  for  yourselves.  You  will  observe,  by 
the  examples  I  am  about  to  give,  that  some  divide  upon  the  several  quali- 
ties and  excellences  of  the  character,  others  upon  the  different  states  of 
life  through  which  the  individuals  passed,  or  by  some  contrast  of  their 
principles  and  conduct.  These  modes,  or  any  other,  that  preserve  the 
necessary  order,  may  be  adopted. 

Our  examples  of  sacred  biography  may  appropriately  commence  with  a 
sketch  of  the  hfe  of  our  ever-blessed  Savior.  It  is  from  Dr.  Blair,  and 
is  founded  on  Acts  x.  38  :  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  went  about  doing 
good."  After  stating,  by  way  of  apology,  that  he  does  not  intend  to  give 
a  complete  view  of  this  holy  hfe,  he  thus  divides  his  subject : — 

I.  Attend  to  his  assiduity  and  alacrity  in  embracing  every  opportunity  of  doing 
good.  The  whole  history  of  his  life  is  the  history  of  active  and  diffusive  benignity. 
Wherever  he  was  present  we  find  him  employed  in  doing  good,  either  relieving  men 
from  their  distresses  or  making  them  wise  and  happy  by  his  instructions.  The  whole 
country  around  him  seemed  to  be  his  family,  and,  if  in  a  literal  sense  he  had  been 
the  father  of  them  all,  they  could  not  have  exercised  his  care  nor  shared  his  bounty 
more.  The  hungry  were  fed  and  the  sick  were  cured,  the  blind  saw  and  the  lame 
walked,  wherever  he  came.  His  miracles  never  were  mere  ostentations  of  power, 
but  always  expressions  of  goodness.  Often  he  prevented  the  supplications  of  the 
distressed,  and,  unasked,  conferred  his  favors  ;  but  never  did  any  person  apply  to  him 
for  aid  and  relief  without  receiving  it,  whether  he  was  Jew  or  heathen,  friend  or  foe. 
What  is  especially  remarkable  in  his  beneficence  is  that  it  was  continued  and  perse- 
vering in  the  midst  of  ingratitude.  This  is  one  of  the  hardest  trials  of  virtue,  not  to 
be  soured  by  the  perversity  of  men,  and  which  persons  even  of  generous  spirits  find 
it  the  most  difficult  to  bear.  But  though  Christ  had  to  deal  with  a  most  untoward 
and  stubborn  generation,  whom  no  evidence  could  convince  and  no  goodness  could 
mollify,  though  of  all  the  great  numbers  who  had  been  objects  of  his  beneficence  we 
read  of  few  who  thankfully  acknowledged  his  kindness,  fewer  who  became  his  fol- 
lowers, and  none  who  rose  up  to  assert  his  cause  when  borne  down  by  unjust  perse- 
cution, yet,  seeking  to  do  good  only  for  its  own  sake,  he  persevered  to  the  last  in  un- 
wearied beneficence.  He  overcame  evil  ivith  good.  It  had  been  his  principle,  and, 
it  would  seem,  a  noted  saying  of  his,  which  his  disciples  remembered  and  quoted 
after  his  death,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,"  Acts  xx.  35. 

II.  Mark  for  imitation  the  gentleness  and  affability  which  appeared  in  the  whole 
of  our  Lord's  conduct.  This  relates  to  the  manner  of  conferring  benefits,  which  is 
often  as  material  as  the  benefits  themselves  are.  These  are  sometimes  conferred  so 
ungraciously  as  to  carry  the  air  of  insults  rather  than  benefits ;  whereas,  when  they 
bear  the  marks  of  proceeding  from  real  kindness,  their  value  is  heightened,  and  they 
are  received  with  double  pleasure.  There  are  numberless  occasions  when  the  dis- 
coveries of  humane  temper,  and  the  minor  offices  of  obliging  and  courteous  behavior, 
contribute  essentially  to  the  happiness  of  others,  and  supply  the  place  of  greater 
benefits  which  it  may  not  be  in  our  power  to  bestow.  For  this  amiable  spirit  our 
Lord  was  remarkably  distinguished.  He  was  open  and  affable  to  all,  and  easier  of 
access  than  his  own  disciples.  On  different  occasions  we  find  him  checking  his  dis- 
ciples when  they  restrained  the  forwardness  of  the  multitude  who  pressed  upon  him 
seeking  relief  Nay,  he  rebuked  them  for  forbidding  little  children  to  come  to  him, 
whom  the  fondness  of  the  parents  sought  to  introduce  to  his  presence.  He  took  the 
children  into  his  arms  and  blessed  them,  and  propounded  them  to  his  disciples  as 
emblems  of  that  innocence  and  simplicity  which  are  requisite  for  our  entering  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  Mark  x.  14.  He  conversed  familiarly  with  all  sorts  of  peo- 
ple, and  readily  answered  the  questions  they  put  to  him.  He  had  nothing  of  that 
haughty  and  distant  reserve  Avhich  we  often  see  maintained  by  men  of  the  world,  and 
which  prevents  them  from  holding  intercourse  with  any  whom  they  consider  as  their 
inferiors  in  reputation  or  in  rank.     On  the  contrary,  as  otu:  Lord  was  ready  to  do 


224  LECTURE    XIV. 

good  to  all,  so  he  disdained  not  to  receive  kindness  from  others,  complying  cheerfully 
with  the  desire  of  those  who  invited  him  to  their  houses,  and  accepting  in  good  part 
the  proffered  tokens  of  their  well-intended  respect.  For  such  instances  of  courtesy, 
he  was  reproached  by  the  Jews  as  one  who  wanted  that  external  severity  of  manners 
which  they  imagined  to  belong  to  a  professed  reformer  of  the  world.  Hut  he,  who 
knew  vvhat  Avas  in  the  heart  of  man,  saw  that  gentleness  and  condescension  were 
more  effectual  methods  of  gaining  men  over  to  goodness  than  harshness  and  austerity, 
and  therefore  did  not  decline  all  conversation  with  men  of  doubtful  or  blemished 
lives,  as  long  as  there  was  any  hope  of  making  them  better.  It  was  indeed  true  that 
he  was,  as  they  reproached  him,  a  friend  to  publicans  and  sinners  ;  for  he  was  a  friend 
to  every  one  to  whom  he  could  do  good.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  of  importance  to 
remark  that  this  benignity  of  our  Lord's  manner  never  betrayed  him  into  the  oppo- 
site extreme,  never  degenerated  into  that  easiness  of  good  nature  which  too  often 
leads  men  to  slide  into  the  manners  and  habits  of  those  with  whom  they  converse, 
though  they  can  not  approve  of  them.  Wherever  the  interests  of  virtue  were  con- 
cerned our  Savior  was  inflexibly  firm.  He  boldly  lifted  up  his  voice  and  testified 
against  vice  and  corruption  wherever  he  beheld  them.  He  freely  reproved  the  great- 
est men  of  the  nation  for  their  hypocritical  and  assumed  shows  of  sanctity  ;  and  the 
civility  with  which  he  was  entertained  in  the  house  of  a  Pharisee  did  not  prevent 
him  from  inveighing  severely  against  the  vices  of  that  sect  in  their  own  presence, 
Luke  xi.  37. 

HL  Consider  him  as  a  faithful  and  affectionate  friend.  The  apostles  whom  he 
chose  for  his  intimate  companions  and  friends  were  men  of  honest  and  candid  minds, 
and  of  great  plainness  and  simplicity  of  character,  men  who  from  real  esteem,  and 
from  conviction  of  the  truth  of  his  mission,  had  become  his  followers,  and  who,  not- 
withstanding the  disadvantages  of  his  fortune  in  the  world,  continued  to  follow  him 
to  the  last.  At  the  same  time  they  had  also  great  defects.  They  were  most  of  them 
of  timid  and  fearful  disposition,  of  slow  miderstanding,  backward  to  apprehend  spir- 
itual things,  and  still  prepossessed  with  the  favorite  prejudice  of  their  nation,  that  the 
promised  Messiah  was  to  be  a  great  conqueror,  who  was  to  rescue  their  country  from 
foreign  subjection  and  raise  it  to  empire  and  grandeur.  Among  these  men  our  Lord 
passed  all  the  hours  of  his  private  life,  acting  every  part  of  an  affjectionate  and  faith- 
ful friend,  commending,  advising,  and  reproving,  with  great  sincerity,  and  at  the  same 
time  with  great  tenderness.  In  his  manner  of  living  he  put  himself  perfectly  on  a 
level  with  them.  Some  of  them  he  honored  with  greater  intimacy  than  others  ;  but, 
like  a  prudent  father  in  his  family,  he  allowed  none  of  them  to  affect  superiority  over 
the  rest,  and  checked  all  that  tended  to  rivalry  among  them.  He  never  flattered 
them  in  their  failings.  He  never  soothed  them  with  vain  hopes.  He  never 
concealed  the  disagreeable  consequences  that  would  follow  from  adherence  to 
his  cause.  Again  and  again  he  inculcated  what  they  were  backward  and  im- 
willing  to  believe  concerning  himself;  and,  though  the  questions  they  put  often 
discovered  a  degree  of  gross  ignorance,  he  answered  them  all  without  passion  or 
impatience,  training  them  up  by  degrees  to  the  events  that  were  to  happen  after  his 
decease  and  to  the  high  part  they  were  destined  then  to  act  in  the  world.  How 
happy  would  it  be  for  mankind,  if  more  attention  were  given  to  this  noble  pat- 
tern of  fidelity  and  complacency  which  ought  to  prevail  among  friends,  and  of  the 
indulgence  due  to  the  failings  of  those  who  are,  in  their  general  character,  worthy 
and  estimable  persons !  This  amiable  indulgence  he  carried  so  far  that  in  one  of 
the  most  critical  seasons  of  his  life,  during  his  agony  in  the  garden,  when  he  had  left 
his  disciples  for  a  short  time,  with  a  strict  charge  to  watch  till  he  should  return,  but 
upon  his  returning  found  them  asleep,  all  the  reproof  which  their  negligence  at  so 
important  a  juncture  drew  from  him  was  no  more  than  this :  "  What  I  could  you  not 
watch  with  me  for  one  hourl"  Matt.  xxvi.  40.  Of  the  tenderness  of  our  Lord's 
affections,  and  the  constancy  of  his  friendship,  we  have  a  very  memorable  instance 
in  that  mixture  of  friendship  and  filial  piety  Avhich  he  discovered  during  the  cruelty 
of  his  last  sufferings.  It  is  recorded  that  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross,  beholding 
John  his  beloved  disciple  and  Mary  his  mother  standing  as  spectators  below,  he  said 
to  John,  "  Behold  ihy  mother,"  and  to  Mary,  "  Behold  thy  son,"  thus  committing  his 
forlorn  mother  to  the  charge  of  his  friend  John,  as  the  most  sacred  and  honorable 
pledge  he  could  leave  him  of  their  ancient  friendship.  The  heart  of  his  friend 
melted  ;  and,  from  that  hour,  we  are  told,  "  he  took  her  home  wilh  him  to  his  own 
house."  It  is  John  himself  who  has  recorded  to  us  this  honorable  testimony  of  his 
Master's  friendship,  John  xix.  26,  27. 

IV.  Notice  his  steady  command  of  temper  under  provocation.  Though  he  had 
revenge  always  in  his  power,  he  constantly  declined  it.     On  one  occasion,  when 


PERSON    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  225 

his  disciples  wished  him  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven,  to  punish  the  inhospi- 
tality  of  the  Samaritans,  "  he  turned  and  rebuked  them,  saying,  You  know  not  what 
manner  of  spirit  you  are  of;  for  the  Son  of  man  has  not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives, 
but  to  save  them,"  Luke  ix.  55.  "  When  he  was  reviled  he  reviled  not  again  ;  when 
he  suffered  he  threatened  not."  The  insults  which  he  often  received  from  a  brutal 
multitude  had  no  power  to  alter  the  meekness  and  generosity  of  his  disposition ;  he 
continued  to  beseech  and  entreat  them  when  they  sought  to  chase  him  away  from 
among  them.  When  they  accused  him  of  being  in  confederacy  with  evil  spirits  he 
answered  their  injurious  defamation  only  Avith  mild  and  calm  reasoning,  that,  if  he 
by  means  of  Satan  did  cast  out  Satan,  his  kingdom  must  be  divided  against  itself, 
and  could  not  stand.  At  his  trial  before  the  high  priest,  when  he  was  most  injuri- 
ously treated,  and  contrary  to  all  law  was,  in  the  face  of  the  court,  struck  by  one  of 
the  high  priest's  officers,  what  could  be  spoken  more  meekly  and  reasonably  than 
his  return  to  this  usage  at  a  time  when  all  circumstances  concurred  to  exasperate  the 
spirit  of  an  innocent  man — "  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil ;  but,  if 
well,  why  smitest  thou  me?"  John  xviii.  27.  When  his  enemies  were  completing 
the  last  scene  of  their  cruelty  in  putting  him  to  death,  all  their  barbarous  usage  and 
scurrilous  taunts  on  that  occasion  provoked  not  one  revengeful  thought  in  his  breast, 
nor  drew  from  his  lips  one  unbecoming  expression ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  last 
accents  of  his  expiring  breath  went  forth  in  that  affectionate  prayer  for  their  forgive- 
ness, "  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  !" 

V.  His  sympathy  and  compassion  for  the  miseries  of  mankind.  It  was  not  with 
a  cold  unfeeling  disposition  that  he  performed  the  office  of  relieving  the  distressed. 
His  manner  of  bestowing  relief  clearly  showed  with  what  sensibility  he  entered  into 
the  sorrows  of  others.  How  affecting,  for  instance,  is  the  account  of  his  restoring  to 
life  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain,  as  it  is  related  in  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  the 
evangelical  historian  !  "When  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold,  there 
was  a  dead  man  carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother ;  and  she  was  a  widow ;  and 
much  people  of  the  city  was  with  her."  All  the  circumstances  in  this  incident  are 
moving  and  affecting  ;  and  it  presently  appeared  with  what  tender  sensibility  our 
Lord  was  touched  at  the  sight  of  so  mournful  a  procession.  "  And  when  the  Lord 
saw  her  he  had  compassion  on  her,  and  said  unto  her.  Weep  not ;  and  he  came  and 
touched  the  bier  (and  those  that  bore  him  stood  still),  and  he  said.  Young  man,  I  say 
unto  thee,  arise.  And  he  that  was  dead  sat  up  and  began  to  speak  ;  and  he  delivered 
him  to  his  mother,"  Luke  vii.  12-16.  The  whole  scene  of  raising  Lazarus  from  the 
grave,  places  our  Savior's  sympathy  in  the  strongest  light,  John  xi.  33-36.  In  like 
manner  when,  for  the  last  time,  he  was  about  to  enter  into  Jerusalem,  though  the 
certain  knowledge  of  all  the  cruelties  which  were  prepared  for  him  there  would 
have  filled  the  breast  of  any  ordinary  person  with  indignation  and  hatred  instead  of 
such  emotions,  the  foresight  of  the  direful  calamities  which  hung  over  that  devoted 
city  melted  his  heart.     See  Luke  xiii.  34  ;  xix.  42. 

yi.  His  complete  obedience  to  his  heavenly  Father's  will  as  to  the  purport  of  his 
mission. 

This  last  I  have  added,  and  you  can  add  many  others  scarcely  less  im- 
portant. 

Take  next  a  sketch  or  two  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson's  Scripture 
Characters  :  say  that  of  Adam,  Gen.  v.  5  :  "  And  all  the  days  that  Adam 
lived  were  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  he  died." 

L  View  his  character  in  his  state  of  rectitude. 

1.  The  extent  of  his  knowledge. 

2.  The  truth  of  his  holiness. 

3.  The  perfection  of  his  happiness. 

II.  After  that  rectitude  was  for  ever  lost. 

1.  His  awful  fall. 

2.  The  consequences  of  this  fall. 

3.  The  revelation  made  to  him  of  a  Redeemer. 

4.  His  dissolution,  according  to  the  divine  denunciation,  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shah  surely  die." 

Again,  take  the  lives  of  Cain  and  Abel  together:  adopt  for  a  text  Gen. 
iv.  3-5. 

I.  The  difference  of  their  worship. 
1.  Cain's  offering  was  of  a  worldly  character. 

15 


226 


LECTURE    XIV. 


2.  Abel's  had  respect  to  a  spiritual  object,  Heb.  xi.  4. 

II.  The  dilTerence  of  their  conduct  or  moral  character.  The  works  of  one  were 
evil,  those  of  the  other  righteous,  1  John  iii.  12. 

III.  The  difference  of  their  end. 

This  is  somewhat  like  Mr.  Simeon's  on  Gal.  iv.  22-24.  You  may  take 
another  form  of  division,  viz.,  upon  the  chief  circumstances  of  a  life,  as 
that  of  Lot,  Gen.  xix.  20. 

I.  Before  he  fixed  his  abode  at  Sodom,  Gen.  xii. 

II.  During  his  residence  there,  2  Pet.  ii.  7,  8. 

III.  His  dismission  from  Sodom. 

IV.  His  permission  to  rest  at  Zoar. 

You  may  take  the  life  of  David  from  Acts  xiii.  36 :  "  David,  after  he 
had  served  his  own  generation  by  the  will  of  God,  fell  on  sleep." 

I.  Consider  David  in  his  historical  character.  [Then,  in  subdivisions,  you  take  his 
descent,  his  early  life,  his  call  to  the  kingly  office,  the  chief  acts  of  his  reign,  his  pub- 
lic worth,  his  private  life,  his  imperfections,  &c.] 

II.  Consider  his  eminence  in  the  church.  [Here  notice  his  inspiration,  his  pro- 
phetic spirit,  and  his  representative  character  as  a  type  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to 
which  you  will  add  whatever  you  may  think  suitable  for  that  purpose.] 

You  might  also  take  the  character  of  Moses  in  the  same  manner,  taking 
for  a  text  Deut.  xxxiv.  10  :  "  There  arose  not  a  prophet  like  unto  Moses," 
&c.  Let  the  principal  divisions  be  his  official  and  his  typical  character^ 
The  materials  for  subdivisions  I  shall  leave  to  your  own  selection.  I  hope 
that  these  forms,  though  not  numerous,  will  yet  be  sufficient  as  examples 
of  this  kind  of  preaching,  and  shall  close  this  lecture  with  a  few  remarks. 

The  first  character  in  this  lecture  was  that  of  our  blessed  Savior.  His 
character  will  very  often  present  itself  to  your  notice,  and  it  opens  to  you 
such  immense  topics  of  observation  and  instruction  that  your  studies 
should  be  intensely  devoted  to  it.  You  should  at  all  times  be  able  to 
speak  eloquently  of  him  whom  all  heaven  adores,  whom  all  nations  desire 
so  soon  as  they  know  his  excellency,  who  is  the  chief  of  all  the  names 
that  ever  were  named ;  therefore  endeavor  to  quahfy  yourselves  to  speak 
loftily  of  him,  say  almost  to  inspiration. 

My  desire  that  you  should  excel  in  this  style  of  preaching  prompts  me 
to  point  out  some  examples  of  excellence  for  your  improvement.  The  ex- 
amples of  scripture  are  the  purest.  Characters  are  there  drawn  with  in- 
imitable skill,  with  such  brevity  and  correctness,  such  unequalled  impartial- 
ity, that  they  seem  to  live  before  our  eyes.  Of  our  own  authors  that 
would  be  serviceable  to  your  studies,  1  recommend  Lawson  on  the  Char- 
acter of  Joseph,  Lawson  on  Ruth,  Blair's  Lives,  interspersed  in  his  five 
volumes  of  Sermons  (these  for  elegance  and  accuracy  stand  very  high  in 
my  esteem;  his  manner  should  be  studied  well).  Bishop  Home's  Life  of 
John  the  Baptist,  Dr.  Addington's  Life  of  St.  Paul,  the  Rev.  T.  Robin- 
son's Scripture  Characters,  Hunter's  Sacred  Biography,  &c.  From  these 
and  similar  works  you  may  catch  the  manner  of  this  art ;  for  it  is  peculiar 
and  distinct  from  all  other  kinds  of  writing.  You  will  learn  from  such 
sources,  and  from  your  own  accurate  observations,  much  of  the  philosophy 
of  human  nature,  much  of  tlije  mystery  of  the  heart,  its  turnings  and  twi- 
nings,  the  secret  springs  that  move  the  man,  the  motives  of  actions,  his 
passions,  affections,  appedtes,  what  is  assignable  to  his  folly  and  what  to 
his  wisdom,  what  to  his  educaUon,  his  early  impressions,  his  prejudices,  or 
the  real  grace  of  God  that  he  possesses.     You  will  learn  what  is  consistent 


PERSON    SPEAKING   OR    ACTING.  227 

or  inconsistent  with  his  character  and  station,  and  in  what  manner  to  turn 
all  incidents  into  matter  of  instruction. 

I  am  aware  that  it  will  be  said,  "How  can  we  penetrate  the  human 
heart,  since  this  is  the  province  of  Omniscience?  In  many  cases  the 
Scriptures  determine  for  us.  God  has  been  graciously  pleased  himself  to 
lead  us  into  the  "secret  chambers,"  has  given  us  his  own  decisions.  The 
eleventh  of  Hebrews,  for  instance,  decides  respecting  many  characters 
concerning  whom  it  would  have  been  difficult  for  us  to  have  decided. 
Again,  very  frequently,  at  the  end  of  a  life  described,  there  is  a  key  given 
us  how  to  judge,  as  that  respecting  Moses,  Deut.  xxxiv.  10,  or  that  of 
Ahab,  "There  was  none  like  Ahab,  who  did  sell  himself  to  w^ork  wicked- 
ness in  the  sight  of  the  Lord."  But  the  difficulty  may  not  be  wholly  in- 
surmountable even  when  we  are  without  such  unerring  guides. 

You  must  distinguish  between  such  acts  as  are  done  after  mature  con- 
sideration and  such  as  are  done  on  the  spur  of  the  occasion.  An  artful 
character,  if  he  have  time  to  deliberate,  will  act  the  hypocrite ;  but  take 
him  on  a  sudden,  before  there  is  a  moment's  time  to  think,  and  his  action 
will  strongly  partake  of  his  real  character.  There  may  be  deliberate  vil- 
lany  and  deliberate  goodness.  There  was  villany  in  Simeon  and  Levi's 
conduct,  and  that  of  a  deliberate  kind.  Gen.  xxxiv.  There  was  deliber- 
ate obedience  in  Abraham  offering  up  his  son.  In  the  one  a  pretended 
zeal  for  religion,  in  the  other  genuine  devotedness  to  God.  This  is  true 
in  many  cases,  but  not  in  all.  It  is  rather  sudden  acts,  done  when  and 
where  there  is  no  time  to  think,  that  speak  the  most  plainly.  The  sud- 
den emotion  produced  in  Jeroboam's  mind  when  the  man  of  God  proph- 
esied against  the  altar  in  Bethel  (1  Kings  xiii.)  indicated  the  real  char- 
acter of  that  man ;  but,  if  he  had  given  himself  time  for  reflection,  he 
would  certainly  have  acted  a  more  cunning  part.  On  the  other  hand, 
Joseph's  situation  in  Potiphar's  family,  suddenly  tempted  by  his  mistress 
(Gen.  xxxix.),  discovered  his  principles.  But  this  rule,  like  all  others,  is 
liable  to  exceptions ;  for  sometimes  these  sudden  acts  prove  quite  out  of 
character.  Saul's  sudden  penitence  before  David,  and  David's  sudden 
temptation,  were  both  out  of  character. 

You  are  not  in  general  to  look  so  much  at  a  man's  public  acts  as  to  his 
private  ones.  Public  acts  may  be  dictated  by  goodness  or  by  ostentation ; 
but,  if  any  incident  in  a  man's  history  appears  when  he  supposed  himself 
in  private,  there  you  behold  the  man.  Achan's  covetousness  (Joshua  vii.) 
was  a  secret  act,  and  the  act  showed  the  evil  state  of  his  heart.  But  now 
turn  to  Nathanael  (John  i.)  in  secret  under  the  fig-tree,  and  Jesus  on  the 
mountain's  top  at  midnight,  and  there  you  see  the  evidence  of  excellence 
in  their  characters. 

Further,  if  a  man  is  good  in  an  evil  time,  and  bears  insult  or  persecu- 
tion patiently  for  not  joining  with  the  multitude,  this  is  good  evidence. 
Young  Abijah  in  a  corrupt  court  procured  a  high  encomium ;  but  to  be 
good,  or  seem  so,  when  goodness  "goes  in  silver  slippers,"  does  not  ap- 
pear to  be  so  decisive. 

Again,  when  youth  are  suddenly  relieved  of  all  restraints,  by  the  death 
of  parents  or  guardians,  we  directly  see  their  characters.  When  persons 
change  their  situations,  get  totally  from  under  the  eye  of  their  old  connex- 
ions, and  where  all  observation  ceases,  they  then  manifest  their  real  char- 
acters.    This  was  remarkably  exemplified  in  the  character  of  Jehoash :  he 


228  LECTURE    XIV. 

felt  himself  under  restraint  by  the  wise  and  pious  Jehoiadah,  the  high 
priest,  to  whom  he  owed  the  throne;  but  on  the  death  of  this  good  man, 
Jehoash  burst  forth  into  his  true  character.     See  2  Kings,  xi.,  xii.,  &c. 

We  are  often  indebted  to  afflictions  and  severe  trials  for  the  discovery 
of  character,  from  the  effects  these  produce  during  the  season  of  trial,  as 
well  as  the  fruits  subsequently  brought  forth.  Great  changes  in  a  man's 
worldly  circumstances  generally  tell  a  true  tale,  and  new  situations  and 
connexions  in  general,  such  as  marriages  produce,  sometimes  give  a  sure 
mark  of  character.  Candor  will  be  disposed  to  urge  an  abatement  in  fa- 
vor of  the  weaker  sex ;  but  we  must  not  carry  this  too  far ;  we  must  not 
lower  the  standard  of  Christian  character.  Much  is  to  be  learned  by 
knowing  a  person's  predominant  passion.  For  instance,  if  it  be  ambition, 
and  the  propensity  to  gratify  it  finds  no  other  opening,  he  will  try  some- 
times, like  Jehu,  to  drive  a  religious  horse,  for  a  name  above  his  neighbors. 
If  naturally  proud,  if  he  can  get  no  other  coat,  he  will  exhibit  himself  in 
the  garb  of  sanctity ;  if  avaricious,  he  will  turn  religion  to  good  account ; 
and  so  on  for  every  other  passion.  On  the  contrary,  if  a  man's  religion 
evidently  counteracts  his  natural  passion,  and  gains  considerably  over  it, 
here  is  a  fine  topic  of  observation. 

If  a  man  be  naturally  of  a  selfish  disposition  and  of  a  narrow  mind,  and 
remain  so  after  he  assumes  a  profession  of  religion,  it  is  an  evil  token ;  but 
if  you  ascertain  that  his  disposition  was  naturally  selfish,  but  that  his  reli- 
gion corrects  this  principle,  so  that  "the  churl  becomes  liberal,"  here  the 
good  seed  is  visible.  If  we  discover  that  a  man  is  naturally  of  an  uncon- 
trollable spirit — a  self-willed  being — and  his  religion  does  not  mend  him,  we 
can  give  no  favorable  report ;  but  if  the  man  becomes  governable,  and  exer- 
cises much  self-denial,  we  shall  report  favorably,  and  with  very  great  pleas- 
ure. If  a  man  be  naturally  a  wit  and  continues  so — never  happy  but  in 
sporting  witticisms,  even  in  religious  matters — the  case  is  very  doubtful. 
Foohsh  jesting  is  not  only  indecorous  and  improper,  but  the  very  first 
principle  of  religion,  "the  fear  of  God,"  most  peremptorily  forbids  it.  I 
never  knew  but  one  religious  wit  that  could  be  called  pious. 

These  hints  will  here  be  sufficient ;  you  may  in  this  manner  run  through 
everything  in  human  nature.  Wherever  you  see  the  "  old  man  put  off"" 
and  the  "new  man  put  on,"  or  see  the  new  man  in  tattered  clothes,  you 
may  take  your  aim  accordingly ;  but  in  general  lean  to  the  favorable  side. 
"Charity  thinketh  no  evil."  We  are  yet  in  the  body,  and  if  we  do  not 
take  great  care,  somebody  may  give  an  unfavorable  account  of  us.  But 
there  is  one  thing  you  must  never  forget,  viz.,  to  point  out  and  to  make 
reflections  on  those  divine  providences  that  control  all  events  in  a  saint's 
life  (Ps.  xxxvii.  23),  to  mark  the  sufficiency  of  grace  in  these  holy  men 
of  God  in  every  view  and  under  all  circumstances,  and  observe  God's 
faithfidness  to  all  his  engagements  to  them ;  and  you  may  take  notice  that 
the  character,  faith,  and  sentiments  of  ancient  saints  seem  as  really  and  ef- 
fectually to  have  been  founded  on  Christian  doctrines,  as  if  the  gospel  in 
its  largest  letter  had  been  published  from  the  fall  of  man,  and  that  they,  as 
well  as  we,  received  out  of  the  same  "fulness"  of  grace  (1  Cor.  x.,  Heb. 
xi.,  Rom.  iv.),  and  that  they,  as  well  as  ourselves,  were  divinely  taught  in 
all  things  necessary  to  life  and  godliness.  Such  views  as  these  will  open 
a  large  field  of  observation  on  diffisrent  parts  of  the  Christian  system,  will 


PERSOX   SPEAKING   OR   ACTING.  229 

give  great  diversity  to  your  matter,  and  produce  a  rich  variety  in  your  dis- 
courses. 

Moreover,  in  regard  to  wicked  characters,  you  may  notice  God's  deal- 
ings with  them,  the  divine  rebukes,  warnings,  &c.,  given  them ;  and  you 
may  further  notice  the  influence  of  bad  company,  evil  counsellors,  and 
vile  passions,  that  lead  from  one  degree  of  sin  to  another,  till  destruction 
comes  upon  them. 

1  have  thus  offered  you  many  general  ideas  as  to  the  dehneation  of 
character ;  something  is  yet  due  as  to  the  manner  in  which  you  should 
make  use  of  them.  You  will  establish  upon  these  ideas  a  system  of  ob- 
servation and  comment.  This  you  will  acquire  by  studying  the  works  I 
have  recommended  better  than  by  anything  I  can  bring  before  you ;  but, 
lest  you  should  not  be  able  to  peruse  such  works  (for  this  is  very  possible), 
I  will  attempt  a  few  hints  in  conclusion  of  this  Lecture.  I  have  read 
biography,  so  called,  which  has  been  most  dreadfully  insipid,  a  species  of 
elegant  nothingness,  poor  thoughts  in  gaudy  dress,  occupying  page  after 
page,  supplicating  the  attention  of  the  reader,  putting  one  in  mind  of  the 
mountain  in  labor.  Insipidity  here  is  not  to  be  endured ;  there  must  be  a 
litde  salt,  a  litde  spice,  and  a  litde  acid  (but  not  of  malice  or  envy),  a  great 
deal  of  sweet  urbanity,  and  of  truth  qua7itum  sufficit,  for  without  this  the 
rest  of  the  ingredients  will  be  of  no  value.  "  As  you  would  that  men 
should  do  to  you,  do  you  also  so  to  them."  Turn  your  idea  or  incident 
over  on  every  side  ;  exercise  a  litde  patience  and  new  thoughts  will  appear 
and  old  ones  magnify  to  your  view.  And  having  said  thus  much  it  might 
be  prudent  in  me  not  to  write  biography,  though  I  recommend  it  to  others ; 
but,  if  I  were  to  write,  the  subject  that  would  please  me  best  would  be 
that  of  the  diligent  student  and  faithful  pastor,  who,  while  living,  aimed 
at  nothing  but  the  glory  of  God  and  the  benefit  of  his  fellow-men. 

Judicious  observations,  combined  with  comment,  will  be,  if  spirited  and 
anirnated,  sufficient  to  carry  you  through  any  service  of  this  kind.  Your 
oudine  or  skeleton  will  of  course  comprehend  the  broad  characters  of  the 
life  you  are  speaking  of ;  your  subdivisions  will  take  up  the  minor  incidents 
or  circumstances  :  each  of  these  becomes,  one  after  another,  a  subject  to 
you,  long  or  short,  according  to  its  importance. 

Suppose  the  life  of  Joseph  to  be  before  you,  or  that  part  of  it  which  is 
included  in  Gen.  xlvii.  2,  3,  "  And  he  took  some  of  his  brethren,  even 
five  men,  and  presented  them  unto  Pharaoh.  And  Pharoah  said  unto 
his  brethren.  What  is  your  occupation  ?  And  they  said  unto  Pharaoh, 
Thy  servants  are  shepherds,  both  we  and  also  our  fathers,  you  might 
observe — 

This  was,  perhaps,  the  first  time  that  any  of  Joseph's  brethren  ever  appeared  in 
the  presence  of  so  great  a  king ;  for  none  of  the  princes  of  Canaan  could  be  com- 
pared, for  power  and  grandeur,  with  the  king  of  Egypt.  These  men  would  doubt- 
less feel  no  litde  solicitude  when  they  were  to  appear  before  so  august  a  personage 
as  petitioners  for  his  favor.  But  it  was  their  comfort  that  they  were  introduced  into 
the  royal  presence  by  a  brother  who  loved  them,  and  who  was  beloved  and  esteemed 
by  the  king  ;  and  may  we  not  be  emboldened  to  come  into  the  presence  of  the  ever- 
lastuxg  King  by  the  consideration  that  our  blessed  Mediator  is  not  ashamed  to  call 
us  brethren,  and  that  his  interest  in  the  court  of  heaven  is  sufficient  to  procure  us 
everything  we  need  ?  His  merits  more  than  counterbalance  our  imworthiness,  and 
his  intercession  will  procure  for  us  the  audience  of  all  our  prayers. 

Again,  Pharaoh  said,  "  What  is  your  occupation  ?"  Pharaoh  did  not  ask  whether 
they  had  an  occupation.     This  he  took  for  granted.    But  he  asked  them  what  their 


230  LECTURE    XIV. 

occupation  was.  He  wished  to  afford  them  some  occupation  or  employment  for 
which  they  were  qualified  by  their  former  habits  of  life.  A  wise  man  will  not 
rashly  relinquish  that  occupation  in  which  his  emplo}anent  has  long  been,  nor  will 
he  rashly  take  another  man  out  of  that  employment  to  which  he  has  long  been  ac- 
customed. As  we  are  to  make  the  first  choice  of  our  occupation,  by  considering  the 
talents  which  God  has  given  us,  if  we  find  ourselves  called  upon  to  choose  a  new 
employment,  it  will  be  our  wisdom  to  choose  (if  we  are  at  liberty  to  choose)  some 
business  for  which  we  are  in  a  measure  fitted  by  our  former  habits  of  life.  God  has 
however  often  called  men  to  professions  very  different  from  their  former  ones  ;  but 
then  he  can  give  what  new  powers  he  pleases  to  them  in  such  cases.  It  is  easy  with 
him  to  make  shepherds  fit  to  rule  over  men,  or  to  qualify  fishers  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  waters  to  be  fishers  of  men.  God  could  give  Joseph  wisdom  sufficient  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  a  great  kingdom ;  but  Pharaoh  could  not  qualify  men  whose  trade  had 
been  in  cattle  from  their  youth  to  manage  the  affairs  of  state. — Lawson's  Joseph. 

Here  everything  is  sensible  and  judicious  ;  the  author  views  things  with 
the  eye  of  a  philosopher  and  the  mind  of  a  Christian  minister.  The  words  in 
italics  bring  home  the  subject  to  yourselves,  as  bemg  about  to  become  preach- 
ers ;  if  God  call  you  to  this,  he  can  and  will  qualify  you  for  the  work  ;  and, 
if  this  be  not  the  case,  it  were  best  to  continue  in  your  own  occupations. 

The  following  is  of  a  more  critical  nature,  and  will  afford  variety.  It 
is  upon  the  eleventh  chapter  of  John. 

The  subject  is  deeply  affecting,  and  suited  to  the  pen  of  John.  The  beloved  dis- 
ciple seems  to  delight  in  spreading  it  out ;  for  he  has  colored  his  narration  with 
many  beautiful  circumstances,  which  unfold  the  characters  of  several  persons,  and 
manifest  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  his  Master's  heart.  It  is  a  striking  instance 
of  that  strict  propriety  which  pervades  all  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  and 
which  marks  their  authenticity,  that  the  tenderest  scenes  in  our  Lord's  life,  thpse  in 
which  the  warmth  of  his  private  affections  is  conspicuous,  are  recorded  by  this  evan- 
gelist. From  the  others  we  learn  his  public  life,  the  grace,  the  condescension,  the 
benevolence,  which  appeared  in  all  his  intercourse  with  those  that  had  access  to 
him.  It  was  reserved  to  "  the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved"  to  present  to  succeeding^ 
ages  this  divine  person  in  his  family  and  among  his  friends.  In  his  gospel  we  see 
Jesus  washing  the  feet  of  his  disciples  at  the  last  supper  that  he  ate  with  them.  It 
is  John  the  disciple  who  leaned  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus  while  he  sat  at  meat,  who  re- 
lates the  long  discourse  in  which,  with  the  most  delicate  sensibility  for  their  condi- 
tion, he  soothes  the  troubled  heart  of  his  disciples,  spares  their  feelings  while  he 
tells  them  the  truth,  and  gives  them  his  parting  blessing.  It  is  John  whom  Jesus 
judged  worthy  of  the  charge,  who  records  the  filial  piety  with  which,  in  the  hour  of 
his  agony,  he  provides  for  the  comfort  of  his  mother;  and  it  is  John,  whose  soul  was 
congenial  to  that  of  his  Master  (tender,  affectionate,  and  feeling  like  his),  who  dwells 
upon  all  tlie  particulars  of  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  brings  lorward  to  our  view 
the  sympathy  and  attention  with  which  Jesus  took  part  in  the  sorrows  of  those  whom 
he  loved,  thus  making  us  intimately  acquainted  with  them  and  with  hiro,  and  pre- 
senting us  with  a  picture  at  once  delightful  and  instructive. 

Having  given  the  character  of  the  historian,  we  must  next  show  the  friendship 
which  Jesus  entertained  for  the  family  of  Lazarus.  Bethany  was  a  small  village 
upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  within  two  miles  of  Jerusalem.  Jesus,  who  resided 
chiefly  in  Galilee,  and  went  only  occasionally  to  Jerusalem,  Avas  accustomed  to  lodge 
with  Lazarus  on  his  way  to  the  public  festivals  ;  and  we  are  led  to  suppose,  by  an  inci- 
dental expression  in  Luke  (ch.  xxi.  37,  38),  that  during  the  festivals  he  went  out  to 
Bethany  in  the  evening  and  returned  to  Jerusalem  in  the  morning.  To  this  little 
family  he  retired  from  the  fatigues  of  his  busy  life,  from  the  disputations  of  the 
Jewish  doctors,  and  the  bitterness  of  his  enemies ;  and,  being  like  his  brethren  en- 
compassed with  infirmities,  like  his  brethren  also  he  found  refreshment  to  his  soul  ia 
the  intercourse  of  those  whom  he  loved.  "  Now  Jesus,"  says  John,  "  loved  Martha, 
and  her  sister,  and  Lazarus."  He  loved  the  world  ;  he  loved  the  chief  of  sinners: 
that  was  a  love  of  pity,  the  compassion  which  a  superior  being  feels  for  the  wretched. 
This  was  the  love  of  kindness,  the  complacency  which  kindred  spirits  take  in  the 
society  of  one  another.  Of  the  brother  he  says  to  his  apostles,  with  the  same  cor- 
diality with  which  you  would  speak  of  one  like  yourselves,  "  our  friend  Lazarus." 
And,  though  we  shall  find  the  character  of  the  two  sisters  widely  different,  yet  he 
discerned  in  both  a  mind  worthy  ol'  his  friendship. 


PERSON    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  231 

It  appears  strange  to  me  that  any  person  who  ever  read  this  chapter  can  blame 
the  gospel,  as  some  deistical  writers  have  done,  for  not  recommending  private  friend- 
ship. Can  there  be  a  stronger  recommendation  than  this  picture  of  the  author  of  the 
gospel,  drawn  by  the  hand  of  the  beloved  disciple?  When  you  follow  Jesus  to 
Jerusalem  you  may  learn  from  his  public  life  fortitude,  diligence,  wisdom.  When 
you  retire  with  him  to  Bethany  you  may  learn  tenderness,  confidence,  and  fellow- 
feeling  with  those  whom  you  choose  as  your  friends.  The  servants  of  Jesus  may 
not,  in  every  situation,  find  persons  so  worthy  of  their  friendship  as  this  family ;  and 
there  is  neither  duty  nor  satisfaction  in  making  an  improper  choice.  Many  circum- 
stances may  appoint  for  individuals  days  of  solitude,  and  therefore  the  religion  of 
Jesus,  which  is  universal,  has  wisely  refrained  from  delivering  a  precept  which  it 
may  be  often  impossible  to  obey.  But  those  who  are  able  to  follow  the  example  of 
their  Master,  by  having  a  heart  formed  for  friendship  and  by  meeting  with  those 
who  are  worthy  of  it,  have  found  the  medicine  of  life.  Their  happiness  is  indepen- 
dent of  noise,  and  dissipation,  and  show.  Amid  the  tumult  of  the  world,  their  spirits 
enter  into  rest ;  and  in  the  quiet,  pleasing,  rational  intercourse  of  Bethany,  they  for- 
get the  strife  of  Jerusalem- 

The  next  object  in  this  exhibition  is  the  character  of  the  two  sisters,  painted  in  the 
perfect  and  natural  manner  which  the  Scriptures  almost  always  adopt — by  actions, 
not  by  words.  As  soon  as  Lazarus  is  sick  the  two  sisters  send  a  message  to  Jesus, 
with  entire  confidence  in  his  power  to  heal  and  his  willingness  to  come.  He  was 
now  at  a  distance,  but  the  sisters  of  Lazarus  knew  too  well  his  affection  for  their 
brother  to  think  that  distance  would  prevent  his  coming.  They  say  no  more  than 
"  he  whom  thou  lovest  is  sick,"  and  they  leave  Jesus  to  interpret  their  wish.  When 
Jesus  arrived  at  Bethany,  after  the  death  of  Lazarus,  the  different  characters  of  the 
two  sisters  are  supported  with  the  most  delicate  discrimination,  even  under  that  pres- 
sure of  grief  which,  in  the  hand  of  a  coarse  painter,  would  have  obliterated  every 
distinguishing  feature.  Martha,  who  had  been  ■"cumbered  with  much  serving" 
when  she  had  to  entertain  our  Lord,  rises  with  the  same  officious  zeal  from  the 
ground  where  she  was  sitting,  dishevelled,  in  sackcloth,  among  the  friends  that  had 
come  to  comfort  her.  She  rises  the  moment  she  hears,  by  some  accident,  that  Jesus 
is  at  hand,  and  runs  to  meet  him.  Mary,  who  had  sat  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  so  much 
engaged  with  his  discourse  as  not  to  think  of  providing  for  his  entertainment,  is  in- 
capable of  so  brisk  an  exertion,  or  thinks  it  more  respectful  to  Jesus  to  wait  his 
coming.  This  difference  in  the  conduct  of  the  two  sisters  is  in  the  style  of  nature, 
according  to  Avhich  the  particular  feelings  of  particular  persons  give  a  very  great 
variety  to  the  language  of  passion,  upon  occasions  equally  interesting  to  all  of  them. 
A  man  may  know — he  ought  to  know — every  corner  of  his  own  heart,  how  far  any 
part  of  his  conduct  proceeds  from  the  defect  of  good  or  the  prevalence  of  wrong  prin- 
ciples. But  the  most  intimate  acquaintance  does  not  give  him  access  to  know  all 
the  notions  of  delicacy  and  propriety  which  may  restrain  or  urge  on  others  at  par- 
ticular seasons,  and  may  give  to  their  conduct,  in  the  eye  of  careless  observers,  a 
very  different  color  from  that  which  they  would  wish  ;  and  it  argues  both  an  uncan- 
did  spirit  and  very  little  knowledge  of  the  world,  to  say  or  think,  "  This  man  does 
not  feel  as  he  ought,"  because  he  does  not  express  his  feelings  as  I  would  express 
mine.  "  Martha  ran  and  met  Jesus." — "  Mary  sat  still  in  the  house."  When  Mar- 
tha comes  to  Jesus  there  is  in  her  first  words  a  mixture  of  reproach  for  his  delay  and 
of  confidence  in  his  kindness:  "Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not 
died."  A  gleam  of  hope,  indeed,  shoots  athwart  the  sorrowful  mind  of  Martha  at 
the  sight  of  Jesus.  But  her  wish  is  so  great  that  she  is  afraid  to  inention  it :  "I 
know  that,  even  now,  whatsoever  thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it  thee."  She 
had  conceived  a  hope  (in  the  state  of  her  mind  it  was  a  wild  hope)  that  her  brother 
whom  she  had  lost  might  be  instantly  restored.  Jesus  composes  her  spirits,  prepares 
her  for  this  gift  by  recalling  her  thoughts  from  the  general  resurrection  to  himself, 
and  probably  gives  her  some  sign  or  direction  in  consequence  of  which  she  goes  to 
the  house,  and,  without  alarming  the  Jews  who  were  assembled  there,  says  secretly 
to  her  sister,  "  The  Master  has  come,  and  calleth  for  thee."  This  message  instantly 
rouses  Mary.  Her  spirit,  bowed  do^vn  with  grief,  revives  at  his  call,  and  without 
knowing,  and  probably  without  conceiving,  the  purpose  for  which  he  called  her,  she 
arises  quickly  and  goes  to  him.  When  she  arrives  there  is  more  submission  in  her 
maimer  than  there  had  been  in  that  of  Martha.  The  marks  are  stronger  of  an  op- 
pressed and  afflicted  spirit.  "  She  fell  down  at  Jesus's  feet,  weeping."  But,  as  if  to 
remind  us  that  we  should  look  beyond  these  outward  expressions,  which,  being  very 
much  a  matter  of  constitution,  vary  accordingly  in  different  persons,  the  evangelist 


232  LECTURE    XIV. 

puts  the  same  words  into  the  mouth  of  both :  "  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my 
brother  had  not  died  ;"  and,  whatever  interpretation  we  give  to  these  words  when 
they  are  spoken  by  one  sister,  we  can  not  avoid  giving  them  the  same  when  spoken 
by  the  other.  In  this  exhibition  of  the  manner  of  the  two  sisters  there  is  so  much  of 
nature,  and  of  nature  appearing  strongly  in  minute  circuinstances,  as  to  be  far  su- 
perior to  that  truth  of  painting  which  we  admire  in  a  fancied  picture,  and  to  carry 
with  it  an  internal  evidence  that  John  was  a  witness  of  what  he  describes,  and  that  his 
drawing  is  part  of  a  scene  which,  from  the  powerful  yet  different  emotions  of  the 
two  sisters,  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his  feeling  heart. 

The  next  object  which  presents  itself  in  this  moral  exhibition  is  the  character  of 
the  apostles.  The  gospel  presents  us  with  their  most  natural  picture— their  doubts, 
their  fears,  their  slowness  to  believe.  By  circumstances  that  seem  to  be  incidentally 
recorded  we  see  them  feeling  and  acting,  not  indeed  in  the  manner  which  would  have 
occurred  to  a  rude  unskilful  hand,  had  he  attempted  to  portray  those  who  were  hon- 
ored with  being  the  companions  of  Jesus,  but  in  the  manner  which  any  one  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  human  heart  will  perceive  to  be  the  most  natural  for  men  of 
their  condition  and  education,  and  situated  as  they  were.  We  see  them  differmg 
from  one  another  in  sentiment  and  conduct  with  the  same  kind  of  variety  which  is 
observable  among  our  neighbors  and  companions,  each  preserving  in  every  situation 
his  peculiar  character,  and  all  at  the  same  time  uniting  in  attachment  to  their 
Master. 

Although  the  companions  of  Jesus  were  interested  in  the  fate  of  his  friend  Lazarus, 
yet  they  did  not  understand  the  hints  which  our  Lord  gave  them.  Although  sleep 
is  one  of  the  most  common  images  of  death,  they  supposed,  when  Jesus  said,  "  Our 
friend  Lazarus  sleepeth,"  that  he  was  enjoying  a  refreshing  sleep,  by  which  nature 
was  to  work  his  cure  ;  and,  not  attending  to  the  impropriety  of  Jesus  going  a  long 
way  to  awake  him  out  of  such  a  sleep,  they  said,  "  Lord,  if  he  sleep  he  shall  do  well." 
"When  Jesus  tells  them  plainly  "  Lazarus  is  dead,"  Thomas  stands  forth,  and  by  one 
expression  presents  us  the  same  character  as  more  fully  unfolded  elsewhere,  John  xx. 
24-28.  The  disciples  were  alarmed  at  the  danger  of  going  back  to  Judea.  They 
tried  to  dissuade  their  Master,  but  they  found  him  fixed  in  his  purpose :  "Lazarus  is 
dead  ;  nevertheless,  let  us  go  unto  him."  Then  said  Thomas  unto  his  fellow-disci- 
ples, "  Let  us  also  go  that  we  may  die  with  him."  You  see  here  the  same  warmth 
of  temper,  the  same  determined  mind,  which  appeared  on  the  occasion  before  re- 
ferred to,  but  you  see  also  the  same  defect  of  faith.  Thomas  did  not  think  it  possi- 
ble that  Jesus  could  shelter  himself  from  the  Jews.  He  did  not  see  any  purpose  that 
could  be  served  by  the  journey.  He  thought  Jesus  was  going  to  throw  away  his 
life  ;  yet  he  resolved  himself,  and  he  encourages  his  fellow-disciples,  not  to  part  with 
him':  "  Let  us  go  that  we  may  die  with  him."  It  was  the  strong  effort  of  a  mind 
which  loved  and  venerated  Jesus,  yet  distrusted  and  did  not  know  his  divine  power 
— Thomas  faithless,  yet  affectionate  and  manly. 

Such  is  the  mixture  of  character  which  we  often  meet  with  in  common  life. 
Those  who  are  most  intimately  acquainted  with  the  workings  of  the  human  heart, 
and  who  have  observed  most  accurately  the  manners  of  those  around  them,  will  best 
perceive  the  truth  of  that  picture  which  the  evangelists  have  drawn  of  themselves, 
and  they  will  be  struck  with  the  force  of  that  internal  evidence  for  the  gospel  which 
.arises  from  this  simple  natural  record.  We  can  not  attend  to  this  picture  without 
'recoUectin?  the  divine  power,  which,  out  of  these  feeble  doubting  men,  raised  the 
most  successful  instruments  of  spreading  the  religion  of  Jesus.  There  was  no  want 
of  faith  after  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Thomas  was  one  of  the  company  assembled 
when  "  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  and  he  who  now  says,  "  Let  us 
go  and  die  with  Jesus,"  with  power  gave  witness  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord, 
Acts  iv.  31-33.  .        .    .    _ 

The  principal  object  in  this  moral  exhibition  yet  remains;  it  is  Jesus  himself. 
The  striking  feature  throughout  the  whole  is  tenderness  and  love.  But  we  discern 
also  prudence,  fortitude,  and  dignity ;  and  this  chapter  may  thus  serve  as  a  speci- 
men of  that  most  perfect  and  difficult  character  which  the  apostles  were  incapable 
of  conceiving,  and  which,  had  they  conceived  it,  they  would  have  been  unable  to 
support  in  every  situation  with  such  exact  propriety  if  they  had  not  dra^vn  it  from 

After  he  received  the  message  from  the  sisters  he  relieved  himself  from  the  ina- 
portunity  of  his  disciples  by  an  assurance  which  was  sufficient  to  remove  their 
anxiety,  and  he  lingered  for  two  days  in  the  place  where  he  Avas.  But  this  lingering 
did  not  proceed  from  indifference.  Mark  how  beautifully  the  fifth  verse  is  thrown 
in  between  the  assurance  given  to  the  disciples  and  the  resolution  to  delay.     He  en- 


PERSON    SPEAKING    OR   ACTING.  233 

tered  into  their  sorrows.  His  sympathy  for  them  indeed  yields  to  his  prosecution  of 
the  great  purpose  for  which  he  came  ;  yet  his  love  is  not  the  less  for  delay.  How 
tender  and  how  soothing  !  The  merciful  High  Priest,  to  whom  Christians  still  send 
their  requests,  is  not  forgetful,  although  he  does  not  immediately  grant  thcna.  He 
loves  and  pities  his  own  ;  but  he  does  not  think  their  time  always  the  best.  His  own 
time  for  showing  favor  is  set.  No  intervening  circumstances  can  prevent  its  coming  ; 
and  when  it  arrives  they  themselves  will  acknowledge  that  it  has  been  well  chosen, 
and  all  their  sorrows  will  be  forgotten  and  overpaid  by  the  joy  which  will  be  brought 
to  their  souls.  One  of  the  finest  moral  lessons  is  conveyed  by  this  delay  of  Jesus.  It 
is  pleasing  to  act  from  kindness,  compassion,  and  love  ;  but  the  excess  of  good  affec- 
tions may  sometimes  mislead  us.  And  there  are  considerations  of  prudence,  of 
fidelity,  and  justice,  which  may  give  to  the  conduct  of  the  most  tender-hearted  man 
an  appearance  of  coldness  and  severity.  The  world  may  judge  hastily  in  such  in- 
stances. But  let  every  man  be  satisfied  in  his  o-\vn  mind,  first,  that  he  has  good  af- 
fections, and  next,  that  the  considerations  which  sometimes  restrain  the  exercise  of 
them  are  such  that  he  need  not  be  ashamed  of  their  influence. 

It  is  strongly  marked,  in  this  moral  picture,  that  the  delay  of  Jesus,  although  dic- 
tated by  prudence,  did  not  proceed  from  any  consideration  of  his  personal  safety. 
For,  when  the  disciples  represented  the  danger  of  revisiting  Judea,  his  answer  was, 
"  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day  ?  If  any  man  walk  in  the  day  he  stumbleth 
not,  because  he  seeth  the  light  of  this  world ;  but  if  a  man  walk  in  the  night  he 
stumbleth,  because  there  is  no  light  in  him."  His  meaning  is  explained  by  other 
similar  expressions.  The  Jews  divided  the  day  both  in  summer  and  winter  into 
twelve  hours,  so  that  an  hour  with  them  was  not,  as  with  us,  a  certain  portion  of 
time,  but  the  twelfth  part  of  a  day,  longer  in  summer  and  shorter  in  winter.  The 
time  of  his  life  upon  earth  was  the  day  of  Jesus,  during  which  he  had  to  finish 
the  work  given  him  to  do.  While  this  day  continued  none  of  his  enemies  had  power 
to  take  away  his  life,  and  he  had  nothing  to  fear  in  fulfilling  the  commandment  of 
God.  When  this  day  ended  his  work  ended  also  ;  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  ene- 
mies, but  he  was  ready  to  be  off'ered  up.  And  thus  in  the  same  picture  Jesus  is  ex- 
hibited as  gentle,  feeling  compassion  to  his  friends,  undaunted  in  the  face  of  his 
enemies,  assiduous  and  fearless  in  working  the  work  of  him  that  sent  him.  There 
shines  throughout  the  whole  of  this  picture  a  dignity  of  manner,  no  indecent  haste, 
no  distrust  of  his  own  power,  a  delay  which  rendered  one  work  more  difficult,  yet 
which  is  not  employed  in  preparing  for  an  uncommon  exertion.  "  Lazarus  is  dead  ; 
and  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I  was  not  there,  to  the  intent  that  you  may  be- 
lieve." He  wishes  to  give  his  disciples  a  more  striking  manifestation  of  his  divine 
power,  and  the  display  is  made  for  their  sakes,  and  not  for  his  own.  With  what 
solemnity  he  displays  to  Martha  his  exalted  character  in  these  words :  "  I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life  ;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live,  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die !"  And  suitable  to 
the  authority  implied  in  that  character  does  he  require  from  Martha  a  confession  of 
her  faith  in  him.  Yet  how  easily  does  he  descend  from  this  dignity  to  mingle  his 
tears  with  those  of  his  friends !  "  When  he  saw  Mary  weeping,  and  the  Jews  also 
weeping  who  came  with  her,  he  groaned  in  his  spirit  and  was  troubled;"  and,  as 
they  led  him  to  the  sepulchre,  "Jesus  wept."  How  amiable  a  picture  of  the  Savior 
of  the  world  !  He  found  upon  earth  an  hospital  full  of  the  sound  of  lamentation,  a 
dormitory  in  which  some  are  every  day  falling  asleep  and  those  that  remain  are 
mourning  over  those  who  to  them  are  not.  He  brought  a  cordial  to  revive  our 
spirits,  while  we  are  bearing  our  portion  of  this  general  sorrow,  and  he  has  opened 
to  our  view  a  land  of  rest.  But  even  while  he  is  executing  his  gracious  purpose  his 
heart  is  melted  with  the  sight  of  that  distress  which  he  came  to  relieve ;  and,  al- 
though he  was  able  to  destroy  the  king  of  terrors,  he  was  troubled  when  he  beheld 
in  the  company  of  mourners  a  monument  of  his  power.  We  do  not  read  that  Jesus 
ever  shed  tears  for  his  own  sufferings.  When  he  was  going  to  the  cross  he  turned 
round  and  said,  "  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me."  But  he  wept  over  Je- 
rusalem when  he  thought  of  the  destruction  that  was  coming  upon  it  (Luke  xxiii. 
28) ;  and  here  the  anguish  of  his  friends  draws  from  him  groans  and  tears.  He  was 
soon  to  remove  their  anguish  ;  but  it  was  not  the  less  bitter  during  its  continuance, 
and  it  is  the  present  distress  of  his  friends  into  which  his  heart  enters  so  readily. 

Let  the  false  pride  of  philosophy  place  the  perfection  of  the  human  character  in  an 
equality  of  mind  unmoved  by  the  events  that  befall  ourselves  or  others.  But  Chris- 
tians may  learn,  from  the  example  of  him  who  was  made  like  his  brethren,  that  the 
variety  in  the  events  of  life  was  mtended  by  the  Author  of  nature  as  an  exercise  of 
feeling,  that  it  is  no  part  of  our  duty  to  harden  our  heart  against  the  impressions 


234  LECTURE    XIV. 

which  they  make,  and  that  we  need  not  be  ashamed  of  expressing  what  we  feel. 
God,  who  chastens  his  children,  loves  a  heart  which  is  tender  before  him ;  and 
Jesus,  who  wept  himself,  commands  us  to  "  weep  with  those  that  weep."  The 
tears  shed  are  both  a  tribute  to  the  dead  and  an  amiable  display  of  the  heart  of  the 
living,  and  they  interest  every  spectator  in  the  persons  from  Avhom  they  flow. 

Thus  we  have  seen,  in  this  moral  picture  of  the  character  of  Jesus,  tenderness, 
compassion,  prudence,  fortitude,  dignity — "  Christ,  the  power  of  God,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  God"  (1  Cor.  i.  24),  the  strength  of  an  almighty  arm  displayed  by  a  man  like 
his  brethren,  the  glory  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth, 
John  i.  14.  The  assemblage  of  qualities  is  so  uncommon,  and  the  harmony  with 
which  they  are  blended  so  entire,  that  they  convey  to  every  intelligent  reader  an  im- 
pression of  the  divmity  of  our  religion ;  and  we  can  not  contemplate  this  picture 
without  feeling  the  sentiment  which  was  afterward  expressed  by  the  centurion  who 
stood  over  against  the  cross  of  Jesus,  "  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God."* — HilVs 
Lectures  in  Divinity,  vol.  i.,  pp.  106-119.     On  the  Evidences  of  Christianity. 

We  see  in  this  account  the  delicate  hand  of  a  master,  a  nice  inspection 
of  human  nature,  a  most  accurate  discrimination  of  character,  and  we  can 
not  rise  from  the  perusal  without  improved  thoughts  of  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer and  a  much  clearer  view  of  the  history  of  Lazarus  than  we  ever 
had  before. 

The  student  will  review  these  specimens  of  biography  with  great 
advantage,. and  I  hope  his  skill  in  this  line  of  his  duty  will  be  much  im- 
proved. 

Whenever  the  New  Testament  makes  mention  of  an  Old-Testament 
character  respecting  which  you  are  studying,  this  must  always  be  noticed 
with  great  exactness.  Cruden's  Concordance  of  proper  names  will  direct 
you  to  every  passage  where  the  name  occurs.  Thus,  with  regard  to  Jo- 
seph, the  character  treated  of  by  Lawson,  you  will  find  Joseph  six  times 
mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  besides  a  great  number  of  times  in  the 
Old.  This  is  a  great  assistance,  especially  if  other  helps  are  not  at  hand  ; 
and  I  can  not  but  hope  that  this  subject  will  command  a  very  high  regard 
from  the  rising  ministry.  The  experiment  need  only  be  tried  to  be  suc- 
cessful. 


TOPIC  VII. 

THE  STATE  OF  THE  PERSONS  SPEAKING  OR  ACTING. 

The  holy  prophets  and  other  inspired  teachers  of  mankind  were  mani- 
festly a  peculiar  order  of  men,  chosen  of  God  and  precious.  As  the  mes- 
sengers of  heaven,  through  whom  Jehovah  has  condescended  to  reveal  his 
will,  they  possess  strong  claims  to  our  regard ;  and,  as  men  who  them- 
selves lived  under  the  full  influence  of  those  truths  which  they  declared  to 
have  so  important  a  bearing  on  our  present  happiness  and  future  destiny, 
everything  connected  with  their  state  in  this  world  must  be  highly  interest- 
ing and  instructive.  The  circumstances  connected  with  their  history  have 
therefore  been  justly  considered  as  furnishing  valuable  materials  for  obser- 
vation. The  historians  of  the  world  have  incidentally  recorded  their  suf- 
ferings and  their  worth  ;  and  the  church  has  in  every  period,  subsequent  to 
the  termination  of  their  earthly  pilgrimage,  cherished  their  names,  and  had 
them  in  affectionate  remembrance.  Judea,  the  favored  spot  of  their  birth, 
and  the  scene  of  their  labors  and  their  trials,  has  been  visited  by  the  pious 
and  the  curious  from  the  remotest  regions  of  the  earth  ;  and  memorials  are 

*  This  quotation  may  be  considered  as  a  specimen  of  the  descriptive,  and  should  be  read  in  con- 
nesiou  with  the  lecture  on  the  third  topic. 


STATE    OF    THE    PERSONS    SPEAKING    OR   ACTING.  235 

yet  to  be  seen  scattered  up  and  down  Judea  to  immortalize  the  places 
where  prophets  spoke,  where  apostles  labored,  where  martyrs  sealed  their 
testimony  with  their  blood,  and  where  Jesus,  the  "  man  of  sorrows," 
yet  "  the  Lord  of  glory,"  hung  on  the  cross  and  expired  praying  for  his 
enemies. 

The  Topic  upon  which  we  now  enter,  as  well  as  the  Sixth  Topic,  in 
which  indeed  this  Seventh  Topic  might  have  been  included,  affords  us  an 
opportunity  of  contributing  to  perpetuate  their  remembrance.  From  their 
state  in  this  world,  we  may  not  only  derive  many  valuable  lessons  to  our- 
selves, as  their  humble  successors  in  the  office  of  instructors,  but  also  much 
that  will  assist  us  in  the  illustration  of  their  writings,  which  is  the  point  to 
be  particularly  noticed  as  falhng  within  the  province  of  this  Topic.  In 
their  state,  under  all  its  peculiarities,  we  see  the  finger  of  God,  not  only  as 
it  was  made  to  work  out  for  them  "  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory,"  but  also  as  it  is  adapted  to  give  weight  to  the  instructions 
handed  down  to  us,  and  to  furnish  the  fairest  "  examples  of  suffering  and 
patience,"  as  well  as  of  uprightness  and  sanctity.  If  these  holy  men 
had  lived  in  ease  and  affluence,  we  should  have  had  only  the  history 
of  their  untried  obedience  ;  they  would  have  been  no  examples  of  pa- 
tience, and  would  have  been  unskilful  in  the  office  of  consolation.  They 
could  not  have  "  comforted  others  with  the  comforts  wherewith  they 
themselves  were  comforted  of  God,"  nor  have  wept  with  those  that 
wept.  They  could  not  have  been  touched  with  the  feeling  of  human 
infirmities,  nor  have  exhibited  in  their  own  persons  the  proofs  of  God's 
supporting  power  and  of  his  faithfulness  in  keeping  them.  The  greatest 
value  of  their  character  would  have  been  lost  as  to  us,  and  we  should  have 
been  without  a  compass  to  steer  by  in  the  storms  of  life.  But  now  their 
history  is  precious  ;  we  read  similar  circumstances  in  their  lives  to  those 
which  we  daily  experience  ;  and  we  have  an  interest  in  this  their  suffering 
state  in  some  respects  resembling  that  which  we  have  in  the  sufferings  of 
the  Savior  himself,  who  was  "  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
griefs,"  that  he  might  be  "  a  compassionate  high  priest."  We  are  now 
satisfied  that  suffering  with  holy  prophets  and  apostles,  being  in  commu- 
nity with  them  in  sorrow,  we  shall  also  be  in  community  with  them  in  glory. 
We  are  satisfied  that  if  we  suffer  for  righteousness'  sake,  as  they  suffered, 
we  shall  be  crowned  with  them  ;  we  are  satisfied,  by  the  marks  they  have 
left  us,  that  we  are  legitimate  followers  of  those  who  through  faith  and 
patience  now  inherit  the  promises. 

This  is  no  new  or  strange  idea.  The  heroes  of  antiquity  in  the  heathen 
page  have  always  been  exhibited  as  patterns  of  greatness,  by  their  trials, 
by  their  fortitude,  and  their  perseverance,  more  than  by  their  valor,  or  their 
wisdom,  or  their  high  birth.  The  ancients  thought  that  tried  and  suffer- 
ing virtue  was  the  most  valuable  of  all  virtue.  They  extolled  and  even 
idoHzed  those  benefactors  of  their  country  who  had  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  pop- 
ular fury  or  died  in  wretched  exile ;  and  to  have  suppressed  these  exam- 
ples would  in  their  estimation  have  been  infamous,  as  it  would  have  been 
the  common  loss  of  mankind.  So  also  if  our  great  prophets,  and  apos- 
tles, and  martyrs,  had  suffered  nothing,  I  had  almost  said  they  would  have 
taught  nothing.  Their  instructions  would  only  have  been  like  those  of 
secluded  or  pampered  teachers,  that  knew  nothing  of  the  practical  part  of 
holy  living.     Comparatively  useless  would  have  been  the  doctrines  of 


236  LECTURE    XIV. 

redemption  to  us  had  they  not  been  delivered  to  us  by  men  like  ourselves, 
having  themselves  experienced  the  regenerating  grace  pointed  out  in  these 
doctrines  ;  but  now  one  of  the  apostles,  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  and  for 
himself,  says,  "  That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  which  we  have  heard, 
which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  which  we  have  looked  upon,  and  our 
hands  have  handled  of  the  word  of  life,  that  declare  we  unto  you."  It  is 
as  necessary  to  know  a  thing  in  its  practical  effects  as  in  its  doctrines  ;  and 
thus  the  doctrines  of  consolation  must  be  sanctioned  by  the  state  of  the 
teacher  being  in  unison  with  them. 

The  difficulties  which  these  great  forerunners  had  to  contend  with,  and 
to  overcome,  suggested  the  denomination  of  "  conquerors,"  who  "  over- 
came through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and  the  word  of  their  testimony." 
They  learned  their  spiritual  warfare  under  Jesus,  "  the  captain  of  their 
salvation."  They  wrote  the  history  of  this  warfare  in  the  field  of  battle ; 
and  we  read  their  state,  as  well  as  the  matter  of  their  writings,  in  its  most 
legible  characters.  Blessed  be  God  that  their  state  was  such  as  is  repre- 
sented ;  for  this  gives  an  authority  to  their  writings  more  sure  than  any 
other  testimony.  When  James  says,  "  Take  the  prophets  who  have  spo- 
ken to  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  for  examples  of  suffering  affliction 
and  of  patience,"  it  is  like  a  voice  from  heaven,  and  as  full  of  evidence  as 
that  which  shook  Sinai's  mount  of  ancient  story.  When  Paul  addressed 
Felix  with  the  chain  upon  his  hand,  and  the  tyrant's  sword  over  his  head, 
his  speech  had  infinitely  more  of  authority  than  if  he  had  addressed  an 
epistle  to  Felix  while  he  himself  was  in  a  place  of  safety.  When  Paul, 
writing  to  the  Philippians  in  a  prison  at  Rome,  says,  "  I  have  learned  in 
whatsoever  state  I  am  therewith  to  be  content"  (Phil.  iv.  11),  the  declara- 
tion challenges  our  immediate  belief.  Unlike  the  fine  moral  notions  of 
Epictetus,  dished  up  from  the  study  for  his  waiting  disciples,  the  apostle 
himself,  in  his  own  person,  becomes  the  practical  interpreter  of  his  doc- 
trine ;  and  the  obligation  to  exercise  contentment  is  more  powerfully  im- 
pressed upon  our  heart  by  his  example  than  it  could  be  by  any  authorita- 
tive precept  or  by  any  train  of  reasoning.  That  which  is  observable  in  the 
apostles  is  also  observable  in  the  practice  of  some  of  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians ;  and  this  is  a  proof  of  the  effect  of  Paul's  preaching.  This  was  seen 
in  the  Macedonian  Christians,  who  were  hberal  toward  the  poor  saints  at 
Jerusalem  (then  suffering  under  famine)  in  a  "great  trial  of  affliction,  and 
in  their  deep  poverty." 

A  great  part  of  the  instructions  contained  in  scripture  manifestly  grew 
out  of  the  state  of  the  holy  penmen  and  the  state  of  things  surrounding 
them  ;  and,  this  being  the  case,  there  must  be  such  a  connexion  between 
the  one  and  the  other  as  must  render  the  facts  of  scripture  the  best  illus- 
trations of  its  doctrines.  This  connexion  God  has  been  pleased  in  his 
wisdom  to  establish.  The  truths  which  he  would  have  us  to  believe,  he 
might  have  handed  down  to  us  as  he  did  the  ten  commandments  upon  the 
mount ;  but  he  designed  that  many  of  them  should  grow  out  of  such  a 
state  of  his  favored  servants,  and  of  things  around  them,  as  gave  them  their 
great  brilliancy. 

Here,  however,  an  important  inquiry  arises  :  Is  it  requisite  that  the  state 
of  God's  ministers  and  teachers  should  now  be  any  way  in  unison  with 
that  of  the  prophets,  and  apostles,  and  primitive  teachers,  in  order  to  give 
weight  to  modern  sermons  ?  or  has  the  necessity  of  this  ceased  with  the 


STATE    OF    THE    PERSONS    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  237 

close  of  the  scripture  canon  ?  Perhaps  we  must  concede  that  this  neces- 
sity has  ceased  in  part — the  end  is  attained,  and  we  can  now  add  no  new 
authority  to  the  word  of  God.  But  still  the  fitness  of  things  has  not  ceased  ; 
the  adaptation  of  a  course  of  means  to  its  end  must  in  every  age  be  the 
same  ;  while  man  is  man,  he  will  be  moved  and  influenced  as  in  former 
times.  Even  now  the  moral  character  of  the  speaker,  and  the  state  in 
which  we  find  him,  must  go  very  far  to  convince  the  people.  If  he  be 
holy  in  his  life,  and  his  state  be  such  as  to  draw  forth  the  exercise  of  those 
graces  and  virtues  which  no  other  character  and  state  could  draw  forth, 
then  an  important  point  is  established  even  for  our  present  time.  If  he 
live  the  life  he  recommends,  if  he  experience  the  things  which  he  prompts 
the  people  to  endure,  and  if  he  contend  daily  with  the  difficulties  he  ex- 
cites them  to  contend  with,  surely  this  will  give  a  weight  to  the  admoni- 
tions of  the  preacher  which  must  commend  them  to  the  consciences  of  his 
hearers.  And  here  the  preacher  and  his  state  are  a  public  benefit.  All 
casuistic  and  spiritual  divinity  must  rest  on  this  view  of  things,  upon  bonds, 
and  sympathies,  and  affections,  belonging  to  our  common  nature  ;  and 
here  the  preacher  pours  forth  his  own  heart  to  his  hearers,  and  shows  them 
"  all  that  is  in  their  hearts."  And  this  can  not  be  charged  upon  him  as 
the  result  of  enthusiastic  feelings,  since  it  is  only  a  copy  or  counterpart 
of  what  holy  prophets  and  apostles  experienced  and  expressed  in  the 
days  of  their  pilgrimage  ;  and,  in  denying  one,  the  other  must  be  denied 
also. 

Again,  it  may  be  asked.  Is  it  absolutely  necessary  that  every  preacher 
at  the  outset  should  be  a  man  of  rich  and  varied  experience  ?  Are  we  to 
exclude  every  other  from  the  pulpit  ?  I  think  not,  for  then  we  must  ex- 
clude our  young  Timothies.  Preachers  can  acquire  this  fulness  of  expe- 
rience only  by  the  experience  itself,  which  time  alone  can  supply.  Young 
Timothy  must  preach  under  the  direction  of  aged  Paul,  who  is  to  instruct 
him  "  how  he  is  to  behave  himself  in  the  house  of  God,"  and  in  what  man- 
ner "  he  must  exhort  with  all  long-suffering."  Young  and  inexperienced 
preachers  (being  converted  characters)  must  preach  under  the  direction  of 
the  word  of  God,  and  the  advice  of  the  aged.  Such  preachers  may  for  a 
time  declare  the  sentence  of  God  against  sin,  may  preach  "  Christ  and 
him  crucified,"  may  expound  scripture,  treat  of  moral  obligation,  of  the 
character  of  God,  &c.,  and  what  they  want  in  experience  may  be  com- 
pensated by  zeal  and  hard  labor.  These  young  men  will  in  time,  if  spared, 
become  fathers  in  the  church.  These  are  the  young  plants  that  are  here- 
after to  become  "  trees  of  righteousness,"  when  their  fair  and  beautiful 
blossoms  shall  be  succeeded  by  the  expected  fruit,  and  their  fruit  attain 
maturity  and  ripeness.  We  are  not  "  to  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench 
the  smoking  flax,"  nor  discourage  rising  talents.  We  must  be  thankful 
for  the  "  dew  of  their  youth  ;"  we  must  encourage  them  to  "  go  forth  in  the 
strength  of  the  Lord  ;"  and  we  must  counsel  the  people  not  "  to  despise 
their  youth,  but  rather  do  them  service." 

Such  a  state  of  rich  experience  is  however  necessary  to  a  complete 
preacher  of  the  gospel.  Those  will  be  the  only  efficient  counsellors  of  the 
church,  and  the  only  true  sons  of  consolation,  who  have  been  themselves 
tried  and  tempted  ;  for  they  only  can  meet  the  difficulties  of  such  as  are 
tried,  or  even  fully  feel  for  them.  Those  only  can  preach  with  "  all  au- 
thority," who  have  themselves  completely  submitted  to  discipline.     They 


238  LECTURE    XIV. 

only  can  preach  to  the  aged,  the  infirm,  the  "  afflicted  and  tossed  with 
tempests."  They  are  best  fitted  to  "  strengthen  the  weak  hands  and  con- 
firm the  feeble  knees."  They  are  the  fittest  defenders  of  "  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints ;"  and  they  are  the  most  perfect  patterns  that  our 
age  can  furnish  of  what  prophets  and  apostles  were  to  the  times  in  which 
they  lived. 

Whether  these  men  be  properly  and  decently  provided  for  by  the 
church,  and  live  in  that  respectability  to  which  they  are  entitled,  or  wheth- 
er they  be  poor  from  neglect,  nay,  very  poor,  even  to  the  extremest  case, 
they  will  certainly  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance,  and  ought  to  be 
highly  esteemed  for  their  work's  sake.  It  is  very  likely  indeed  that  they 
will  not  be  so  respected  by  the  world  ;  even  the  religious  world  is  not  spir- 
itual enough  to  know  their  value,  while  many  will  judge  that  because  they 
are  poor  therefore  they  must  be  worthless  ;  but  such  despised  persons  may 
take  this  comfort,  that  the  best  of  men  have  always  been  overlooked  by  the 
carnal  and  the  proud,  though  perhaps  in  the  day  of  their  calamity  they 
may  see  their  error,  and  may  desire  to  die  the  death  of  such  men.  Jesus 
himself  "  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men." 

From  these  observations  upon  the  Topic  you  will  I  trust  derive  matter 
for  meditation  and  improvement ;  you  will  see  the  wisdom  of  God  in  so 
adapting  the  state  of  the  holy  penmen  to  the  nature  of  their  duty  as  therein 
to  give  us  a  lesson  of  instruction  of  great  importance  ;  you  will  see  that  no 
other  state  could  have  been  so  suitable,  and  you  will  reflect  on  your  own 
state,  and  examine  what  similarity  is  discoverable.* 

The  use  of  this  Topic  in  preaching  is  principally  to  suggest  observa- 
tions, either  adapted  to  give  strength  and  force  to  any  precept,  admoni- 
tion, reproof,  &c.,  or  to  illustrate  some  part  of  the  subject.  Thus,  in  ex- 
plaining the  passage,  1  Thess.  v.  16,  "Rejoice  evermore,"  you  must  not 
fail  to  consider  the  state  of  St.  Paul  when  he  wrote  his  episde  to  the  church 
at  Thessalonica.  He  was  at  that  time  at  Athens,  engaged  in  that  super- 
stitious city  where,  according  to  Acts  xvii.  16,  his  "  spirit  was  stirred  with- 
in him  when  he  saw  the  city  wholly  given  up  to  idolatry."  Here  he  was 
treated  as  '.'  a  babbler,  a,setter-forth  of  strange  gods  :"  in  short,  he  was  the 
object  of  Athenian  ridicule  and  raillery.  Yet,  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
causes  of  grief,  he  exhorts  the  Thessalonians  to  "rejoice  evermore;"  not 
that  he  meant  to  render  them  insensible  to  the  evils  which  he  suffered  at 
the  time,  nor  did  he  wish  them  to  disregard  the  afflictions  which  they  were 
called  to  endure  for  the  sake  of  their  attachment  to  Christ  and  his  cause ; 
but  he  wished  them  to  remember  that  all  the  afflictions  which  might  befall 
them,  as  Chrisdans,  were  designed  to  promote  their  spiritual  improvement, 
and  consequently  were,  in  reality,  subjects  of  joy.  "  Count  it  all  joy 
when  you  fall  into  divers  temptations  (or  trials),  knowing  that  the  trial  of 
your  faith  worketh  patience,"  &c.  It  is  in  affliction  especially  that  the 
consolations  of  divine  grace  are  richly  communicated.  + 

Somedmes  it  will  be  necessary  to  advert  to  the  state  of  the  writer  as  a 
rule  of  interpretation  ;  and  in  this  case  it  is  equivalent  to  what  is  called  the 
occasion  or  the  scope  of  a  book,  a  psalm,  a  prophecy,  or  an  episde,  which 

*  See  an  excellent  article  in  the  Evangelical  Magazine  for  1810,  p.  266,  &c. 

t  Whenever  an  observation  is  made  of  this  or  of  any  other  kind,  involving  a  fact,  it  is  of  great  con- 
sequence that  we  first  ascertain  that  the  fact  upon  which  we  found  the  observation  is  fully  established. 
In  this  very  instance  a  doubt  exists  with  many  learned  men,  as  to  whether  the  apostle  really  was  at 
Athens  when  he  wrote  the  epistle  in  question,  though  it  is  so  stated  at  the  end  of  the  book.  My  only 
reason  for  noticing  this  is  to  put  the  student  upon  his  guard  in  such  matters. 


STATE    OF    THE    PERSONS    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  239 

is  one  of  the  very  first  rules  of  exposition,  the  soberest  and  safest.  Ex- 
positors are  generally  pretty  careful  on  this  point,  and  you  may  refer  to 
T.  H.  Home's  Introduction,  vol.  ii.,  part  2,  section  vii.,  or  other  similar 
works.  Roberts's  Key  to  the  Scriptures  is  very  excellent  in  this  view, 
and  not  very  costly,*  to  which,  with  respect  to  a  part,  I  add  with  great 
pleasure  Wilson  on  the  Romans,  which  is  also  of  moderate  price. 

Occasionally  this  Topic  forms  the  main  subject  of  a  text,  and  conse- 
quently should  form  the  groundwork  of  a  whole  or  the  principal  part  of  a 
discourse.  Take,  for  instance,  Phil.  ii.  5-11  :  "  Let  this  mind  be  in  you 
which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus,  who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it 
not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and 
took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men  ;  and,  being  bound  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  be- 
came obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore  God 
also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every 
name,  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heav- 
en, and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every  tongue 
should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 
Here  you  might  very  properly  consider — 

I.  The  state  of  Jesus  in  his  humiliation:  He  "  made  himself  of  no  reputation,"  &c. 

II.  The  exaltation  by  which  it  was  followed  :  "  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly- 
exalted  him,"  &c. 

III.  The  inseparable  connexion  between  them.  Jesus  here  acted  upon  his  own 
rule  :  "  He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

Take  also  a  more  extended  example  on  James  v.  10  :  "  Take,  my 
brethren,  the  prophets  who  have  spoken  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  for  an 
example  of  suffering  afiliction  and  of  patience." 

You  may  form  your  exordium  upon  this  observation  :  God,  foreseeing 
and  ordaining  the  afflictions  of  his  people  (1  Thess.  iii.  3),  has  provided 
certain  relief  or  supports  under  them,  viz.,  his  covenant  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  5), 
his  precious  promises  (2  Pet,  i.  4),  the  directions  of  his  word  (Ps.  cxix. 
105),  and  the  examples  of  his  suffering  prophets  and  aposdes.  The  last 
of  these  is  pointed  out  in  the  text ;  and,  though  the  apostles  are  not  men- 
tioned, yet  may  they  with  singular  propriety  be  included,  for  the  former 
without  the  latter  did  not  complete  God's  design,  as  Paul  intimates,  Heb. 
xi.  40.     Then  proceed  to  consider — 

I.  The  subject  of  the  apostle's  exhortation.  This  is /^aizewce  under  suffering.  The 
apostle  James  judged  in  this  case,  as  Paul  did  under  similar  circumstances,  that  they 
had  "  need  of  patience"  (Heb.  x.  36),  and  that  they  ought  to  exercise  it.     Consider — 

1.  What  is  here  meant  by  the  word  patience.  And,  because  the  true  meanmg  is 
here  of  great  importance,  you  will  suffer  me  to  detain  you  a  little. 

(1.)  Negatively.  [1.]  It  is  not  a  stupid  insensibility.  Some  persons  are  hardly 
excited  by  anything  ;  they  are  almost  without  passions ;  this  is  a  mere  constitutional 
defect,  and  not  a  Christian  virtue.  [2.]  It  is  not  receiving  indignities  or  persecution 
in  a  sullen  temper,  provoked,  but  not  to  retaliation  or  reply.  This  character  merely 
creeps  out  of  the  way.  [3.]  In  this  text  it  is  not  merely  a  passive  quality,  or  the 
receiving  injury  without  resenting  it,  which  may  be  the  case  where  there  is  neither 
power  nor  right  to  resent  (as  1  Pet.  ii.  20) ;  this  is  pure  passiveness;  the  mind  has 
neither  energy  nor  purpose.  This  is  the  lowest  degree  of  virtue  that  can  be  of  this 
kind,  yet  under  certain  circumstances  it  is  becoming.  This  is  called  patience,  but  it 
is  because  language  is  too  poor  to  make  a  distinction. 

(2.)  Positively.     It  is  an  active  grace  of  the  Christian,!  for,  where  a  person  can 

*  Most  of  our  expositors  are  gi-eat  borrowers  from  Roberts's  Key. 

t  The  very  learned  Mr.  Tuckney  says  patience  is  both  active  and  passive.  Mr.  Crabb  also  concnra 
in  this  sense. 


240  LECTURE    XIV. 

avoid  the  things  that  he  suffers,  he  has  a  choice  to  suffer  or  not  to  suffer,  the  choos- 
ing to  suffer  must  be  active :  and  therefore  this  is  a  Christian  grace  of  the  highest 
order.  To  apply  this  to  the  case  before  us,  the  persons  written  tovirere  converts  from 
Judaism,  and  they  voluntarily  suffered  as  such ;  for  by  returning  to  Judaism,  they 
might  have  escaped  persecution,  in  which  case  the  Jews  would  have  triumphed  be- 
yond measure.  Patience  is  sometimes  nearly  allied  to  fortitude,  and  implies  a  con- 
tinued act ;  it  is  not  the  grace  of  a  day  or  a  year,  but  partakes  of  the  durability  of  all 
the  graces  which  the  God  of  all  grace  confers  on  his  people ;  and  therefore  the  con- 
duct which  becomes  Christians  is  denominated  by  St.  Paul  "  a  patient  continuance 
in  well-doing" — "  holding  the  beginning  of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end" — 
being  "  steadfast  and  immoveable,"  &c.  It  is  the  patience  of  the  volunteer  soldier 
on  a  long  and  hazardous  march,  and  not  the  patience  of  the  prisoner,  who  must  re- 
main in  confinement,  whether  he  will  or  not,  till  an  exchange  of  prisoners  takes  place. 
This  point  I  think  extremely  material  to  the  subject  before  us. 

2.  This  exhortation  to  exercise  it.  There  is  a  kind  of  exhortation  nearly  like  an 
admonition  or  severe  address ;  but  that  of  the  text  is  couched  in  the  language  of  kind 
entreaty:  "  Take,  my  brethren ;  I  call  you  by  that  endearing  name;  suifer  me  to 
urge  upon  you,  for  the  honor  of  the  cause,  for  Christ's  sake,  for  your  own  honor,  for 
my  honor  as  your  minister,  to  exercise  active  patience,  or  we  shall  be  all  ruined  to- 
gether ;  but  rather  '  glorify  God  in  the  day  of  visitation' — '  for  now  we  live  if  you 
stand  fast  in  the  Lord.'  Your  enemies  can  but  take  away  your  lives  :  that  will  be 
glory  to  you  ;  they  may  injure  you,  but  injuries  here  will  meet  with  justice  hereafter  ; 
whereas  if  you  draw  back,  though  this  might  procure  you  an  abatement  of  persecu- 
tion, yet  the  fearful  coward  is  always  despised,  and  by  all  men  the  apostate  is  cast 
out  for  ever.  There  is  then  but  one  course  for  you  to  take,  and  to  that  I  here  exhort 
you :  be  patient  under  your  varied  sufferings,  and  take  the  prophets  who  have  spoken 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  as  examples."     And  this  leads  us  to  consider — 

IL  The  argument  upon  which  the  exhortation  is  founded.  The  holy  prophets 
have  gone  before  you  in  the  same  path  of  honor  and  renown.  So  St.  James  might  be 
supposed  to  speak  ;  and  I  beg  leave  to  take  up  the  argument,  and  to  show  that  these 
examples  were  necessary,  and  in  every  view  proper  to  the  occasion. 

1.  These  examples  were  necessary,  and>*iLl  always  be  so,  in  addition  to  all  the 
other  means  used  for  the  support  of  suffering  saints.  Covenants,  promises,  and  coun- 
sels, have  respectively  great  weight.  Covenants  and  promises  took  the  lead.  Ex- 
amples could  only  grow  out  of  circumstances  and  the  advance  of  church  history  ;  but 
the  want  of  them  at  the  first  was  severely  felt.  From  the  want  of  these  Job's  friends 
argued  upon  false  premises,  and  gave  themselves  a  great  deal  of  imnecessary  trouble, 
produced  a  great  deal  of  smoke,  but  without  any  of  the  fire  of  truth.  They  did  not 
possess  the  information  requisite  to  enable  them  to  determine  the  case  of  Job  and  to 
clear  his  character.  We  may  have  a  "  great  zeal  for  God,  but  not  according  to 
knowledge  ;"  we  may  speak  "  unadvisedly  with  our  lips,"  our  tongues  running  faster 
than  our  understanding,  and  especially  when  we  "add  afiiiction  to  the  afflicted." 
Hence  Eliphaz  very  boldly  asks,  Who  ever  perished  in  name,  body,  or  estate,  being 
innocent  ?  Job  iv.  7.  Eliphaz  had  no  precedents  before  him  ;  this  was  not  altogether 
Eliphaz's  fault,  for  it  was  a  natural  defect  of  the  patriarchal  age.  Job  himself  felt 
the  want  of  historical  evidence;  for  he  was,  as  he  says,  "persecuted"  by  his  friends 
(Job  xix.  22,  an  occurrence  which  sometimes  happens  now),  and  yet  he  could  not 
recur  to  the  testimony  of  God  for  comfort.  Suffering  saints  were  not  then  upon  rec- 
ord. David's  persecutions  also  offered  a  new  case,  and  hence  a  variety  of  expres- 
sions of  his  appear  not  seasoned  with  the  useful  knowledge  which  we  possess.  Jere- 
miah also  says,  in  the  name  of  the  church,  "  Was  there  ever  any  sorrow  like  unto 
my  sorrow  ?"  From  these  citations,  and  a  little  reflection  upon  the  frame  of  the  hu- 
man mind,  and  how  it  is  affected  by  what  it  is  able  to  observe  in  the  occurrences  of 
the  world,  particularly  as  to  similarities  of  experience  among  fellow-mortals  of  the 
same  character  and  condition,  it  is  very  evident  that  examples  of  suffering  in  the 
cause  of  virtue  must  be  of  essential  service  to  persons  in  such  a  state. 

2.  These  examples  were  in  every  view  proper  for  the  occasion  upon  which  they 
were  offered. 

(L)  They  were  such  as  reflected  honor  upon  the  divine  character.  They  show  his 
love  and  regard  to  his  people  in  affording  such  examples,  Ps.  Ixxxiv.  11  ;  Rom.  xv.  4. 
They  show  that  love  progressively  manifesting  itself  in  preparing  such  examples  as 
were  adapted  to  a  season  of  great  distress  in  the  church.  They  shoAV  the  divine  mu- 
nificence in  giving  us  examples  of  the  highest  order,  not  of  obscure  individuals,  or 
such  as  were  only  to  be  known  by  their  names  for  the  purposes  of  genealogy,  like 
those  in  the  first  eight  or  nine  chapters  of  the  first  book  of  Chronicles,  or  mere  neces- 


STATE    OF    THE    PERSONS    SPEAKING    OR    ACTING.  241 

sary  circumstances  of  history  that  such  humble  individuals  fell  into  a  great  deal  of 
trouble;  but  these  examples  were  taken  from  the  Lord's  prophets,  persons  intrusted 
with  the  Lord's  secrets,  his  ambassadors,  who  spoke  "in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  as 
the  text  expresses  it.  These  were  the  most  honorable  of  all  characters  ;  and,  in  every 
age,  those  who  speak  "  in  the  name  of  the  Lord"  faithfully  and  zealously  are  in  fact 
the  most  honorable  of  all  men ;  they  are  "  vessels  selected  for  the  Master's  use." 
Other  distinguished  characters  of  the  world  are  appointed  to  do  service  to  the  Lord's 
servants,  or  appointed  to  serve  their  fellow-creatures ;  even  kings  serve,  rule,  and  de- 
fend the  common  people,  the  greater  part  of  whom  do  no  great  honor  to  their  lords. 
But  those  who  are  admitted  into  God's  secret  counsels,  that  speak  in  his  great  name, 
not  to  utter  the  laws  of  civil  society,  but  to  promulgate  the  gracious  designs  of  God 
as  to  eternal  concerns,  are  the  most  honorable  of  all,  so  long  as  their  character  and 
conduct  correspond  with  their  office.  The  prophets,  however,  to  whom  the  text  re- 
fers, were  all  of  most  honorable  name,  and  their  memories  are  imperishable.  These 
were  selected  to  become  the  examples  of  active  patience,  bringing  Christians  of 
after-times  into  very  good  company,  to  which  none  can  properly  object. 

God  had  special  regard  to  everything  that  Avas  necessary  to  prepare  these  proph- 
ets for  their  becoming  complete  examples.  He  not  only  sanctified  their  persons,  but 
also  their  state.  He  weaned  them  from  the  world,  rendered  them  spiritually-minded, 
of  a  self-denying  disposition.  He  placed  them  in  a  state  of  suffering,  permitted  evil 
men  to  rage  against  them,  to  persecute  them  (Matt.  v.  12,  and  xxiii.  27  ;  Heb.  xi.  34, 
35,  &c.).  to  put  many  of  them  to  death  :  and  indeed  without  this  course  they  could 
not  have  become  examples  of  patience  at  all.  Notwithstanding  these  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, the  faithfulness  of  God  could  not  be  impeached  with  respect  to  them  ; 
if  he  did  not  protect  them  from  loss  of  property  or  life,  yet  he  preserved  their  honor 
and  their  eternal  reward,  and  even  in  their  adversity  he  made  "  all  things  to  work  to- 
gether for  their  good."  Their  honor  rose  resplendent  after  their  death,  and  their 
very  enemies  jomcd  in  their  praise.  God  also  honored  these  holy  men  by  fulfilling 
their  prophecies  so  minutely  as  to  furnish  incontestable  evidence  of  their  inspiration, 
and  afford  a  sure  ground  of  confidence  to  believers  in  every  succeeding  age.  We  are 
at  this  moment  in  actual  possession  of  those  gospel  privileges  which  they  predicted. 
Some  things,  indeed,  remain  yet  to  be  accomplished  ;  but  we  look  forward  in  certain 
expectation  that  every  prophecy  will  in  due  time  be  fulfilled,  satisfied  that  none  of 
their  words  can  fall  to  the  ground. 

But  whatever  was  fulfilled  in  these  holy  servants  of  the  Lord,  as  patterns  of  active 
patience  and  suffering,  Avas  without  comparison  more  conspicuously  exemplified  in 
the  Lord  himself,  the  Lord  Jesus,  "  that  in  all  things  he  might  have  the  pre-emi- 
nence.''— "  No  sorrow  Avas  ever  like  his  sorrow  :"  and  this  was  most  voluntary,  for  he 
could  have  con-sumed  his  enemies  in  a  moment  with  the  "  breath  of  his  mouth  ;"  but 
hoAv  then  were  the  Scriptures  to  be  fulfilled  ?  Hoav  then  were  sinners  to  be  redeem- 
ed ?  How  then  AA^as  he  to  be  the  prince  of  patience — the  leader  of  the  holy  band  ? 
The  apostles  folloAved  after  to  bring  up  the  rear,  and  "  to  supply  what  was  lacking" 
in  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  of  his  holy  prophets. 

(2.)  They  were  exactly  accommodated  to  the  state  of  man.  The  state  of  the 
prophets  and  Avriters  of  scripture  fitted  them  for  examples  to  man  as  man.  Had  this 
state  been  different  from  Avhatit  Avas,  as  I  have  already  hinted,  the  instruction  could 
not  have  come  home  to  the  common  feelings  of  mankind,  could  not  have  been 
brought  doAvn  to  the  level  of  plebeian  comprehension.  The  covenants  and  promises 
of  God,  Avith  deductions  of  reason  founded  on  them,  or  arguments  to  sustain  them,  re- 
quire in  the  subject  some  degree  of  moral  culture  not  generally  found  among  the 
mass  of  mankind,  though  common  to  Christians  of  more  perfect  growth,  of  a  higher 
stature,  more  replete  in  "  Avord  and  doctrine."  But  these  are  the  minority  of  believers  as 
to  numbers ;  the  majority,  the  mass,  must  have  a  lesson  closely  addressed  to  their 
eyes,  as  such  examples  of  scripture  and  of  the  apostles  actually  were.  These  were  to 
be  excited  to  active  Christian  patience  as  well  as  the  most  intelligent,  because  they 
were  also  exposed  to  persecution  ;  for  if  the  common  rank  gave  way,  the  cause  would 
be  ruined  ;  it  Avould  be  to  little  purpose  that  the  chiefs  stood  more  firmly.  Here, 
then,  we  see  the  excellency,  the  perfect  adaptation,  of  such  examples  to  ordinary 
Christians. 

It  has  been  frequently  observed  that  man  is  a  creature  more  easily  led  by  the  eye 
than  the  ear.  Gideon  thought  so.  He  had  a  rude  sort  of  army  to  manage.  Verbal 
directions  might  be  misunderstood ;  therefore,  said  he,  "  Look  on  me,  and  as  I  do  so 
shall  you  do,"  Judges  vii.  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  disrespectfully  of  my  weaker 
brethren,  but  the  fact  is  so  with  regard  to  them,  and,  in  a  measure,  with  us  also. 
We  are  dull  of  hearing ;  but  a  thing  to  be  imitated  can  not  well  be  misunderstood.. 

16 


242  LECTURE    XIV. 

Then,  again,  the  imitation  to  which  we  are  called  is  the  imitation  of  men  like  our- 
selves, who  had  no  physical  capacities  peculiar  to  them.  I  could  not  imitate  an  an- 
gel, because  he  would  fly,  and  I  could  not  follow  him ;  but  I  can  imitate  a  man  if  he 
run  or  walk.  Here  is  neither  mystery  nor  difficulty  ;  it  is  quite  lasy  to  comprehend 
what  it  is  "  to  be  followers  of  those  who  through  faith  and  patie  :ce  inherit  the  prom- 
ises." These  holy  prophets  live  before  our  eyes;  they  endured  as  ''seeing  him 
who  is  invisible."  It  is  remarkable  how  much  of  divine  instruction  is  in  scripture 
addressed  to  the  eye,  and  especially  by  our  Savior.  When  John  sent  his  disciples  for 
a  demonstration  that  Jesus  Avas  the  Messiah,  Jesus  took  this  method:  "In  the  same 
hour  he  did  many  wonderful  miracles.  Go,  now,"  says  the  Savior,  "  and  tell  John 
what  you  have  seen,"  Luke  vii.  22.  Man  not  only  may  be  excited  to  imitation,  but 
it  is  natural  to  him.  Man  has  long  enough  been  the  slave  of  imitation  to  evil ;  the 
gospel  now  takes  hold  of  this  propensity  to  draw  him  to  good.  So  we  see  that  di- 
vine teachmg  does  not  outrage  human  nature,  but  works  upon  Avhat  it  finds  there. 
The  gospel  reforms,  but  does  not  destroy.  We  here  see  how  careful  Ave  must  be 
that  our  example  be  correct,  that  we  may  be  able  to  say,  as  St.  Paul  does,  "  Be  you 
followers  of  me." 

Our  text  furnishes  another  point  of  observation  :  Man  has  a  propensity  to  imitate, 
those  that  are  above  him.  There  are,  indeed,  some  base  minds  that  are  bent  upon 
following  the  lowest  examples :  but  this  is  only  the  depravity  of  a  fallen  nature  in  its 
lowest  grade.  Man  generally  looks  upward.  Here,  then,  we  see  the  propriety  of 
referring  to  the  greatest  names  of  antiquity,  to  the  holy  prophets,  as  examples  of  ac- 
tive patience,  as  well  as  the  propriety  of  "  looking  to  Jesus,"  the  perfection  of  all 
example,  who  endured  to  the  end  his  arduous  conflict  for  our  salvation. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  prosecute  this  view  of  suitability  further.  The 
examples  proposed  are  completely  argumentum  ad  Jiominem,  and  if  this  does 
not  prevail  nothing  can.  This  point  is  so  clear  and  undeniable  that  noth- 
ing could  bring  more  glory  to  the  wisdom,  and  goodness,  and  condescen- 
sion of  God,  and  nothing  could  be  so  suitable  to  the  state  of  man.  You 
will,  of  course,  perceive  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the  foregoing  example  it 
has  been  my  object  to  show  the  value  and  importance  of  the  Topic.  In 
preaching  on  the  text,  you  will  select  such  observations  as  bear  most  di- 
rectly on  the  point  in  hand,  and  connect  them  with  such  statements,  ap- 
peals, &c.,  as  may  appear  best  adapted  to  stimulate,  encourage,  and  sup- 
port, the  minds  of  your  people,  and  lead  them  to  the  exercise  of  that 
patience  of  which  the  prophets  were  such  bright  examples. 

In  concluding  this  lecture  I  beg  leave  to  remind  you  that  you  can  not 
consider  a  great  number  of  scriptures  to  advantage  without  considering  the 
state  of  the  holy  writers,  and  this  you  must  do  in  every  possible  point  of 
view.  Without  this,  in  some  instances,  you  destroy  the  sense,  in  others 
the  point,  the  marrow,  of  the  instruction  intended.  You  must  carefully 
mark  the  design  of  God  in  ordering  the  state  of  the  speakers  "  who  have 
spoken  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  the  argument  which  that  state  fur- 
nishes, the  authority  which  it  confers,  and  all  the  excellent  advantages  ap- 
pended to  this  connexion  of  things.  And  may  the  Lord  increase  your 
wisdom  and  confirm  your  judgment  to  this  end ! 


REMARK    THE    TIME    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  243 

LECTURE  XV. 

TOPIC  VIII. 
REMARK  THE  TIME  OF  A  WORD  OR  ACTION. 

If  words  filly  spoken  be,  as  Solomon  terms  them,  like  apples  of  gold 
in  pictures  of  silver,  and  if  to  be  fidy  spoken  they  must  be  well-dmed, 
then  this  Topic  is  certainly  worthy  of  regard.  Its  application  is  not  per- 
haps so  extensive  as  that  of  some  others,  but  it  is  by  no  means  destitute 
of  utility  or  importance.  As  a  topic  of  observation,  there  are  many  pas- 
sages of  scripture  with  reference  to  which  it  will  suggest  valuable  instruc- 
tion. A  consideration  of  the  time  when  an  action  was  performed,  a  duty 
enjoined,  a  caution  or  a  promise  given,  &c.,  will  frequently  throw  a  strong 
light  upon  the  action  or  expression,  and  enable  us  to  look  at  it  under  a 
new  aspect,  to  perceive  its  propriety,  or  to  feel  its  force,  more  than  we 
could  have  done  had  this  Topic  been  overlooked. 

Monsieur  Claude  remarks,  for  example,  "St.  Paul,  in  his  first  epistle  to 
Timothy,  requires  that  in  the  public  services  of  the  church  prayers  should 
be  made  for  all  men  ;  hwi  first  for  kings,  and  for  those  that  are  in  authority  ^ 
1  Tim.  ii.  1-3.  Here  it  is  very  natural  to  remark  the  time.  It  was  when 
the  church  and  the  apostles  were  everywhere  persecuted,  when  the  faith- 
ful were  the  objects  of  die  hatred  and  calumny  of  all  mankind,  and  in  par- 
ticular of  the  cruelty  of  these  tyrants.  Yet  none  of  this  rough  treatment 
could  stop  the  course  of  Christian  charity.  St.  Paul  not  only  requires 
every  believer  to  pray  for  all  men,  but  he  would  have  it  done  in  'public^ 
that  all  the  world  might  know  the  maxims  of  Christianity,  always  kind, 
patient,  and  benevolent.  Believers  must  consider  themselves  as  bound  in 
duty  to  all  men,  though  men  do  nothing  to  oblige  them  to  it.  The  apostle 
was  aware  that  malicious  slanderers  would  call  this  worldly  policy  and  hu- 
man prudence,  and  would  say  that  Christians  only  meant  to  flatter  the 
great  and  to  court  their  favor;  yet  even  the  plausibility  of  this  calumny 
did  not  prevent  St.  Paul.  He  directs  the  faithful  to  pray  jpiihlicly,  and 
first  for  civil  governors.  We  ought  always  to  discharge  our  duty,  and, 
for  the  rest,  submit  to  the  unjust  accounts  that  men  give  of  our  conduct." 

Again :  Suppose  you  are  preaching  on  the  choice  of  Moses,  Heb.  xi. 
24,  25,  you  may  remark,  either  in  your  exordium  or  as  one  subdivision  of 
your  discourse,  that  the  time  when  Moses  identified  himself  with  the  peo- 
ple of  God  affords  an  illustration  of  the  reality  and  strength  of  his  faith. 
It  was  "when  he  had  come  to  years"  of  maturity,  capable  of  judging  and 
acting  for  himself.  Had  he  taken  so  decided  a  step  while  in  his  minority, 
it  might  have  been  traced  solely  to  the  influence  exerted  over  him,  and  he 
might  afterward  have  repented  of  his  rashness.  It  was  moreover  at  a  time 
when  he  was  surrounded  with  the  luxuries  of  an  Egyptian  court,  when 
even  the  sceptre  of  royalty  seemed  probably  within  his  grasp.  Add  to 
this  that  the  IsraeHtes  were  then  grievously  oppressed,  and  he  could  not 
expect  to  join  them  without  sharing  their  afflictions.  Thousands  are  in- 
duced to  connect  themselves  with  the  people  of  God  when  a  profession  of 
religion  is  in  general  esteem,  who  would  not  continue,  much  less  com- 
mence such  a  course,  at  a  time  when  it  involved  the  sacrifice  of  wealth, 


S44  LECTURE    XV. 

and  honor,  and  ease,  and  subjected  them  to  actual  suffering.  But  Moses, 
being  strong  in  faith,  hesitated  not.  Had  he  possessed  less  confidence  in 
God,  this  test  would  have  been  too  severe,  and  he  would  have  found  little 
difficulty  in  excusing  himself.  He  might  have  alleged  the  impossibility  of 
his  affording  any  assistance  to  his  brethren  if  once  he  acknowledged  him- 
self an  Israelite  and  rejected  his  adopted  relationship,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  probability  that  if  he  remained  in  his  present  station  he  might 
hope  to  procure  them  some  mitigation  of  their  sufferings  and  even  event- 
ually deliver  them.  Many,  under  his  circumstances,  would  have  con- 
tented themselves  by  concluding  that  the  time  had  not  come ;  but  so  did 
not  Moses,  because  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord.* 

Or  suppose  you  are  illustrating  the  words  which  David  addressed  to  his 
men  in  the  cave  of  En-gedi,  with  reference  to  Saul,  1  Sam.  xxiv.  4—6, 
"  The  Lord  forbid  that  1  should  do  this  thing  unto  my  master,  the  Lord's 
anointed,  to  stretch  forth  my  hand  against  him,"  &c.  Here  you  might 
observe  that  at  any  other  time  these  words  would  simply  have  expressed 
David's  professed  abhorrence  of  the  act,  without  furnishing  any  proof  of 
his  sincerity;  but  the  time  when  they  were  uttered  renders  them  a  com- 
plete development  of  the  real  state  of  his  mind  with  regard  to  Saul,  and  af- 
fords proof,  not  only  of  his  integrity,  but  of  the  strength  and  firmness  of  his 
principles.  He  had  been  hunted  by  Saul  like  a  partridge  upon  the  moun- 
tains, and  had  been  obliged  to  escape  for  his  life  to  the  woods  and  to  the 
wilderness.  He  was  now  in  the  most  imminent  danger.  Had  Saul  and 
his  men  awoke,  they  would  not  have  hesitated  about  his  destruction.  He 
had  an  opportunity  of  ridding  himself  at  once  of  his  bitterest  enemy,  un- 
der circumstances  which,  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  would  have  been  no 
reproach  to  his  character.  His  followers  urged  him  to  do  so  by  an  argu- 
ment that  might  appear  to  justify  him:  "Behold  the  day  of  which  the 
Lord  said  unto  thee.  Behold,  I  will  deliver  thy  enemy  into  thy  hand," 
&c.     But  David  nobly  rejected  their  counsel  and  spared  the  life  of  Saul. 

Or  take  the  prayer  of  the  dying  thief,  Luke  xxiii.  42:  "Lord,  remem- 
ber me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  On  this  subject  several  of 
the  Topics  would  furnish  suitable  remarks;  and,  with  reference  to  the 
Topic  now  under  consideration,  it  may  be  observed  that  the  time  when 
this  dying  penitent  addressed  Christ  as  his  Lord  was  the  time  of  Christ's 
deepest  humiliation.  It  was  not  when  the  Savior  was  greeted  by  the  accla- 
mations of  the  multitude,  crying,  "Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,"  &c., 
nor  when  there  was  a  general  desire  to  invest  him  with  kingly  power;  but 
when  he  had  been  condemned  as  a  blasphemer  and  an  impostor,  both  by 
the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  rulers,  the  people  unitedly  vociferating,  "Cru- 
cify him!  crucify  him!"  His  glory  was  now  concealed  by  a  cloud 
through  which  his  most  attached  followers  could  not  penetrate.  Alarmed 
and  confounded,  notwithstanding  the  precision  with  which  our  Lord  had 
forewarned  them  of  the  event,  they  all  forsook  him  and  fled.  The  faith 
of  the  thief  seemed  alone  to  rise  above  all  outward  obstacles,  and,  at  the 
very  time  when  the  powers  of  earth  and  hell  supposed  that  the  pretensions 
of  Christ  were  completely  overturned,  he  prayed  to  him  as  to  one  who 
was  about  to  take  triumphant  possession  of  a  kingdom. 

These  brief  examples  will,  it  is  presumed,  be  amply  sufficient  to  point 

*See  Barrongha  on  Moses's  Choice — very  full  and  excellent 


REMARK    THE    TIME    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  246 

out  the  utility  and  assist  in  the  application  of  our  Topic.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  more  o-eneral  view  of  time  on  which  I  shall  take  leave  to  offer  a 
few  remarks.  I  mean  the  consideration  of  time  as  a  gift  of  God,  a  talent 
to  be  improved,  and  by  you  to  be  urged  with  the  solemnity  and  zeal  be- 
coming the  subject,  in  the  humble  hope  of  reaching  conviction  to  the  mind 
of  some  hitherto  careless  and  unthinking  mortal,  who  may  have  been  acting 
upon  its  momentary  dependence,  as  if  his  time  were  to  endure  for  ever, 
as  if  "to-morrow  were  to  be  as  to-day,  and  much  more  abundant."  And 
here,  in  fact,  we  have  an  individual  concern.  If  God  marks  time,  as  his 
word  assures  us  he  does,  then  we  must  mark  time  also,  or  accounts  will 
not  at  last  agree.  If  time  flies,  we  must  improve  it,  and  fly  with  it;  and, 
if  we  do  not,  we  must  smart  for  our  neglect.  Taking  into  view  the  inter- 
est diat  your  hearers  have  in  your  faithful  warnings  and  admonitions,  and 
your  individual  responsibility,  and  remembering  that  you  can  not  insure  a 
day  to  yourselves,  that  your  times  are  absolutely  in  the  Lord's  hands,  that 
he  can  cut  the  thread  of  life  at  any  definite  moment  perfectly  unknown  to 
you,  it  must  be  plain  that  such  certain  knowledge  connected  with  neglect 
must  bring  an  aggravated  accumulation  of  guilt.  And  if  we  may  allow 
our  thoughts  to  pass  into  the  next  state  of  existence,  where  the  unhappy 
spirits  of  darkness  are  awaiting  final  judgment,  can  we  imagine  anything 
more  cutting  to  their  sensitive  minds  than  that  which  the  loss  of  opportu- 
nities and  means  of  grace  occasions  them?  What  a  volume  would  their 
reflections  form  upon  the  sad  loss  they  have  sustained !  How  awful  if  the 
appendix  to  that  volume  should  declare,  with  reference  to  any  who  may 
have  attended  our  ministry,  that  the  preacher  failed  to  warn  them  of  the 
ruin  which  they  were  bringing  upon  themselves  by  their  impenitency  and 
unbelief!  But,  thanks  to  Heaven !  we  yet  have  time  in  some  portion. 
Let  us  meditate  on  the  words  of  the  Savior,  "I  must  work  while  it  is 
day;  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work."  Let  us  take  the  apostle 
Paul  as  our  example  in  this  particular.  We  see  him  continually  intent 
upon  redeeming  time  in  his  own  conduct;  his  was  the  most  laborious  hu- 
man effort  to  improve  it  that  is  to  be  found  on  record.  He  spent  no  part 
of  his  days  in  curious  inquiries  or  knotty  speculations,  much  less  in 
amusements  and  visitings,  except  from  "house  to  house,"  to  teach,  to 
warn,  to  persuade,  and  to  counsel  concerning  the  speedy  approach  of 
Christ  to  judgment,  and  to  urge  immediate  faith  and  repentance  on  all 
classes  of  society;  and,  if  he  committed  his  counsels  to  writing,  he  care- 
fully urged  "  the  redeeming  of  time."  This  must  be  our  immediate  course, 
and  may  the  Lord  assist  us  to  be  faithful  to  Christ,  to  our  people,  and  to 
ourselves! 

Now  my  desire  is,  next  to  your  personal  profit,  that  you  may  turn  our 
present  Topic  to  your  people's  advantage.  To  assist  you  in  doing  this,  I 
have  selected  from  various  authors  the  outlines  of  subjects  upon  which  you 
might  dwell.  I  do  not  say  that  you  are  to  copy  these  examples  verbatim, 
for  this  is  against  my  own  plan;  but  these  outlines  will  suggest  to  you  the 
course  you  are  to  pursue. 

It  was  said  of  the  great  Mr.  Baxter  that  he  preached  on  time  and  eter- 
nity as  if  he  had  one  foot  in  the  grave  and  the  other  ready  to  follow.  And 
indeed,  unless  you  have  a  similarly  deep  impression  on  your  minds,  it  will 
be  a  sad  indication  of  your  unfitness  for  the  service  you  are  here  called  to 
perform.     The  subject  must  be  first  a  matter  of  personal  feeling  and  then 


246  LECTURE    XV. 

the  matter  of  exhortation  to  others;  but  I  hope  and  trust  we  shall  have 
iiothing  to  lament  on  this  head. 

First:  I  shall  refer  you  to  a  few  examples  wherein  the  importance  of 
time  is  prominent. 

Simeon  on  Hos.  x.  12:  "It  is  time  to  seek  the  Lord."     He  considers, 

I.  The  duty  enjoined. 

II.  The  arguments  which  enforce  it. 

The  above  text  may  be  treated  in  the  interrogative  form,  as  follows : — 

I.  What  is  the  world  about  ?     Not  seeking  the  Lord. 

II.  What  ought  ive  to  be  about?     Seeking  most  earnestly. 

III.  What  may  we  expect  to  find  if  we  seek  ?     A  covenant  and  gracious  God. 

Morning  Exercises,  vol.  11.,  p.  92,  on  2  Cor.  vi.  1,  2:  "Behold,  now 
IS  the  accepted  time,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." 

I.  A  twice-repeated  excitement,  to  improve  the  present  season. 

II.  A  double  argument  to  convince  ;  1st,  From  its  fitness,  it  is  daytime  ;  2dly,  It  is 
the  accepted  time,  the  day  of  salvation. 

Eastcheap  Lectures,  vol.  ii.,  p.  140,  on  Heb.  lii.  7  :  "  To-day,  if  you 
will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,"  &c. 

I.  Consider  the  dignity  and  authority  of  Christ  who  calls. 

II.  The  important  things  you  are  called  to  regard. 

III.  Consider  that  it  is  only  to-day  that  you  are  invited. 

IV.  The  awful  consequences  of  neglect  in  the  example  of  the  Jews  and  other  de- 
scriptions of  persons  to  whom  this  season  is  lost  for  ever. 

Duche,  vol.  11.,  on  Eccles.  ill.  1  :  "For  every  purpose  there  is  a  time." 

I.  Every  moment  comes  to  us  charged  with  some  important  duty. 

II.  The  minutest  occurrences  of  a  day  may  have  consequences  that  reach  forward 
to  eternity. 

III.  Therefore  time  must  be  seized  as  it  flies. 

This  sermon  is  very  eloquent;  but  it  is  founded  on  merely  moral  prin- 
ciples, without,  or  nearly  without,  those  evangelical  statements  which  will, 
I  hope,  mark  all  your  sermons. 

Archbishop  Leighton,  without  a  division,  on  Ps.  xxxll.  6:  "For  this 
shall  every  one  that  is  godly  pray  unto  thee  in  a  time  wdien  thou  mayest 
be  found." 

Surely  every  rational  being  will  without  delay  invoke  so  gentle  and  mild  a  Lord, 
will  pray  unto  him  while  he  is  exorable — "in  a  time  of  finding"  (Heb.);  for  he 
promises  pardon,  though  he  does  not  promise  to-morrow.  There  are  the  iempora 
fandi,  certain  times  in  which  he  may  be  spoken  with,  and  a  certain  appointed  day 
of  pardon  and  grace,  which  if  a  man  by  stupid  pervcrseness  despise,  or  by  sloth  neg- 
lect, surely  he  is  justly  overwhelmed  with  eternal  night  and  misery,  and  must  neces- 
sarily perish  by  the  deluge  of  divine  wrath,  since  he  has  contemned  and  derided  that 
ark  of  salvation  which  was  prepared,  and  iuto  which  whosoever  enters  shall  be  safe, 
while  the  world  is  perishing.  Though  all  be  one  unbounded  sea,  a  sea  without  a 
shore,  yet,  as  it  is  here  said,  the  greatest  inundation,  "  the  floods  of  deep  waters,  shall 
not  come  nigh  unto  him." 

Secondly  :  We  shall  now  quote  a  few  examples  on  passages  that  refer 
to  the  fact  of  time's  speedy  termination.  "  The  night  cometh,  and  the 
shadows  of  the  evening  must  soon  be  stretched  out." 

Simeon  on  Joel  ill.  13  :   "  Put  you  in  the  sickle,"  &c. 

I.  What  is  it  that  makes  us  ripe  for  the  great  harvest  ? 

II.  What  are  the  marks  of  our  being  ripe? 

III.  What  shall  be  done  when  we  are  ripe  ? 

Davies,  vol.  11.,  p.  34,  on  Jer.  xxviii.  IG  :   "  This  year  thou  shalt  die."* 

*  The  preaclicr  pronounced  this  upon  bimsclf,  for  he  died  in  thirty-five  days  after  preaching  this 
sermon — an  immense  loss  to  the  church. 


REMARK    THE    TIME    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  247 

I.  Consider  that  this  year  you  may  die  ;  it  is  quite  possible. 

II.  What  will  be  the  consequence  if  this  event  should  actually  occur. 

III.  Let  us,  then,  wisely  meet  these  possibilities  and  consequences. 

Dr.  Watts  on  Rev.  x.  5,  6  :  "  The  angel ....  sware that  time  should 

be  no  longer." 

I.  The  time  for  the  recovery  of  fallen  nature  will  be  no  longer. 

II.  Seasons  and  means  of  grace  will  be  no  longer. 

III.  Time  for  prayer  and  repentance  will  be  no  longer, 

IV.  However  wretched  our  state,  then  the  day  of  hope  ends ;  the  king  of  terrort 
will  realize  all  that  his  name  imports  to  the  impenitent. 

V.  All  the  seasons  of  carnal  gratification  will  end. 

Boston,  folio  edition,  p.  581,  on  the  same  text. 

I.  The  truth  itself,  that  there  is  a  period  set  which  time  can  not  exceed. 

II.  The  Aveight  of  this  truth,  and  its  concern  to  all  men. 

III.  Apply  the  subject. 

Thirdly :  Passages  that  give  tokens  or  signs  of  the  times. 

Mr.  Wesley,  vol.  v.,  p.  240,  on  Matt.  xvi.  3  :  "  And  in  the  morning, 
It  will  be  foul  weather  to-day ;  for  the  sky  is  red  and  lowering.  O  you 
hypocrites !  you  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky  ;  but  can  you  not  discern 
the  signs  of  the  times  ?" 

I.  What  times  were  those  which  our  Lord  is  here  speakmg  about  ? 

II.  What  are  the  times  which  we  have  reason  to  believe  are  now  at  hand  ? 

Simeon  on  Rom.  xiii.  11,  12  :  "  The  day  is  far  spent,"  &c. 

I.  Confirm  the  truth  of  the  apostle's  assertion. 

II.  Enforce  the  exhortation  grounded  upon  it. 

Fourthly  :  Passages  which  furnish  similes  of  life's  brevity. 
James  iv.  14  :  "  For  what  is  your  life  ?" 

I.  Amplify  the  inquiry. 

II.  Examine  what  improvement  such  views  suggest. 

Jer.  viii.  7  :  "  The  stork  in  the  heavens  knoweth,"  &c. 
I.  Consider  the  occasion  of  these  words. 
TI.  The  truth  of  them. 

III.  The  design  of  them. 

Fifthly  :  Passages  of  admonition  in  reference  to  the  subject. 
Burn,  p.  110,  on  Eccles.  ix.  10  :  "  Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do, 
do  it  with  thy  might,"  &c. 

I.  There  is  work  to  be  done  by  every  one  of  us,  in  time. 

II.  The  manner  in  which  it  is  to  be  done— "With  all  thy  might." 

III.  The  motive.  The  opportunity  will  soon  cease,  for  no  work  can  be  done  in 
the  grave,  &c. 

The  same  author  on  2  Cor.  v.  11  :  "  Knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord, 
we  persuade  men." 

I.  A  powerful  argument  used— the  day  of  the  Lord's  terrors,  &c. 

II.  The  undoubted  uncertainty  of  it—"  Knowing,"  &c. 

III.  The  end  in  view  m  naming  it—"  To  persuade  men." 

Mr.  Wesley  on  Ephesians  v.  16  :  '*  Redeeming  the  time,"  &c.  Con- 
sider— 

I.  What  it  is  to  redeem  time. 

II.  The  evil  of  not  redeeming  it. 

III.  The  most  effectual  manner  of  doing  it. 

Archbishop  Tillotson  on  John  ix.  4  :  "  I  must  work  the  work  of  him 
that  sent  me,"  &c. 

I.  Every  man  has  a  work  assigned  him — "  I  must  work." 


248  LECTURE    XV. 

II.  There  is  a  certain  limited  time  for  it—"  While  it  is  day." 

III.  That  expired,  the  opportunity  is  lost—"  The  night  cometh." 

Walker,  vol.  iii.,  p.  129,  on  Prov.  vi.  6,  7  :  "  Go  to  the  ant,  thou  slug- 
gard," &c. 

I.  Consider  the  character  here  addressed— the  sluggard. 

II.  The  counsel  given  to  him — to  consider  the  conduct  of  the  ant. 

"  Man,  that  was  once  the  captain  of  God's  school,  is  now  for  his  ill-hehavior 
turned  down  into  the  lowest  form,  as  it  were,  to  learn  his  A,  B,  C,  again — yea,  to  be 
taught  by  the  meanest  creatures.  Christ  sends  us  to  school  to  the  birds  of  the  air  and 
lilies  of  the  field  to  learn  the  lesson  of  dependence  on  divine  Providence  (Matt. 
vi.) ;  Jeremiah  sends  us  to  the  stork,  the  crane,  and  the  swnllow  (Jer.  vii.) ;  Isaiah 
leads  us  to  the  crib  of  the  ox  and  the  ass ;  and  here  Solomon  directs  us  to  the  ant. 
This  poor  despicable  creature  is  placed  in  the  chair  to  read  us  a  lecture  of  sedulity 
and  good  husbandry.  What  a  deal  of  grain  she  collects  together  in  the  summer ! 
What  pains  does  she  take  for  it,  not  by  day  only,  but  by  moonlight  also  !  What  huge 
heaps  has  she  !  What  care  to  bring  forth  her  store,  and  lay  it  a  drying  on  a  sun- 
shiny day,  lest  the  moisture  should  destroy  it."— Tkappe  on  Prov.  vi.  6. 

Manton,  vol.  v.,  p.  1029,  on  the  same  text. 

I.  The  learner. 

II.  The  teacher. 

III.  The  lesson. 

IV.  The  example. 

Sixthly :   The  dreadful  consequences  of  neglect. 

Beddome,  vol.  iii.,  p.  15,  on  Luke  xix.  41-44  :  "  He  beheld  the  city, 
and  wept  over  it,"  &c. 

I.  What  our  Savior  did. 

II.  What  he  said — "  If  thou  hadst  known,"  &c. 

Simeon  on  Jer.  viii.  20-22  :  "  The  harvest  is  past,"  &c. 

I.  To  whom  does  this  representation  refer  ? 

II.  The  misery  of  their  state. 

III.  The  remedy  remainmg. 

On  this  point  you  may  consult  with  advantage  Allelne's  Alarm,  and 
Ambrose's  Last  Things.  It  is  of  great  consequence  to  warn  sinners  of 
their  danger,  that  we  be  not  partakers  in  their  guilt.     "  There  is  yet  room." 

Seventhly  :  For  turning  this  subject  to  consolation,  as  Simeon  on  Isa. 
XXX.  26  :  "  The  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,"  &c. 
There  are  special  seasons  when  this  representation  shall  be  verified,  as — 

I.  At  our  first  reconciliation  to  God. 

II.  At  any  return  of  light  and  favor  after  darkness  of  soul. 

III.  At  the  hour  of  our  dissolution. 

Dwight,  vol.  v.,  p.  533,  on  2  Pet.  iii.  13  :  "  We  look  for  new  heavens," 
&c. 

Time  having  been  often  the  medium  of  misery  to  the  saints,  it  shall 
soon  terminate  in  eternity.     Hence  consider — 

I.  The  residence  of  the  saints. 

II.  Their  character.* 

III.  Their  employment. 

IV.  Their  enjoyments. 

You  may  refer  to  the  whole  of  Dwight's  Discourse ;  also  to  Mitchel  on 
Future  Glory,  Watts's  Scale  of  Blessedness,  and  many  others.  This  bles- 
sed state  should  be  upon  our  hearts  to  administer  support,  to  comfort  us  in 
all  the  trials  of  the  ministry,  and,  along  with  the  cautions  of  the  former 

*  Their  character  is  described  as  follows:  as  being  composed  of  body  and  mind — made  perfect — 
redeemed — adopted.  They  are  to  each  other  brethren — to  the  angels  companiona — kings  and  priests 
unto  God  and  the  Lamb. 


OBSERVE    PLACE.  249 

part  of  the  subject,  we  shall  be  thereby  greatly  assisted  to  preach  on 
eternity. 

In  conclusion  of  this  article,  allow  me  to  say,  I  think  it  would  be  of 
great  service  to  you,  as  tending  to  render  you  quite  familiar  with  the  sub- 
ject, if  you  were  to  write  a  treatise,  a  long  one,  upon  the  whole  subject, 
embracing  the  fact  of  time's  speedy  termination — tokens  of  this  speedy 
termination — similes  of  scripture  illustrating  it — scripture  admonitions  and 
examples — the  certain  ruin  attending  neglect — the  comforts  of  the  saints 
in  relation  to  time  and  in  anticipation  of  eternity,  &c.  As  you  can  not 
devote  one  regular  and  complete  season  for  the  purpose,  take  the  intervals 
of  time,  the  opportunities  that  God  gives  you,  writing  a  page  now  and  a 
page  then,  until  it  shall  be  complete.  This  will  familiarize  the  subject  to 
you,  and  administer  a  superior  fluency  of  address  on  a  subject  of  great 
importance  to  your  ministrations.  We  can  not  know  any  preacher  long 
without  perceiving  upon  what  his  thoughts  more  familiarly  dwell  ;  upon 
that  subject,  if  on  any,  he  is  sure  to  be  eloquent.  The  eloquence  of 
Baxter,  Alleine,  and  Shore,  on  our  subject,  proves  that  it  was  one  of  the 
great  master-subjects  on  which  their  minds  rested. 

Independently  of  choice,  you  will  find  seasons  and  occasions  that  will 
almost  compel  you  to  advert  to  this  Topic — perhaps  your  personal  deliv- 
erance from  imminent  dangers,  funeral  services,  new-year's  days,  &c.  To 
have  your  thoughts,  therefore,  always  familiar  with  the  subject  will  at  once 
be  your  duty  and  your  happiness.  This,  in  an  important  sense,  is  truly  to 
"  watch  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord." 


TOPIC  IX. 

OBSERVE  PLACE. 

The  Topic  on  which  we  are  now  entering,  and  that  which  has  just 
been  considered  (and  indeed  the  sixth  and  seventh  Topics  also),  have  in 
one.  point  of  view  a  very  near  affinity  :  the  grounds  on  which  they  demand 
our  attention,  and  the  rules  which  regulate  their  application  in  preaching, 
are  the  same.  It  is  consequendy  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  illustration 
of  the  present  Topic,  as  what  I  have  said  in  reference  to  time  may  with 
some  modifications  be  applied  to  place.  That  our  reflections  on  the  place 
where  anything,  concerning  which  we  may  be  discoursing  was  said  or  done, 
may  sometimes  suggest  observations  calculated  to  elucidate,  confirm,  or 
enrich  the  subject,  must,  I  conceive,  be  obvious.  In  the  language  of 
scripture  frequent  allusion  is  made  to  the  appearances  by  which  the  inspired 
penmen  were  surrounded.  Whether  they  wrote  in  Palestine,  the  land  of 
promise,  or  in  Babylon  the  seat  of  capdvity — whether  Jerusalem,  or 
Athens,  or  Rome,  formed  the  scene  of  their  labors — whether  they  taught 
in  the  city,  or  the  desert,  or  the  field,  the  phenomena  presented  to  their 
observarion  furnished  materials  on  which  to  graft  their  admonitions  and 
counsels.  The  propriety  and  force  of  many  passages  can  consequendy  be 
appreciated  only  in  propordon  as  we  are  made  acquainted  with  die  peculi- 
arities of  those  places  to  which  such  allusions  refer  ;  hence  die  value  of 
those  researches  into  the  geography,  climate,  customs,  &c.,  of  Judea,  which 
have  been  applied  to  illustrate  the  sacred  volume.     But,  even  where  no 


250  LECTURE    XV. 

direct  allusion  is  made,  our  Topic  may  sometimes  be  applied  with  advan- 
tage, as  that  which  is  said  or  done  at  one  place  or  under  particular  circum- 
stances may  possess  more  force  than  the  same  thing  at  another  place  or 
under  other  circumstances.     (See  p.  187,  note  from  Jones.) 

Take  the  exhortation  of  Paul,  Phil.  iii.  13  :  "  Forgetting  the  things 
which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I 
press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calhng  of  God  in  Christ  Je- 
sus." The  place  where  he  writes  this,  Claude  observes,  furnishes  a  very 
beautiful  consideration.  He  was  then  in  prison  at  Rome,  loaded  with  chains, 
and  deprived  of  his  liberty;  yet  he  speaks  as  if  he  were  as  much  at  liberty 
as  any  man  in  the  world,  as  able  to  act  as  he  pleased  and  to  dispose  of  him- 
self as  ever ;  he  talks  of  having  entered  a  course,  running  a  race,  forget- 
ting things  behind,  pressing  toward  those  that  were  before,  and,  in  short, 
of  hoping  to  gain  a  prize.  All  these  are  actions  of  a  man  enjoying  full 
liberty.  How  could  he  who  was  in  prison  be  at  the  same  time  on  a  race- 
course? How  could  he  run  who  was  loaded  with  irons?  How  could  he 
hope  to  win  a  prize  who  every  day  expected  a  sentence  of  death  ?  But 
it  is  not  difficult  to  reconcile  these  things ;  his  bonds  and  imprisonment 
did  not  hinder  the  course  of  faith  and  obedience.  His  prison  was  con- 
verted into  an  agreeable  stadium,  and  death  for  the  gospel  might  well  be 
considered  under  the  image  of  a  complete  victory;  for  a  martyr  gains  an 
unfading  crown  as  a  reward  of  his  sufferings. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  add  here  any  further  example  in  illustration  of  the 
Topic  as  to  its  primary  intention.  What  has  been  said  will,  I  presume, 
be  sufficient  to  show  the  propriety  of  availing  yourselves  of  the  advantages 
which  this  source  of  reflection  may  furnish ;  but  it  may  not  be  inappropri- 
ate to  offer  a  few  remarks  on  the  consideration  of  place  in  general,  partic- 
ularly of  places  referred  to  or  described  in  scripture.  In  this  respect  the 
Topic  has  already  been  introduced  into  these  Lectures,  as  it  falls  under 
one  of  the  regular  interrogations,  and  my  returning  to  it  again  is  a  mere 
matter  of  eligibility,  and  because  something  remains  to  be  said  upon  it. 
It  is  truly  a  most  copious  and  exuberant  Topic ;  for  every  occurrence  past 
and  present  has  a  place  of  acting,  and  every  declaration  of  futurity  has  a 
place  referred  to,  important  to  some  of  mankind  or  to  all.  It  is  connected 
with  our  history,  with  our  offices  or  agencies,  with  our  pleasures  and  our 
pains,  our  changes  and  vicissitudes  in  life.  The  idea  of  place  presents 
itself  to  our  minds  throughout  all  the  regions  of  excursive  imagination  in 
a  manner  quite  spontaneously  and  without  effort.  It  is  absolutely  essential 
to  all  detail  and  description,  to  all  histories  and  transactions.  It  is  the  aid 
of  memory  ;  it  reminds  us  of  our  earliest  and  sweetest  attachments  ;  it 
points  us  to  the  grave  and  to  the  final  destinies  of  all  mankind.  The  de- 
gree of  importance  we  should  assign  to  it  in  preaching  of  course  requires 
discrimination.  In  some  cases  the  place  referred  to  may  be  of  no  impor- 
tance whatever  ;  we  care  nothing  about  the  place  where  Doeg  the  Edomite 
was  buried,  or  whether  he  was  ever  buried  at  all.  But  in  many  other 
cases  it  is  all-important,  as  a  litde  examination  will  fully  evince.  Its  par- 
ticular utility  to  a  preacher,  either  by  way  of  evidence  or  observation,  is 
beyond  dispute.  Frequently  your  application  of  the  Topic  will  be  con- 
fined to  a  casual  remark  ;  but  it  may  occasionally  furnish  the  basis  of  a  full 
subject,  particularly  in  reference  to  what  we  call  typical  places,  or  holy 
places,  constituted  for  the  observation,  instruction,  and  benefit  of  mankind. 


OBSERVE    PLACE.  251 

On  this  account  I  now  resume  the  subject;  but  not  having  any  adequate 
example  in  print  (which  I  ahvays  prefer)  I  shall  be  obliged  to  offer  you 
one  of  my  own,  wherein  place,  as  a  type,  is  considered  somewhat  exten- 
sively ;  and,  that  you  may  fully  enter  into  my  views,  I  shall  give  this  ex- 
ample at  length.  The  authors  whom  I  possess  just  introduce  the  typical 
place,  and  then  commence  a  discourse  upon  the  subject  to  which  the  type 
refers ;  and  they  seem  alarmed  lest  they  should  be  ranked  among  the  vis- 
ionaries, a  class  of  persons  among  whom  I  have  no  great  inchnation  to 
stand,  having  myself  spoken  unfavorably  of  Mr.  Keach  in  reference  to 
this  matter.  Still  I  must  be  allowed  to  say  that  we  ought  not  to  leave  a 
type  till  it  leaves  us.  So  long  as  a  type  will  speak  intelligibly  and  profit- 
ably, let  it  speak.  Many  of  the  types  not  only  have  doctrines  contained 
in  them  of  very  high  importance,  but  also  doctrines  that  will  run  parallel 
with  their  types  from  beginning  to  end,  and  where  the  type  can  not  be 
dropped  at  all  without  the  most  manifest  injury  to  the  Scriptures  and  loss 
to  the  hearers.  I  should  consequently  recommend  to  you  as  students,  to 
take  an  extensive  view  of  your  type ;  let  your  sketch  lie  by  you  for  a 
week  or  two  ;  then  review  it,  and  cut  out  whatever  is  beyond  sobriety  of 
mind  and  sound  judgment. 

The  example  which  I  now  offer  you  is  founded  on  Ps.  1.  2:  "  Out  of 
Zion,  the  perfection  of  beauty,  hath  God  shined."* 

The  book  of  God  has  a  language  peculiar  to  itself.  Its  idiom  or  character  is 
purely  Hebrew.  Even  those  parts  which  were  written  in  Syriac  or  Greek  differ  not 
materially  in  this  respect;  for  though  the  mere  words  may  be  Syriac,  or  Greek,  the 
original  characteristics  remain  clearly  intelligible.  The  style  is  frequently  rich, 
sententious,  poetical,  majestic,  or  sublime,  full  of  localities,  or  names  of  places,  pe- 
culiar to  Judea,  such  as  Jerusalem,  Zion,  &c.,  which  are  remarkably  beautiful,  and 
capable  of  high  spiritual  meaning  without  any  unnatural  force  being  put  upon  them. 
Now  what  I  have  principally  in  view,  is  to  point  out  the  great  advantages  to  be  ob- 
tained by  us  in  understanding  as  much  as  possible  the  natural  history  and  religious 
allusions  of  certain  places  so  frequently  noticed  in  scripture,  that  we  may  perceive 
more  of  the  beauty  of  scripture  language,  and  be  enabled  more  accurately  to  under- 
stand the  spiritual  instruction  thus  incidentally  conveyed  to  us. 

The  most  celebrated  place,  and  the  most  important  in  all  Judea,  was  Mount  Zion. 
Under  this  name  we  suppose  Mount  Moriah  to  be  included ;  and  these  together 
formed  the  supereminent  part  of  the  famous  city  of  Jerusalem.  Let  us  therefore  con- 
sider the  text — 

I.  In  reference  to  its  primary  intention.  . 

We  may  observe,  in  general,  that  it  is  called  "  Mount  Zion,  the  perfection  of 
beauty"  (Lam.  ii.  15)— matchless,  peerless.  Much  has  been  said  in  praise  of  the 
site  upon  which  the  city  of  Tyre  was  built,  and  the  magnificence  established  upon  it 
is  described  by  Ezekiel  the  prophet,  chap,  xxvii.  Such  was  its  strength  that  Nebu- 
chadnezzar besieged  it  thirteen  years  before  he  could  reduce  it ;  the  siege  continued 
"  till  every  head  was  bald  and  every  shoulder  peeled  ;"  but  so  much  greatness  with- 
out reference  to  divuie  things  was  only  like  those  things  "  that  pass  away"  and  that 
vanish  from  the  eye  of  the  beholder.  More  justly  famed  was  Mount  Sinai  in  the 
wilderness.  Fertile  valleys  and  flowing  streams  delight  the  eye  and  please  the 
senses,  Ps.  xxiii.  2,  Ixv.  13,  fee. ;  Isa.  Ix.  13  ;  Ps.  civ.  10.  It  is  however  the  bold  and 
rocky  mountain  that  strikes  the  mind  with  sublimity,  veneration,  and  solemn  awe. 
Such  was  Mount  Sinai ;  but  this  mountain  was  rendered  more  sublime,  more  terrific 
still,  when  Jehovah  descend  upon  it  to  deliver  his  most  holy  law  to  his  people.  "In 
blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet"  (Heb.  xu.  18),  he 
came  thereon,  "  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints."  "  From  his  right  hand  went  forth 
the  fiery  law,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  2.  While  these  terrors  were  revealed  on  the  "lount,  the 
people  of  Israel  at  its  base  were  almost  petrified  with  astonishment,  and  even  Moses 
said,  "I  exceedingly  fear  and  quake."  Mount  Sinai,  then,  will  be  justly  famed  tor 
its  natural  grandeur,  and  yet  more  for  the  descent  of  Deity  upon  it.     Still  it  pro- 

•  This  discourse  may  be  regarded  aa  a  specimen  of  exposition,  the  subject  of  Lecture  IV. 


252  LECTURE    XV. 

claimed  "  the  ministry  of  condemnation,"  and  we  must  allow  pre-eminence  to  that 
of  a  milder  glory,  to  "  Mount  Zion,  the  perfection  of  beauty ;"  this  place  was  de- 
signed to  receive  the  highest  honor  of  any  spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Mount  Zion  was  a  rock,  or  a  union  of  rocks  under  one  name.  On  that  part  called 
Zion  Proper  the  house  or  palace  of  David  was  built ;  Mount  Moriah,  which  formed 
the  other  part,  pretty  generally  lost  its  name,  or  was  called  by  the  name  of  the 
former  ;  but  this  latter  part  lost  nothing  of  its  honor,  for  the  Lord's  tabernacle  and 
afterward  the  temple  were  built  upon  it. 

It  was  in  the  early  ages,  and  till  David's  reign,  occupied  by  the  Jebusites,  who  to 
the  natural  strength  of  the  place  added  such  fortifications  as  the  military  art  of  those 
ages  afforded ;  and  these  Jebusites  kept  it  against  all  the  forces  of  Joshua  and  his 
successors  for  the  space  of  400  years.  Its  conquest  was  reserved  for  David.  (2  Sam. 
v.,  and  1  Chron.  xi.)  Beginning  at  this  point  of  Zion's  history,  we  shall  first  point 
out  some  of  its  peculiar  excellences,  and  then  proceed  to  consider  the  effect  pro- 
duced— the  glory  of  God  shining  forth  from  it. 

1.  We  may  notice  the  peculiar  excellences  of  Mount  Zion.  These  may  be  con- 
veniently arranged  under  its  natural,  its  elective,  its  figurative,  and  its  typical  gran- 
deur, from  the  consideration  of  which  it  will  appear  to  be  appropriately  designated 
"  the  perfection  of  beauty." 

1.)  Its  natural  splendor  and  excellency.  This  is  most  beautifully  described  in 
Psalm  xlviii:  "  Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,  is  Mouiit  Zion; 
on  the  sides  of  the  north,  the  city  of  the  great  King.  God  is  known  in  her  palaces 
for  a  refuge  :  for,  lo,  the  kings  were  assembled  ;  they  passed  by  together  ;  they  saw 
it,  and  so  they  marvelled  ;  they  were  troubled,  and  hasted  away.  As  we  have  heard 
so  have  we  seen,  in  the  city  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  in  the  city  of  our  God :  God  will 
establish  it  for  ever.  Walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her:  tell  the  towers 
thereof  Mark  well  her  bulwarks ;  consider  her  palaces  ;  that  you  may  tell  it  to  the 
generation  following.  For  this  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever;  he  will  be  our 
guide  even  unto  death."  So  that  Decus  et  tutatnen  might  well  be  the  motto  uiscribed 
upon  it. 

2.)  Its  elective  honor.  With  respect  to  Zion  Proper,  it  was  quite  natural  and 
politic  that  David  should  choose  it  for  his  palace  and  the  seat  of  his  government: 
that  which  we  acquire  with  difficulty  we  much  value.  The  Jebusites  held  it  so  proudly 
that  they  derided  David  in  his  attempt  to  take  it :  "  Except  thou  take  away  the  blind 
and  lame,  thou  shalt  not  come  hither ;"  as  much  as  to  say,  We  will  commit  its  de- 
fence to  the  blind  and  the  lame,  and  they  shall  repel  thy  feeble  forces.  Yet  Joab, 
for  the  prize  of  honor  and  distinction,  led  the  way  and  took  the  place  by  assault.  It 
was  a  very  extraordinary  event  that  determined  the  choice  of  the  other  or  southern 
point,  before  called  Mount  Moriah,  as  the  seat  of  the  holy  tabernacle.  David  had, 
some  time  previouslv,  brought  the  ark  of  the  covenant  to  Jerusalem.  At  length, 
however,  a  memorable  affliction  visits  the  people  on  David's  account.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  reign  the  king  of  Israel  issued  his  command  for  numbering  the  people 
(2  Sam.  xxiv.),  an  action  which,  either  in  the  matter  or  the  motive  of  it,  was  highly 
displeasing  to  God  ;  and  the  prophet  Gad  was  despatched  to  the  king  to  signify  the 
divine  displeasure  and  a  determination  to  chastise  him  by  a  public  calamity.  He 
was  allowed  his  choice  of  a  seven  years'  famine,  or  to  be  pursued  three  months  by 
his  enemies,  or  to  suffer  by  three  days'  pestilence  ;  and  David  chose  the  last.  "Let 
us,"  says  he  "fall  now  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord  (for  his  mercies  are  great),  and 
let  me  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  men."  Upon  this  the  pestilence  went  forth,  and 
70,000  of  his  people  fell  under  this  calamity.  The  destroying  angel  stretched  out 
his  hand  over  Jerusalem  to  destroy  it,  but  at  that  moment  mercy  prevailed  over  judg- 
ment: "The  Lord  said  to  the  destroying  angel.  It  is  enough;  stay  now  thy  hand." 
Peace  was  now  to  be  restored  between  an  offended  God  and  the  guilty  king  ;  at  this 
moment  the  angel  was  visible  over  the  thrashing-floor  of  Araunah  the  Jcbusite,  or, 
as  he  is  elsewhere  called,  Oman  the  Jebusile.  To  be  a  token  of  expiation,  and  to 
perpetuate  the  mercy  which  ought  to  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance,  this  spot 
of  ground  where  the  angel  was  when  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  turning  from  David 
and  his  people  was  to  be  made  memorable  for  ever.  Gad  was  despatched  to  David 
to  signify  that  on  that  very  spot  Jehovah  would  accept  burnt-offerings  and  peace- 
offerings  at  his  hand.  David  hastes  to  Araunah  and  purchases  the  estate  for  a  valua- 
ble consideration.  He  offers  up  sacrifices  and  peace-offerings,  and  there  the  Lord 
accepts  the  service.  This  demonstration  of  the  divine  favor  respecting  this  spot  de- 
termines David  to  remove  the  ark  and  the  tabernacle  to  it  for  all  future  sacred  ser- 
vices;  and  this  very  spot  was  a  part  of  Mount  Moriah,  the  southern  point  of  Zion, 
whereon,  in  the  following  reign,  the  great  temple  was  erected ;  it  was  also  the 


OBSERVE    PLACE.  253 

happy  spot  on  which  Abraham  had  experienced  delivering  mercy  when  about  to 
offer  up  his  only  son  Isaac,  Gen.  xxii.  This  mountain  might  therefore  well  be 
called  the  mount  of  mercy ;  it  was  highly  suitable  for  an  Ebenezer  of  the  highest 
order  and  the  most  lasting  fame. 

From  this  brief  historical  sketch  it  appears  that  Zion  was  David's  choice.  But 
that  which  stamps  a  far  higher  value  upon  it  is  that  Jehovah  chose  this  spot.  Hap- 
py is  it  for  us  when  our  choice  and  the  Lord's  choice  concur.  The  Lord's  election 
of  Mount  Zion  is  beautifully  described  in  the  132d  Psalm:  "For  the  Lord  has 
chosen  Zion,  he  has  desired  it  for  his  habitation.  This  is  my  rest  for  ever,  here  will 
I  dwell,  for  I  have  desired  it,"  &:c.  Here  he  made  "  the  place  of  his  feet  glorious ;" 
the  altar  of  burnt-offerings,  the  holy  fire,  the  altar  of  incense,  the  laver,  the  tables, 
the  showbread,  the  perpetual  lamps,  the  veil,  the  ark,  the  mercy-seat,  the  table  of 
testimony,  the  book  of  the  law,  the  rod  of  Aaron,  the  cherubim  of  glory  over-shadow- 
ing the  mercy-seat,  the  shechinah  or  holy  cloud,  the  symbol  of  the  divine  presence, 
the  Lord's  high-priest  to  perform  the  holy  service,  the  servants  of  the  tabernacle,  the 
Levites,  the  Koathites,  the  singers  and  players  on  instruments,  all  combined  to  form 
what  the  text  calls  "  the  perfection  of  beauty,"  during  the  time  that  this  worldly 
sanctuary  and  these  carnal  ordinances  were  to  remain  in  use,  and  until  the  ministry 
of  the  Levites  was  to  give  place  to  a  more  excellent  ministry. 

3.)  There  was,  moreover,  a  figurative  grandeur  resting  on  Mount  Zion,  which  con- 
stituted a  still  more  important  part  of  its  "perfection  of  beauty."  Zion  was  in  sev- 
eral respects  a  figure  of  God's  church  and  people. 

(1.)  Zion  may  be  considered  as  representing  the  strength  and  perpetuity  of  the 
church.  Zion  was  a  rock  :  and  nothing  in  nature  is  stronger  nor  more  durable  than 
a  rock.  Hence  Mount  Zion  was  extremely  formidable  ;  "  kings  were  assembled  to 
view  it,  but  when  they  saw  it  they  hasted  away."  But  the  strength  as  Avell  as  the 
glory  of  Zion  consisted  in  its  being  in  a  peculiar  manner  the  residence  of  Jehovah, 
"  the  mountain  of  his  holiness."  God  was  in  the  midst  of  her,  that  she  should  not 
be  moved.  How  aptly  does  this  represent  the  strength  of  Jehovah  as  the  defence  of 
his  people  !  He  has  built  his  spiritual  Zion  like  high  palaces,  like  the  earth  which 
he  has  established  for  ever,  Ps.  Ixxviii.  69.  Hence  that  striking  and  beautiful  declar- 
ation, Ps.  cxxv.  1 :  "  Those  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion,  which 
can  not  be  moved,  but  abideth  for  ever."  Corresponding  with  this  is  the  language 
of  Isaiah  :  "  Trust  in  the  Lord  for  ever  ;  for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting 
strength."  The  sweet  singer  of  Israel  chants  the  divine  praise  in  language  of  similar 
import  when  he  says,  "The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  my  deliverer,  my  God, 
my  strength,  in  Avhom  I  trust."  Thus  also  sang  Hannah,  the  mother  of  Samuel: 
"  Neither  is  there  any  rock  like  unto  our  God."  These  and  similar  passages  must  be 
regarded  as  denoting,  not  what  God  is  in  himself,  but  particularly  what  he  is  in  ref- 
erence to  his  people.  He  is  their  rock,  their  refuge,  and  protection.  Their  safety, 
their  eternal  felicity,  is  secured  on  a  basis  that  can  not  fail ;  all  his  perfections  are 
engaged  in  their  defence. 

(2.)  Zion  may  also  be  considered  as  an  emblem  of  the  honor  of  the  saints.  On 
this  place  Jehovah  was  pleased  to  put  peculiar  honor.  Here  he  was  pleased  in  an 
important  sense  to  dwell,  and  to  display  his  glory  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  making 
the  place  of  his  feet  glorious.  Hence  it  is  represented  as  the  place  of  his  special 
delight:  "He  loveth  the  gates  of  Zion  more  than  all  the  dwellings  of  Jacob,"  Ps. 
Ixxxvii.  2.  To  be  born  there  was  consequently  accounted  a  high  privilege,  as  the 
psalmist  intimates ;  "  Of  Zion  it  shall  be  said,  This  and  that  man  were  born  in  her," 
Ps.  Ixxxvii.  5.  Similar  allusions  are  scattered  throughout  the  sacred  volume,  partic- 
ularly in  the  language  of  Jeremiah,  Lam.  iv.  2 :  "  The  precious  sons  of  Zion  were 
comparable  to  fine  gold."  May  we  not  say,  "Such  honor  have  all  the  saints  ?"  nay, 
the  honor  of  literal  Zion  derived  all  its  excellence  and  all  its  worth  from  the  spiritual 
honor  which  it  represented.  The  saints  of  God  have  the  highest  claim  of  birth,  be- 
ing "  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God."  It  is  they  who  in  the  highest  sense  have  "come  unto  Mount  Zion,  the  city 
of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,"  who  are  constituted  "  a  chosen  genera- 
tion, a  royal  priesthood,  a  peculiar  people,  to  shoAV  forth  the  praises  of  him  who  has 
called  them  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light,"  and  who  "have  their  conver- 
sation (or  citizenship)  in  heaven."  In  short,  so  numerous  are  the  coincidences,  and 
so  remarkable  their  correspondence,  that  they  enter  into  the  very  idiom  of  scripture, 
furnishing  a  language  by  which  many  ideas  are  rendered  perfectly  intelligible  that 
would  otherwise  have  been  too  remote  for  our  understandings. 

4.)  Zion  had  likewise  a  typical  grandeur. 

(1.)  The  rock  of  Zion  typified  Christ,  agauistwhom  the  "gates  of  hell  shall  never 


254  LECTURE    XV. 

prevail."  HaJ  the  church  been  built  on  a  basis  less  firm  than  Christ,  the  powers  of 
darkness  Avould  certainly  have  prevailed  against  it.  Here  then  we  reflect  with  de- 
light on  the  fact  that  the  whole  church  is  in  a  state  of  safety,  so  that  the  safety  of 
every  individual  is  included.  Christ  is  the  Rock  of  Ages,  "the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day, and  for  ever."  Then  may  "  the  inhabitants  of  the  rock  sing"  for  joy;  for  no 
evil  day  shall  blast  their  expectations  or  shake  their  security.  But  this  rock  is  to 
some  a  "  rock  of  offence  ;"  many  stumble  at  him  and  fall.  This  is  a  very  awful  cir- 
cumstance. 

(2.)  The  house  of  David,  situated  as  we  have  described,  typified  Christ's  house  ; 


shall  be  established  for  ever." 

(3.)  The  holy  tabernacle  situated  on  the  southern  point  of  Zion,  as  the  house  of 
David  was  on  the  northern,  typified  Christ's  human  nature,  6r  the  body  in  Avhich  he 
executes  his  priestly  office.  So  the  Savior  himself  said  to  the  Jews,  "  Destroy  this 
temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up  ;  but  he  spoke  of  the  temple  of  his  body," 
John  ii.  19-21.  In  short,  there  was  not  a  thing  about  the  tabernacle,  nor  an  officiating 
person,  but  what  typified  Christ  in  his  work,  office,  and  character. 

2.  We  must  notice  what  is  here  affirmed  respecting  it:  "  Out  of  Zion,  the  perfec- 
tion of  beauty,  hath  God  shined."  Its  renown  went  forth  among  the  heathen  for  its 
beauty.  It  was  perfect  through  the  comeliness  which  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  put 
upon  it,  Ezek.  xvi.  14.  The  glory  of  Jehovah's  perfections  shone  through  its  sym- 
bols upon  a  benighted  world.  As  the  sun  in  the  heavens  declares  the  glory  of  God, 
and  as  the  firmament  shows  forth  his  handywork,  so  it  is  in  the  case  under  consid- 
eration. Glorious  as  the  works  of  God  are  here  upon  earth,  yet  they  stand  in  need 
of  a  higher  glory  still.  So  the  ancient  world  would  have  been  infinitely  more 
wretched  than  it  was,  but  for  the  rays  of  light  emitted  from  Zion  upon  it.  From 
Egypt  indeed  the  world  learnt  the  doctrines  of  God's  justice  and  severity  against  a 
flagitious  king,  the  memorial  of  which  is  never  to  cease.  Frorn  Mount  Sinai  the 
world  learnt  God's  purity,  holiness  and  majesty  :  thence  they  received  a  perfect  law, 
which  was  never  to  be  abrogated.  But  it  was  from  Mount  Zion  that  the  world  was 
to  learn  and  behold  with  joy,  God's  mercy  and  grace,  the  mild  beams  of  which  were 
then  transmitted  to  distant  nations  ;  and,  if  it  were  not  for  the  scantiness  of  historical 
records,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  would  be  more  apparent  to  us  than  it  is. 

1.)  This  glory  which  emanated  from  Zion  was  reflected  upon  the  Israelitish 
nation.  Zion  was  in  those  days,  "the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel."  It  was  "a 
city  set  on  a  hill,  that  could  not  be  hid."  Indeed,  by  the  constitution  of  things 
which  God  has  established  throughout  nature,  nothing  is  made  excellent  or  beau- 
tiful on  its  own  account*  or  for^its  OAvn  sake  ;  this  rule  is  never  departed  from. 
The  diamond  glitters  not  for  itself,!  but  for  the  delight  of  its  possessor.  The 
bright  star  of  the  north  shines  not  for  itself,  but  for  the  direction  and  benefit  of 
man.  The  glorious  sun,  that  beautiful  and  perfect  orb  of  day,  diffuses  his  light  and 
heat  on  our  world  ;  his  line  goes  through  all  the  earth  ;  blessings  mark  his  way  ;  he 
seems  to  say,  "  Not  for  myself  I  shine,  but  for  others,  and  to  glorify  my  Maker." 
These  ideas'lead  us  to  the  true  end  of  Zion's  glory.  Her  various  excellences  are  dif- 
fusive ;  her  emblematical,  her  figurative,  and  typical  glory,  were  for  a  time  to  supply 
the  place  of  a  brighter  display,  which  was  to  be  made  by  the  gospel  of  Christ,  of 
the  grace  of  the  Father  through  his  beloved  Son.     Zion  was  the  gospel  of  the  Jew- 

*  The  more  general  truth,  th?iinothinn^is  created  without  some  wise  jnirpose,  is  beautifully  illustrated 
in  the  case  of  llie  squin-el.  It  is  a  singular  but  well- authenticated  circumstance  that  most  of  those 
oaks  which  are  called  spontaneous  are  planted  by  this  animal,  in  which  way  he  has  performed  the 
most  essential  pei"vice  to  mankind,  and  particularly  to  the  inhabitants  of  England.  It  is  related  in 
Bome  English  work  that  a  gentleman  walking  one  day  in  the  woods  belonging  to  the  duke  of  Beau- 
fort, near  Troy  House,  in  tbe  county  of  Monmouth,  his  attention  was  diverted  by  a  squirrel,  which 
sat  very  composedly  on  the  ground.  He  stopped  to  observe  his  motions:  in  a  few  moments  the 
squirrel  darted  to  the  top  of  the  tree  beneath  which  be  had  been  sitting.  In  an  instant  he  was  down 
with  an  acorn  in  bis  mouth,  and  after  digging  a  small  hole  he  .stooped  down  and  deposited  the  acorn  ; 
theii  covering  it,he  darted  up  the  tree  again.  In  a  moment  he  was  down  again  with  another,  which 
he  burieJ  in  the  same  manner.  This  he  continued  to  do  as  long  as  the  observer  thought  proper  to 
watch  him.  This  industry  of  the  little  animal  is  dii-ected  to  die  purpose  of  securing  him  against 
want  in  the  winter,  and  it  is  probable  that  his  memory  is  not  sufficiently  retentive  to  enable  him  to 
remember  tlie  spot  in  which  he  depo.sited  every  acorn.  This  industrious  little  fellow,  no  doubt,  loses 
a  few  every  year  ;  these  few  spring  up.  and  are  destined  to  supply  the  place  of  the  parent  tree. 
Thus  is  Britain  in  some  measure  indebted  to  the  industry  and  bad  memory  of  a  squirrel  for  her  pride, 
her  glory,  and  her  very  existence. 

t  The  diamond  has  this  singularity,  that  it  emits  rays  of  light  in  the  darkest  situations,  by  which 
the  true  is  known  from  tlie  false. 


OBSERVE    PLACE.  255 

ish  church,  not  in  words,  but  in  places  and  things  ;  these  were  their  true  representa- 
tives. When  the  tribes  of  Israel  went  up  three  times  a  year  to  worship  at  Jerusalem, 
to  present  themselves  before  the  Lord  at  the  all-significant  and  expressive  place  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  Most  High,  they  read  these  tokens  of  divine  grace  and  favor 
shining  forth  from  this  animated  scene.  The  faithful  under  that  dispensation  saw 
clearly  that  there  was  mercy  with  Jehovah,  that  he  might  be  feared.  Else  why  a 
tabernacle  of  testimony  at  all  ?  why  a  high-priest  ?  why  these  expiatory  oflTerings  ? 
why  descends  the  holy  fire  or  the  holy  cloud  ?  or  why  rises  the  "  incense  to  the 
skies  ?"  Here,  seeing  and  believing,  instead  of  hearing  and  believing,  did  honor  to 
the  divine  intentions.  Here,  "  out  of  Zion,"  and  in  this  manner,  did  "  God  shine." 
The  truth  of  natural  light  written  by  the  sun's  beams  could  not  be  more  intelligible. 
When  the  sons  of  Israel  returned  to  their  inheritances,  their  freeholds,  they  told  to 
those  who  could  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem  the  wonders  they  saw,  and  gave  the  sense  of 
what  they  saw,  that  in  some  wonderful  Avay  "  mercy  and  truth  had  met  together, 
righteousness  and  peace  had  embraced  each  other."  Thus  from  Zion  sounded  out 
the  praises  of  the  Most  High,  whose  covenant-mercies  exhibited  the  way  of  reconcil- 
iation between  God  and  man  through  a  mediator,  typified  to  them  in  the  person  and 
office  of  the  high-priest. 

2.)  But  did  not  God  in  his  glorious  character  as  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,  and 
as  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  shine  forth  from  Zion  beyond  the  nar- 
row precincts  of  Judea  ?  or  was  not  the  heathen  world  materially  benefited  by  the 
light  of  Israel  ?  Certainly  not  so  fully  as  in  after  times  ;  yet  in  a  good  degree,  "  the 
Lord  made  knoAvn  his  salvation  ;  his  righteousness  he  openly  showed  in  the  sight  of 
the  heathen.  He  remembered  his  mercy  and  truth  toward  the  house  of  Israel,  and 
the  ends  of  the  earth  saw  the  salvation  of  our  God"  (Ps.  xcviii.  2,  3) ;  and  some,  we 
know,  were  made  partakers  of  saving  grace,  who  were  not  of  Israel's  tribes;  such 
were  Rahab,  Ruth,  the  Avidow  of  Sarepta,  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  Abedmelec,  and 
the  queen  of  Sheba.  The  fame  of  Zion  shone  forth  in  its  strength.  It  is  well  known 
that  all  the  wise  men,  philosophers,  and  statesmen  of  ancient  times,  traversed  the 
earth  for  knowledge.  Now  God  did  so  order  it,  that  Judea  was  a  very  suitable  cen- 
tre of  the  then  civilized  world.  There  were  from  Judea,  both  by  sea  and  land,  the 
best  kinds  of  facilities  for  communication  ;  nay,  the  very  wars  in  which  the  Israelites 
were  engaged,  indirectly  made  known  the  God  of  Israel.  And,  though  the  Israelites 
were  either  envied  or  hated  by  other  nations,  yet  God  so  ordered  or  overruled  it  that 
their  prophets  were  regarded  by  the  nations,  as  an  order  of  men  who,  as  it  Avere,  had 
no  country,  who  spoke  in  the  name  of  God  to  all  nations.  This  is  a  point  of  very 
easy  proof.  Here,  then,  was  a  most  excellent  medium  of  communication  for  these 
prophets.  They  were  every  one  (Balaam  excepted)  of  the  Israelitish  nation  ;  and 
hence  we  easily  see  how  Christ  should  be  "  the  desire  of  all  nations."  We  know 
that  the  writings  of  the  prophets  were  knoAvn  among  the  heathen.  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  heard  of  and  well  understood  the  writings  of  Jeremiah  (Jer.  xxxix.  11,  &c.), 
which  procured  favor  to  that  prophet.  It  is  clear  that  Alexander  the  Great  knew 
of  the  prophecies  of  Daniel.  It  is  certain  that,  by  the  vicinity  of  Tyre  to  Judea,  the 
Tyrians,  Avho  were  the  universal  navigators  of  those  times,  could  communicate  the 
knowledge  of  the  Israelites  far  and  near.  It  is  evident  that  every  Israelitish  captive 
transported  to  Assyria,  Chaldea,  or  elscAvhere,  carried  with  him  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  God.  It  is  most  certain  that  the  Jewish  scriptures  were  knoAvn  as  far  as  the 
Greek  language  extended,  being  translated  by  order  of  Ptolemy  into  the  Greek 
tongue,  though  some  affect  to  dispute  it.  Bishop  Horsley  seems  to  be  of  the  same 
opinion.  He  says  that  "  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  for  the  general  good  of  all  mankind, 
were  appointed  to  be  for  a  certain  period,  the  depositaries  of  true  religion,  and  the 
objects  of  a  miraculous  discipline.  Their  intercourse  was  maintained  in  various 
ways,  at  different  periods,  by  conquest  or  by  commerce,  by  alliance  or  by  servitude, 
with  the  principal  empires  and  most  enlightened  nations  of  the  world,  in  the  earliest 
times  Avilh  the  Moabites,  the  Phoenicians,  the  Egyptians,  and  the  Syrians  of  Damas- 
cus, afterAvard  Avith  the  Assyrians,  the  Babylonians,  and  the  Persians,  then  Avith  the 
Greeks,  and  lastly  with  the  Romans.  The  intercourse  of  the  Israelites,  in  every 
period  of  their  state,  with  the  people  that  were  the  most  considerable  for  the  time, 
was  the  means  of  keeping  alive  some  knoAvledge  of  the  true  God,  CA^en  among  the 
heathen,  in  such  a  degree,  at  least,  as  might  prepare  the  Avorld  for  a  general  revela- 
tion at  the  appointed  season.  They  were,  as  some  of  their  own  rabbles  have  very 
well  expressed  it,  the  Avimesses  of  the  one  true  God  to  all  mankind.  In  this  sense 
Jacob  was  appointed  for  the  congregations,  or  for  the  teacher  of  the  people  ;  his  pos- 
terity was  a  race  of  priests,  a  nation  of  prophets."* 

*  See  Horsley,  vol.  ii.,  p.  311,  &c. 


256  LECTURE    XV. 

Such  was  the  opinion  of  this  learned  man,  and  history  and  common  sense  concur 
in  supporting  it ;  nay,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Plato's  most  sublime  notions  of  the  Deity 
were  imported  from  Mount  Zion,  though  not  acknowledged  ;  but  indeed  the  great 
men  of  antiquity  were  not  in  the  habit  of  saying  whence  they  derived  their  wisdom. 
Taking  such  a  view  of  things,  we  can  explain  or  reconcile  Scripture  with  itself; 
hence  those  impassioned  exhortations  which  we  meet  Avith  in  the  Psalmist's  ad- 
dresses to  the  heathen,  to  praise  God  on  account  of  his  greatness,  his  majesty,  his 
goodness  ;  on  account  of  the  just  claims  which  God  had  upon  their  reverence  and 
obedience.  (Ps.  xxii.  27  ;  Ixxii.  18,  19  ;  cxvii.,  &c.)  Hence,  also,  we  account  for  the 
wise  men  from  the  east  coming  to  worship  Christ,  &c. 

In  all  these  several  ways,  respectively  and  collectively,  we  have  evidence,  as  to  the 
ages  to  Avhich  they  refer,  that  "  out  of  Zion,  the  perfection  of  beauty,  God  did  shine," 
and  that  most  gloriously.  Is  was  the  pride  of  Greece,  that  from  her  shone  forth  the 
rays  of  philosophy,  of  poetry,  of  sculpture,  &c.  We  give  her  credit  for  these ;  but 
truth  compels  us  to  add,  that  from  her  also  the  shame  of  her  filthy  and  contemptible 
deities  issued  ;  while  from  Zion  shone  forth  the  perfections  of  Jehovah,  the  perfec- 
tion of  ordinances,  which  he  condescended  to  appoint  as  a  pattern  and  a  rule  to  al\ 
nations,  and  the  emblems  of  a  brighter  economy  that  was  about  to  be  published  from 
the  same  centre  and  from  the  same  Jehovah.  What  a  melancholy  reflection  is  it, 
that  then,  as  afterward  in  our  Savior's  time,  light  came  into  the  world,  but  both  Jew 
and  Gentile  loved  darkness  rather  than  light!  We  now  proceed  to  consider  the  text — 

II.  In  reference  to  its  evangelical  import. 

We  are  authorized  to  consider  the  present  gospel  church  as  the  antitype  of  ancient 
Zion  ;  Heb.  xii.  22-24.  The  correspondence  will  be  found  remarkably  correct  if 
duly  traced.  It  is  true  the  visible  glory  of  Israel  has  departed  ;  those  "shadows  of 
good  things  are  no  more  to  be  seen.  These  symbols  never  were  absolutely  necessa- 
ry. God  would  have  been  the  same  to  Israel  mthout  them  ;  but  they  were  for  a 
time  given,  and  then  removed  as  being  no  longer  of  any  use.  So  now,  when  faith  is 
called  into  exercise  in  reference  to  the  gospel  church, "it  will  be  acknowledged  that 
Zion  of  old  "  had  no  glory  by  reason  of  the  glory  that  excelled."  There  was  nothing 
in  the  Jewish  economy  (which  had  its  seat  on  Mount  Zion)  that  could  make  the 
worshipper,  or  "  the  comers  thereunto,  perfect."  A  very  great  advance,  indeed,  had 
been  made  toward  perfection  ;  and  faith,  in  that  economy,  was  saving,  if  it  had  re- 
spect unto  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  ;  but  now  Christ,  the  substance  of  all  the  types, 
having  come,  those  types  were  removed.  "  Christ  having  purchased  for  himself  a 
glorious  church,"  having  taken  this  church  under  his  OAvn  immediate  protection,  hav- 
ing endowed  it  with  spiritual  gifts,  rights,  and  immunities,  having  clothed  it  with 
hjs  own  spotless  righteousness,  having  given  his  saints  a  bond  of  union,  not  only  to 
himself,  but  to  one  another,  whereby  they  become  "  terrible  as  an  army  Avith  ban- 
ners," of  Avhich  he  is  sole  captain  and  chief,  it  is  now  from  this  church,  the  spiritual 
Zion,  that  the  glory  of  our  Redeemer,  God,  is  to  shine  on  a  benighted  world.  The 
constitution  of  the  church  is  changed  ;  but  "  grace  reigns"  more  trmmphantly  than 
ever,  "  through  righteousness,  unto  eternal  life."  Everything  that  Avas  signified  by 
the  tabernacle,  its  service,  and  priesthood,  remains.  "  Grace  and  truth,"  Avhich  the 
former  economy  portrayed,  are  established  for  ever.  The  shadoAvs  have  vanished, 
but  the  substance  Ave  have  in  possession.  The  apostle  Paul,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brcAvs,  has  shoAvn  us  the  accomplishment  of  the  types  in  Christ  in  every  particular, 
and  to  him  we  must  refer.  The  tabernacle.  Mount  Zion  itself,  the  kingly  power 
vested  in  David,  are  all  fulfilled  in  Christ.  The  people  of  the  Israclitish  nation,  for 
Avhose  benefit  these  establishments  Avere  raised,  and  Avho  constituted  the  church  in 
those  days,  were  typical  of  true  believers  under  the  gospel,  Avho,  by  faith,  place  them- 
selves under  the  dominion  of  Christ,  to  Avhose  voice  they  listen,  whose  commands 
they  cheerfully  obey  ;  so  that,  at  the  present  time,  Christ  and  his  church  constitute 
what  the  Psalmist  designates  "  Me  perfection  ofbeauly."  The  divine  perfections, 
which  had  formerly  rested  on  Zion,  shone  forth  "in  the  person  of  Christ,  "in  Avhom 
dwelt  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily;"  while  all  his  spiritual  followers  stand 
complete  in  him. 

As  Zion  anciently  formed  a  centre  whence  the  divine  communications  issued  forth, 
so  the  church  is  constituted  the  light  of  the  Avorld,  and  forms  the  depository  of  the 
gospel,  from  Avhich  "  its  sound  shall  go  forth  through  all  the  earth,  and  its  Avords  to 
the  end  of  the  world."  The  gospel  is  to  be  difl'used  in  all  directions,  to  the  east,  to 
the  west,  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south,  throughout  all  varieties  of  darkness  and 
wickedness,  so  that  upon  all  those  "  who  sit  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death" 
shall  this  light  arise. 

From  this  view  of  the  subject  several  general  observations  present  themselves: — 


OBSERVE    PLACE.  257 

1.  The  design  of  God  our  Savior  is  nothing  less  than  the  full  display  of  the  glory 
of  redemption,  and  the  universal  diffusion  of  its  blessings  over  the  earth.  The  ulti- 
mate effects  of  the  mysterious  transactions  of  Calvary  are  not  to  be  confined  to  the 
narrow  limits  within  which  they  have  hitherto  been  found.  Jehovah  has  declared 
his  design  "  to  reconcile  the  world  unto  himself,"  to  give  unto  his  Son  "  the  heathen 
for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession,"  and  to 
secure  the  eternal  felicity  of  a  number  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  "  which  no  man  can 
number,  out  of  every  nation,  and  tongue,  and  people."  The  "Sun  of  righteousness 
will  arise"  upon  the  nations  "  with  healing  under  his  wings." — "  From  the  rising  of 
the  sun  to  the  going  down  of  the  same  his  name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles ; 
and  in  every  place  incense  and  a  pure  offering  shall  ascend;"  idolatry  shall  be  sub- 
verted, and  the  kingdom  of  darkness  shall  be  utterly  overthrown,  seeing  that  "  for 
this  end  the  Son  of  God  was  manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the 
devil." 

2.  The  church  of  God  is  the  instrumental  medium  by  which  this  shall  be  accom- 
plished. The  Avorld  previously  to  the  advent  of  Christ  had  not  a  ray  of  saving  light 
but  what  issued  from  Zion:  not  that  this  was  a  matter  of  necessity,  for  God  might 
have  enlightened  them  by  other  means,  but  such  was  not  the  Lord's  will ;  and,  as 
to  our  times,  it  is  equally  true  that  God  could  have  accomplished  his  purpose  in  the 
salvation  of  millions  and  hundreds  of  millions  by  such  a  call  and  by  such  communi- 
cations as  he  made  to  Abram,  when  he  "called  him  alone  and  blessed  him"  (Isa.  li. 
2),  but  our  God  and  Savior  is  pleased  to  put  this  honor  upon  his  church,  to  make 
the  church  the  means  of  its  own  increase.  It  was  designed  that  persons  once  sinners, 
in  their  real  character,  should,  after  they  had  been  benefited  by  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross,  preach  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  to  their  fellow-men.  What  could  be  more 
gracious  than  this — thus  to  throw  a  reward  in  our  way  and  strew  pleasure  in  our 
path,  thus  to  accept  our  feeble  efforts  and  permit  us  to  share  in  the  filial  triumphs  of 
the  cross? 

3.  The  disciples  of  Christ  are  universally  bound  to  assist  in  transmitting  the  light 
of  the  gospel  to  a  benighted  world.  We  are  not  merely  permitted,  but  are  impera- 
tively required,  to  co-operate  in  this  work.  Justice  to  our  fellow-men,  as  well  as 
gratitude  to  hnn  who  hath  called  us  out  of  darkness,  demands  our  exertions.  The 
language  of  Paul  is  as  applicable  to  Christian  ministers  and  Christian  churches  as  it 
was  to  himself:  "We  are  debtors  both  to  the  Jew  and  to  the  Greek;  necessity  is 
laid  upon  us,  and  wo  be  to  us  if  we  labor  not  to  make  known  the  gospel  of  Christ." 
The  gospel  must  be  considered,  not  only  as  a  treasure  by  which  we  are  enriched,  but 
also  as  a  trust  committed  to  us  for  the  benefit  of  the  world.  This  is  a  work  in  which 
Christians  in  general  are  required  to  engage  ;  the  obligation  is  as  imiversal  as  it  is 
imperative.  AH  are  not  called  nor  qualified  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry  at  home,  or  to  that  of  missionaries  abroad  ;  but  there  is  employment  in  va- 
rious ways  to  call  forth  the  energies  of  all.  There  must  be  no  bystanders.  All  and 
every  kind  of  talent  must  be  put  in  requisition ;  spiritual  gifts,  natural  talents,  prop- 
erty, diligence,  zeal,  courage,  unanimity,  perseverance,  must  be  employed.  Every 
sail  must  be  set,  every  breeze  watched,  and  every  opportunity  embraced.  Christians 
must  rouse  every  one  his  neighbor  and  encourage  every  one  his  fellow ;  and  those 
who  can  not  promote  the  cause  in  any  other  way  than  by  wrestling  with  God  in 
prayer  for  his  blessing  on  more  active  agents  will  not  be  considered  the  least  efficient 
instruments.  Let  but  the  love  of  Christ  be  felt  in  its  constraining  poAver,  and  we 
shall  be  at  no  loss  for  opportunities  and  means  of  making  the  glory  of  the  Savior 
known,  and  aiding  in  the  extension  of  his  kingdom.  Those  who  excuse  themselves 
from  taking  part,  nay,  from  co-operating  to  the  full  extent  of  their  ability,  would  do 
well  to  ponder  what  that  meaneth  :  "  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me,  and  he 
that  gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth,"  and  to  consider  whether  the  curse  pronounced 
in  ancient  days  on  the  inhabitants  of  Meroz  may  not  justly  be  extended  to  them : 
"  Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  there- 
of; because  they  came  not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against 
the  mighty."  Every  tie  that  binds  us  to  the  Savior,  every  bond  that  unites  us  to 
our  fellow-sinners,  every  feeling  that  is  in  correspondence  with  our  character,  our 
privileges,  and  our  expectations,  as  Christians,  combine  to  urge  us  forward,  till  God 
shall  shine  forth  gloriously  out  of  Zion,  and  the  "  earth  be  filled  with  the  knovv^ledge 
of  his  glory  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 

4.  The  most  ample  encouragement  is  afforded  to  stimulate  the  exertions  of  the 
church.  The  church  of  Christ,  collectively  and  individually,  has  been  too  despairing 
of  her  cause,  and  too  fearful  of  her  strength  and  ability  for  the  work,  too  much  like 
Moses  when  selected  to  go  to  Pharaoh — "  Lord,  send,  I  pray  thee,  by  the  hand  of  hina 

17 


25S  LECTURE    XV. 

whom  thou  wilt  send :"  rather  any  other  than  myself.  But  he  was  assured  that  he 
should  have  all  suitable  helps  and  abilities ;  and  the  event  proved  the  faithfulness 
of  God  in  these  assurances.  Let  none,  then,  despair  of  gracious  helps  in  this  cause- 
It  is  the  Lord's  work,  given  to  his  church  and  to  every  individual  in  it  to  perform, 
and  he  .will  certainly  prosper  it. 

1.)  Reflect  on  the  promises  of  God.  "I  will  help  thee,  yea,  I  will  strengthen 
thee,  with  the  right  hand  of  my  righteousness." — "  Fear  not,  thou  worm  Jacob,  and 
you  men  of  Israel ;  I  will  help  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel.  Behold,  I  will  make  thee  a  new  sharp  thrashing  instrument,  having 
teeth ;  thou  shalt  thrash  the  mountains  (of  opposition)  and  make  them  small  and 
like  to  chaff."  This,  my  brethren,  in  figurative  language,  is  nothing  less  than  a  full 
promise  of  a  most  complete  conquest  and  of  triumph  over  superstition  and  every 
species  of  false  religion,  as  well  as  over  every  work  of  darkness.  And,  further,  as 
the  great  work  can  not  be  accomplished  all  at  once,  though  it  should  not  be  com- 
pleted even  until  the  end  of  the  world,  Christ  says  to  his  church,  "  Lo,  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  And  this  also  is  an  intimation  that  the 
work  is  never  to  cease  "  until  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  have  seen  the  salvation  of 
our  God,"  that  one  generation  of  Christians  must  labor  after  the  example  of  the  past, 
and  that  no  age  must  be  slack  or  remiss  in  its  exertions. 

2.)  Consider  also  the  universal  adaptation  and  intrinsic  energy  of  the  gospel. 
Christ's  word  is  a  mighty  word :  "  The  Lord  shall  send  forth  the  rod  of  his  strength 
out  of  Zion,  whereby  the  people  shall  be  made  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power." 
The  rod  of  Moses  was  mighty  ;  but  mightier  still  is  that  of  Jesus.  His  vi^ord  is  a 
"  sharp  sword,  quick  and  powerful,  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword  ;"  it  is  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  See  what  a  single  individual  did,  who  was  born  at  Tarsus  and 
converted  while  going  to  Damascus ;  he  measured  the  RoiBan  empire,  and  fixed  the 
standard  of  the  cross  in  the  proud  city  of  Rome :  and  has  the  gospel  which  Paul 
preached  diminished  in  its  force  ?  Is  it  not  in  the  present  day,  and  shall  it  not  con- 
tinue to  be,  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  ? 

3.)  The  agency  of  the  divine  Spirit  is  another  source  of  encouragement.  If  you 
were  called  to  engage  in  any  department  of  this  work  in  your  own  strength,  or  left 
to  your  own  resources,  there  might  be  room  for  despondency.  But  we  have  the  niost 
ample  agency  in  the  divine  Spirit's  work  ;  and  if  Jesus  be  Avith  you  by  his  Spirit, 
who  is  omnipotent  and  omniscient,  you  can  not  fail.  Was  the  Lord  with  the  Jews 
in  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  ("  I  am  with  you,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,"  Hag. 
ii.  4,  5)  and  will  he  not  be  with  you?  Remember  that  his  arm  is  not  shortened 
that  he  can  not  save ;  he  has  "  a  mighty  arm ;  strong  is  his  hand,  and  high  is  his 
right  hand" — high  as  the  throne  of  heaven  and  mighty  as  omnipotence  itself.  We 
may  add — 

4.)  The  evident  tokens  of  an  approaching  conquest  over  the  prejudices  and  delu- 
sions of  mankind.  In  some  past  ages  the  church  might,  in  despondency,  have  con- 
cluded that  God  was  slack  concerning  his  promises,  might  be  saying,  "Lord,  how 
long?"  but  the  church  in  this  age  has  revived  hopes;  we  are  now  blessed  with  many 
clear  indications  that  God  is  remembering  his  mercy  promised  to  our  forefathers. 
Yes,  we  feel  assured  that,  though  the  advance  of  the  gospel  is  yet  but  slow,  never- 
theless it  is  actually  advancing  with  majesty  and  poAver.  The  mists  of  ignorance 
and  prejudice  begin  to  disperse.  The  excellency  and  glory  of  Christ's  work  of  re- 
demption become  visible  in  many  parts  of  the  earth  which  lately  were  dark  as  night. 
Difficulties  of  a  worldly  nature,  which  formerly  appeared  insurmountable,  are  van- 
ishing before  our  great  Zerubbabel ;  crooked  things  are  evidently  becoming  straight, 
and  rough  places  plain,  to  afford  facilities  for  the  introduction  of  that  period  Avhen 
"  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together,"  as  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken. 

O  Holy  Spirit !  breathe  upon  the  nations  that  they  may  live,  that  they  may  rise  up 
an  exceedingly  great  army,  to  the  glory  of  God  our  Savior.  O  Sun  of  righteousness ! 
arise  with  healing  under  thy  wings,  to  heal  the  sickly  nations.  0  Father  of  Mercies  ! 
fulfil  thy  gracious  promise,  give  to  thy  Son  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession.  "Out  of  Zion  (spiritual  Zion),  the 
perfection  of  beauty,"  shine  forth  in  the  majesty  of  truth  and  love,  till  all  the  ends 
of  the  earth  behold  thy  glory  and  salvation. 

I  have  extended  this  example  beyond  what  may  seem  necessary  for  the 
illustration  of  our  Topic,  because  it  has  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of 
throwing  out  some  hints  adapted  to  animate  you  to  increased  exertion,  and 
to  encourage  you  amid  the  difficulties  you  may  be  called  to  encounter,  as 


PERSONS    ADDRESSED.  259 

well  as  to  suggest  some  thoughts  on  a  subject  which  will  often  come  be- 
fore you,  particularly  in  relation  to  missionary  institutions.  Mr.  Harris,  in 
his  "  Witnessing  Church,"  has  greatly  amplified  the  subject  of  the  last 
four  pages,  and  that  with  all  the  strength  and  eloquence  for  which  his  wri- 
tings are  distinguished. 

The  following  is  an  outline  on  the  Topic,  in  which  the  several  circum- 
stances of  the  place  form  the  principal  subdivisions. 

Sketches  of  Sermons,  vol.  ii.,  p.  4,  on  Gen.  xxviii.  17  :  "  How  dread- 
ful is  this  place  !  this  is  no  other  than  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the 
gate  of  heaven."     Observe — 
I.  The  place  specified.     It  was — 

1.  A  place  distinguished  by  favorable  circumstances.  It  was  a  retired  spot.  Here 
Jacob  rested ;  here  he  experienced  divine  protection  ;  here  he  presented  acceptable 
worship  ;  and  here  the  presence  of  God  was  peculiarly  manifested.  Such  are  those 
places  which  are  consecrated  to  God's  service,  and  there  his  presence  and  blessing 
may  be  confidendy  expected,  Exod.  xx.  24. 

2.  A  place  of  sacred  instruction.  Here  the  patriarch  Jacob  was  taught  the  most 
interesting  truths — 

1.)  By  what  God  exhibited  to  him. 
2.)  By  what  God  said  to  him. 

3.  A  place  of  covenant  engagements,  ver.  20,  22. 

II.  The  names  given  to  this  place. 

1.  "  The  house  of  God."  Such,  in  a  high  and  important  sense,  is  every  place 
where  God  is  acceptably  worshipped ;  for  there  his  children  dwell ;  there  he  is  pres- 
ent ;  there  his  favors  are  obtained,  &c. 

2.  "  The  gate  of  heaven."  It  is  the  gate  where  many  enter  on  the  way  to  heaven. 
Matt.  vh.  13,  14. 

III.  The  reflection  suggested  by  it :  "  How  dreadful  (awful)  is  this  place."  This 
teaches  us  that  the  worship  of  God  should  be  attended  with  habitual  seriousness. 

1.  With  serious  consideration. 

2.  With  serious  watchfulness  against  distraction. 

3.  With  serious  concern  for  spiritual  blessings. 

4.  With  serious  intercession  in  behalf  of  others. 

5.  With  serious  gratitude  for  benefits  received. 

Many  remember  with  joy  the  j)lace  of  their  spiritual  birth,  as  suggested 
by  Ps.  Ixxxvii. ;  1  Sam.  vii.  12.*  History  and  memory  stir  us  up  to  think 
on  this  or  that  place  where  God  stepped  in  and  saved  us  from  death  or 
calamity.     (See  Flavel  on  Divine  Providence.) 


LECTURE  XVI. 

TOPICS  X.  &  XL 

PERSONS  ADDRESSED,  AND  THE  STATE  OP  PERSONS  ADDRESSED. 

A  VERY  considerable  portion  of  divine  instruction  was  at  first  elicited 
by  particular  circumstances  and  adapted  to  the  state  of  the  individuals  pri- 
marily addressed.  The  applicability  of  such  instruction  to  men  of  every 
age  is,  consequently,  proportioned  to  the  analogy  between  their  state  and 
that  of  the  persons  to  whom  it  was  first  deHvered.  Hence  the  value  of  our 
tenth  and  eleventh  Topics  for  the  purpose  of  incidental  remark  or  more 
extended  illustration,  as  they  lead  us  to  notice  with  discrimination  the  dif- 

*  See  p.  107  OD  this  passage. 


260  LECTURE    XVI. 

ferent  shades  and  varieties  of  character  to  which  the  word  of  God  adapts 
its  instructions. 

Having  already,  under  the  sixth  and  seventh  Topics,  taken  occasion  to 
refer  somewhat  extensively  to  human  agencies,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to 
extend  my  observations  on  the  present  Topics  to  any  considerable  length  ; 
and  since  the  eleventh  Topic  may  be  considered  only  as  a  modification  of 
the  tenth,  I  may  conveniently  embrace  both  under  one  view  in  the  illustra- 
tions which  I  have  to  offer.  In  regard  to  incidental  observations,  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  two  can  not  be  better  exhibited  than  in  the  examples 
of  Mons.  Claude,  which  are  as  follows : — 

Topic  X. — Consider  the  persons  addressed.  "  Let  us  take 
Rom.  xii.  17  :  '  Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil.'  Those  to  whom 
Paul  addressed  these  words  were  Romans,  whose  perpetual  maxim  was 
violently  to  revenge  public  injuries  (from  which  we  easily  infer  their  way 
of  settling  private  ones),  and  totally  to  destroy  those  who  intended  to  de- 
stroy them,  or  who  had  offered  them  any  affronts.  Witness  the  Cartha- 
ginians and  Corinthians.  They  totally  destroyed  Carthage,  because  the 
Carthaginians,  under  Hannibal,  had  carried  their  arms  into  Italy,  and  had 
nearly  subverted  the  proud  city  of  Rome  itself.  Corinth  they  sacked  and 
burnt,  for  having  affronted  their  ambassadors.  We  also  remark  this  par- 
ticular circumstance,  that  though  the  Romans  had  succeeded  in  avenging 
their  injuries,  and  though  the  empire  owed  its  grandeur  to  such  excesses, 
yet  their  success  did  not  hinder  the  apostle  from  saying,  '  Recompense 
to  no  man  evil  for  evil,'  because  neither  example  nor  success  ought  to 
be  the  rule  of  our  conduct,  but  solely  the  will  of  God  and  the  law  of 
Christ." 

Topic  XL — Examine  the  particular  state  of  the  persons 
addressed.  "  This  may  be  illustrated  from  the  same  passage:  'Rec- 
ompense to  no  man  evil  for  evil.'  St.  Paul  writes  to  Roman  Christians, 
who  saw  themselves  hated  and  persecuted  by  their  fellow-citizens,  and  in 
general  abused  by  the  whole  world ;  yet,  however  reasonable  resentment 
might  appear  at  first  sight,  the  apostle  would  not  have  them  indulge  such 
a  passion  as  the  light  of  reason,  the  instinct  of  nature,  and  the  desire  of 
their  own  preservation,  might  seem  to  excite.  He  exhorted  them  to  leave 
vengeance  to  God,  and  advised  them  only  to  follow  the  impulse  of  love. 
The  greatest  persecutors  of  the  primitive  Christians  were  the  Jews,  on 
whom  the  Roman  Christians  could  easily  have  avenged  themselves  under 
various  pretexts,  for  the  Jews  were  generally  hated  and  despised  by  the 
other  nations,  and  nothing  could  be  more  easy  than  to  avail  themselves  of 
that  general  hatred  to  which  the  religion  and  manners  of  the  Jews  ex- 
posed them.  Nevertheless,  St.  Paul  not  only  says,  in  general,  '  Render 
not  evil  for  evil,'  but,  in  particular,  '  Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil.' 
As  if  he  had  said,  Do  not  injure  those  on  whom  you  could  most  easily 
avenge  yourselves  ;  hurt  not  the  most  violent  enemies  of  the  name  and  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  Christ,  not  even  those  who  crucified  your  Savior  and  daily 
strive  to  subvert  his  gospel." 

The  judicious  application  of  these  Topics  to  any  subject  we  may  be  con- 
sidering will,  I  am  persuaded,  frequently  suggest  to  us  valuable  observa- 
tions, enabling  us  to  elucidate  passages  that  may  seem  obscure — to  recon- 
cile others  apparently  contradictory — and  to  perceive  in  other  passages  a 
beauty  or  a  force  not  otherwise  apparent. 


I 


PERSONS    ADDRESSED.  261 

Perhaps  I  shall  not  greatly  err  in  considering  the  language  of  the  proph- 
et, Isa.  Iv.  1,  as  affording  an  illustration  of  the  first  of  these  classes  ;  for, 
though  I  am  not  convinced  that  there  is  anything  really  obscure  in  the 
language,  yet  good  men  have  certainly  differed  about  its  application,  and 
some  have  been  induced  to  restrict  this  and  similar  passages  in  a  manner 
which  a  proper  attention  to  our  present  Topics  would  have  shown  them 
to  be  unwarranted.  The  metaphor  employed  by  the  prophet  is  perhaps 
the  fittest  that  could  be  employed,  especially  in  the  East,  to  denote  an  in- 
tense desire  ;  and  it  is  not  therefore  surprising  that  the  psalmist  should  use 
it  to  express  his  desires  after  God,  Psalm  Ixiii.  1,  2.  It  is  not,  however, 
necessarily  restricted  to  any  one  class  of  desires,  but  may  with  the  utmost 
propriety  be  used  to  describe  that  general  desire  for  happiness  which  is 
manifested  by  the  eager  pursuit  of  earthly  good.  Whether  the  prophet 
intended  to  express  this  general  desire,  or  whether  he  used  the  metaphor 
in  ia  more  restricted  sense,  can  only  be  determined  by  considering  "  the 
state  of  the  persons  addressed."  If,  therefore,  on  examination,  this  state 
can  be  accurately  ascertained,  all  obscurity  as  to  the  present  application 
of  the  text  is  removed.  If  it  be  plain  that  these  words  were  spoken  to  the 
Jewish  people  generally,  to  the  persons  whose  character  is  described  in 
the  succeeding  verses,  particularly  the  second,  sixth,  and  seventh,  then 
we  ought  not  to  hesitate  in  applying  them  to  those  in  our  day  who  are 
saying,  "  Who  will  show  us  any  good  ?"  Nay,  in  such  case,  the  text  sets 
before  us  the  model  on  which  our  addresses  to  unconverted  sinners  should 
be  formed. 

Of  the  second  class  of  passages  which  our  Topic  may  be  applied  to  elu- 
cidate, we  may  take  as  an  example  the  apparent  contradiction  between  the 
language  of  Paul  and  that  of  James  on  the  subject  of  justification,  which 
has  given  occasion  to  much  angry  debate  and  long-continued  controversy. 
Paul  says,  "  We  are  justified  by  faith,  without  the  works  of  the  law  :"  and 
again,  "  Knowing  that  a  man  is  not  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  but 
by  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ."  James,  after  reasoning  on  the  subject,  says, 
"  You  see,  then,  how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith 
only."  Now,  whatever  appearance  of  paradox  there  may  be  in  the  words, 
we  are  persuaded  there  is  no  opposition  in  the  two  statements,  and  that 
we  have  only  to  consider  "  the  state  of  the  persons  respectively  addressed" 
in  order  to  perceive  that  there  is  a  perfect  coincidence  of  sentiment  in  the 
two  apostles.  It  will  be  seen  that  those  to  whom  the  former  wrote  were 
exposed  to  the  influence  of  Judaizing  teachers,  who  sought  to  seduce 
them  from  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  and  to  remove  the  foundation  of 
their  hope ;  the  apostle  therefore  states  in  the  strongest  and  most  explicit 
manner  the  true  doctrine  of  a  sinner's  justification  with  God.  James  wrote 
to  persons  whose  state  required  that  he  should  guard  them  against  an  op- 
posite error.  The  pernicious  principle  of  Antinomianism,  that  "  the  gos- 
pel relieves  us  from  obedience  to  the  law,"  had  even  then  made  its  ap- 
pearance, and  "  men  had  turned  the  grace  of  our  God  into  lasciviousness." 
He  consequently  exposes  the  delusion  of  those  who  rested  in  a  faith  which 
possessed  no  purifying  influence,  and  he  employs  an  illustration  well  suit- 
ed to  convey  a  correct  and  forcible  view  of  the  subject :  *'  Was  not  Abra- 
ham our  father  justified  by  works  when  he  had  offered  Isaac  his  son  upon 
the  altar?"  Abraham's  acceptance  with  God  certainly  preceded  this  act 
of  his  faith ;  for  he  "  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righte- 


262  LECTURE    XVI. 

ousness,"  nearly  forty  years  before  ;  and  James  declares  that  this  scripture 
vvas  fulfilled  (confirmed)  by  his  subsequent  conduct — a  conduct  which 
proved  the  existence  of  that  principle  of  faith  which,  in  all  cases,  "  works 
by  love"  and  "  purifies  the  heart."  From  this  it  is  evident  that  James 
speaks  of  the  justification  of  believers,  or  the  means  by  which  their  title  to 
the  character  of  beUevers  is  justified,  and  not  of  the  justification  of  sinners, 
or  the  ground  on  which  they  stand  accepted  of  God. 

Of  the  third  class  are  the  examples  of  Mons.  Claude,  and  indeed  those 
which  I  have  just  mentioned  are,  in  some  measure,  of  this  character, 
inasmuch  as  a  consideration  of  the  persons  addressed  will  show  the 
adaptation  and  propriety  of  the  apostle's  statements  and  the  prophet's  ex- 
hortation. 

If,  however,  the  adaptation  of  inspired  instruction  renders  it  important 
to  notice  the  persons  and  the  state  of  the  persons  originally  addressed,  it 
is  no  less  important  that  we  should  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  state 
of  the  persons  whom  we  address,  in  order  that  we  may  adapt  our  in- 
structions to  them  ;  and  my  design  in  the  remaining  observations  of  the 
present  lecture  is  to  suggest  to  you  some  hints  and  directions  on  this 
subject. 

Much  valuable  knowledge  is,  no  doubt,  to  be  derived  from  the  study  of 
books ;  but,  if  we  would  render  our  knowledge  subservient  to  the  instruc- 
tion of  others,  we  must  study  man.*  The  states  of  men  will,  of  course, 
be  estimated  according  to  the  different  aspects  under  which  they  are  viewed. 
The  geographer  views  them  with  reference  to  the  extent,  fertility,  natural 
products,  &c.,  of  their  country,  their  commerce,  manufactures,  &c.  The 
philosopher  regards  their  intellectual  capacities,  their  attainments  in  litera- 
ture, arts  and  sciences,  &c.  The  politician  looks  at  their  numbers,  their 
wealth,  the  strength  of  their  fortifications,  and  their  capacities  for  war.  But 
the  Christian,  with  the  eye  of  benevolence  and  compassion,  views  the  dif- 
ferent states  of  men  in  relation  to  their  immortal  interests.  He  surveys 
the  world  with  a  spiritual  eye,  but  he  can  not  be  an  indifferent  spectator ; 
and,  when  he  has  taken  a  survey  of  the  countries  around  him,  he  beholds 
a  world  lying  in  wickedness,  and  commences  the  benevolent  design  of  im- 
planting the  germ  of  the  "  tree  of  life,  the  leaves  of  which  are  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations." 

But,  to  approach  closer  to  our  present  undertaking,  we  may  observe 
that  the  preacher  must  take  a  survey  of  his  flock,  in  order  that  he  may 
know  their  real  character  and  state  ;  and  until  this  is  done  he  has  done  little 
to  purpose.  He  must  be  a  complete  Christian  philosopher  ;  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  heart  in  all  its  errors  and  deceits,  in  all  its  states  and  bearings, 
can  alone  direct  to  proper  correctives,  aids,  and  consolations  ;  and,  if  this 
observation  be  just,  then  a  minister  must  not  only  be  a  well-read  man,  "  a 
scribe  well  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  but  he  must  be  a  wise 
man  also,  and  possessed  of  a  sound  and  discriminating  judgment.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark  that  the  volume  of  inspiration,  though  completed  nearly 
two  thousand  years  ago,  furnishes  a  suitable  address  for  every  class  of 
character  to  be  found  in  the  world  ;  and  this  is  not  an  affair  of  mere  acci- 
dent, a  mere  train  of  undesigned  coincidents,  but  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
omniscience  of  God,  of  him  "  who  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,"  and 
has  the  most  perfect  knowledge  of  what  is  in  man.     "  Rightly  to  divide 

*  See  Lecture  vii.,  p.  108. 


PERSONS    ADDRESSED.  263 

the  word  of  truth,"  so  as  to  give  to  every  variety  of  state  and  character  the 
portion  that  belongs  to  it,  must  therefore  require  in  the  preacher  a  famihar 
acquaintance  both  with  the  Bible  and  with  the  people  among  whom  he 
labors. 

It  is  acknowledged  that  scripture  appears  in  many  instances  to  consider 
mankind  in  two  classes  only,  as  Isa.  iii.  10,  11  :  "  Say  to  the  righteous 
that  it  shall  be  well  with  him  ;  wo  unto  the  wicked  ;  it  shall  be  111  with 
him,"  &c.  Yet  under  this  division  each  class  contains  a  vast  variety  of 
character,  which  divides,  subdivides,  and  subdivides  again,  and  each  of 
these  is  further  to  be  considered  as  affected  by  different  times  and  circum- 
stances. 

The  righteous  comprehends  a  vast  variety  of  character,  such  as  the 
strong,  die  weak,  the  intelligent,  the  ignorant,  &c.  Some  are  zealous  in 
heart  and  laborious  in  effort,  and  oUiers  comparatively  slothful  or  languid. 
Some  have  very  clear  views  of  the  gospel,  and  live  on  its  comforts ;  while 
others  "  go  mourning  without  the  sun."  Many  are  placed  in  perilous  sit- 
uations through  worldly  associations,  exposed,  on  one  hand,  to  the  allure- 
ments of  the  world,  and  more  or  less  overcome  or  entangled  by  the  snares 
of  temptation,  or,  on  the  other,  to  various  kinds  of  persecution.  These 
form  only  a  small  part  of  the  great  whole  ;  perhaps  we  might  assert  that 
Christians  differ  as  much  in  the  frame  of  their  minds  as  in  theh  features. 
How  preposterous  then  must  it  be  to  address  all  these  classes  without 
reference  to  such  distinctions,  while  the  Scriptures  have  something  partic- 
ular to  say  to  each,  upon  which  the  judicious  preacher  will  expatiate  more 
or  less,  as  occasion  requires.  To  each  there  is  a  suitable  excitement,  or 
motive,  or  promise  given,  which,  when  discovered  and  applied,  will  be  felt 
by  the  individual,  and  acknowledged  as  a  message  from  God ;  and  the 
preacher  who  attains  any  considerable  degree  of  skill  in  this  department  of 
his  work,  though  his  talents  in  other  respects  may  not  be  of  the  highest 
order,  is  as  much  above  ordinary  preachers  as  a  full-grown  man  is  above  a 
company  of  boys.  Surely  this  ought  to  be  the  object  of  a  preacher's  am- 
bition ;  and,  even  if  he  fail  in  part,  yet  by  endeavors  and  perseverance  he 
will  in  part  succeed,  and  every  month's  study,  as  well  as  every  private 
conversation  he  holds  with  his  people,  will  give  him  an  increase  of  this 
divine  skill. 

^  As  to  the  other  grand  branch  of  mankind,  called  in  scripture  the  wicked, 
smners,  unrighteous,  enemies  to  God,  sons  of  Behal,  unbelievers,  hypo- 
crites, &c.  (there  is  no  giving  one  name  to  them,  "  for  they  are  many"), 
it  IS  confessed  that  on  many  occasions  they  may  be  addressed  in  general 
terms,  as  unconverted,  far  from  God,  or  strangers.  It  is  highly  proper  to 
speak  to  them  generally  of  the  law  and  the  gospel,  the  threatenings  and 
the  promises,  the  necessity  of  conversion,  and  the  certainty  of  a  future 
judgment.  If,  however,  you  would  come  to  close  quarters  with  them,  and 
convince  them  of  their  individual  state,  you  must  subdivide  them,  and  bring 
lorth  your  distincdons  of  character ;  and,  by  pointing  out  God's  positive 
declarations  to  each  one  distinctly,  you  must  so  hold  up  the  glass  of  the 
word  that  each  may  see  his  own  likeness.  Few  are  either  convinced  or 
oltended  till  you  point  out  their  own  pardcular  abominations.  Distinct 
ciiarges  of  sm  must,  however  painful,  be  made.  An  "  arrow  shot  at  a  ven- 
ture may  pierce  a  guilty  king  ;  but  it  is  more  likely  that  it  may  not.  You 
wzil  soon  see  that  this  is  the  scripture  method  of  dealing  with  sinners. 


264  LECTURE    XVI. 

Achan  must  be  charged  with  his  sin  of  covetousness  ;  David  must  be  told, 
"  Thou  art  the  man."  The  whole  of  our  Savior's  conduct  to  the  scribes, 
pharisees,  hypocrites,  &c.,  was  of  this  kind  of  close  dealing.  The  apostles 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  their  Lord.  What  an  example  you  have  in 
Paul's  faithful  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  and  in  Peter's  address  to  the  Jews  : 
"  Him  you  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain," 
Acts  ii.  So  Stephen  also  :  "  Which  of  the  prophets  have  not  your 
fathers  persecuted  ?"  Indeed,  it  would  be  tedious  to  detail  the  instances 
of  this  kind  to  be  found  in  scripture. 

Should  any  one  say,  "  Though  it  is  not  very  difficult  to  expose  open 
and  known  sins,  yet  it  is  not  so  easy  to  trace  sins  of  the  heart,  that  mystery 
of  iniquity  which  requires  omniscience  to  discover  it,"  to  this  I  reply. 
Study  your  own  heart ;  study  the  character  of  sinners  as  recorded  in  the 
word  of  God  ;  study  the  various  threatenings  against  sinners,  and  in  these 
threatenings  the  nature  of  men's  sins  (for  the  punishment  of  sin  corre- 
sponds with  its  character,  or,  as  the  common  observation  presents  itself, 
"you  read  the  sin,"  as  to  its  nature  and  qualhies,  "in  the  punishment;") 
especially  study  mankind  as  they  appear  before  you.  These  methods 
taken  together,  and  in  all  cases  supposing  the  divine  illumination  to  guide 
you  as  teachers  of  the  gospel,  you  will  be  able  to  show  to  each  sinner  his 
"proper  form  and  feature,"  and,  by  a  divine  blessing,  arouse  tha  slumber- 
ing conscience. 

In  general  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  chief  study  of  the  preacher 
should  be  to  extract  out  of  the  text  before  him  the  matter  of  his  theme, 
and  then  it  is  presumed  the  work  is  done.  Doubtless  this  is  right  enough 
in  itself;  yet  what  in  Claude  is  called  "  a  continued  application"  to  the 
people  should  follow,  according  as  their  state  is  judged  to  be.  This  is  by 
no  means  to  be  neglected ;  for  it  is  the  salt  of  the  sermon  ;  it  is  that  which 
gives  it  its  pungency,  causing  the  word  to  appear  "  quick  and  powerful," 
&c. ;  Heb.  iv.  12.  It  is  not  brandishing  about  the  sword  of  the  Spirit 
over  the  people's  heads  that  will  do  the  preacher's  work ;  it  must  be 
brought  into  immediate  contact  with  the  heart.  The  preacher  must  prick 
the  sinner  in  the  place  of  his  own  iniquity  ;  then  it  will,  by  a  divine  bles- 
sing, be  found  effectual.  If  the  preacher  be  happily  successful  thus  far, 
he  must  then  proceed  to  show  that  such  particular  sin  is  not  accidental, 
but  the  necessary  result  of  a  nature  that  is  wholly  corrupt;  and  here  the 
sinner  is  to  be  led  to  a  universal  abhorrence  of  himself.  This  is  neces- 
sary ;  for  nothing  is  more  common  than  for  men  to  say,  "  Yes,  I  have 
been  faulty  in  such  and  such  a  thing,  but  yet  my  heart  is  good."  No 
peace  must  be  given  them  till  the  full  acknowledgment  comes,  "  Behold,  I 
am  vile." 

Perhaps  the  most  difficult  character  which  the  preacher  has  to  encounter, 
is  the  almost  Christian.  There  are  some  unfavorable  indications,  which 
put  the  minister  in  great  doubt  how  to  address  such  an  individual,  and  yet 
other  things  are  favorable.  There  are  baitings  and  shiftings,  and  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  discover  whether  these  are  owing  to  the  power  of  temptation, 
some  sudden  surprisal,  or  to  a  heart  radically  unsound.  Here  a  litde  sus- 
pension of  judgment  may  be  very  proper,  agreeably  to  prophetic  language, 
"not  to  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax."  Time, 
that  great  revealer  of  secrets,  will  discover  the  truth.  In  the  meantime, 
urge  such  persons,  in  the  language  of  scripture,  to  "  work  out  their  own 


PERSONS    ADDRESSED.  265 

salvation  with  fear  and  trembling"  (Phil.  ii.  12),  to  "  give  diligence  to  make 
their  calling  and  election  sure"  (2  Pet.  i.  10),  to  "  examine  themselves 
whether  they  be  in  the  faith,"  &c. 

There  are  yet  other  ideas  attached  to  this  subject  regarding  the  persons 
and  states  of  those  that  are  addressed ;  as,  for  instance,  whether  you  are  a 
forerunner  or  a  follower,  whether  you  are  carrying  the  gospel  to  a  people 
as  "some  new  diing,"  I  mean  new  to  them,  or  whether  the  people  can  be 
supposed  to  know  the  gospel.  If  the  former,  then  the  obvious  course  is 
to  dwell  on  the  scriptural  representations  of  the  fallen  state  of  man  as  cor- 
roborated by  the  voice  of  conscience  and  the  universal  testimony  of  fact, 
and  to  unfold  the  way  of  recovery  which  infinite  mercy  has  provided,  the 
method  which  has  been  very  successful  in  all  ages  under  such  circum- 
stances, particularly  in  the  great  revival  under  Mr.  Wesley  and  Mr.  Whit- 
field, and  their  coadjutors  and  contemporaries — the  same  method,  in  fact, 
that  St.  Paul  used,  "to  preach  repentance  toward  God  and  faith  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  adding  likewise  your  best  efibrts  to  overthrow  all 
their  false  dependences,  their  radical  errors,  and  to  establish  them  in  the 
true  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Clear  explication,  solid  truth,  sound  argu- 
ment, delivered  with  fervent  zeal  and  an  ardent  love  to  the  souls  of  men, 
must  not  be  wanting,  if  you  would  approve  yourselves  workmen  that  need 
not  be  ashamed. 

Due  regard  must  also  be  paid  to  the  state  of  the  people  as  to  their 
worldly  circumstances,  so  as  not  to  urge  obligations  upon  the  poor  which 
belong  only  to  the  rich,  nor  speak  to  the  rich  as  the  subjects  of  privation 
and  wretchedness.  I  have  heard  preachers,  when  addressing  a  company 
of  poor  people  who  could  obtain  litde  more  than  bread  and  water,  inveigh 
vehemently  against  covetousness,  pride,  and  luxury ;  others,  when  preach- 
ing to  opulent  persons,  have  expatiated  on  the  duties  of  contentment  and 
resignation,  and  totally  neglected  to  describe  the  danger  of  riches  and  the 
guilt  of  vanity  and  pride.  The  state  of  the  people  ought  to  suggest  the 
text  and  the  mode  of  treating  it;  while  prudence  and  faithfulness  should 
direct  the  mind  of  the  preacher. 

A  well-informed  people  may  likewise  have  considerations  and  argu- 
ments addressed  to  them  which  would  by  no  means  suit  the  illiterate,  to 
whom  you  must  use  great  plainness  of  speech  that  can  not  be  misunder- 
stood. Nor  must  you  disregard  the  distincdon  upon  which  the  apostle 
John  so  much  dwells  in  his  writings,  viz.,  that  of  babes,  young  men,  and 
fathers.  The  state  of  these  is  very  different,  and  requires  a  different  ad- 
dress. The  separation  of  character,  the  "precious  and  the  vile"  of  every 
shade,  is  necessary  to  faithfulness,  one  of  the  first  requisites  in  a  minister. 
To  be  faithful,  therefore,  you  must  be  bold,  judicious,  discriminating,  fear- 
less of  consequences,  leaving  these  to  God.  Let  it  not  be  urged  that  this 
is  the  proper  work  of  aged  ministers,  of  persons  of  extensive  experience ; 
it  is  the  work  of  all,  of  each  and  every  one  of  Christ's  servants.  It  is  a 
main  part  of  his  business ;  therefore,  relax  not  till  you  have  attained  con- 
siderable proficiency.  Allow  the  subject  your  most  sober  reflections,  and 
pursue  these  till  you  come  to  a  fair  decision.  Advert  to  your  own  expe- 
rience, as  a  hearer;  when  were  you  ever  profited  by  a  loose  unapplied 
sermon,  however  ingenious  it  might  be,  however  full  of  other  excellences? 
If  you  have  ever  been  affected,  has  it  not  been  when  the  preacher  has 
touched  your  own  pardcular  case,  when  he  has  spoken  to  your  heart  (as 


266  LECTURE    XVI. 

the  Hebrew  phrase  is),  when  he  has,  so  to  speak,  singled  you  out,  has  de- 
scribed your  real  state,  your  wants,  your  feelings,  your  experience,  or  when 
he  has  applied  some  word  of  scripture  to  your  spiritual  necessities?  Now 
if  this  affected  you,  and  yielded  both  profit  and  pleasure,  why  will  not  the 
same  course  in  your  hands  produce  similar  effects?  Is  anything  so 
likely  to  make  you  regarded  as  a  spiritual  father,  and  able  counsellor,  "a 
messenger,  one  of  a  thousand?"  Here  you  will  touch  those  moveable 
strings  of  the  heart  which  all  orators  aim  to  affect,  and,  by  a  "  word  in  sea- 
son," you  will  do  more  than  by  any  elaborate  disquisition  and  studied  dis- 
course, pointed  only  to  the  understanding  or  the  reason  of  the  hearers. 
Permit  me  to  add  that  you  must  not  only  consider  the  state  of  the  people 
you  are  called  to  address,  but  also  impress  upon  them  the  necessity  of  duly 
considering  their  own  state.  Our  favorite.  Walker,  on  the  text  Gal.  vi.  4, 
"Let  every  man  prove  his  own  work,"  makes  this  the  whole  subject  of 
his  discourse.  If  any  soul  was  lost  who  attended  his  ministry,  he  was 
clear  of  his  blood ;  if  any  went  to  the  place  of  punishment  from  his  min- 
istry, it  was  truly  with  their  eyes  open. 

Your  object  in  the  Christian  ministry  is  twofold,  the  building  up  of 
saints  in  their  most  holy  faith  and  the  calling  of  sinners  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  With  regard  to  the  latter  there  is  no  doubt  but  the  call,  to 
answer  its  professed  purpose,  must  be  a  general  call,  and  an  open  door, 
because  the  Lord's  people  yet  uncalled  are  among  the  world  lying  in  the 
wicked  one.  So  Paul  the  apostle  was  commanded  to  continue  preaching 
the  word  at  Corinth,  and  this  was  the  reason  given  him,  "for  I  have  much 
people  in  this  city."  But  there  is  also  another  motive  for  preaching  the 
gospel  to  sinners,  that  the  truth  has  a  restraining  power;*  it  is  only  in  a 
few  cases  that  it  can  be  wholly  resisted.  The  gospel  excites  and  encour- 
ages good  acts,  and  may  produce  some  moral  effects  even  where  it  is  not 
savingly  known.  It  is  said  of  Herod  that  "he  heard  John  gladly,  and  did 
many  things ;"  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  influence  of  the  lacivious  He- 
rodias,  he  might  have  been  still  further  improved ;  but  in  him  we  have  a 
melancholy  instance  of  the  incalculable  evils  of  an  unlawful  connexion. 
However,  it  is  to  me  as  clear  as  the  sun  that  a  general  gospel  is  a  general 
good.  Jehovah's  sovereignty  in  regard  to  real  conversions  is  quite  another 
matter.  "  The  day  (of  more  perfect  discovery)  will  declare  it."  Against 
a  positive  command,  "Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,"  no  doctrine 
is  to  be  pleaded  in  bar.  Our  duty  is  to  obey  the  command,  leaving  it  to 
God  to  regulate  matters  with  regard  to  the  doctrine  as  it  pleases  him. 

I  now  proceed  to  offer  you  some  examples  of  discourses  that  have  re- 
spect to  tlie  characters  and  states  of  persons  to  be  addressed. 

Simeon  on  Matt.  xiii.  The  parable  of  the  sower.  The  parable  de- 
scribes— 

I.  The  way-side  hearers.  These  hear  the  word  without  understanding  it,  and  lose 
it  without  regret. 

II.  The  stony-ground  hearers.  These  hear  the  word  gladly,  but  renounce  it 
speedily. 

*  It  has  very  properly  found  a  place  among  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  that  even  where  saving 
conversions  are  not  effected,  tliere  is  a  very  considerable  amelioration  to  be  observed.  It  is  only  ne- 
cessary to  make  the  comparison  between  a  people  enlightened  so  far  as  to  understand  moral  virtue 
in  its  purest  forms,  social  life  in  its  fairest  examples,  the  rights  of  nations  directed  by  enlightened  pol- 
icy, and  a  people  still  strangers  to  such  refinement.  If  the  gospel  in  its  lowest  effects  can  conduce 
so  much  to  the  happiness  of  the  world,  what  may  we  not  conclude  with  regard  to  the  gospel  re- 
ceived into  the  heart  1 


PERSONS    ADDRESSED.  267 

III.  The  thorny-ground  hearers.  These  maintain  their  religious  character  to  the 
end,  but  the  fruit  they  bear  is  of  a  very  imperfect  kind,  or  it  never  comes  to  maturity. 

IV.  The  good-ground  hearers.  These  receive  the  word  with  humility  arid  im- 
prove it  with  diligence.  But  in  this  class  there  are  minor  divisions ;  some  bear  fruit 
thirty-fold,  others  sixty,  and  others  again  a  hundred-fold. 

Simeon  on  Matt.  xiii.  52.     The  scribe  well  instructed. 

It  is  of  importance  to  all,  but  especially  to  those  who  are  to  teach  others,  that  they 
imderstand  clearly  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  An  ignorant  minister,  like  a  leaky 
vessel,  disappoints  those  who  expect  from  him  instruction  and  consolation.  But  a 
well-instructed  scribe,  or  minister,  resembles  a  housekeeper,  or  steward,  who,  hav- 
ing made  provision  for  the  family,  feeds  them  to  the  full.  With  this  comparison  our 
Lord  encourages  his  attentive  and  diligent  disciples. 

The  resemblance  of  every  such  minister  to  a  householder  may  be  traced  as  fol- 
lows : — 

I.  He  is  provided  with  all  things  necessary  for  the  family  over  which  he  is  placed. 

1.  He  makes  himself  acquainted  with  all  their  wants. 

2.  He  lays  up  in  store  against  the  time  of  need.  The  Scriptures  being  the  grand 
repository  of  sacred  knowledge,  he  there  finds  things  new  and  old.  What  he  daily 
feels,  hears,  or  sees,  suitable  to  the  state  of  his  family,  he  also  treasures  up. 

II.  In  prosecuting  his  work,  he  dispenses  seasonably  to  all  according  to  their  re- 
spective wants. 

1.  He  gives  an  agreeable  variety  to  a  variety  of  characters,  according  to  their 
standing,  acquisitions,  or  wants. 

1.)  To  those  whose  growth  in  grace  enables  them  to  digest  strong  meat,  he  un- 
folds the  sublime  doctrines  of  revelation. 

2.)  To  those  who  can  only  feed  on  milk,  he  treats  of  the  simple  doctrine  of  the 
cross  of  Christ. 

2.  He  discriminates  between  that  which  is  bad  and  that  which  is  good  in  each 
class,  &c.  He  gives  the  cup  of  consolation  to  the  drooping  or  broken-hearted  peni- 
tent, but  holds  forth  the  waters  of  jealousy  to  those  who  are  of  a  suspicious  char- 
acter, &c. 

This  discourse  is  in  fact  rather  a  direction  to  ministers  than  a  pattern  of 
a  discourse  ad  populum ;  but  it  serves  to  strengthen  the  points  which  I 
have  urged  upon  your  attention  in  this  lecture,  and  which  will  be  further 
corroborated  by  your  careful  study  of  the  letters  to  the  seven  churches  of 
Asia,  in  the  second  and  third  chapters  of  the  book  of  Revelation.  There 
you  will  perceive  with  what  wonderful  precision  the  character  and  state  is 
marked;  and,  as  Mr.  Scott  observes,  "the  word  of  Christ  to  them  will 
always  be  suitable  to  the  case  of  other  churches  and  professors  of  Chris- 
tianity in  all  ages  and  places  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

The  same  author  on  Gen.  vi.  5  :  "  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man 

was  great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his 

heart  was  only  evil  continually."     Consider, 

I.  The  general  declaration  with  respect  to  man's  state  before  the  flood.  The  dis- 
position of  his  heart  was  evil — 

1.  Without  exception — "  every  imagination." 

2.  Without  mixture — "  only  evil." 

3.  Without  intermission — "  continually." 

II.  The  general  application  of  this  truth  to  mankind  in  every  age. 

This  to  a  tolerably  furnished  preacher  will  be  very  easy  to  fill  up. 
Alas !  we  have  too  much  evidence  of  this  truth ;  and,  if  there  be  any  dif- 
ficulty, it  will  be  in  selecting  from  the  great  mass  that  lies  before  us. 

Mr.  Wesley,  on  John  xvi.  22 :  "  You  now  have  sorrow."  The  text  is 
not  in  this  case  material;  five  hundred  scriptures  would  have  given  a 
motto.  Mr.  Wesley's  is  no  more  than  this;  but  the  subject  is  the  state  of 
the  Christian  in  trouble  of  mind. 

The  persons  whose  state  is  to  be  considered,  have  a  right  to  the  tenderest  com- 
passion ;  they  labor  under  an  evil  and  sore  disease,  though  one  that  is  not  commonly 


268  LECTURE    XVI. 

understood,  and  for  this  reason,  it  is  more  difficult  for  them  to  find  a  remedy.  Being 
in  darkness  themselves,  they  can  not  be  supposed  to  understand  the  nature  of  their 
own  disorder.  And  few  of  their  brethren,  nay,  perhaps  of  their  teachers,  know  either 
what  their  sickness  is,  or  how  to  heal  it.  So  much  the  more  need  there  is  to  inquire, 
first.  What  is  the  nature  of  this  disease  ?  Secondly,  What  is  its  cause  ?  and,  thirdly, 
What  is  its  cure  ? 

I.  What  is  the  nature  of  this  disease  into  which  so  many  fall,  after  they  have  be- 
lieved ?  wherein  doth  it  properly  consist  ?  and  what  are  its  genume  symptoms  ?  It 
consists  in — 

1.  The  loss  of  faith,  that  satisfactory  conviction  of  "  things  not  seen"  which  they 
once  enjoyed,  &c.     Hence, 

2.  The  loss  of  love,  which  can  not  but  rise  and  fall  at  the  same  time,  and  in  the 
same  proportion,  with  true  living  faith.  Deprived  of  their  faith,  they  are  deprived 
of  their  love  also. 

3.  In  consequence  of  the  loss  of  faith  and  love,  the  loss  of  holy  joy  follows.  The 
Spirit  does  not  bear  witness  to  them  as  formerly,  and  they  "  mourn  without  the  sun." 

4.  With  the  loss  of  faith,  and  love,  and  joy,  there  follows  loss  of  peace  which  once 
"passed  all  understanding."  That  sweet  tranquillity  of  mind,  that  composure  of 
spirit,  is  gone  ;  painful  doubts  return,  doubts  as  to  the  past,  fears  as  to  the  future,  &c. 

5.  With  the  loss  of  all  these  follows  the  loss  of  power.  We  know  that  every  one 
who  has  peace  Avith  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  has  power  over  sin  ;  while  that  peace 
remained,  power  also  remained,  even  over  "  the  besetting  sin,"  whether  it  were  the 
sin  of  his  nature  or  constitution,  the  sin  of  his  education,  or  that  of  his  profession,  yea, 
over  those  evil  tempers  and  desires  which  till  then  he  could  not  overcome  ;  but  now 
the  dominion  is  greatly  lost ;  the  crown  has  fallen  from  his  head  ;  he  is  under  a 
usurpation,  &c. 

II.  This  may  be  called  a  wilderness  state,  and  its  nature  will  be  further  understood 
by  inquiring  into  its  causes. 

1.  I  dare  not  rank  among  these  the  sovereign  will  of  God  ;  for  "  he  rejoices  in  the 
prosperity  of  his  servants."  Therefore,  I  must  conclude,  that  God  never  deserts  us, 
as  some  speak  ;  it  is  only  we  that  desert  him. 

2.  The  most  usual  cause  is  sin  of  one  kind  or  another. 

1.)  Sins  of  commission,  such  as  Scripture  shows  that  God's  people  have  often 
fallen  into,  and  which  daily  observation  and  experience  confirm. 

2.)  Sins  of  omission  ;  these  do  not  perhaps  immediately  "  quench  the  Spirit,"  but 
slowly  and  gradually.  Sins  of  commission  may  be  compared  to  throwing  water 
upon  a  fire;  sins  of  omission,  to  withholding  fuel  from  it.  (1.)  Perhaps  no  sin  of 
omission  more  frequently  occasions  this  than  the  neglect  of  private  prayer,  the  want 
of  which  can  not  be  supplied  by  any  other  ordinance.  (2.)  This  may  be  occasioned 
by  a  want  of  faithfulness  in  warning  our  frail  fellow-creatures  of  their  danger.  Lev. 
xix.  17.     A  fault  of  this  nature  is  very  off'ensive  to  God. 

3.  A  third  cause  may  be  found  in  our  indulging  spiritual  sins  in  our  hearts ;  as — 
1.)  Pride:  "He  that  is  proud  in  heart  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord."     We  may 

indulge  pride  as  to  our  talents,  our  property,  our  high  name,  our  religious  character  ; 
in  short,  we  may  be  proud  even  of  our  humility. 

2.)  Anger,  or  jealousy.  Anger  may  be  just  or  lawful  to  a  certain  degree,  but  be- 
yond this  it  is  sinful.  We  may  be  sinfully  jealous  of  a  supposed  rival,  of  the  success 
that  attends  any  of  our  brethren,  &c. 

3.)  Any  cherished  desires  that  are  contrary  to  that  self-denying  teniper  which 
Christ  enjoins,  a  state  of  mind  contrary  to  contentedness  with  that  condition  which 
the  wisdom  of  Providence  has  allotted  to  us ;  in  short,  every  disorder  of  our  passions 
and  appetites  exposes  us  to  this  darkness. 

III.  The  cure. 

On  this  part  of  the  subject  Mr.  Wesley  has  a  very  long  article ;  but, 
having  extracted  so  much  already,  I  dare  not  follow  him.  In  general  it 
may  be  observed  the  cure  must  be  dictated  by  the  nature  of  the  wrong.  I 
know  but  of  one  course  which  the  Scriptures  warrant  under  these  circum- 
stances, and  that  is  to  come  afresh  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  by  faith,  to  that 
"fountain  open  for  sin  and  uncleanness."  We  must  say,  with  the  church 
of  old,  "I  will  wait  upon  the  Lord  who  hideth  his  face,  and  I  will  look 
for  him." 

The  whole  of  Mr.  Wesley's  sermon  is  excellent,  but  his  text  is  not  well 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  269 

chosen;  and  he  allows  not  that  any  one  may  be  in  heaviness  for  the  trial 
of  his  faith,  which  I  judge  was  the  case  with  the  patriarch  Job;  and  even 
Peter's  supposed  case  confirms  the  possibility.     See  1  Pet.  i.  6,  7. 


LECTURE  XVII. 

TOPIC  XII. 
CONSIDER  THE  PRINCIPLES  OP  A  WORD  OR  ACTION. 

However  solicitous  a  commentator  on  Claude  may  be  to  preserve  a 
separate  and  distinct  service  to  each  of  his  Topics,  yet  some  of  them  have 
so  close  a  correspondence,  in  various  points,  that  it  is  not  a  little  difficult 
to  avoid  confounding  them  together.  Like  the  colors  of  the  iris,  they  so 
unite  and  blend  into  each  other  as  almost  to  defy  any  very  precise  dis- 
crimination of  their  respective  limits.  This  is  particularly  the  case  in  ref- 
erence to  the  Topic  which  now  comes  to  be  considered.  The  principles 
of  a  word  or  action  fall,  in  some  measure,  under  the  fifth  Topic,  "  Things 
implied;"  but  if  there  are  some  points  in  which  they  meet,  and  in  which 
the  one  appears  to  be  merged  in  the  other,  there  are  other  points  in  which 
they  differ  so  materially  as  to  demand  for  each  a  separate  consideration. 
Implication  obviously  includes  many  things  which  are  very  different  from 
principles,  as  you  will  see  by  consulting  lecture  xiii. ;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  may  frequently  be  necessary  to  recur  to  principles  when  they  can 
not  with  propriety  be  treated  as  things  implied  in  the  text.  The  Topic 
"Principles"  has  likewise  an  affinity  with  the  nineteenth,  "Grounds  and 
Causes."  Mr.  Robinson  evidently  confounds  them  together;  for,  in  com- 
menting on  the  nineteenth  Topic,  he  says,  "Principles  (12th)  are  some- 
times best  urged  by  implication"  (5th)  !  Even  Claude  himself  preserves 
not  on  this  Topic  his  accustomed  precision,  as  will  appear  on  a  careful 
examination  of  his  illustrations,  which  are  as  follows : — 

"  For  example,  John  v.  14  :  '  Behold,  thou  art  made  whole  ;  sin  no 
more,  lest  a  worse  thing  come  unto  thee.'  This  was  the  language  of  Je- 
sus Christ  to  the  man  whom  he  had  just  before  healed  of  an  infirmity  of 
thirty-eight  years'  standing.  Him  Jesus  now  found  in  the  temple.  It  is 
not  imaginable  that  this  meeting  was  fortuitous,  and  unforeseen  to  Jesus 
Christ:  his  providence,  no  doubt,  conducted  the  man  that  way,  directed 
him  to  the  temple,  whither  he  himself  went  to  seek  him.  Examine,  then, 
upon  -wh^A  principles  Jesus  Christ  went  to  seek  this  miserable  sinner,  and 
you  will  find — 1.  He  went  in  great  love  to  the  poor  man ;  he  went  in  that 
same  benevolence  which  inclined  him  to  do  good  to  all  who  had  need,  and 
in  every  place  that  he  honored  with  his  presence.  Jesus  was,  as  it  were, 
a  pubhc  source  of  benefits  ;  his  hands  everywhere  bestowed  beneficent 
gifts,  and  he  even  sought  occasions  when  they  did  not  present  themselves. 
2.  He  went  by  an  engagement  of  ancient  love,  which  he  had  made  on  be- 
half of  this  paralytic  :  his  second  favor  flowed  from  his  first,  nor  would  he 
leave  his  work  imperfect.  Thus  it  is  said,  in  regard  to  his  disciples, 
'  Having  loved  his  own,  who  were  in  the  world,  he  loved  them  to  the  end.' 


270  LECTURE    XVII. 

The  bounty  of  Jesus  Christ  resembles  that  of  his  eternal  Father,  who  calls, 
justifies,  and  in  the  end  glorifies,  those  whom  he  first  predestinated ;  and 
on  this,  as  on  one  of  the  principal  foundations,  St.  Paul  establishes  our 
hope  for  the  future  :  '  God,  having  begun  a  good  work  in  us,  will  perform 
it  to  the  day  of  Christ ;'  and  elsewhere,  '  God  is  faithful  who  hath  called 
you  to  the  fellowship  of  his  Son.'  3.  It  was  by  a  principle  of  wisdom  and 
foreknowledge  that  Jesus  Christ  sought  this  paralytic  patient  in  the  tem- 
ple, in  order  to  teach  him  his  duty,  to  furnish  him  with  the  means  of  doing 
it,  and  to  give  him  a  more  particular  knowledge  of  the  friend  who  had 
healed  him  ;  for  he  well  knew  that  a  tender  faith,  such  as  this  man's  was, 
had  need  of  fresh  and  continual  aid,  as  a  young  plant  needs  a  prop  to  sup- 
port it  against  winds  and  storms. 

"  In  like  manner,  if  you  had  to  examine  these  words  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
the  Samaritan  woman,  '  Go  and  call  thy  husband'  (John  iv.  16),  you  might 
examine  the  intention  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this  expression.  He  did  not 
speak  thus  because  he  was  ignorant  what  sort  of  a  life  this  woman  lived  : 
he  knew  that,  to  speak  properly,  she  had  no  husband.  It  was,  then — 
1.  A  word  of  trial ;  for  the  Lord  said  this  to  give  her  an  opportunity  of 
making  a  free  confession,  '  I  have  no' husband.'  2.  It  was  also  a  word  of 
kind  reproof ;  for  he  intended  to  convince  her  of  the  sin  in  which  she  lived. 
3.  It  was  also  a  word  of  grace  ;  for  the  censure  tended  to  the  woman's 
consolation.  4.  It  was,  further,  a  word  oi  loisdom  ;  for  our  Lord  intended 
to  take  occasion  at  this  meeting  to  discover  himself  to  her,  and  more  clear- 
ly to  convince  her  that  he  had  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  secrets  of 
her  life  ;  as  he  presently  proved,  by  saying,  '  Thou  hast  well  said,  I  have 
no  husband  ;  for  thou  hast  had  five  husbands,  and  he  whom  thou  now  hast 
is  not  thy  husband.' 

"  Were  you  going  to  explain  the  ninth  verse  of  the  first  of  Acts,  where 
it  is  said,  '  When  Jesus  was  taken  up,  his  disciples  beheld  him,'  it  would 
be  proper  to  remark  the  gentiments  of  the  disciples  in  that  moment,  and  to 
show  from  what  principles  proceeded  that  attentive  and  earnest  looking 
after  their  divine  Master,  while  he  ascended  to  heaven." 

You  will  perceive  that,  in  his  second  example,  Claude  abandons  the 
term  principle  for  that  of  intention,  and  proceeds  to  illustrate,  not  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  text  quoted,  but  the  intention  of  our  Savior  in  his  address  to 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  thus  confounding  our  present  Topic  with  the  four- 
teenth, "  The  end  proposed." 

After  these  interchanges,  which  must  1  think  have  confused  many  a  stu- 
dent, if  we  should  here  so  far  succeed  as  to  assign  to  our  Topic  a  distinct 
and  valuable  province,  calculated  to  promote  variety  in  the  elucidation  and 
enforcement  of  divine  truth,  a  practical  benefit  will  be  secured,  and  so  far 
the  object  of  the  lecture  will  be  attained. 

The  word  principle,  which  is  undoubtedly  derived  from  yj-inciphim — 
the  beginning,  signifies  the  element  of  some  given  truth,  the  source  or  ori- 
gin of  anything.  It  is  sometimes  defined  in  the  schools  to  be  that  from 
which  anything  is  done  or  known,  or,  in  their  own  words,  "  Unde  aliguid 
est  fit  aut  cognoscefur  ;"  that  is,  the  principles  of  a  word  or  action  lead  us 
to  something  out  of  which  such  a  word  or  action  had  its  rise,  or  in  conse- 
quence of  which  it  was  so  said  or  done,  and  on  the  truth  of  which  the 
justness  or  propriety  of  the  word  or  action  turns.  Thus,  for  instance,  we 
are  accustomed  to  observe  that  tlie  Scriptures  proceed  throughout  upon 


PRINCIPLES  OF  A  WORD  OR  ACTION.  271 

this  principle,  that  man  is  a  degraded,  ignorant,  and  guilty  being.  This, 
as  you  will  have  frequent  occasion  to  remark,  is  assumed  in  all  its  doc- 
trines, precepts,  covenants,  and  promises,  because  they  would  otherwise 
possess  neither  importance  nor  meaning,  being  applicable  only  to  fallen 
creatures. 

Now  doctrines  are  laid  down  by  some  one  ;  precepts  are  enjoined  by 
some  authority  ;  but  principle  lies  in  the  thing  itself,  and  can  be  discovered 
only  by  close  reflection.  On  the  first  reading  of  a  text,  such  principle, 
though  calculated  to  throw  much  hght  on  the  text  or  subject,  may  not  be 
obvious.  However,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  preacher  to  study  his  text  with 
labor  and  patience,  examining  its  connexion,  and  endeavoring  to  ascertain 
the  precise  meaning  of  the  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  taught.  The 
old  saying  is  here  appropriate  :  Veritas  in  yuteo.  Sometimes  the  well  is 
deep,  and,  if  our  contemplations  do  not  give  length  enough  to  the  bucket- 
chain,  we  shall  not  reach  the  water,  but  must  get  some  one  else  to  reach 
it  for  us,  a  method  by  no  means  the  most  creditable.  Even  when  we 
have  satisfactorily  ascertained  the  meaning  of  a  text,  we  may  still  trace 
it  back  to  its  elementary  principles,  in  order  to  elicit  such  observa- 
tions as  may  be  adapted  to  place  the  subject  in  a  clearer  or  in  a  stronger 
light. 

"  That  there  are  such  things  as  principles,"  says  Mr.  Howe,  "  is  be- 
yond all  doubt.  There  is  nothing,  no  created  thing,  but  has  its  principles  : 
principles  of  being  there  are  belonging  to  it.  Every  complete  substance 
that  exists  in  the  world,  and  is  a  created  one,  must  be  supposed  to  have 
such  principles,  the  principles  from  which  it  did  proceed  and  principles 
of  which  it  does  consist.  There  are  also  principles  of  knowledge  as  well 
as  of  being.  There  is  no  piece  of  knowledge,  no  sort  of  science,  but  has 
its  principles,  as  you  all  know  ;  and  therefore  religion.  Christian  religion — 
theology.  Christian  theology — must  have  its  principles  too.  It  is  a  sci- 
ence, a  practical  one,  and  of  most  absolute  and  universal  necessity  ;  and 
its  principles  must  therefore  be  supposed  of  the  most  absolute  and  univer- 
sal necessity  too." 

If  the  mathematician,  by  tracing  back  the  steps  of  his  demonstration  to 
certain  axioms  and  first  principles,  proves  that  the  conclusions  at  which  he 
had  arrived  are  just  and  accurate,  why  may  we  not  expect  that  a  frequent 
recurrence  to  elementary  principles  on  the  part  of  the  Christian  minister 
will  answer  a  similar  purpose  ?  Here,  however,  it  is  proper  to  observe 
that  we  do  not  examine  the  principles  of  a  text  as  we  do  the  arguments 
and  declarations  of  men,  to  see  whether  what  is  recorded  or  declared  be 
true  or  false  :  our  aim  is  simply  to  render  its  meaning  more  apparent  and 
luminous,  to  show  the  reasonableness  or  excellency  of  that  which  is  cer- 
tainly true ;  for  no  proposition  can  be  more  self-evident  than  this,  that 
whatever  God  has  revealed  must  of  necessity  be  free  from  error.  When, 
therefore,  anything  is  declared  the  justice  or  the  excellency  of  which,  from 
the  omission  of  those  circumstances  in  which  it  originated,  is  not  at  first 
apparent,  we  in  this  case  trace  back  our  inquiry  to  the  principle  on  which 
the  declaration  turns,  till  we  discover  such  considerations  as  may  be  adapt- 
ed to  illustrate  the  subject  of  our  inquiry.  Thus,  with  regard  to  the  moral 
law,  we  may  argue  from  our  Topic  to  convince  those  who  suppose  that 
'•  its  claims  are  abrogated  by  the  gospel,  and  that  when  believers  are  de- 
clared to  be  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace,  it  is  the  intention  of  the 


272  LECTURE    XVII. 

Holy  Ghost  to  affirm,  not  only  that  they  are  redeemed  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  but  that  it  no  longer  has  any  claim  upon  them,  that  it  ceases  to  be 
a  rule  of  life."  Whatever  part  of  the  law  we  contemplate,  it  requires  very 
little  argument  to  prove  that  it  stands  not  on  the  basis  of  merely  arbitrary 
appointment,  like  the  ceremonial  law,  which  was  temporary,  and  passed 
away,  when  the  ends  for  which  it  was  given  had  been  accomplished.  All 
the  requirements  of  the  moral  law  may  be  traced  back  to  the  original  law 
of  our  being,  by  which  we  should  have  been  bound,  even  though  no  writ- 
ten law  had  ever  been  given,  and  from  which  nothing  can  ever  release  us. 
Hence  our  blessed  Lord  himself,  in  his  memorable  reply  to  the  lawyer 
who  sought  to  ensnare  him,  traces  the  law  to  its  original  principles,  and  de- 
clares that  the  substance  of  the  law  was  comprehended  in  love  to  God  and 
love  to  man,  to  w^hich  we  were  evidently  bound  by  the  law  of  our  creation. 

In  the  same  manner,  if  the  preacher  were  desirous  of  convincing  his 
audience  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment,  upon  the  authority  of 
the  law  of  God  and  its  denunciations  against  every  offender  (Gal.  iii.  10), 
he  might  revert  to  such  first  principles  as  love  to  God,  &c.,  and  comment 
upon  them,  showing  that  nothing  but  confusion  could  result  from  the  breach 
of  such  primordial  principles,  and  that  the  sanctions  of  the  lav/  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  best  interests  of  man.  Thus  we  may  argue  to  si- 
lence all  the  presumptuous  declarations  of  a  sinful  world,  and  expose  the 
deformity  and  turpitude  of  its  practices,  which,  unless  pardoned  through 
the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  will  eventually  be  followed  by  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt.* 

It  may  be  further  observed  that  under  the  term  in'mcifle  we  include 
things  somewhat  less  certain  than  those  first  principles  of  religious  truth  to 
which  we  have  just  adverted,  but  which  nevertheless  are  common  proper- 
ty, and  deserve  the  attention  of  the  gospel  minister,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
senator  or  the  barrister,  so  far  as  they  may  afford  profitable  items  of  remark, 
comment,  or  illustration.  Bishop  Wilkins  observes,  on  this  subject,  "  Such 
kinds  of  notions  as  are  general  to  mankind,  and  not  confined  to  any  par- 
ticular sect,  or  nation,  or  time,  are  usually  styled  common  notions,  seminal 
principles,  and  such  as  the  Romans  called  lex  nata^  We  have  an  im- 
mense supply  of  what  are  called  maxims  or  proverbs.  Those  of  holy  writ 
may  generally  be  traced  either  to  experience  or  to  some  original  principle  ; 
though  some  of  them  stand  upon  authority  alone,  which  indeed  is  quite 
adequate  to  their  support.  Of  those  which  are  purely  human,  many  were 
originally  invented  to  apologize  for  error,  or  for  some  carnal  policy,  and 
can  hardly  be  admitted  to  come  under  the  bishop's  definition,  however 
generally  they  may  have  been  received.  A  notion  is  not  of  course  to  be 
considered  as  necessarily  true  merely  because  it  is  commonly  admitted. 
So  far  as  it  has  reference  to  reason,  conscience,  experience,  or  our  natu- 
ral senses,  truth  will  however  be  generally  in  its  flivor ;  and  all  the  feelings 
of  uncorrupted  nature — as  consciousness  of  right  and  wrong,  recognition 
of  a  Supreme  Governor  of  the  world  and  of  the  duty  we  owe  to  him — may 
be  appealed  to  as  original  principles  ;  thus  the  apostle  clearly  appeals  in 
Rom.  i.  20,  and  ii.  14,  15. 

*  Thus  a  direct  act  of  faith  in  Christ  is  the  true  principle  of  our  security,  and  by  this  alone  can  we 
be  justified  :  not  because  faith  is  the  root  of  all  virtues,  but  because  it  lays  hold  on  Christ,  for  whose 
sake  alone  we  arc  accepted,  whatever  be  tiie  amount  of  our  renovation,  which  indeed  must  necessa- 
rily follow,  but  is  not  the  thing  that  gives  peace  to  the  conscience.  See  Bickeusteth  on  the  Doc- 
trines of  the  Reformers. 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR   ACTION.  273 

It  is  not  surprising  that  an  arm  so  strong  should  too  often  be  seized  by 
the  adversary,  or  at  least  that  a  pretence  of  adverting  to  first  principles 
should  be  made  by  designing,  deluded  creatures,  for  the  subversion 
of  truth.  Here,  then,  we  are  led  to  the  consideration  of  false  lyrinci- 
plcs  ;  and  I  fear  the  volume  of  false  principles  would  be  found  much  more 
bulky  than  that  of  the  true.  It  will  therefore  be  the  preacher's  business 
to  expose  and  refute  false  principles  (see  Lecture  viii.)  as  well  as  to  es- 
tablish such  as  are  true. 

In  this  view  an  example  of  judicious  observation,  on  our  Topic,  maybe 
quoted  from  Bishop  Horsley,  by  which  it  appears  that  he  thought  it  right 
to  examine  the  erroneous  principles  of  ancient  philosophy,  and  to  correct 
them  by  stating  such  as  are  true  : — 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Nature  does  nothing  in  vain.  In  one  sense  this  is  true,  be- 
cause the  whole  of  nature  is  conducted  by  the  continual  providence  of  the  Being  who 
created  the  Avholc.  In  what  are  called  the  operations  of  nature,  God  is  the  first  and 
sovereign  agent.  The  maxim,  therefore,  that  nature  never  acts  in  vain,  is  true  ;  but 
the  truth  of  it  rests  upon  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God,  who  made  and  governs  na- 
ture. And  it  is  improperly  alleged  as  itself  being  a  first  principl  e  of  science,  of  origi- 
nal and  intrinsic  evidence,  since  it  is  only  a  consequence  of  another  principle,  that 
God  never  acts  in  vain."* 

Among  those  false  principles  which  have  prevailed  to  a  great  extent, 
and  exerted  a  very  baneful  influence,  is  that  which  alleges  that  because 
goodness  and  mercy  are  essential  perfections  of  the  divine  Being,  whose 
name  is  love,  therefore  he  will  never  punish  a  weak,  erring,  and  mutable 
creature  with  everlasting  misery  for  such  errors  as  his  very  nature  throws 
him  into.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  hundreds  of  thousands  take  shelter 
under  this  specious  principle,  though  it  is  one  which  subverts  the  divine 
authority,  contradicts  the  testimony  which  declares  that  he  will  judge  every 
man  "  according  to  his  works,"  and  takes  away  moral  responsibility  :  it 
supposes  man  to  be  merely  passive  in  committing  evil,  whereas  he  is  an 
active  offender  against  his  fellow-creature,  an  active  sinner  against  his 
Maker  and  against  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience.  In  neglecting  all 
means  for  his  moral  improvement — in  despising  or  rejecting  the  method 
that  Infinite  Wisdom  has  provided  for  his  recovery,  pardon,  and  sanctifi- 
cation — in  persisting  in  a  course  of  opposition  to  God's  declared  will,  nay, 
disputing  its  very  authority — he  is  not  merely  unfortunate,  but  guilty. 
Therefore  his  taking  shelter  under  God's  goodness  and  mercy,  and  urging 
these  against  his  holiness  and  justice,  is  futile  and  vain  ;  for  the  justice  of 
God  forms  as  properly  a  principle  of  judgment  as  those  attributes  selected 
for  convenience  and  excuse.  It  may  be  also  observed  that  just  original 
principles  never  clash  one  against  another,  but  harmonize  and  give  strength 
and  confirmation  to  the  humble  inquirer  after  truth.  ■ 

The  study  of  principles  is  unquestionably  of  high  importance  to  the 
Christian  minister.  The  time  necessary  for  acquiring  proficiency  in  it 
may  be  unwillingly  given  up  ;  but  experience  will  jDrove  that  instead  of 
time  lost  it  is  time  gained  ;  for,  the  more  accurately  we  ascertain  the  prin- 
ciple of  a  text  or  subject,  the  more  certainly  we  avoid  subsequent  darkness 
and  embarrassment ;  for  here  we  have  the  mirror  of  a  subject,  and  that 
which  gives  elements  and  argument.  The  judicious  application  of  our 
Topic  to  the  elucidation  of  truth  forms  a  broader  distinction  among  preach- 
ers than  learning  and  science  ever  can   do.     By  the  successful  study  of 

•  Horslev,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  332,  333. 

18 


274  LECTURE    XVII. 

principles,  a  preacher  will  therefore  more  surely  grow  in  the  estimation  of 
his  people,  at  least  of  all  judicious  persons,  than  by  all  his  attainments  in 
classical  learning.  By  running  back  to  causes  (which  is  one  of  the  ex- 
planatory and  synonymous  terms  of  principles),  our  greatest  divines  have 
acquired  an  imperishable  name,  by  proving  most  clearly  the  infinite  and 
eternal  being  of  Jehovah  independent  of  authority  or  written  testimony. 
It  is  by  the  examination  of  principles  that  Locke,  Beattie,  Watts,  S.  Clarke, 
Berkeley,  Buder,  Abernethy,  Horsley,  and  many  others,  have  acquired 
their  just  fame,  while  those  who  can  not  or  will  not  think  must  make  to 
themselves  a  name  of  meaner  materials,  which  will  soon  perish  and  be  for- 
gotten. 

I  am  fully  aware  that  the  humble  though  diligent  student  is  commonly 
the  most  fearful:  the  very  mention  of  such  great  names  may  be  dis- 
couraging. Allow  me  to  say  that  in  this  excellence  there  are  many  de- 
grees ;  we  may  say,  in  this  case,  as  has  been  excellently  said  in  another, 
that  "  here  a  lamb  may  wade,  an  elephant  may  swim."  The  lowest  de- 
gree is  honorable,  and  not  of  difficult  acquirement,  but  some  degree  is  ab- 
solutely indispensable.  It  is  somewhat  like  our  common  reason  ;  it  is  of 
all  growths,  but  is  everywhere  the  chief  honor  of  human  kind.* 

The  practical  application  of  our  Topic  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  be  found 
in  what  the  puritan  authors  termed  '''■'previous  considerations  f  see  p.  61. 
They  did  not  adopt  the  term  principle,  but  they  attended  to  the  thing  itself.t 
Their  manner  appears  to  us  to  have  been  exceedingly  prolix  and  tiresome  : 
the  principle  on  which  they  acted  was,  that  it  is  better  to  say  too  much 
than  too  httle.  Some  of  our  modern  preachers,  however,  think  otherwise. 
Men  are  ever  prone  to  extremes  ;  but  the  wise  will  take  a  middle  course. 
In  general,  when  the  principle  is  once  made  sufficiently  plain,  it  is  perhaps 
dangerous  to  proceed.  The  following  is  an  example  of  previous  consid- 
erations, from  Howe  on  Heb.  x.  36  :  "  For  you  have  need  of  patience," 
&c.  To  illustrate  the  force  of  this  expression,  he  proposes  several  pre- 
vious considerations,  which  in  fact  include  the  principles  on  which  the  text 
turns.     These  are — 

I.  That  the  natural  constitution  of  the  human  soul  disposes  it  equally  to  covet  and 
pursue  a  desirable  good,  and  to  shun  a  hurtful  evil. 

II.  That  the  want  of  such  a  desirable  good  is  as  afflictive  and  grievous  as  the  pres- 
sure of  a  present  evil. 

III.  That  an  ability  to  bear  that  want  is  as  real  and  needful  an  endowment  as  the 
fortitude  bv  which  we  endure  a  painful  evil. 

IV.  That,  therefore,  it  equally  belongs  to  patience  to  be  exercised  in  the  one  case 
as  in  the  other ;  and,  the  general  nature  being  found  ui  each,  the  name  (patience)  is 
with  equal  fitness  common  to  both. 

The  primary  application  of  this  Topic,  as  a  Topic  of  occasional  obser- 
vation, is  sufficiently  illustrated  by  Claude  in  his  first  example,  on  John  v. 
14  ;  but  it  is  proper  to  observe  that  sometimes  a  more  important  service 
may  be  assigned  to  it,  as  furnishing  one  or  more  subdivisions,  or  one  gen- 
eral head,  or  even  a  whole  discourse. 

Let  us  take  an  example  from  Mr.  Howe,  on  Isa.  Ixiii.  10:  "But  they 
rebelled  and  vexed  his  Holy  Spirit ;  therefore  he  was  turned  to  be  their 
enemy,  and  he  fought  against  them."     Consider — 

*  Upon  the  subject  of  this  Lecture,  read  attentively  the  former  parts  of  Dr.  Burder's  Mental  Dis- 
ciphne,  a  work  of  very  great  value,  though  in  small  compass. 

t  It  would  of  course  be  improper  for  us  to  be  always  using  the  term;  but  we  as  well  as  they  can 
attend  to  the  thing  itself  by  other  forms  of  expression. 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  27,5 

I.  The  evil  done,  in  its  nature  and  in  its  cause  or  principle. 

1.  In  its  nature.     The  Spirit  of  God  was  vexed. 

1.)  It  is  implied  that  something  was  done  against  his  will ;  his  will  was  reallv 
crossed. 

2.)  It  is  implied  that  he  does  apprehend  and  resent  such  an  offence  (Ps.  xciv.  7; 
Deut.  xxxii.  34),  though  not  with  such  perturbations  as  men  feel. 

2.  Inquire  concerning  the  cause  or  principle  of  this  vexation.  This  we  shall  dis- 
cover in  the  titles  and  attributes  of  this  Spirit,  by  which  we  shall  see  what  must 
necessarily  vex  him.     See  Eph.  iv.  30. 

1.)  The  Spirit  of  God  is  called  the  Spirit  of  truth  (John  xiv.  17),  and  he  must  be 
offended  when  his  truth  is  lightly  esteemed  and  loosely  adhered  to. 

2.)  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  grace,  Heb.  x.  29.  "it  must  be  offensive  when  the 
very  grace  of  which  he  is  the  Author,  which  he  applies  or  reveals,  is  rejected  by  so 
many. 

3.)  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  faith  (2  Cor.  iv.  13) ;  therefore  infidelity  must  be  ob- 
noxious, and  when  persons  continue  long  under  the  gospel  in  obstinate  unbelief,  &c. 

4.)  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  love,  which  is  the  great  principle  that  disposes  and 
inclines  the  soul  toward  God.  He  has  given  us  the  Spirit  of  love,  2  Tim.  i.  7.  That 
principle  Avhich  influences  and  is  the  life  and  soul  of  all  the  commmiications  between 
the  blessed  God  and  believers,  Avhich  itself,  therefore,  is  called  the  communion  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  2  Cor.  xiii.  14.     Surely,  then,  love  despised  is  a  very  heinous  offence. 

5.)  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  power  and  life  (John  vi.  63  ;  2  Tim.  i.  7) ;  therefore, 
all  deadness  in  divine  things  (Rev.  iii.  14-17)  must  be  loathsome  to  him. 

6.)  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  holiness  (Rom.  i.  4),  and  in  the  text,  "his  Holy 
Spirit."  How  then  can  he  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips,  who  walk 
after  the  flesh  and  not  after  the  Spirit  ? 

^  7.)  He  is  the  earnest  of  the  blessed  inheritance  (compare  2  Cor.  v.  5,  with  1  Cor. 
ij.  9-12) ;  therefore,  when  all  the  tendencies  of  professors  are  earthly,  here  is  a  per- 
fect opposition. 

8.)  He  is  a  Spirit  of  prayer  (Zech.  xii.  10) ;  but  when  there  is  no  yielding  to  its 
influence,  when  that  reproof  is  just,  "  Thou  hast  not  called,"  &c.  (Isa.  xliii.  22),  or 
when  prayer  is  heartless,  cold  and  dead,  formal  and  irregular,  it  is  loathed  of  the 
S-pirit. 

9.)  He  is  the  Spirit  of  union  (Ezek.  xi.  19) ;  but  where  there  is  no  union,  no  Chris- 
tian love,  the  Spirit  will  depart.     "  Can  two  walk  together  except  they  be  agreed  ?" 

Now  this  view  of  the  cause  or  principle  upon  which  the  vexation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  is  very  definite  and  plain,  and  prepares  the  way 
for  the  second  part  of  the  subject,  which  is  "  The  evil  suffered — God 
turning  against  them."  Nothing  is  more  needful  than  a  due  examination 
of  our  conduct  in  regard  to  the  Spirit.  A  dreadful  catalogue  of  evils  may 
fall  upon  us  if  we  grieve  this  Spirit,  and  that  scripture  be  fulfilled  in  us, 
Hos.  ix.  12. 

Mr.  Walker,  vol.  iii.,  on  James  iv.  13-15,  in  the  first  part  of  his  dis- 
course, exposes  the  false  principle  involved  in  the  language  which  the 
apostle  condemns.     He  says — 

In  general,  we  may  observe,  this  language  relates  altogether  to  a  worldly  project. 
The  principal  object  is  j^ain,  not  the  "  true  riches,"  or  that  "  good  part"  which  shall 
never  be  taken  from  those  who  choose  it,  but  the  gain  of  this  world.  They  said 
nothing  of  the  measure  of  gain  that  would  satisfy  them,  and  nothing  of  the  use  to 
which  they  meant  to  apply  their  wealth.  For  anything  that  these  expressions  im 
ply,  their  desires  might  be  without  bounds,  and  their  sole  aim  might  be  "  to  heap  up 
silver  as  the  dust,"  &c.,  to  "join  house  to  house,"  &c. 

If  this  remark  be  just,  we  have  already  discovered  one  capital  error  in  the  language 
of  these  men.  To  seek  gain  by  honest  industry,  for  necessary  supplies,  is  not  only 
lawful  but  honorable ;  but  to  seek  it  for  its  own  sake,  merely  for  the  sordid  pleasure 
of  possessing  it,  betrays  a  mean  and  selfish  spirit,  unworthy  of  a  man,  and  much 
more  of  a  Christian  man. 

Further:  The  great  Lord  of  all  has  no  part  in  this  scheme.  These  little  arrogant 
words,  "  we  will,"  thrust  God  out  at  once,  and  occupy  his  place.  The  persons  here 
described  appear  to  insure  their  lives  against  sickness  and  casualty;  they  think  all 
will  go  well  even  for  a  year — a  full  year  !     No  allowance  is  made  for  change  of  cli- 


276  LECTURE    XVII. 

mate,  or  fatigue,  for  robbery,  or  fraud,  or  fluctuations  in  the  price  of  their  goods  ;  but 
they  will  get  large  profits,  &c.  ;  whereas,  when  truth  is  allowed  to  speak,  she  says, 
"  You  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  morrow." — "  This  night  your  souls  may  be  re- 
quired ;"  for  "  what  is  your  life  ?  it  is  even  a  vapor."  This  plain  proposition,  "  your 
life  is  a  vapor,"  undermines  the  scheme  at  once,  and  overwhelms  the  proud  build- 
ers with  shame. 

This  is  an  exposure  of  a  false  principle  of  action,  and  the  folly  described 
is  not  of  rare  occurrence.  How  strikingly  is  it  exhibited  by  our  Lord  in 
the  parable  of  him  whom,  in  derision,  we  call  "  the  fool  in  the  gospel !" 
I  beg  leave  also  to  remark,  on  this  quotation  from  Walker,  that  it  is  a  fine 
example  of  comment — a  comment  on  the  principle  itself,  which  will 
always  serve  you  a  good  turn  either  jpro  or  con.  Lawyers  and  senators 
are  very  partial  to  this  kind  of  comment,  and  frequently  employ  it  with 
great  effect.  It  is  here  that  they  apply  the  lash  of  irony  and  sarcasm,  by 
which  they  cut  through  the  very  sinews  of  false  principles,  and  expose 
sophistries  or  errors. 

As  it  will  often  be  needful  to  examine  and  refute  false  principles,  I  offer 
no  apology  for  quoting  the  following  instance  of  exposure  by  Howe,  which 
refers  to  a  .still  more  lamentable  evil,  alas  !  too  common  in  our  age.  The 
text  is,  "Rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,"  1  Cor.  xiii.  6.  It  is  supposed  that 
those  professing  Christians  who  do  not  rejoice  in  the  iniquity  of  any  of 
their  own  party,  or  sect,  may  yet  feel  a  secret  satisfaction  at  the  slips  and 
falls  of  a  party  that  is  more  particularly  opposed  to  them :  in  this  they 
think  there  is  no  sin.     This  is  the  false  principle  reprehended. 

You  have,  says  our  author,  much  reason  to  the  contrary  (viz.  of  rejoicing  in  sin), 
both  upon  the  common  account  and  your  oAvn. 

1.  Upon  the  common  account.  That  the  Christian  world  should,  while  it  is  so 
barren  of  serious  Christians,  be  so  fertile  and  productive  of  such  monsters,  made  up 
of  the  sacred  Christian  profession  conjoined  with  pagan  lives  !  and  the  more  of  sanc- 
tity any  pretend  to,  the  more  deplorable  is  the  case  when  the  wickedness  breaks 
forth  that  was  concealed  before  under  the  visor  of  that  pretence.  Is  this  no  matter 
of  lamentation  to  you?  or  will  you  here  again  say  your  unrelatedness  to  their  party 
makes  you  unconcerned  ?  If  it  do  not  justify  your  rejoicing,  it  will  surely  (you  think) 
excuse  your  not  mourning.  Will  it  so,  indeed  ?  Who  made  you  of  a  distinct  party  ? 
Are  you  not  a  Christian  ?  Are  you  not  a  protestant  ?  and  what  do  you  account  that 
but  reformed  primitive  Christianity  ?  and  so  the  more  it  is  reformed  the  more  per- 
fectly it  is  itself.  Who  put  it  in  your  power  to  make  distinguishing  additions  to  the 
Christian  religion,  by  which  to  sever  yourselves  from  the  body  of  other  Christians  in 
the  v/orld,  so  as  not  to  be  concerned  in  the  affairs  of  the  body  ?  If  this  or  that  mem- 
ber say,  "  I  am  not  of  the  body,  is  it  therefore  not  of  the  body  ?"  Is  it  not  the  Chris- 
tian name  that  is  dishonored  by  the  scandalous  lives  of  those  that  bear  that  name  ? 
Whose  laws  are  those  that  are  broken,  the  laws  of  this  or  that  party  ?  or  are  they  not 
the  laws  of  Clirist  ?  Will  you  say  you  are  unrelated  to  them  too  ?  or  have  you  no 
concern  with  them  ?  Can  any  party  be  united  within  itself  by  such  sacred  ties  as 
those  by  Avhich  all  Christians  are  united  with  the  whole  body  of  Christ  ?  I  know 
no  way  you  have  to  be  unconcerned  in  such  cases  as  the  matter  of  your  humiliation 
(when  they  occur  within  your  notice)  but  by  renouncing  Christianity.  Nor  indeed 
would  that  serve  the  turn.  For  what  will  you  do  with  your  humanity?  Are  you 
not  still  a  man,  if  you  Avruld  be  no  longer  a  Christian  ?  and  even  that,  methinks, 
should  oblige  us  to  bewail  the  depravedness  and  dishonor  of  the  nature  and  order  of 
human  beinsrs,  that  those  who  were  made  for  the  society  of  angels,  yea,  and  of  the 
blessed  God  himself,  should  be  found  delighting  and  walloAving  in  Avorse  impurities 
than  those  of  the  dog  or  the  SAvine.  The  more  strictness  in  morals  they  have  pre- 
tended to  the  greater  is  your  obligation  to  lament  their  violations  of  those  sacred 
rules  (which  you  also  profess  to  be  subject  to),  and  not  the  less.  Do  I  need  to  tell 
you  that  even  among  pagans,  Avherc  profession  of  greater  stricmess  had  been  once 
entered  into,  an  apostacy  to  gross  immoralities  has  been  the  subject  of  solemn  lamen- 
tation, as  in  the  school  (or  church  should  I  call  it)  of  Pythagoras,  Avhere,  Avhen  any 
who  had  obliged  themselves  to  the  observance  of  his  virtuous  precepts  did  afterward 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  211f' 

lapse  iiito  a  vicious  course,  a  funeral  and  solemn  mourning  was  held  for  them  as  if 
they  had  been  dead. 

2.  On  your  own  account ;  for  when  our  Savior  says,  "  Wo  to  that  man  by  whom 
the  offence  cometh,"  does  he  not  also  say,  '•  Wo  to  the  world  because  of  offences"  ? 
and  who  would  not  fear  and  lament  his  share  in  that  wo  ?  Are  you  proof  against 
all  hurt  by  another's  sin  ?  What  if  it  encourage  you  to  sm  too  ?  What  if  it  harden 
you  in  it  ?  How  many  do  some  men's  sins  dispose  to  atheism,  and  to  think  there  is 
nothing  ia  religion  ?  and,  if  you  felt  in  yourselves  an  inclination  to  rejoice  m  them, 
that  itself  argues  that  the  infection  has  caught  upon  you,  seized  your  spirits,  and  cor- 
rupted your  vitals  ;  so  that  you  have  cause  to  lament  your  ever  having  rejoiced,  to  be 
afflicted,  and  mourn,  and  weep,  fee,  James  iv.  9.  One  would  think  those  indeed 
but  half  men,  and  scarcely  any  Christians,  that  can  allow  themselves  in  so  inhuman 
and  unhallowed  a  pleasure  as  rejoicing  in  another's  sin.  It  is  very  unworthy  in  man  to 
take  pleasure  in  seeing  his  fellow-man  turning  beast.  There  is  little  in  it  of  the  in- 
genuousness that  belongs  to  human  nature,  to  delight  in  the  harms  of  others— much 
less  of  the  prudence,  to  make  sport  of  common  mischief;  and  would  a  Christian  re- 
joice in  the  disadvantages  of  his  own  cause,  and  in  the  dishonor  and  reproach  of  the 
very  name  which  he  himself  bears  ? 

Here  also  we  have  the  reprehension  of  a  false  principle  in  the  manner 
of  comment,  severe,  yet  just.  It  is  however  necessary  to  remark  that  some 
principles  may  be  doubtful,  or  at  least  opinions  founded  on  them  may  be 
so:  true  Christians  may  upon  many  points  differ;  and  in  such  cases  we 
are  not  to  comment  upon  the  sentiments  of  each  other  with  severity,  but 
to  confine  ourselves  to  fair  and  temperate  argument.  No  passion  should 
here  be  suffered  to  rise ;  for,  when  once  it  is  excited,  in  all  probability  it 
will  not  subside  before  much  mischief  is  done. 

For  an  extensive  and  masterly  exposure  of  the  false  principles  com- 
monly advanced  or  acted  upon  by  the  nominal  professors  of  Christianity, 
I  must  refer  the  student  to  Mr.  Wilberforce's  Practical  View  of  the  Pre- 
vailing Religious  System  of  Professed  Christians,  a  work  of  unspeakable 
value,  the  whole  of  which  deserves  to  be  read  with  close  attention ;  but  I 
can  not  prevail  upon  myself  to  quit  this  part  of  my  subject  without  giving 
you  a  brief  extract,  in  which  the  fallacy  of  two  of  the  most  specious  and 
destructive  principles  is  very  forcibly  exhibited.  The  one  is,  that  "  it  sig- 
nifies litde  what  a  man  believes,  if  his  practice  be  upright,"  &c.  The  ad- 
vocates of  this  sentiment  often  quote  with  exultation  the  well-known  lines 
of  Pope: — 

"  For  modes  of  faitli  let  graceless  zealots  fight ; 
His  can't  be  wrong  whose  life  is  in  the  right." 

The  other  is  that  "whatever  a  man's  opinion  and  conduct  may  be,  pro- 
vided he  be  sincerely  convinced  they  are  right,  he  can  not  be  criminal  in 
the  sight  of  God,"  or,  in  other  words,  that  "sincerity  is  all  in  all."  Our 
author  observes : — 

It  would  detain  us  too  long  fully  to  set  forth  the  various  evils  inherent  in  these  fa- 
vorite positions,  of  which  it  is  surely  not  the  least  that  they  are  of  unbounded  appli- 
cation, comprehending  within  their  capacious  limits  most  of  the  errors  which  have 
been  received,  and  many  of  the  most  desperate  crimes  which  have  been  perpetrated, 
among  men.  The  former  of  these  maxims  proceeds  on  the  monstrous  supposi- 
tion that,  although  accountable  creatures,  we  shall  not  be  called  to  account  for 
the  exercise  of  our  intellectual  and  mental  powers.  Moreover,  it  is  founded  on  that 
grossly  fallacious  assumption,  that  a  man's  opinions  will  not  mfluence  his  practice. 
The  advocates  of  this  fashionable  principle  require  to  be  reminded  that  the  judg- 
ment often  receives  a  corrupt  bias  from  the  heart  and  the  affeclions,  that  vice  is  the 
fruitful  niother  of  prejudice  and  error.  Forgetful  of  these  acknowledged  truths,  and 
confounding  the  most  important  moral  distinctions,  they  place  on  the  same  level 
those  who  occupy  themselves  in  a  sincere  and  warm  pursuit  of  truth  and  those  who 
yield  themselves  implicitly  to  the  opinions  which  early  prepossession  may  have  in- 


278  LECTURE    XVII. 

fused,  or  which   passion  or  interest,  or  even  acquiescing  indolence,  may  have  im- 
posed upon  their  minds. 

The  latter  of  the  foregoing  maxims,  that  sincerity  is  all  in  all,  proceeds  on  this 
groundless  supposition,  that  the  Supreme  Being  has  not  afforded  us  sufficient  means 
of  discriminating  truth  from  falsehood,  right  from  wrong,  and  it  implies  that,  be  a 
man's  opinions  or  conduct  ever  so  wild  or  extravagant,  we  are  to  presume  that  they 
are  as  much  the  result  of  impartial  inquiry  and  honest  conviction  as  if  his  sentiments 
and  actions  had  been  strictly  conformable  to  the  rules  of  reason  and  sobriety.  Never, 
indeed,  was  there  a  principle  more  general  in  its  use,  more  sovereign  in  its  potency. 
How  does  its  beautiful  simplicity,  and  compendious  brevity,  give  it  rank  before  the 
laborious  subtleties  of  Bellarmin  !  Clement  and  Ravaillac,  and  other  worthies  of  a 
similar  stamp,  from  whose  purity  of  intention  the  world  has  hitherto  withheld  its 
due  tribute  of  applause,  would  have  here  found  a  ready  plea ;  and  their  injured  in- 
nocence should  now  at  length  receive  its  full  though  tardy  vindication.  "  These, 
however,"  it  may  be  replied,  "are  excepted  cases."  Certainly  they  are  cases  of 
which  any  one  who  maintains  the  opinion  in  question  would  be  glad  to  disencumber 
himself,  because  they  clearly  expose  the  unsoundness  of  his  principle.  But  it  will 
be  incumbent  on  such  a  one  first  to  explain  with  precision  why  they  are  to  be 
exempted  from  its  operation,  and  this  he  will  find  an  impossible  task  ;  for  sincerity, 
in  its  popular  sense,  can  not  be  made  the  criterion  of  guilt  and  innocence  on  any 
ground  which  will  not  equally  serve  to  justify  the  assassins  who  have  been  instanced. 
The  conclusion  can  not  be  eluded:  no  man  was  ever  more  fully  persuaded  of  the  in- 
nocence of  any  action  than  those  men  were  convinced  that  the  horrid  deed  they 
were  about  to  perpetrate  was,  not  merely  lawful,  but  highly  meritorious.  Thus 
Clement  and  Ravaillac,  being  unquestionably  sincere,  were  therefore  indubitably 
innocent.  Nay,  the  absurd  and  pernicious  tendency  of  this  principle  might  be  shown 
to  be  even  greater  than  what  has  yet  been  stated.  It  would  scarcely  be  going  too 
far  to  assert  that,  while  it  scorns  the  defence  of  petty  villains,  who  still  retain  the 
sense  of  good  and  evil,  it  holds  forth,  like  some  well-frequented  sanctuary,  a  secure 
asylum  to  more  finished  criminals,  who,  from  long  habits  of  wickedness,  are  lost  to 
the  perception  no  less  than  to  the  practice  of  virtue,  and  that  it  selects  a  seared  con- 
science, and  a  callous  heart,  and  a  mind  insensible  to  all  moral  distinctions,  as  the 
special  objects  of  its  vindication.  Nor  is  it  only  in  profane  history  that  instances  are 
to  be  found,  like  those  which  we  have  mentioned,  of  persons  committing  the  greatest 
crimes  with  a  sincere  conviction  of  the  rectitude  of  their  conduct.  Scripture  will 
afford  us  parallels ;  and  it  was  surely  to  guard  us  against  the  very  error  which  we 
are  now  exposing  that  our  blessed  Savior  forewarned  his  disciples :  "  The  time 
Cometh  that  whosoever  killeth  you  will  think  that  he  doeth  God  service."* 

Tn  the  following  example,  from  South,  our  Topic  occupies  a  prominent 
place.  Isa.  V.  4:  "  What  could  have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard, 
that  I  have  not  done  in  it  ?" 

The  words  are  Jehovah's  vehement  complaint  against  the  Jewish  church  and  na- 
tion, his  peculiar  and  most  endeared  people  ;  and  I  shall  consider  the  principles  upon 
which  the  complaint  turns  as  to  the  form  of  expression  the  text  offers  and  the  matter 
contained  in  it.     Consider — 

I.  The  form  of  expression.  The  words  run  in  a  pathetical  interrogatory  exclama- 
tion, importing  surprise  and  a  kind  of  confusion  in  the  thoughts  of  him  who  utters 
them.     Here  we  have  the  assignable  cause  (the  principle)  of  the  words. 

1.  Here  is  something  strange  (if  anything  can  be  strange  in  such  a  world  as  this). 
Whatever  falls  out  either  above  or  beside  the  common  track  of  human  observation, 
and  so  puts  the  reason  upon  new  methods  of  discourse,  we  are  accustomed  to  call 
strange  and  such  as  causes  surprise,  which  is  nothing  else  but  a  disturbance  of  the 
mind  upon  its  inability  to  give  a  present  account  of  the  reason  of  what  we  see, 
whence  also  it  is  that,  as  we  still  know  more,  the  strangeness  of  things  grows  less, 
and  consequently  nothing  can  be  strange  to  him  to  whom  everything  is  known.  But 
how  then  come  we  here  to  find  God  himself  under  a  surprise,  and  Omniscience  as  it 
were  put  to  a  nonplus  ?  Surely  it  could  be  no  ordinary  thing  that  should  thus  put 
Infinite  Wisdom  upon  making  inquiries  ;  nor  indeed  was  it;  for  could  anything  be 
imagined  more  monstrous,  and  by  all  rational  principles  unresolvable,  than  upon  a 
most  rich  and  fertile  soil,  fenced  and  enclosed  against  all  injuries  from  abroad, 
dressed  and  manured  by  the  fuiger  of  God  himself,  and  watered  with  all  the  influen- 
ces of  a  propitious  heaven — I  say,  could  anything  be  more  prodigious  than,  in  such  a 

*  Wilberforce,  pp.  103-105. 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  279 

place,  to  see  a  fig-tree  bear  a  thistle  or  the  fruit  of  the  bramble  load  the  branches  of 
the  vine  ?  This  is  a  thiag  directly  against  all  the  principles  of  mere  nature,  though 
not  encouraged  by  the  assistance  of  art ;  and  therefore  even  the  God  of  nature  seems 
to  stand  amazed  at  the  unnatural  irregularity  of  such  a  monstrous  event. 

2.  The  other  reason  of  such  an  interrogatory  exclamation  is  the  unusual  indignity 
of  the  thing,  this  being  as  great  an  anomaly  in  the  morality  of  actions  as  the  former 
was  in  the  nature  of  things ;  and  therefore,  as  that  passion  of  the  mind  which  is 
raised  by  the  strangeness  of  a  thing  is  properly  called  wonder,  so  that  which  com- 
mences upon  this  is  properly  called  indignation,  it  being  a  great  trespass  upon  de- 
cency and  ingenuousness,  and  all  those  rules  that  ought  to  govern  the  intercourse  of 
rational  beings,  which  are  all  crossed  and  even  dissolved  by  that  one  grand  funda- 
mental destroyer  of  society,  ingratitude.  For  society  subsists  by  the  mutual  inter- 
change of  good  offices,  by  which  the  wants  and  concerns  of  men  are  mutually  sup- 
plied and  served,  that  being  the  only  thing  that  unites  and  keeps  men  together  in 
civilized  societies,  who  would  otherwise  range  and  ravin  like  bears  and  wolves,  and 
never  but  to  seize  a  greater  prey. 

Now  we  find  that  ingratitude  is  the  thing  here  exclaimed  against  with  so  much 
vehement  abhorrence,  a  passion  that  has  all  in  it  that  wonder  has,  with  the  addition 
of  something  more.  Wonder  rests  merely  in  the  speculation  of  things  ;  abhorrence 
proceeds  to  a  practical  aversion  and  flight  from  them.  But  since  a  sinner  is  no 
strange  sight,  nor  can  it  pass  for  a  wonder  to  see  men  wicked,  what  can  not  be  found 
in  the  bare  nature  of  things  must  be  sought  for  in  their  degree,  and  therefore  it  must 
needs  be  some  superlative  height  of  wickedness  which  drew  from  God  this  loud  ex- 
clamation ;  what  that  is  will  appear  in  the  prosecutipn  of  the  subject.     We  have — 

II.  The  complaint  itself,  as  a  furth6r  development  of  the  principle  upon  which  it 
proceeds.     Consider  then — 

1.  The  party  complaining,  which  is  God  himself.  It  must  be  confessed  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  strict  nature  of  things,  as  he  who  knows  all  things  can  not  wonder, 
so  neither  can  he  who  can  do  all  things  properly  complain,  wickedness  being  the 
cause  of  complaining,  as  ignorance  is  of  wonder  ;  yet  God  is  here  pleased  to  assume 
the  posture  of  both.  But,  however  possible  it  may  be  for  Infinite  Power  to  complain, 
it  is  certainly  impossible  for  Infinite  Goodness  to  complain  without  a  cause  ;  so  that 
we  read  the  indubitable  justness  of  the  complaint  in  the  condition  of  him  who  makes 
it — a  being  transcendently  wise,  just,  and  merciful,  who  can  not  be  deceived  in  the 
measures  he  takes  of  things,  and  persons,  nor  prevaricate  with  those  measures,  by 
speaking  beside  the  proportion  of  what  he  judges.  And,  after  all,  he  it  is  that  com- 
plains who  has  power  enough  to  render  all  complaint  needless,  who  has  an  omnipo- 
tence to  repair  to,  and  an  outstretched  arm  to  plead  his  cause  in  a  higher  dialect  than 
that  of  words  and  fair  expostulations.  We  see  therefore  the  person  here  complain- 
ing, even  the  great  and  omnipotent  God;  and,  we  may  be  sure,  where  God  is  the 
plaintiff  no  creature  can  with  either  sense  or  safety  be  defendant. 

2.  The  persons  here  complained  of;  they  were  the  Jews,  the  peculiar  and  select 
people  of  God,  a  people  that  had  no  cause  to  complain.  From  the  beginning  of 
God's  taking  them  under  his  care  they  were  fed  at  the  immediate  cost  of  heaven  ; 
they  were  dieted  with  miracles,  with  new  inventions  and  acts  of  providence,  the 
course  of  nature  itself  ministering  to  their  necessities,  the  heavens,  the  sea,  and  all 
things  dispensing  with  the  standing  laws  of  their  creation  to  do  them  service,  in  order 
to  their  serving  God.  But  it  seems  it  was  easier  to  fetch  honey  out  of  the  bowels  of 
the  earth,  to  broach  the  rock,  or  draw  rivers  from  a  flint,  than  to  draw  obedience 
from  them.  They  were  persons  who  wore  all  the  marks  of  the  peculiar  incommu- 
nicable kindnesses  of  heaven  ;  Ps.  cxlvii.  20.  They  seemed  an  exception  from  (or 
rather  above)  the  common  rule  of  providence — a  people  whom  God  courted,  es- 
poused, and  married,  and  yet,  by  a  still  greater  wonder,  continued  to  court  them  after 
marriage.  God  thought  nothing  too  good  for  them  to  enjoy,  nor  thought  they  any- 
thing too  bad  for  themselves  to  commit.  They  were  a  people  culled  and  chosen  out 
of  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  in  short,  they  were  in  some  sense  a  gathered  congregation, 
of  whom  God  thus  horribly  complains. 

3.  The  next  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  reason  or  cause  of  this  complaint  raised 
against  them,  which  was  their  unworthy  unsuitable  returns  made  to  the  dealings  of 
God  with  them,  which  will  appear,  first,  by  considering  God's  dealings  with  them ; 
and  secondly,  their  dealings  with  God  ;  and  so,  by  confronting  them  both  together,  we 
shall  give  them  all  the  advantage  of  contraries  set  off  by  nearness  and  comparison. 

1.)  The  dealings  of  God  with  them  may  be  included  under  three  heads:  (1.)  In- 
struction. They  had  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  which  was  able  to  make  them 
wise   unto  salvation.     (2.)  Mercies,      The   showers  of  his  choicest  blessings  de- 


280  LECTURE    XVII. 

scended  to  refresh  the  vineyard  of  God.  (3.)  Judgtoents.  The  praning-knlfe  of 
judgments  is  added  to  the  more  gentle  manurings  of  mercy ;  and,  when  watering 
will  not  do,  divine  forbearance  still  digs  about  them  before  he  executes  the  sentence 
of  extirpation.  Well  therefore  might  Jehovah  say  of  this  people,  "What  could 
have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard  ?" 

2.)  Let  us  now  look  at  their  unsuitable  returns.  The  context  declares  that  the 
vineyard  brought  forth  wild  grapes,  and  specifies  particularly,  (1.)  Their  injustice 
and  oppression,  ver.  7.  (2.)  Their  rapacity  and  covetousness,  ver.  8.  (3.)  Their 
luxury  and  sensuality,  ver.  11,  12.* 

Now  I  presume  it  will  be  apparent  that  the  doctrine  of  principles,  and 
their  due  and  vigorous  investigation,  are  here  realized,  mixed  with  much 
severe  comment  and  critical  acumen ;  yet  it  must  be  allowed  that  the  style 
and  argument  are  rather  too  profound  for  a  common  audience.  I  may  add 
that,  while  the  doctor  has  certainly  shown  that  the  Jewish  "vine"  did  bring 
forth  "wild  grapes,"  he  is  not  to  be  commended  for  insinuating  that  the 
Puritans  in  like  manner  brought  forth  a  bastard  Christianity  instead  of  the 
true.  The  complaint  brought  against  the  Jews  will  apply  to  every  apos- 
tate church  upon  earth ;  the  elements  of  things  are  in  all  cases  alike :  it  is 
human  nature  to  abuse  God's  mercies.  Here  we  see  the  infinite  blessed- 
ness of  being  "kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  to  salvation." 

A  whole  discourse  might  be  formed  upon  Heb.  iv.  11,  "Let  us  labor 
therefore  to  enter  into  that  rest,"  by  considering  what  are  the  principles  of 
the  apostle's  reasoning  in  the  text.     These  are, 

I.  That  without  laboring  we  can  never  enter  into  this  heavenly  rest,  because  the 
end  and  the  means  can  never  be  separated. 

II.  That  this  rest,  when  we  shall  have  entered  into  it,  will  abundantly  repay  us 
for  our  labor,  f 

The  principles  developed  in  the  conduct  of  scripture  characters  form  a 
branch  of  study  which  will  abundantly  reward  the  student's  attention. 
Many  of  the  sublime  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament  can  not  be  traced  to 
principles,  because  they  are  matters  of  pure  revelation;  here  we  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  receive  them  with  the  docility  of  children,  and  be 
thankful  for  the  divine  condescension  that  brought  -such  sublime  truths  to 
our  knowledge,  truths  which  the  "  angels  desire  to  look  into."  Never  let 
us  attempt  to  "be  wise  above  what  is  written,"  or  to  bring  down  the  sub- 
lime truths  of  revelation  to  the  standard  of  human  ratiocination,  which  I 
think  to  be  not  only  a  very  high  offence,  but  the  sure  path  to  error  and 
confusion.  Generally,  however,  no  difficulty  will  be  found  in  tracing  ac- 
tions to  their  principle,  while  this  will  always  furnish  scope  for  much  prof- 
itable remark.  Let  the  student  endeavor  to  attain  a  comprehensive  ac- 
quaintance with  these  principles  of  action,  beginning  this  study  with  the 
easiest  things,  the  easiest  parts  of  scripture ;  and  what  part  can  I  recom- 
mend so  properly  as  the  actions  of  our  blessed  Savior  as  narrated  in  the 
gospels?  That  which  rendered  the  Savior's  teaching  and  doing  so  infi- 
nitely transcendent  above  all  others,  will  be  found  in  the  principles  to 
which  they  may  be  traced ;  these  were  so  uniform  and  correct  as  to  draw 
forth  the  admiration,  if  not  the  approbation,  of  all  men,  even  of  enemies. 
It  is  true  these  principles  were  impugned  by  his  enemies  (Matt.  xii.  24), 
but,  whatever  they  might  say,  they  knew  better;  they  had  a  consciousness 
that  the  principles  upon  which  our  Lord  spoke  and  acted  could  not  be 
contravened.  Nicodcmus's  acknowledgment,  and  the  well-known  testi- 
mony of  Josephus  to  Christ's  character,  are  decisive  of  die  point.    Many 

*  See  South,  vol.  v.,  p.  357.  t  E.  Ckjoper,  vol.  ii.  1,  p.  397. 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  281 

of  our  modern  infidels  have  made  similar  acknowledgments,  and  have  but 
too  justly  exposed  the  iniquity  of  nominal  Christians  by  reference  to  the 
Redeemer  himself.  These  principles  were  the  fair  transcript  of  the  Sa- 
vior's divine  and  mediatorial  character.  Jesus  would  as  soon  cease  to  be 
as  not  to  act  upon  them  ;  they  gave  determination  to  every  act,  ruled  all 
thought  and  expression,  and  were  an  essential  part  of  him  who  was  "the 
light"  and  "  the  truth,"  by  which  he  became  the  restorer  of  all  things. 
They  were  generally  the  very  opposite  of  such  as  were  popular,  though 
this  reflects  no  great  credit  on  popular  opinion  ;  yet,  when  examination 
and  reflection  followed,  the  one  appeared  to  be  right  and  the  other  wrong. 
Hence  I  think  the  principles  of  our  Lord  can  not  be  placed  in  a  better 
light  than  by  contrasting  them  with  the  prevailing  principles  of  the  Jews, 
as  discovered  in  the  three  years  of  our  Lord's  ministry  on  earth.  I  might 
also  observe  that  the  disciples  of  our  Lord  themselves  partook  in  some 
measure  of  the  popular  errors  of  the  day ;  and  I  fear  that  the  disciples  of 
our  Lord  in  the  present  age,  with  all  the  superior  advantages  derived  from 
the  New  Testament,  are  not  without  the  tincture  of  false  principles.  It 
may  therefore  be  useful  to  suggest  a  few  of  those  points  of  contrast  which 
will  often  come  before  you  in  discoursing  on  the  works  and  words  of 
Christ. 

I.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  dominant  principles  of  the  Jews  were  selfishness 
and  jealousy.  They  conceived  that  the  divine  favor  did  and  ought  to  rest  on  them- 
selves. Happy  would  it  have  been  for  us  if  their  principles  had  died  with  them. 
The  Pharisee  gathered  around  him  all  his  national  prejudices  and  vain  conceits,  and 
scorned  all  the  rest  of  mankind,  whom  he  compared  to  dogs  and  swine.  However 
offensive  these  principles  were  to  our  Lord,  yet  he  never  treated  the  Jews  with  se- 
verity on  this  account,  because  there  was  something  in  the  institution  of  the  Jewish 
economy  which  might,  if  separated  from  the  prophecies  that  related  to  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles,  give  some  grounds  for  this  national  prejudice.  Our  Lord,  therefore, 
adopted  the  mildest  course  in  the  discovery  of  his  own  principles  upon  this  head. 
Hence  he  exhibits  the  excellence  of  the  divine  procedure  in  the  parable  of  the  Publi- 
can and  Pharisee,  that  of  the  good  Samaritan,  and  particularly  that  of  the  Prodigal 
Son,  or,  as  it  might  perhaps  more  correctly  be  denominated,  the  parable  of  the  For- 
giving Father,  which  were  well  adapted  to  place  in  an  odious  light  the  unbecoming 
feelings  which  the  Pharisees  cherished  toward  such  characters  as  the  publican  and 
the  prodigal,  as  well  as  toward  those  who  had  compassion  on  them.  Our  Lord  dis- 
covered in  his  own  conduct  the  principles  of  love  and  compassion  to  the  lost  and  the 
miserable.  He  says,  he  "  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance." 
He  "came  to  seek  and  to  save  those  that  were  lost."  Benevolence,  mingled  with 
compassion,  was  the  leading  principle  of  our  Redeemer's  life;  and  here  we  see  what 
principles  we  ought  to  cherish,  as  preachers  of  the  gospel,  toward  poor  sinners.  If 
Christianity  consists  in  any  one  specific  quality,  it  is  in  this,  and  it  becomes  a  rule 
of  judgment  in  determining  both  our  own  conduct  and  that  of  others.  A  man  is  a 
Christian  as  far  as  he  drinks  into  this  spirit,  and  no  further.  A  man  may  be  a  vir- 
tuous man  without  it,  but  can  not  be  a  Christian — an  imitator  of  Christ.  The 
mind  that  was  in  Christ  is  not  in  that  man  who  has  not,  in  some  degree,  cherished 
the  principle  and  cultivated  the  habit  of  beneficence,  who  is  destitute  of  the  generos- 
ity, philanthropy,  and  commiseration,  which  he  manifested.  Benevolence  toward 
the  outcasts  of  mankind  is  a  fountain  of  grace  that  feeds  and  supplies  every  service. 
It  never  exhausts  or  yields  reluctantly,  but  flows  in  copiousness  and  blessedness  ;  the 
whole  world  is  a  pitiful  price  for  such  a  character.  He  lives,  but  not  to  himself,  la- 
bors but  for  the  good  of  others,  seeks  not  his  own  things,  but  the  things  of  others. 

11.  Our  Lord  says,  "  Every  plant  that  my  heavenly  Father  has  not  planted  shall 
be  rooted  up,"  Matt.  xv.  13.  He  found  his  vineyard  overrun  with  thorns,  Luke  xiii. 
4,  and  xiii.  11,  To  such  a  degree  had  hypocrisy  spread,  that  it  was  the  wonder  of 
the  age  that  a  man  of  sincerity  was  found  :  "  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom 
there  is  no  guile  !"  John  i.  49.  This  principle  is  so  evidently  vicious  and  hateful 
that  no  man  will  ovra  its  existence  in  himself  The  selfish  principle  was  treated 
with  some  degree  of  lenity,  but  hypocrisy  drew  forth  the  severest  expressions  that 


282  LECTURE    XVII. 

ever  escaped  the  Savior's  lips.  We  may  guard  against  a  thief,  but  vp^e  can  not  al- 
ways be  aware  of  the  hypocrite.  Now  the  principles  of  Jesus  were  the  very  reverse 
of  this,  for  he  spoke  frankly  and  openly  to  the  world.  He  Avas  in  this  respect  "  the 
truth  ;"  the  law  of  truth  was  upon  his  lips.  Sincerity  and  uprightness  were  princi- 
ples of  his  conduct,  and  hence  he  justly  becomes  a  pattern  of  imitation. 

III.  The  corrupt  principle  oi  pride  entwined  itself  around  the  Pharisee.  This  our 
Lord  exposed  in  a  severe  lesson  (Luke  xiv.  7-10),  which  seems  to  be  taken  from 
Proverbs  xxv.  5-7.  Jesus  lays  to  their  charge  that  they  loved  to  Avalk  in  long  gar- 
ments, and  to  be  greeted  in  the  market,  and  to  be  called  rabbi.  On  the  contrary, 
Christ  exemplified  humility  and  meekness,  Matt.  xi.  29.  He  was  humble  and  meek 
under  all  indignities.  He  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant.  He  was  among  his 
disciples  "  as  one  that  served."  Noav  this  principle  flowed  into  his  life,  and  there  was 
no  office  too  mean  for  him  ;  he  took  a  towel  and  girded  himself,  and  actually  washed 
the  feet  of  his  disciples.  Humility,  however  passive,  or  however  mean  it  may  ap- 
pear, is  in  reality  a  noble  and  important  principle  of  action,  a  principle  essential  to 
active  Christianity.  Pride  will  choose  its  work,  but  humility  stoops  to  the  meanest 
service  that  Christ  requires.  Thus  Christ  did  not  glorify  himself,  but  him  that  sent 
him.  His  life  was  a  life  of  wonders,  yet  his  acts  flowed  not  from  a  principle  of  os- 
tentation ;  and,  whatever  acts  are  discovered  among  men  to  spring  from  pride,  they 
are  vicious  in  the  very  source  of  them.  Christ's  principles  were  free  from  this  abom- 
inable taint. 

IV.  The  Jew  cherished  revenge,  and  all  the  black  passions  that  associate  with  it, 
Matt.  V.  38,  43.  But  the  principles  of  Jesus  were  forbearance  and  meekness  under 
injuries  and  provocation.  Hence  he  says,  "  Forgive,  and  you  shall  be  forgiven." 
The  principles  of  Jesus  on  this  head  are  as  clear  as  the  sun  ;  and  hence  he  said  on 
the  cross,  in  respect  to  his  bitterest  enemies,  at  whose  wicked  instigation  he  suff'ered, 
"  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  Must  we  not  say,  shame 
upon  the  Christian  world,  so  little  to  be  moved  by  these  principles  ?  Most  just  it  is 
that  those  Avho  are  actuated  by  opposite  principles  should  suff"er  all  the  eff"ects  that 
follow  so  closely  upon  their  heels.  It  may  be  said  that  this  principle  of  the  blessed 
Jesus  is  merely  a  passive  quality.  I  deny  that  it  is  merely  passive  ;  for  whatever 
quenches  the  violence  of  fire,  or  abates  the  burning  fever,  must  be  active.  Bad  men 
kindle  fires,  and  good  men  put  them  out.  Most  certainly  the  people  called  quakers 
are,  in  this  respect,  as  a  body,  the  truest  copy  of  our  Lord's  example,  and  most  moved 
by  his  principles;  but  all  such  persons,  of  whatever  name,  as  are  like  them,  shall 
share  the  commendation  of  Him  who  has  said,  "Blessed  are  the  peacemakers." 

I  find  I  shall  hazard  all  patience  if  I  attempt  to  follow  up  the  contrast,  and  there- 
fore I  shall  only  add  here — 

V.  The  wickedness  of  the  Jews  generally,  which  ended  in  the  death  of  Christ  and 
the  overthrow  of  their  nation,  and  which  led  to  such  a  state  of  things  that  Josephus 
says,  "  Such  was  the  wickedness  of  the  people  that,  if  Titus  Vespasian  had  not  be- 
sieged them,  some  vengeance  from  heaven,  some  earthquake,  some  fire  from  heaven, 
kindred  fire  to  that  of  Sodom,  must  haA^e  exterminated  that  people."  Noav  the  prin- 
ciples developed  in  the  actions  of  the  blessed  Jesus  were  all  resolvable  into  good- 
ness ;  "■  a  good  tree  brings  forth  good  fruit."  Always,  everywhere,  in  every  page,  in 
every  Avord,  in  every  act,  we  see  this  principle  of  goodness;  "he  went  about  doing 
good,"  Acts  X.  38.  This  goodness  dictated  all  his  miracles  ;  they  were  all  manifes- 
tations, not  merely  of  divine  poAver,  but  of  pure  goodness.  It  required  but  little  so- 
licitation to  excite  this  goodness ;  it  was  enough  that  misery  or  distress  was  seen  or 
heard  of,  and  the  benefit  was  conferred.  It  was  goodness  without  partiality  (James 
vii.  17)  to  nation  or  sect,  to  state  or  fortune.  "The  blessing  of  those  that  were  ready 
.0  perish  came  upon  him,  and  he  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy." 

You  will,  I  doubt  not,  perceive  that  in  discoursing  upon  the  various 
miracles  of  Christ,  as  well  as  upon  his  whole  conduct,  a  recurrence  to 
these  principles  of  action  Avill  often  furnish  very  suitable  materials  for  com- 
ment and  illustration,  and  the  same  may  be  said  in  relation  to  the  vi^ritings 
of  apostles  and  prophets,  whose  characters  and  principles  appear  more  or 
less  in  connexion  Avith  the  things  they  were  inspired  to  write.  In  them, 
indeed,  infirmities  are  discoverable;  but  even  these  Avill  not  invalidate  the 
great  and  noble  principles  by  which  they  Avere  actuated.  It  will  not  be 
difficult  to  trace  back  the  actions  of  the  apostles  to  principles  derived  from 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  283 

Christ.  Let  the  whole  hfe  of  the  apostle  Paul,  in  particular,  he  subjected 
to  the  most  severe  scrutiny.  We  shall  see  nothing  but  this — "the  love  of 
Christ  constrained  him." 

The  student  will  also  observe  that  all  the  counteracting  influences  that 
opposed  the  career  of  the  gospel,  originated  in  the  principles  of  hell  and 
the  prince  of  darkness,  as  we  see  by  Paul's  declaration,  Eph.  vi.  12. 

In  bringing  this  lecture  to  a  conclusion,  I  must  beg  leave  to  offer  a  few 
remarks  as  to  principles  of  interpretation,*  particularly  in  relation  to  the 
figurative  language  of  the  New  Testament  (which  will  also  apply  to  that 
of  the  Old).  Mr.  Robinson  says,  "  The  doctrine  of  principles  is  extremely 
important  to  a  Christian  minister,  and  particularly  in  studying,  first,  the 
sense  of  scripture  as  laying  a  foundation  for  doctrines;  and  secondly,  in 
studying  the  letter  of  scripture,  that  is,  the  nature  and  principles  of  con- 
struing or  expounding  divine  truth."  But  such  principles  of  interpreta- 
tion as  our  great  biblical  doctors  recommend  to  students  I  shall  not  in  this 
place  copy,  imitate,  or  recommend,  whatever  I  may  do  under  any  other 
Topic.  I  am,  however,  desirous  of  "leading  you  in  a  safe  way  wherein 
you  will  not  stumble,"  and  in  an  easy  way  also. 

In  figurative  language  our  Lord  was  particularly  copious.  Such  lan- 
guage nature  loves.  However,  it  was  not  to  indulge  us  that  our  Lord 
employed  it,  but  because  there  was  a  necessity  for  it  as  an  inlet  to  such 
ideas  as  could  not  be  received  so  well  in  any  other  way.  On  this  point  I 
shall  quote  a  passage  from  Dr.  John  Clarke,  in  Boyle's  Lectures. 

The  principles  of  all  religion  and  goodness  being  laid  in  the  mind  and  heart,  the 
secret  dispositions  and  genuine  acts  of  which  are  invisible,  and  known  only  to  a  man's 
self  (1  Cor.  ii.  11),  therefore  the  powers  and  operations  of  the  mind  can  be  expressed 
only  in  figurative  terms  and  by  external  symbols ;  the  motives  or  principles  and  in- 
ducements to  the  practice  of  which  being  spiritual,  such  as  affect  men  in  a  way  of 
moral  influence,  and  not  of  natural  efficiency,  the  principal  parts  of  which  are  drawn 
from  a  consideration  of  a  future  state,  consequently  these  likewise  must  be  repre- 
sented by  allegories  and  similitudes  taken  from  things  most  known  and  familiar  here 
below.  And  thus  we  find  in  scripture  the  state  of  religion  illustrated  by  all  the  most 
beautiful  images  we  can  conceive,  in  which  natural  unity,  order,  and  harmony,  con- 
sist, as  regulated  by  the  strictest  and  most  exact  rules  of  discipline,  taken  from  those 
observed  in  the  best-ordered  temporal  governments.  Now,  in  the  interpretation  of 
places  in  which  any  of  these  images  are  contained,  the  principal  regard  is  to  be  had 
to  the  figurative  or  spiritual,  and  not  the  literal,  sense  of  the  words,  from  not  attend- 
ing to  which,  have  arisen  absurd  doctrines  and  inferences,  which  weak  men  have 
endeavored  to  establish  as  scripture  truths ;  whereas,  in  the  other  method  of  explica- 
tion, the  things  are  plain  and  easy  to  every  one's  capacity,  make  the  deepest  and 
most  lasting  impression  upon  their  minds,  and  have  the  greatest  influence  upon  their 
practice.  Of  this  nature,  are  all  the  rites  and  ceremonies  prescribed  to  the  Jews  with 
relation  to  the  external  forms  of  religious  worship,  every  one  of  which  was  intended 
to  show  the  obligation  or  recommend  the  practice  of  some  moral  duty  [he  should 
have  added,  or  to  teach  some  important  gospel  doctrine],  and  was  esteemed  of  no 
further  use  than  as  it  produced  that  effect,  Isa.  i.  1,  &:c.  And  the  same  rule  may  be 
applied  to  the  rewards  and  ptinishments  peculiar  to  the  Christian  dispensation,  which 
regard  a  future  state.  The  rewards  are  set  forth  by  those  things  in  which  the  gen- 
erality of  men  take  their  greatest  delight  and  place  their  highest  satisfaction  in  this 
life ;  and  the  punishments  are  such  as  are  inflicted  by  human  laws  upon  the  worst 
of  malefactors ;  but  they  can  neither  of  them  be  understood  in  the  strictly  literal 
sense,  but  only  by  way  of  analogy,  as  corresponding  in  the  general  nature  of  the 
thing,  though  very  different  in  kind. 

Independent  of  the  able  argument  a  priori  here  cited  in  favor  of  the 
mediate,  mystical,  or  spiritual  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  unless  such 

*  See  R.  W^atson's  Theological  Institutes,  vol.  i.,  part  i.,  chap.  11,  very  excellent;  and  Owen  on 
Heb.  V.  4.,  p.  333,  334,  &c. 


284  LECTURE    XVII. 

interpretation  be  admitted,  we  can  not  avoid  one  of  two  great  difficulties : 
either  we  must  assert  that  the  multitude  of  applications  made  by  Christ 
and  his  apostles  are  fanciful  and  unauthorized,  and  wholly  inadequate  to 
prove  the  points  for  which  they  are  quoted,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  we  must 
believe  that  the  obvious  and  natural  sense  of  such  passages  was  never  in- 
tended, and  that  it  was  mere  delusion.  The  Christian  will  not  assent  to 
the  former  of  these  positions;  the  philosopher  and  the  critic  will  not  read- 
ily assent  to  the  latter.* 

While  man  is  in  the  body,  as  a  great  Hebraist  observes,  he  must  re- 
ceive his  instructions  through  the  bodily  senses.  He  can  not  of  himself 
form  an  idea  of  anything  spiritual,  but  as  it  is  compared  to,  and  illustrated 
by,  some  material  object.  And  this  method  of  instruction  God  has  fol- 
lowed in  the  scriptures,  both  in  the  language  and  in  the  composition.  The 
language  is  entirely  suited  to  man  in  his  present  state,  every  Hebrew  word 
signifying,  first,  some  material  object,  and  thereby  conveying  the  idea  of 
some  corresponding  spiritual  object.  And  the  scripture  composition 
abounds  with  images  and  illustrations  of  divine  things  taken  from  nature. 
The  evangelical  prophet,  Isaiah,  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  this  kind  of 
writing.  He  represents  the  various  parts  of  the  kingdom  of  grace  under 
their  expressive  and  familiar  pictures  in  nature.  He  sets  spiritual  things 
as  it  were  before  our  eyes  under  the  images  which  God  has  established  in 
his  created  works,  in  order  to  bring  them  down  to  our  understanding. 
And  every  illustration  of  this  kind,  being  God's  own  application  of  things 
natural,  must  be  considered  as  infallible  truth.  The  spiritual  application 
is  as  certain  as  the  outward  fact  from  which  it  is  taken.  God  would  not 
use  the  book  of  nature  to  illustrate  the  book  of  grace  unless  the  illustration 
were  just  and  instructive;  for  it  is  not  consistent  with  his  perfections  to 
propose  to  his  creatures  what  would  deceive,  or  to  reveal  what  would  not 
tend  to  edify  them. 

Those  scriptures  to  which  a  spiritual  meaning  is  to  be  attached,  accord- 
ing to  the  idea  alluded  to,  are  very  numerous.  They  are  found  in  alle- 
gories, prophecies,  ceremonies,  institutions,  tropes,  idioms,  figures  of 
speech,  resemblances,  parables,  allusions  to  secular  affairs;  and  these 
spread  themselves  all  over  scripture ;  when  therefore  the  preacher  has  to 
treat  of  these,  he  must  do  it  with  a  careful  hand ;  and  indeed  he  has  great 
need  of  divine  teaching,  as  noticed  in  regard  to  making  observations. 
Here  a  wise  discretion  is  to  be  exercised ;  it  requires  a  truly  spiritual  and 
evangelical  mind,  for  "the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,"  1  Cor.  ii.  14. 

Perhaps  it  may  not  be  improper  to  observe,  in  this  place,  that  there  are 
three  kinds  of  writing  in  sacred  scripture — 

1.  Such  as  may  be  understood  in  the  plain  literal  sense,  and  must  not 
be  diverted  from  it,  as  the  account  of  the  creation,!  plain  history,  plain 

*  The  subject  of  figurative  language  will  be  resumed  in  future  lectures ;  it  is  introduced  into  this 
lecture  chiefly  to  show  the  principle  of  its  just  interpretation. 

t  "  Some  have  dreamed  of  I  knov/  not  what  figures  and  allegories  in  that  part  of  the  Mosaic  history 
which  describes  the  creation,  as  that,  though  dai/s  are  mentioned,  yet  it  is  a  figure  to  denote  an  in- 
definite period,  as  the  time  mentioned  was  too  short  for  physical  causes  to  operate  to  their  ends,  and 
therefore  a  day  must  mean  a  term  of  undefined  duration.  But  in  what  manner  the  creation  was 
conducted  is  a  question  about  a  fact,  and  like  all  questions  about  facts  must  be  determined  not  by 
theory  but  by  testimony,  and,  if  no  testimony  were  extant,  the  fact  must  remain  uncertain.  But  the 
testimony  of  the  sacred  historian  is  peremptory  and  explicit.  No  expressions  could  be  found  in  any 
language  to  describe  a  gradual  progress  of  the  work  for  six  successive  days,  and  the  completion  on 
the  sixth,  in  the  literal  and  common  Bcnae  of  the  word  "  day,"  more  definitely  or  more  unequivocally 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR   ACTION.  285 

commands  and  interdictions,  and  indeed  everything  that  relates  to  such 
facts  and  circumstances  as  the  human  mind,  independent  of  supernatural 
aid,  is  capable  of  comprehending.  Here  there  is  no  occasion  for  unusual 
language,  and  none  such  is  used.  Now  and  then  a  figurative  form  of  ex- 
pression is  employed,  as  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Genesis,  "All  flesh  had 
corrupted  its  way ;"  still  this  is  uncommon  :  it  is  rare,  and  breaks  not  the 
general  rule.  In  general  cases,  as  to  this  class  of  scripture,  the  plain  sense 
is  to  be  regarded  as  the  true  meaning ;  and  we  must  always  remember 
that  we  are  to  take  a  sense/rom  scripture,  and  not  bring  a  sense  to  it;  and 
to  this  true  sense  we  ought  strictly  to  confine  ourselves  both  in  dividing 
upon  the  passage  and  in  quoting  it  by  way  of  proof  or  illustration. 

2.  There  are  a  great  number  of  passages  that  seem  not  to  terminate  in 
the  occasion  and  in  the  persons  to  whom  they  relate,  but  which  have 
a  double  sense,  as  the  births  of  Ishmael  and  Isaac,  Gal.  iv.  and  1  Cor.  x. 
Almost  everything  that  related  to  Israel  in  Egypt,  as  well  as  their  sojourn- 
mg  m  the  wilderness  and  their  settlement  in  Canaan,  is  of  this  sort. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  book  of  the  Old  Testament  more  admired  than 
the  book  of  Psalms,  and  no  book  is  perverted  more  from  its  original  prin- 
ciples. Instead  of  being  applied  to  Jesus  Christ,  as  it  generally  is  in  the 
New^  Testament,  it  is  considered  as  relating  only  the  experience  of  David, 
and  is  quoted  principally  to  illustrate  the  joys  and  sorrows  under  the  pres- 
ent dispensation.  It  is  very  frequently  accommodated  to  justify  the  mere 
reveries  of  enthusiasts.  A  great  part  indeed  records  joys  and  sorrows, 
thanksgivings  and  complaints;  but  a  greater  than  David,  or  any  mere  man, 
IS  most  frequently  intended.* 

I  may  also  add  that  a  very  great  number  of  the  prophecies,  which  plainly 
point  to  Christ,  referred,  in  their  first  application,  to  eminent  persons  of  the 
Jewish  nation. 

3.  There  are  also  numerous  other  passages,  the  evident  intention  of 
which  lead  us  from  a  literal  to  a  spiritual  sense.  Things  relating  to  our 
immortal  spirits,  its  operations  and  change  of  state,  are  couched  under  ex- 
pressions that  belong  to  our  bodies  and  our  natural  faculties.  Our  awful 
state  by  nature  is  represented  by  the  leprosy  (Isa.  i.),  our  renewal  in  con- 
version by  a  new  heart  (Ezek.  xxxvi.),  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  to  this 
end  by  water  that  cleanses. 

Where  a  word  has  several  significations  in  common  use,  the  meaning 
which  should  be  given  to  it  in  interpreting  scripture  can  be  ascertained 
only  by  a  careful  exammation  of  the  passage  of  scripture  under  considera- 
tion, in  connexion  with  its  context,  and  with  parallel  passages,  in  which  the 
^  phraseology  may  be  more  definite.  These  parallels  are  of  vast  importance 
where  the  word  or  phrase  under  consideration  is  at  all  doubtful.  For  in- 
stance, the  word  blood  may  be  adduced  as  an  illustration  of  this  remark, 
ihe  great  importance  of  this  term,  and  its  frequent  use  in  the  Jewish  law, 
suggest  a  careful  inquiry  about  it.  "  Almost  all  things  are  by  the  law 
purged  with  blood."—"  And  without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no 
remission.  The  reason  of  consecrating  the  blood  to  God  rather  than 
any  part  of  the  victim,  is  mentioned  Lev.  xvii.  11 :  "For  the  life  of  the 
Hesh  is  in  the  blood,  and  I  have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar  to  make  an 

Sr8t"the';'7JoJ,^'^rn^M  k'"'  ^ffi"*^  "r""  ^'^°  'r^  "'  ^^'^''  fiff^rative  expositions  of  such  expres- 

tnomLseHdX.^'  To  '°^^«"ffi9ient  y  aware  that  it  is  one  thing  to  write  history  and  quite  another 

•BaJf  ^^-—B^slwp  Horsley,  vol.  a,  p.  225,  &c.  j  ^  ^•- 


286  LECTURE    XVII. 

atonement  for  your  souls ;  for  it  is  the  blood  that  maketh  an  atonement  for 
the  soul."  Such  is  the  harmony  of  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments 
upon  this  subject  that  no  difficulty  occurs  in  our  studies.  But  still  the 
word  has  many  significations  in  scripture.  Sometimes  it  signifies  the  nat- 
ural descent  from  one  common  ancestor,  as  Acts  xvii.  26  :  "  And  hath 
made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men,"  &c.  Sometimes  it  is  used  figu- 
ratively for  death :  to  "  resist  unto  blood"  is  to  resist  unto  death,  Heb. 
xii.  4.  "  The  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood  crieth  to  me  from  the  ground." 
Hence  the  term  blood  is  frequently  used  in  reference  to  the  death  of  Christ 
considered  as  an  atonement  for  sinners  ;  as,  "  Being  justified  by  his  blood, 
we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath  through  him."  Rom.  v.  9.  These  expres- 
sions in  the  New  Testament  are  an  allusion  to  the  typical  blood  under  the 
Old;  and  we  are  taught  to  reason  thus:  "If  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of 
goats,  and  the  ashes  of  a  heifer,  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctify  to  the  pu- 
rifying of  the  flesh,  how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through 
the  eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God,  purge  your  con- 
sciences from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God,"  Heb.  ix.  13,  14. 
Again,  "  God  has  set  forth  his  Son  to  be  a  propitiation,  that  we  may  have 
faith  in  his  blood;"  that  is,  that  we  may  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  his 
atoning  sacrifice,  Rom.  iii.  25  ;  Eph.  i.  7  ;  1  Pet.  i.  18,  19.  The  blood 
of  Christ  is  also  represented  as  the  procuring  cause  of  justification  :  "  Be- 
ing justified  by  his  blood"  (Rom.  v.  9),  that  is,  through  the  merits  of  his 
atonement.  In  other  passages  sanctification  is  imputed  to  the  blood  of 
Christ :  "  They  have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb."  Rev.  vii.  14.  The  term  used  in  this  sense  signifies  the 
consequent  blessings  of  the  cross  meritoriously  obtained  thereby. 

We  see,  at  every  step  we  take,  the  great  importance  of  a  correct  judg- 
ment in  fixing  upon  the  true  principles  of  interpretation,  by  which  alone 
we  can  "  prove  all  things,  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good."  A  very 
learned  papist  says  (though  falsely)  that  such  is  the  uncertainty  and  am- 
biguity of  words  and  phrases  in  the  original  scriptures  that  it  is  impossible 
for  any  man  to  understand  them,  and  that  in  this  dilemma  the  only  course 
that  could  be  taken  was  to  refer  to  the  church.  It  is  true  there  are  diffi- 
culties ;  yet  these  may  be  surmounted  by  the  means  which  God  has  put 
into  our  hands.  We  shall  not  therefore  go  to  Rome  to  inquire  what  is  the 
sense  of  the  church  upon  scripture ;  for,  though  the  pope  and  his  council 
assume  the  expounding  office,  yet  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  Luther  saw 
far  more  clearly  than  the  pope  into  the  true  meaning  of  scripture.  I  have 
the  same  hope  of  you  all.  "I  thank  thee,  O  Father!  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  that,  though  these  things  be  hidden  from  the  wise  and  the  pru- 
dent, thou  hast  revealed  them  to  babes." 

However,  we  must  take  care  to  be  consistent,  and,  in  fixing  upon  a  prin- 
ciple of  interpretation,  we  must  not  make  scripture  contradict  itself,  which 
we  should  do,  in  some  cases,  if  we  follow  the  strictly  literal  sense.  If  we 
were  so  to  fix  the  principle  of  interpretation,  we  should  abuse  the  passage, 
Matt,  xviii.  8,  9 ;  for  it  is  contrary  to  Exod.  xx.  13.  Nothing  must  be 
done  to  hazard  our  lives  unnecessarily.  Again  :  the  sentence,  "My  Father 
is  greater  than  I,"  must  not  be  understood  as  contradicting  another  dec- 
laration, such  as  "  I  and  my  Father  are  one."  The  context  and  the  na- 
ture of  the  discourse  from  which  both  expressions  are  taken  (two  main 
things  always  to  be  attended  to)  render  it  evident  how  they  ought  to  be 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  287 

understood,  namely,  that  the  first  was  indicative  of  himself  as  man,  the 
second  of  his  proper  divinity.  Again  :  in  John  xiv.  24,  Christ  tells  his 
disciples  that  "his  Father  had  sent  him;"  that  is,  in  his  quality  of  Mes- 
siah he  was  sent.  Now,  as  the  sender  is  greater  than  he  that  is  sent,  so  in 
this  sense  the  Father  is  greater  than  the  Son ;  but  it  certainly  requires  very 
little  argument,  and  no  sophistry,  to  reconcile  this  saying  with  the  most  or- 
thodox notion  of  the  deity  of  Christ,  and  to  show  that  there  is  nothing  in 
this  and  similar  passages  which  may  not  be  understood  without  opposing 
the  declared  intention  of  Jehovah,  as  it  is  expressed  by  Christ  himself, 
that  "  all  men  should  honor  the  Son  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  It 
must  be  obvious  to  every  unprejudiced  reader  of  the  New  Testament  that 
the  passages  which  speak  of  the  person  of  Christ  may  be  ranged  into  two 
classes,  which  can  admit  of  no  consistent  interpretation  but  as  they  are 
considered  as  exhibiting  the  Savior  under  the  two  very  different  aspects 
just  named — the  one  class  being  applicable  only  to  his  manhood,  and  the 
other  class,  comprising  a  great  many  passages,  representing  him  in  his  true 
and  proper  divinity.  These  statements  bring  forward  the  great  dispute 
between  us  and  the  Socinians,  or,  as  they  choose  to  be  called,  unitarians  ; 
and  every  preacher  ought  to  know  the  strength  of  his  arguments  against 
those  who  deny  the  divinity  of  Christ.  Their  ordinary  mode  of  argument 
on  this  subject  consists  in  taking  up  some  passage  which  speaks  of  Christ 
in  his  human  nature,  and,  having  proved  that  he  was  truly  man  (which  of 
course  it  is  not  difficult  to  do),  they  very  modestly  jump  to  the  conclusion 
that  he  is  man  only,  thus  contenting  themselves  with  begging  the  question 
at  issue.  I  have  always  thought  it  a  forcible  argument  in  our  favor  that, 
by  the  preaching  of  our  doctrines,  God  blesses  the  word  and  converts 
souls ;  but  by  our  adversaries'  doctrine  no  conversions  from  either  profli- 
gacy or  ungodliness  are  realized  ;  they  merely  catch  some  of  our  apostates 
or  backsliders,  and  call  them  converts,  as  having  adopted  their  opinions, 
but  without  pretending  that  any  salutary  change  has  taken  place  in  their 
character.*  However,  we  know  that  many  of  these  are  recovered,  and 
become  more  firm  than  before  ;  an  instance  we  have  in  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Scott,  of  Aston  Sandford. 

When  it  is  considered  how  many  general  truths,  important  doctrines, 
and  solemn  exhortations,  are  to  be  pressed  upon  your  people,  it  must  be 
obvious  that  a  just  interpretation  of  those  passages  of  scripture  on  which 
they  are  to  be  founded  is  a  matter  of  the  highest  importance.  Is  it  not 
certain  that  for  want  of  such  just  interpretation  many  errors  creep  into  the 
church,  which  endanger  men  in  their  course  heavenward,  or  at  least  tend 
to  produce  much  unsettledness  of  mind — much  doubt  and  perplexity  ? 
What  misery  is  thus  entailed  on  man  !  This  applied  to  any  individual  is 
bad  enough  ;  but  how  much  greater  the  mischief  when  a  teacher  of  divine 
things  neither  knows  "  what  he  speaks  nor  whereof  he  affirms,"  when  he 
rashly  presumes  upon  the  meaning  of  scripture,  and  utters  that  for  the  mind 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  which  arises  only  from  the  fumes  of  his  own  pre- 
sumptuous spirit!  But  the  meek,  the  humble  inquirer,  God  will  guide  in 
judgment,  and  teach  him  his  way  ;  he  shall  not  materially  err,  though  he 
may  not  be  what  is  termed  learned.  A  long  course  of  experience  and 
observation  has  confirmed  me  in  these  conclusions,  and  I  conceive  myself 

*  This  argument  is  exhibited  by  the  late  Mr.  Fuller  in  an  admirable  manner,  in  his  Socinian  and 
Calvinistic  Systems  compared.     See  his  works,  vol.  i. 


288  LECTURE    XVII. 

justified  in  the  preceding  remarks  on  these  principles  of  interpretation  by 
the  practice  of  the  first  preachers  of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge,  I 
mean  Ezra  and  his  companions.  "  They  read  in  the  book  of  the  Law  of 
God  d'tstincfhj,  and  gave  the  se7ise,  and  caused  the  people  to  understand 
the  reading,"  Neh.  viii.  8.  I  may  also  add  a  sense  of  correctness  is  the 
true  foundation  of  holy  boldness  in  the  pulpit :  I  do  not  mean  a  pert  or  dog- 
matical, but  a  holy  boldness,  arising  from  a  consciousness  of  truth  and  zeal 
to  diffuse  it,  and  producing  perfect  freedom  from  "  the  fear  of  man  that 
bringeth  a  snare." 

Besides  the  spiritual  sense  of  scripture,  to  which  I  have  referred,  there 
are  the  parabolic,  the  allegorical,  and  the  typical  senses,  which  are  com- 
monly treated  of  in  critical  works ;  but  I  would  not  carry  away  the  mind 
of  the  student  too  much  from  plainer  matters.  I  would  particularly  rec- 
ommend the  young  preacher  never  to  recur  in  public  to  a  doubtful  sense 
of  scripture,  but  to  let  the  difficulty  lie  on  hand  awhile.  There  is  an  am- 
plitude of  plain  and  edifying  matters  upon  which  to  speak  for  a  little  time, 
and  until  satisfactory  solutions  can  be  obtained  of  what  at  present  may  ap- 
pear to  be  of  a  doubtful  character. 

A  judicious  commentary  wall  be  found  of  great  value,  not  to  supersede 
the  necessity  of  your  own  careful  study,  but  to  suggest  such  hints  as  may 
put  you  in  the  right  track,  and  thereby  save  much  valuable  time.  The 
most  useful  work  of  this  kind  for  a  preacher,  and  indeed  for  the  private 
Christian  who  desires  to  enter  into  the  fulness  and  the  spirit  of  scripture 
truth,  is  that  of  Matthew  Henry,  from  which  several  quotations  are  made 
in  diese  lectures.  The  best  edition  of  this  valuable  work  is  that  recently 
published  by  Robinson,  Ludgate  Hill,  in  six  octavo  volumes,  at  125.  each. 
Those  whose  resources  will  allow  will  also  derive  great  advantage  from 
Scott,  and  Dr.  Adam  Clarke.  There  are  also  two  other  works  of  this 
kind,  which  may  be  obtained  at  a  moderate  price  :  the  one  is  the  Dutch 
Annotations  in  an  English  dress,  and  the  other  "  Annotations  upon  the 
Old  and  New  Testament,  by  the  joint  labors  of  several  divines,  by  authori- 
ty, 1645,"  which  is  is  very  sound  in  doctrine.  I  may  add,  as  superseding 
other  critical  works,  the  Condensed  Commentary,  by  Ingram  Cobbin, 
which  may  be  had  for  355. 

I  am  not  without  my  fears  that  too  close  an  attention  to  critical  works 
has  its  evils  as  well  as  its  benefits,  by  leading  the  student  into  a  kind  of 
labyrinth  of  criticisms  and  injunctions,  or  a  circle  of  rules  from  which  we 
hardly  know  how  to  break  out.  It  is  true  a  great  mind  can  contemplate 
and  profit  by  a  number  of  particulars  of  these  kinds  ;  but  very  many  teach- 
ers of  Christianity  can  not  be  called  great,  and  if  they  were,  the  rules  given 
would  scarcely  be  necessary  at  all.  Some  persons,  it  is  to  be  feared,  con- 
tract such  a  fondness  for  these  nice  points  that  the  plainer  things  of  the 
gospel  do  not  retain  that  place  in  the  study  which  the  interests  of  their  illit- 
erate and  less-refined  hearers  require  ;  hence  perhaps  the  few  hints  here 
thrown  out  may  be  more  conducive  to  general  good  than  an  elaborate  and 
critical  exhibition  of  all  the  rules  and  canons  laid  down  for  interpreting 
scripture. 

There  is  still  one  caution  which  can  not  be  too  strongly  urged  upon  the 
student's  attention,  and  that  is,  that  whatever  other  principles  of  interpre- 
tation he  may  adopt,  he  must  beware  of  neglecting  that  of  common  scjise, 
which  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  thing  even  among  learned  men. 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  289 

There  are  many  high  compliments  paid  to  common  sense,  and  every  one 
lays  some  claim  to  it ;  and  it  certainly  will  go  far  toward  a  right  under- 
standing of  the  Scriptures.*  Mons.  Claude  says,  *' Consult  good  sense," 
upon  which  Mr.  Robinson  gives  two  anecdotes  out  of  his  inexhaustible 
store.  The  one  cites  the  case  of  a  gentleman  who  was  disgusted  with  the 
common  representations  or  meanings  given  by  some  expositors  on  a  cer- 
tain part  of  our  Lord's  temptation.  He  set  a  sensible  little  boy  to  read 
the  fourth  chapter  of  Matthew  ;  and  after  he  had  read  the  fifth  verse — 
"  Then  the  devil  taketh  him  up  into  the  holy  city  and  setteth  him  on  a  pin- 
nacle of  the  temple,"  he  asked  the  little  boy,  "  How  do  you  think  the  devil 
took  Jesus  and  set  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple?" — ■"  Why,  sir,"  replied 
the  little  expositor,  "  I  suppose  as  you  would  take  me  up  to  the  top  of  St. 
Paul's."  He  further  says,  "  I  know  a  minister  who  has  a  high  opinion  of 
a  little  common  sense,  and  who  frequently  employed  a  poor  illiterate  old 
man  to  read  the  Scriptures  to  him,  merely  for  the  sake  of  finding  what  an 
ordinary  understanding  could  make  of  scripture.  '  Read  to  me,  John,'  said 
my  friend, '  the  fourth  chapter  of  Acts  :'  he  began  to  read  and  expound  also 
— '  Afid  as  they  spohe  unto  the  pcoj^Ic^ — Who  spoke  to  the  people  ? — Oh, 
I  see,  Peter  and  John  :  the  blessed  apostles  were  not  willing  to  eat  their 
morsel  alone  ;  their  Master  had  said,  '  Freely  you  have  received,  freely 
give' — '  The  yricsts,  and  the  copta'ui  of  the  temple,  and  Sadducecs,  came 
upon  them'' — Wicked  priests  always  keep  bad  company  ;  soldiers  and  un- 
believers to  keep  them  in  countenance  ! — What  has  the  captain  to  do  with 
conscience  ? — '  Being  grieved  that  they  taught  the  people'  to  turn  them 
from  their  iniquities — Why  !  would  not  they  make  better  servants  and  bet- 
ter subjects  ? — '  And  preached  through  Jesus  the  resurrection  from  the  deadJ 
— The  apostles  had  too  much  love  for  the  poor  to  puzzle  them  with  words 
and  disputes.  They  told  the  poor  that  they  were  to  rise  from  the  dead, 
and  to  be  judged  for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  that  not  a  proud  priest^ 
nor  a  blustering  captain,  but  a  compassionate  Jesus,  was  to  be  their  Judge» 
and  that  all  this  was  proved  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  himself 
from  the  dead,  &c.  From  this  poor  man,  though  illiterate,  the  minister 
declared  that  he  had  often  derived  considerable. light  into  the  meaning  of 
scripture." — Robinson's  Claude,  vol.  i.,  pp.  39,  40. 

Such  must  ever  be  the  dictates  of  good  sense  ;  but  I  confess  I  am  not 
a  little  suspicious  of  a  forgery.  How  comes  this  plain  old  man  to  have 
such  covert  spite  against  the  priests  ? 

Having  recited  these  very  common  interpretations,  it  is  only  right  that 
I  should  give  place  to  an  author  of  a  more  learned  character,  to  show  that 
we  have  no  prejudice  against  learned  men,  and  to  prove  that  some  learned 
men  employ  common  sense  in  exposition,  as  well  as  the  characters  just 
now  introduced. 

The  quotation  is  from  Bishop  Horsley's  exposition  of  Luke  iv.  18, 19  : 
"  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,"  &c. 

"  This  day,"  said  our  Lord,  "  is  this  Scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears."  The  phrase 
"  this  day,"  is  not,  I  think,  to  be  understood  of  that  particular  sabbath-day  upon 
which  he  undertook  to  expound  this  prophetic  text  to  the  men  of  Nazareth,  nor  "  your 
ears,". of  the  ears  of  the  individual  congregation  assembled  at  the  time  within  the 
walls  of  that  particular  synagogue.  The  expressions  are  to  be  taken  according  to 
the  usual  latitude  of  common  speech — "  this  day"  for  the  whole  time  of  our  Lord's 

_  *  Bishop  Horsley  says  that  any  common  mechanic  of  good  sense  may,  by  comparing  scripture,  ar 
rive  at  a  clear  view  of  scripture  truth. 

19 


290  LECTURE    XVII. 

appearance  in  the  flesh,  or  at  least,  for  the  whole  season  of  his  public  ministry,  and 
"  your  ears"  for  the  ears  of  you  inhabitants  of  Judea  and  Galilee,  who  now  hear  my 
doctrines  and  see  my  miracles.  Our  Lord  affirms  that  in  his  works,  and  in  his  daily 
preaching,  his  countrymen  might  discern  the  full  completion  of  this  prophetic  text, 
inasmuch  as  he  was  the  person  upon  whom  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  was,  whom  Jeho- 
vah had  anointed  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor,  &c.  Again,  none  but  an  inatten- 
tive reader  of  the  Bible  can  suppose  that  these  words  were  spoken  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah  himself.  Isaiah  had  a  portion,  without  doubt,  but  a  portion  only,  of  the  di- 
vine Spirit.  In  any  sense  in  which  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  was  upon  the  prophet,  it 
was  more  emi'^ently  upon  him  who  received  it  not  by  measure.  The  prophet  Isaiah 
restored  not,  that  we  know  of,  any  blind  man  to  his  sight ;  he  delivered  no  captive 
from  his  chains.  He  predicted  indeed  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylon- 
ish captivity,  their  final  restoration  from  their  present  dispersion,  and  the  restoration 
of  man  from  the  worse  captivity  of  sin ;  but  he  never  took  upon  him  to  proclaim  the 
actual  commencement  of  the  season  of  liberation,  which  is  the  thing  properly  im- 
plied in  the  phrase  of  "  preaching  deliverance  to  the  captives."  To  the  broken- 
hearted he  administered  no  other  balm  than  the  distant  hope  of  one  who  in  future 
times  should  bear  their  sorrows;  nor  were  the  poor  in  his  OAvn  time  particularly  in- 
terested in  his  preaching.  The  characters,  therefore,  which  the  speaker  seems  to 
assume  in  this  prophetic  text  are  of  tAvo  kinds — such  as  are  in  no  sense  answered  by 
any  known  circumstance  in  the  life  and  character  of  Isaiah,  or  of  any  other  person- 
age of  the  ancient  Jewish  history,  but  in  every  sense,  literal  and  figurative,  of  which 
the  terms  are  capable,  apply  to  Christ,  and  such  as  might  in  some  degree  be  an- 
swered in  the  prophet's  character,  but  not  otherwise  than  as  his  office  bore  a  subor- 
dinate relation  to  Christ's  office,  and  his  predictions  to  Christ's  preaching.  It  is  a 
thing  Avell  known  to  all  who  have  been  conversant  in  Isaiah's  writings  that  many 
of  his  prophecies  are  conceived  in  the  form  of  dramatic  dialogues,  in  which  the  usual 
persons  of  the  sacred  piece  are  God  the  Father,  the  Messiah,  the  prophet  himself,  and 
a  chorus  of  the  faithful ;  but  it  is  left  to  the  reader  to  discover,  by  the  matter  spoken, 
how  many  of  these  speakers  are  introduced,  and  to  which  speaker  each  part  of  the 
discourse  belongs.  It  would,  therefore,  have  been  reasonable  to  suppose  that  this, 
like  many  other  passages,  is  delivered  in  the  person  of  the  Messiah,  had  our  Lord's 
authority  been  wanting  for  the  application  of  the  prophecy  to  himself. 

Following  the  express  authority  of  our  Lord,  in  the  application  of  this  prophecy, 
we  might  have  spared  the  use  of  any  other  argument,  were  it  not  that  a  new  form 
of  infidelity  has  of  late  reared  its  hideous  head,  which,  carrying  on  an  impious  op- 
position to  the  genuine  faith,  under  the  pretence  of  reformation,  in  its  aff'ected  zeal 
to  purge  the  Christian  doctrines,  of  I  know  not  what  corruptions,  and  to  restore  our 
creed  to  what  it  holds  forth  as  the  prnnitive  standard — under  that  infatuation  which 
by  the  just  judgments  of  God  ever  clings  to  self-sufficiency  and  folly- — pretends  to 
have  discovered  inaccuracies  in  our  Lord^s  own  doctrines,  and  scruples  not  to  pro- 
nounce him  not  merely  a  man,  but  a  man  peccable  and  fallible  in  such  a  degree  as 
to  have  misquoted  and  misapplied  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament.  In  this  in- 
stance, our  great  Lord  and  Master  defies  the  profane  censures  of  the  doctors  of  that 
impious  school.  The  text,  referred  to  its  original  place  in  Isaiah,  is  evidently  the 
opening  of  a  prophetic  dialogue  ;  and,  in  the  particulars  of  the  character  described 
in  it,  it  carries  its  own  internal  evidence  of  its  necessary  reference  to  our  Lord,  and 
justifies  his  application  of  it  to  himself." 

Now,  though  this  quotation  can  not  conceal  the  bishop's  learning,  yet 
it  is  so  simple  and  familiar  as  to  appeal  to  the  plain  principles  of  common 
sense.  The  following  is  an  example  of  common  sense  triumphant  over 
the  opinion  of  many  very  learned  men  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  which 
has  been  received  and  defended  for  three  hundred  years,  viz.,  that  the 
forty-fifth  psalm  celebrates  the  marriage  of  Solomon  with  Pharaoh's  daugh- 
ter: — 

Read  the  forty-fifth  Psalm  with  care,  and  tell  me  if  you  can  anywhere  find  King 
Solomon?  We  find,  indeed,  passages  which  may  be  applicable  to  Solomon,  but  not 
more  applicable  to  him  than  to  many  other  earthly  kings,  such  as  comeliness  of  per- 
son and  urbanity  of  manners,  as  ver.  2.  These  might  be  qualities,  for  anything  we 
know  to  the  contrary,  belonging  to  Solomon  ;  I  say  for  anything  we  know  to  the  con- 
trary, for  in  these  particulars,  sacred  history  gives  us  no  information.  We  read  of 
Solomon's  learning,  and  of  his  wisdom,  and  of  the  admirable  sagacity  and  integrity 


I 


PRINCIPLES    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION.  2191 

of  his  judicial  decisions;  but  we  read  not  at  all,  as  far  as  I  can  recollect,  of  the  ex- 
traordinary comeliness  of  his  person,  or  the  affability  of  his  speech ;  and,  if  he  pos- 
sessed these  qualities,  they  are  no  more  than  other  monarchs  have  possessed  in  a  de- 
gree not  to  be  surpassed  by  Solomon.  Splendor  and  stateliness  of  dress,  tAvice  men- 
tioned in  this  psalm,  were  not  peculiar  to  Solomon,  but  belonged  to  every  great  and 
opulent  monarch.  Other  circumstances  might  be  mentioned,  applicable  indeed  to 
Solomon,  but  no  otherwise  than  as  generally  applicable  to  every  king.  But  the  cir- 
cumstances which  are  characteristic  of  the  king  who  is  the  hero  of  this  poem  are 
every  one  of  them  utterly  inapplicable  to  Solomon,  inasmuch  as  not  one  of  them  can 
be  ascribed  to  him  without  contradicting  the  history  of  his  reign.  The  hero  of  this 
poem  is  a  warrior,  who  girds  his  sword  upon  his  thigh,  rides  in  pursuit  of  flying  foes, 
makes  havoc  among  them  with  his  sharp  arroAvs,  and  reigns  at  last  by  conquest  over 
his  vanquished  enemies.  Now  Solomon  was  no  warrior ;  he  enjoyed  a  long  reign 
of  forty  years  of  uninterrupted  peace.  He  retained  indeed  the  sovereignty  of  the 
countries  which  his  father  had  conquered,  but  he  made  no  new  conquests  of  his  own. 
"He  had  dominion  over  all  the  region  west  of  the  Euphrates,  over  all  the  kings  on 
this  side  of  the  river  (they  were  his  vassals)  ;  and  had  peace  on  all  sides  round  about 
him." — "  And  Judah  and  Israel  dwelt  safely,  every  man  under  his  vine  and  under  his 
fig-tree,  from  Dan  even  to  Beer-sheba,  all  the  days  of  Solomon."  If  Solomon  ever 
girded  his  sword  upon  his  thigh,  it  must  have  been  merely  for  state  ;  if  he  had  a 
quiver  of  sharp  arrows,  he  could  have  no  use  for  them  but  in  hunting.  We  read,  in- 
deed, that  Jehovah,  offended  at  the  idolatries  of  Solomon  in  his  old  age,  stirred  up  an 
adversary  unto  Solomon  in  Hadadthe  Edomite,  and  another  in  Rezin  the  Syrian,  and 
a  third  in  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Ncbat.  But,  though  Iladad  and  Rezin  bore  Solomon 
a  grudge,  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  enmity  of  either  broke  out  into  open 
hostility  during  Solomon's  life  at  least,  certainly  into  none  of  such  importance  as  to 
engage  the  old  monarch  in  a  war  with  either.  The  contrary  is  evident  from  two  cir- 
cumstances :  the  first  is  that  the  return  of  Hadad  into  his  country  from  Egypt  was 
early'in  the  reign  of  Solomon,  for  he  returned  as  soon  as  he  heard  that  David  and 
Joab  were  both  dead ;  and  if  this  Edomite  had  provoked  a  war  in  so  early  a  part  of 
Solomon's  reign,  the  sacred  history  would  not  have  spoken  in  the  terms  in  which  it 
speaks  of  the  uninterrupted  peace  which  Israel  enjoyed  all  the  days  of  Solomon. 
The  second  circumstance  is  this:  in  that  portion  of  the  history  which  mentions  these 
adversaries,  it  is  said  of  the  third  adversary,  Jeroboam,  that  "  he  lifted  up  his  hand 
against  the  king,"  and  yet  it  is  certain  that  Jeroboam  never  lifted  up  his  hand  till 
Solomon  himself  Avas  in  his  grave.  Solomon  Avas  jealous  of  Jeroboam  as  the  person 
marked  out  by  the  prophet  Ahijah  as  the  future  king  of  one  branch  of  the  divided 
kingdom,  "  and  sought  to  kill  him."  Jeroboam  thereupon  fled  into  Egypt,  and  re- 
mained there  till  the  death  of  Solomon  ;  and  this  makes  it  probable,  of  the  two  for- 
eign adversaries,  that  Avhatever  hatred  might  be  rankling  in  their  hearts,  they  waited 
for  Solomon's  death  before  they  proceeded  to  open  hostilities.  But,  hoAvever  thai 
might  be,  it  is  most  certain  that  the  character  of  a  warrior  and  a  conqueror  never 
less  belonged  to  any  monarch  than  to  Solomon. 

Another  circumstance  wholly  inapplicable  to  Solomon  is  the  numerous  progeny  of 
sons,  the  issue  of  this  marriage,  all  of  whom  Avere  to  be  made  princes  over  all  the 
earth.  Solomon  had  but  one  son  that  Ave  read  of  that  ever  came  to  be  a  king,  his 
son  and  successor  Rehoboam  ;  and  so  far  Avas  he  from  being  a  prince  over  all  the 
earth,  that  ho  Avas  no  sooner  seated  on  the  throne  than  he  lost  the  greater  part  of  his 
father's  kingdom. 

Upon  the  Avhole,  therefore,  it  appears  that  in  the  character  which  the  psalmist 
draws  of  the  king,  whose  marriage  is  the  occasion  and  the  subject  of  this  song,  some 
things  are  so  general  as  in  a  certain  sense  to  be  applicable  to  any  great  king,  of  fable 
or  of  history,  of  ancient  or  of  modern  times;  and  these  things  are  applicable  to  Sol- 
omon because  he  Avas  a  great  king,  btit  for  no  other  reason ;  they  are  no  otherwise 
applicable  to  him  than  to  King  Priam  or  Agamemnon,  to  King  Tarquin  or  King  Her- 
od, to  a  king  of  Persia  or  a  king  of  Egypt,  a  king  of  Jewry  or  a  king  of  England. 
But  those  circumstances  of  the  description  Avhich  are  properly  characteristic,  are  evi- 
dently appropriate  to  some  particular  king,  not  common  to  any  and  to  all.  Every 
one  of  these  circumstances,  in  the  psalmist's  description  of  his  king,  positively  ex- 
cludes King  Solomon,  being  manifestly  contradictory  to  the  history  of  his  reign,  in- 
consistent Avith  the  tenor  of  his  private  life,  and  not  verified  in  the  fortinies  of  his 
family.  There  are,  again  other  circumstances  which  clearly  exclude  every  earthly 
king,  such  as  the  salutation  of  the  king  by  the  title  of  God,  in  a  manner  in  which 
that  title  is  never  applied  to  any  created  being,  and  the  promise  of  the  endless  perpe- 
tuity of  his  kingdom.     At  the  same  time  every  particular  of  the  description,  inter- 


292  LECTURE    XVII. 

preted  according  to  the  usual  and  established  significance  of  the  figurative  language 
of  prophecy,  is  applicable  to  and  expressive  of  some  circumstance  in  the  mystical 
xrnion  betw^een  Christ  and  his  church.  A  greater,  therefore,  than  Solomon  is  here  ; 
and  the  corrected  Bibles  give  as  the  title  of  the  psalm,  "  The  majesty  and  grace  of 
Christ's  kingdom,"*  &c. 

I  have  reserved  for  the  last  a  most  important  principle  of  interpretation, 
and  that  is,  that  scjipture  is  the  best  interpreter  of  scripture.  This  is  now 
very  generally  admitted,  but  its  application  requires  much  industry  and 
discrimination.  Among  the  methods  in  which  it  may  be  applied,  one  of 
the  most  important  is  that  of  comparing  the  language  of  a  text  with  other 
passages  in  which  the  same  terms  or  some  synonymous  expressions  are  used. 
But  for  further  remarks  on  this  subject  I  must  refer  you  to  a  future  lecture,  on 
the  sixteenth  Topic.  To  young  preachers,  especially  to  those  who,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  defective  education,  and  the  want  of  suitable  books,  may  meet 
with  difficulties  which  they  are  unable  readily  to  surmount,  1  would  strong- 
ly recommend,  in  the  first  place,  a  most  careful  perusal  of  the  Scriptures, 
with  these  di-fficulties  in  view,  to  see  whether  many  hard  passages  may  not 
be  thus  understood,  and  especially  doing  this  with  serious  prayer  for  di- 
vine teaching  :  this  is  in  the  power  of  all  students.  There  are,  I  hope,  but 
few  who  do  not  possess  Cruden's  Concordance.  Here  very  valuable  ar- 
ticles are  given  at  the  head  of  many  important  words  :  these  heading  pie- 
ces are  collected  by  Cruden,  with  very  great  care  and  judgment,  from  the 
lists  that  follow  (being  made  after  the  collections  were  formed)  ;  and  by 
careful  observation  he  investigated  in  how  many  different  senses  any  par- 
ticular word  was  used  so  as  to  agree  with  contexts,  and  the  evident  inten- 
tion or  scope  of  such  passages,  so  that  the  true  key  of  his  headings  is 
hereby  obtained  :  refer  for  instance  to  the  words  jlcsh  and  spirit,  and  it  will 
appear  what  avast  number  of  distinct  uses  are  made  of  these  words,  every 
one  of  which  is  taken  out  of  the  list,  to  our  very  great  edification.  The 
student  might  also  try  his  own  skill  on  some  words  to  which  no  such  head- 
ings appear,  and  thus  with  no  other  book  a  great  many  difficulties  might 
be  surmounted,  as  to  the  meaning  of  single  words.  I  have  compared 
Cruden's  definitions  of  the  word  flesh  with  those  of  the  learned  Campbell 
in  his  Dissertations,  and  find  that  Cruden  is  by  far  the  more  copious  of 
the  two. 

On  taking  a  retrospect  of  the  whole  matter  introduced  under  this  twelfth 
Topic,  the  student  will,  I  doubt  not,  be  fully  convinced  of  the  importance 
of  studying  principles,  in  order  that  he  may  be  able  to  apply  them  with 
propriety  and  advantage  in  the  elucidation  of  truth,  and  will  be  prepared 
to  devote  no  small  portion  of  time  and  attention  to  this  object.  We  have 
seen  that  the  Topic  is  well  adapted  to  occasional  remarks  by  way  of  expo- 
sition or  comment ;  and,  from  the  examples  which  have  been  quoted,  you 
can  be  at  no  loss  in  applying  the  Topic  to  the  more  extended  service  of 
supplying  one  division  or  even  the  materiel  of  a  whole  discourse.  What 
has  been  said  as  to  the  principles  of  interpretation  may  indeed  be  con- 
sidered as  a  somewhat  oblique  use  of  the  Topic.  Similar  liberties  I  have 
before  taken,  and  I  feel  myself  justified  in  so  doing,  so  far  as  it  may  tend 
to  your  improvement. 

Horsley,  vol.  i.,  p.  82. 


CONSIDER   CONSEQUENCES.  303 


LECTURE  XVIII. 

TOPIC  XIIL 

CONSIDER  CONSEaUENCES. 

This  is  the  converse  of  the  preceding  Topic.  In  tracing  the  "  princi- 
ples" of  a  word  or  action,  we  consider  it  as  arising  from  something  else, 
and  our  reflections  are  directed  backward  to  the  cause  in  which  it  origi- 
nated. "  Consequences"  lead  the  view  forward  :  if  our  text  records  the 
conduct  of  any  who  have  gone  before  us,  either  as  an  example  for  our  imi- 
tation, or  the  contrary,  we  may  point  out  the  effects,  or  the  good  or  evil 
consequences,  which  actually  followed  such  conduct,  as  far  as  they  can  be 
traced  in  the  records  of  scripture  :  if  it  contain  a  precept,  an  exhortation, 
a  caution,  &c.,  our  Topic  leads  us  to  show  the  natural  tendency  or  the 
divinely-appointed  issue  of  the  practices  to  which  it  refers. 

Suppose,  for  example,  that  you  are  discoursing  on  the  character  of 
Abraham,  and  particularly  on  his  prompt  obedience  to  the  divine  com- 
mands, you  may  remark  the  consequences  of  his  obedience,  and  show  that 
the  declaration  of  the  psalmist,  "  in  keeping  his  commandments  there  is 
great  reward,"  is  frequently  verified  in  an  eminent  degree,  not  only  in  the 
peace  and  satisfaction  which  result  from  a  consciousness  of  having  acted 
under  the  direction  of  an  infallible  counsellor  and  an  unchanging  friend, 
but  even  in  the  consequences  immediately  resulting  from  such  a  course  of 
action.  When  Abraham  was  about  seventy-five  years  of  age  God  com- 
manded him  to  leave  his  father's  house.  "  He  went  out,"  leaving  his 
country  and  his  connexions,  "  not  knowing  whither  he  went,"  and  became 
a  sojourner  in  a  strange  land.  But  it  is  quite  manifest,  from  the  brief 
sketches  of  scripture,  that  he  lost  nothing  by  forsaking  all :  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  with  him  ;  he  was  rendered  prosperous  in  his  circumstances  ;  he 
enjoyed  a  large  portion  of  domestic  happiness ;  all  the  land  in  which  he 
sojourned  was  granted  by  divine  promise  to  his  posterity  ;  above  all,  he 
was  favored  with  communications  from  God  which  assured  him  that  he 
was  an  object  of  regard  to  him  whose  favor  is  life,  whose  loving-kindness 
is  better  than  life  itself.  The  most  remarkable  instance  of  his  obedience 
was  the  offering  up  of  his  son — at  least  in  intention — as  a  burnt-sacrifice. 
Though  Isaac  was  the  son  of  his  old  age,  the  only  son  of  his  beloved 
Sarah,  the  son  of  promise,  and  the  fountain  of  many  blessings,  yet  he  hesi- 
tated not  at  the  divine  command  to  give  him  up  ;  and,  in  consequence  of 
this  evidence  that  he  feared  God,  the  divine  promise  and  covenant  engage- 
ments were  renewed  afresh,  and  ratified  by  oath :  "  By  myself  have  I 
sworn  that  because  thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son,  thy  only  son,  from  me,  that  in  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  mul- 
tiplying I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  heaven  and  as  the  sand 
which  is  upon  the  seashore  ;  and  thy  seed  shall  all  possess  the  gate  of  his 
enemies  ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed,  be- 
cause thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice."  Gen.  xxii.  1-19.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  you  were  pointing  out  the  sinfulness  of  parental  indulgence,  or  of 
neglecting  to  employ  parental  authority,  from  the  character  of  EU,  you 


294  LECTURE    XVIII. 

would  remark  that  even  the  piety  of  Eli  did  not  prevent  the  evil  conse- 
quences of  his  conduct  in  this  respect,  &c. 

The  consideration  of  consequences  is  certainly  one  which  has  great 
power  over  the  mind  of  man  ;  and  even  the  most  abandoned  and  reckless 
of  the  species  are  not  altogether  proof  against  the  arguments  which  may 
be  founded  on  this  Topic.  Most  men  are  willing  to  forego  the  enjoyment 
of  a  present  good,  or  to  submit  to  a  present  evil,  if  by  so  doing  they  may 
avoid  future  evils  or  secure  future  benefits  of  greater  magnitude.  Hence 
it  is  that  the  man  of  business  rises  early,  sits  up  late,  and  eats  the  bread  of 
carefulness,  that  he  may  escape  future  privation  or  embarrassment,  or  se- 
cure future  ease  and  independence.  It  is  true,  indeed — lamentably  true — 
that  multitudes  who  are  very  careful  in  weighing  consequences  as  they 
may  affect  their  worldly  interest  are  as  regardless  of  the  more  solemn  and 
momentous  consequences  which  affect  the  interests  of  the  soul  :  they  are 
concerned  to  act  wisely  in  relation  to  time,  but  in  relation  to  eternity  their 
conduct  is  characterized  by  the  most  consummate  folly.  This,  however, 
by  no  means  proves  that  the  Topic  is  less  adapted  to  affect  the  mind,  and 
influence  the  conduct,  when  extended  to  spiritual  and  eternal  things  ;  but 
it  does  prove  the  deep  depravity  of  the  human  heart,  since  it  arises  from  a 
secret  disbelief  of  the  plainest  statements  of  God's  word.  Men  flatter 
themselves  that  such  tremendous  consequences  as  the  Bible  declares  will 
not  follow  their  disobedience  and  impiety.  Their  language  is  (at  least  the 
language  of  their  heart,  as  expressed  by  their  actions),  "  We  shall  have 
peace  though  we  walk  in  the  imagination  of  our  hearts,"  notwithstanding 
God  has  declared  that  "  there  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked."  They  hope 
in  some  way  or  other  to  escape  the  doom  of  the  wicked,  without  giv- 
ing up  the  indulgence  of  their  own  hearts'  lusts,  though  Christ  has  said, 
"  Except  you  repent  you  shall  all  likewise  perish."  They  are  unwilling 
to  reflect  on  a  subject  so  gloomy,  or  to  have  their  present  pleasures  inter- 
rupted by  the  apprehension  of  misery  to  follow,  and  therefore  put  the 
subject  far  from  their  thoughts,  as  if  they  imagined  that  God  would  not 
regard  his  own  threatenings. 

Now,  if  this  be  the  case,  how  important  is  it  that  the  ministers  of  Christ 
should  be  skilful  in  the  employment  of  our  present  Topic  !  If  arguments 
drawn  from  the  consideration  of  consequences  should  fail,  by  what  avenue 
can  we  hope  to  reach  the  heart?  How  are  the  great  purposes  of  our  min- 
istry to  be  answered?  How  can  we  commend  ourselves  to  the  con- 
sciences of  men  as  in  the  sight  of  God  ?  Our  sermons  may  be  heard  with 
pleasure,  but,  as  the  effect  of  our  ministry,  we  shall  never  be  gladdened  by 
the  eager  inquiry,  "  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Men  may  derive 
an  intellectual  gratification  from  a  well-arranged  discourse  ;  the  elegance 
of  its  diction,  the  harmony  of  its  periods,  the  beauty  of  its  imagery,  may 
fascinate  their  minds,  and  procure  their  plaudits  ;  but,  unless  this  Topic 
is  brought  home  with  power  to  their  hearts,  no  spiritual  benefit  will  be 
realized. 

I  am  not  to  be  told  that,  however  faithfully  and  skilfully  the  subject  may 
be  pressed  on  the  attention  of  our  hearers,  we  must  not  expect  that  our 
representations  will  ever  persuade  them  to  "  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come," 
and  to  "  lay  hold  on  eternal  life,"  since  it  requires  a  divine  power  to  turn 
sinners  from  darkness  to  light.  It  is  true  of  all  the  means  which  we  em- 
ploy, in  order  to  win  souls  to  Christ,  even  though  divinely  appointed,  that 


CONSIDER    CONSEQUENCES.  295 

of  themselves  they  are  inadequate  ;  but  is  it  therefore  of  Httle  consequence 
whether  or  not  they  be  ad(q)ted  ?  Is  there  nothing  in  the  suitabihty  of  the 
means  by  which  the  Spirit  of  God  is  pleased  to  work?  Does  not  the 
Spirit  operate  by  softening  the  heart  and  inclining  the  mind  to  attend  to 
those  things  which  his  servants  declare  ?  How  was  it  that  Lydia  was 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  God  ?  Let  the  evangelist  instruct  us  : 
"  Whose  heart  the  Lord  opened  that  she  attended  unto  the  things  which 
were  spoken  of  Paul."  But  if  the  things  which  Paul  declared  had  not 
been  adopted  to  impress  upon  her  the  importance  and  necessity  of  look- 
ing to  Christ  for  salvation,  though  her  heart  was  opened  to  attend,  yet  she 
would  have  heard  that  sermon  in  vain.  We  need  only  refer  to  the  para- 
ble of  the  prodigal  son  in  order  to  see  what  considerations  those  are  which 
the  Spirit  of  God  presses  home  to  the  heart  of  the  sinner,  and  by  which 
he  is  led  to  return  unto  God  with  weeping  and  supplication.  How  did 
the  prodigal  reason  ?  "  When  he  came  to  himself  he  said,  How  many 
hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  I  perish 
with  hunger  :  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father."  Why  arise  and  go  to  his 
father?  What  could  have  induced  the  resolution  but  an  expectation, 
founded  on  the  well-known  kindness  and  compassion  of  his  parent's  heart, 
that  he  would  be  received  into  the  peaceful  family,  and  enjoy  the  blessings 
of  his  father's  house  ?  There  is  a  somewhat  similar  passage  in  Hosea  ii. 
7  :  "  I  will  go  and  return  to  my  first  husband  ;  for  then  was  it  better  with 
me  than  now.'"'  No  man  ever  truly  begins  to  repent  of  sin  till  he  is  con- 
vinced that  it  is  not  only  evil  in  itself,  but  bitter  in  its  consequences.  Ps. 
cxix.  59. 

If,  then,  this  view  of  the  subject  be  correct,  the  Topic  is  not  one  to 
which  it  may  be  proper  merely  to  refer  occasionally,  which  is  the  case 
with  some  others,  but  it  should  have  a  place  in  some  form  or  other  in  al- 
most every  discourse  :  in  uniform  application,  particularly,  it  occupies  a 
principal  place.  It  may  also  be  remarked  that  this  Topic  does  not  re- 
quire that  close  reflection  or  patient  research  which  appears  necessary  to 
the  judicious  application  of  the  former  Topic.  Here  a  heart  truly  alive  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  value  of  immortal  souls,  and  a  familiar  acquaint- 
ance with  scripture,  are  the  chief  requisites.  The  Scriptures  abound  with 
appeals  to  consequences  in  a  great  variety  of  forms,  which  not  only  set 
before  you  the  most  perfect  examples,  but  likewise  furnish  both  matter  and 
language  ;  such  passages,  for  instance,  as  Prov.  vi.  29,  28,  Eccl.  xi.  9, 
Prov.  i.  24—31,  will  sufficiently  exemplify  this  remark. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  lay  before  you  an  example,  not  of  division,  but 
of  close  reasoning  upon  the  Topic,  premising,  however,  that  some  {e\v  of 
the  thoughts  introduced  are  arranged  in  a  different  order  from  that  in  which 
they  are  placed  by  the  author,  and  that  some  trifling  verbal  alterations  are 
also  made.  Dr.  S.  Clarke  on  Gal.  vi.  7  :  "  Be  not  deceived  ;  God  is  not 
mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  be  also  reap." 

The  arguments  proper  to  persuade  men  to  the  practice  of  virtue,  drawn  from  the 
abstract  consideration  of  the  nature  and  reason  of  things — from  the  intrinsic  beauty 
and  excellency  of  virtue  and  the  deformity  of  vice — from  the  usefulness  and  proper 
tendency  of  virtue  to  promote  the  general  welfare  of  men  even  in  this  present  state, 
and  the  mischievous  consequences  of  wickedness  and  debauchery  to  the  world — ar- 
guments, I  say,  of  this  kind,  in  their  proper  place  and  season,  to  generous  and  con- 
siderate minds,  and  in  suitable  circumstances  of  things,  have  in  them  a  real  weight 
of  truth,  and  carry  along  with  them,  when  impartially  attended  to,  an  undeniable 
force  of  rational  conviction.     But  in  a  corrupt  and  confused  world,  where  the  wick- 


296  LECTURE    XVIII. 

edness  of  some  hinders  the  virtue  of  others  from  producing  its  just  and  natural  ef- 
fects, where  the  understandings  of  many  are  perplexed  and  puzzled,  Avhere  the  best 
are  frequently  hated  and  persecuted  even  for  the  sake  of  their  very  virtue  itself,  and 
where  the  wills  of  men  are  strongly  biased  to  evil — in  such  a  confused  state  the  most 
universally  proper  and  only  effectual  arguments  are  those  which  are  drawn  from  the 
final  consequences  attendant  upon  their  conduct.  Some  persons,  indeed,  there  are,  who 
will  pretend  that,  since  virtue  ought  to  be  chosen  for  its  own  sake,  when  it  is  practised 
through  hope  of  reward  or  fear  of  punishment  it  ceases  to  have  the  nature  of  virtue. 
But  in  this  they  greatly  err.  For  though  virtue  is  indeed  very  excellent  and  amiable 
in  itself,  and  what  a  reasonable  agent  can  not  but  always  acknowledge  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  choose,  yet,  if  God  had  not  annexed  to  it  any  sufficient  encouragement  to 
support  men  effectually  in  that  choice,  it  would  follow  that  the  nature  of  things,  and 
the  fhial  dispositions  of  Providence,  were  inconsistent,  it  being  indeed  neither  possi- 
ble nor  truly  reasonable  that  men  by  adhering  to  virtue  should  at  any  time  lose  their 
lives,  if  thereby  they  were  to  deprive  themselves  eternally  of  all  possibility  of  re- 
ceiving any  benefit  from  that  adherence.  Hence  v/e  find  that  the  ancient  worthies 
in  scripture  are  never  blamed,  but  commended,  for  seeking  a  better  country,  that  is, 
a  heavenly  ;  and  even  Moses  had  "  respect  unto  the  recompense  of  reward  ;"  nay, 
and  our  Lord  himself,  "  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him,  endured  the  cross,  de- 
spising the  shame,  and  has  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God." 
Hence  also  the  apostle  employs  the  language  of  the  text  as  an  argument  to  persuade 
men.     Let  us  therefore  proceed  to  consider — 

L  The  fundamental  doctrine  here  stated — that  every  man  shall  finally  receive  of 
God  according  to  what  he  has  done :  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soAveth  that  shall  he  also 
reap."  This  maxim  is  the  reason  and  end  of  all  laws,  the  maintenance  and  support 
of  all  government,  the  foundation  and  groundwork  of  all  religion.  In  matters  of 
less  importance,  and  in  opinions  of  particular  and  more  minute  consideration,  which 
depend  on  the  truth  of  many  collateral  notions,  there  will  always  be  room  for  differ- 
ence of  apprehensions,  and  many  errors  may  possibly  be  of  small  consequence.  But 
this  doctrine  of  rewards  and  punishments  finally  proportionable  to  men's  behavior  is 
a  truth  of  the  same  certainty  and  of  the  same  importance  with  the  acknowledgment 
of  the  very  being  of  God  and  of  the  natural  and  essential  diflerence  between  good 
and  evil,  for  which  reason  the  apostle  in  the  text,  by  a  very  lively  and  expressive 
figure,  represents  it  under  the  similitude  of  things  which  have  in  nature  the  most  im- 
mediate and  necessary  connexion:  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also 
reap."  And  what  our  Savior  alleged  upon  another  occasion,  to  express  the  reason- 
ableness of  judging  concerning  men's  hearts  from  their  actions,  may  no  less  properly 
be  applied  here,  as  a  rule  for  every  man  to  judge  from  his  present  actions  concerning 
his  own  future  state:  "  Men  do  not  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles."  As 
the  fruit  is  always  of  the  same  kind  with  the  stock  that  bears  it,  and  the  grain  reaped 
is  necessarily  of  the  same  sort  with  the  seed  that  was  sown,  so  men's  final  state  of 
happiness  or  misery  shall  be  the  proper  and  correspondent  effect  of  their  present  ac- 
tions. "  He  that  soweth  to  the  flesh,"  as  the  apostle  expresses  it  in  the  words  fol- 
lowing my  text,  "  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption  ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  Spirit 
shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting."  Li  the  present  time  we  frequently  see  this 
in  some  degree  verified,  in  what  we  usually  call  the  natural  course  and  consequences 
of  things;  for  in  this  present  life,  besides  the  benefits  of  virtue  to  mankind  in  general 
and  the  destructive  consequences  of  vice  to  the  world,  the  happiness  of  every  par- 
ticular man's  own  mind  has  necessarily  a  very  great  dependance  upon  that  conscious- 
ness of  good  and  evil  which  unavoidably  attends  his  actions. 

The  apostle's  similitude  therefore,  in  the  text,  not  only  in  general  is  a  certain  and 
infallible  truth,  but  is  also  a  truth  which  has  in  itself  a  more  mimcdiate  and  neces- 
sary connexion  than  men  are  usually  sensible  of  It  is  not  only  true  that  God  has 
actually  set  before  men  such  and  such  promises  and  threatenings ;  but  it  will,  no 
doubt  be  found  true  also,  at  the  final  issue  and  event  of  things,  that  he  has  appointed, 
by  as  close  and  regular  a  connexion  in  morals  as  in  naturals,  that  "  whatsoever  a 
man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

In  the  natural  and  material  world  the  more  observations  men  make,  and  the 
greater  accuracy  they  arrive  at,  and  the  longer  periods  of  time  they  are  able  to  take 
in,  the  more  clearly  and  distinctly  do  .they  discern  that,  in  that  innumerable  variety 
of  the  works  of  God,  all  things  conspire  uniformly,  with  the  more  exquisite  exact- 
ness, to  produce  (and  that  sometimes  out  of  the  greatest  seeming  confusions)  the 
propercst  and  most  regular  effects.  The  moral  world  is  of  infinitely  greater  impor- 
tance ;  it  is  that  for  the  sake  of  which  the  material  world  Avas  created,  and  without 
which  this  beautiful  and  stupendous  fabric  of  the  inanimate  universe  is  nothing.     It 


CONSIDER    CONSEQUENCES.  297 

can  not  be  doubted  then,  by  any  reasonable  person,  that  the  same  wisdom  which,  in 
the  unintelligent  works  of  nature,  has  shown  forlh  itself  in  the  contrivance  of  such 
inexpressible  aptnesses  and  proportions  of  things,  will  much  more  in  the  government 
of  rational  beings  (which  are  in  a  far  nobler  and  more  proper  sense  the  subjects  of 
God's  power  and  kingdom)  show  forth  itself  finally  in  making  every  event,  through 
a  wonderful  variety  of  different  dispensations,  terminate  at  length  in  most  evident 
and  illustrious  manifestations  of  perfect  justness,  goodness,  and  truth. 

However,  therefore,  melancholy  pious  persons  may  be  sometimes  tempted  almost 
to  despond,  when  they  observe  how  Providence  in  the  present  time  suffers  all  things 
seemingly  to  come  alike  to  all,  yet  in  reality  their  reward  is  laid  up  for  them  with 
God  much  more  certainly  than  grain,  which  in  the  winter  seems  to  lie  dead  in  the 
earth  wherein  it  was  sown,  may  be  depended  upon  to  bring  forth  fruit  in  its  season. 
The  psalmist  expresses  this  very  emphatically,  Ps.  xxvi.  6 :  "  Those  that  sow  in 
tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  He  that  now  goeth  on  his  way  weeping,  and  bearcth  forth 
good  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  joy,  and  bring  his  sheaves  Avith  him." 
The  figure  is  the  same  with  that  in  the  text,  and  the  literal  meaning  of  it  is  well 
expressed  by  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  ch.  iii.  4,  and  v.  15:  "Though  they 
[the  righteous]  be  punished  in  the  sight  of  men,  yet  is  their  hope  full  of  immortality  ; 
for  their  reward  is  with  the  Lord,  and  the  care  of  them  is  with  the  Most  High." 
And  by  the  apostle  himself,  Rom.  ii.  7 :  "To  those  who,  by  patient  continuance  in 
well-doing,  seek  for  glory,  and  honor,  and  immortality,"  God  will  give  "  eternal 
life."  And  therefore  he  exhorts  (Heb.  x.  35),  "  Cast  not  away  your  confidence, 
which  hath  great  recompense  of  reward;  for  you  have  need  of  patience,  that,  after 
you  have  done  the  will  of  God,  you  may  receive  the  promise  ;  for  yet  a  little  while, 
and  he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry."  And  St.  James  hi  like  man- 
ner, ch.  V.  7:  "Be  patient  therefore,  brethren,  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Be- 
hold, the  husbandman  waiteth  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long  pa- 
tience for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and  latter  rain.  Be  you  also  patient ;  estab- 
lish your  hearts  ;  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh." 

On  the  contrary,  however  presumptuous  and  careless  persons  may  deceive  them- 
selves with  numberless  vain  imaginations,  expecting  to  "  reap  where  they  have  not 
sown,  and  to  gather  where  they  have  not  strewed,"  yet,  as  certainly  as  the  nature 
of  things  is  unvaried  and  the  perfections  of  God  are  unchangeable,  the  final  issue  of 
things  in  the  future  state  will  be  universally  what  Job  observed  it  to  be  sometimes 
even  in  the  present  state :  "  I  have  seen  that  those  who  plough  iniquity  and  sow 
wickedness  reap  the  same :  by  the  blast  of  God  they  perish,  and  by  the  breath  of  his 
nostrils  they  are  consumed,"  Job  iv.  8. 

This  therefore  is  the  first  particular  observable  in  the  text.  The  apostle  here  lays 
it  down,  as  the  general  and  fundamental  doctrine  of  true  religion,  that  every  mar^ 
shall  finally  receive  of  God  according  to  what  he  has  done :  "  Whatsoever  a  man 
soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

n.  The  fact  here  intimated,  viz.,  that  every  opinion  or  practice  that  subverts  this 
great  and  fundamental  doctrine  is  in  reality  a  mocking  of  God.     It  is  so — 

1.  Because  it  is  confounding  the  necessary  reasons,  proportions,  and  consequences 
of  things.  Indeed,  what  is  it  else  but  men's  taking  upon  themselves  to  be  wiser  than 
God,  and  presuming  that  the  consequences  of  things  ought  not  to  be  what  they  are 
or  what  he  has  declared  they  shall  be  ? 

.2.  Because  it  is  entertaining  very  dishonorable  and  very  injurious  apprehensions 
of  the  perfections  and  attributes  of  God  himself. 

3.  Because  it  is  perverting  the  whole  revelation  of  Christ,  and  attempting  to  over- 
throw the  whole  design  of  his  religion.  See  Matt.  xvi.  27  ;  Rev.  xxii.  12  :  2  Cor.  v. 
10.  Whoever  attempts  to  elude  these  plain  declarations,  by  imagining  any  other 
rule  whereby  men  shall  be  judged,  does  in  reality  make  a  mockery  of  religion,  or, 
as  the  apostle  expresses  it  in  the  text,  he  mocks  God  and  deceives  himself. 

III.  The  caution  here  given  :  "  Be  not  deceived.''  There  are  many  deceitful  con- 
siderations which  (without  due  care)  will  be  apt  to  draw  men  hito  the  destruction 
which  the  apostle  here  admonishes  us  to  avoid. 

1.  Some  deceive  themselves  by  a  general  carelessness  and  inattention.  They  pur- 
sue the  ends  of  ambition  and  covetousness ;  they  labor  continually  to  gratify  their 
passions  and  appetites,  and  consider  not  at  all  that  "  for  all  these  things  God  will 
bring  them  to  judgment." 

2.  Some  content  themselves  with  a  loose  and  general  expectation  that  they  shall 
fare  as  well  as  others,  disregarding  the  voice  which  declares,  "  Though  hand  join  in 
hand,  the  wicked  shall  not  go  unpunished." 

3.  Some  trust  to  the  correctness  of  their  opinions,  and  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes, 


298  LECTURE    XVIII. 

though  not  washed  from  their  filthiness;  but  the  language  of  the  apostle,  1  Cor.  xiiL 
1,  shows  that  such  persons  deceive  their  own  souls. 

Several  other  considerations  are  mentioned,  under  the  influence  of 
which  men  put  away  the  fear  of  future  consequences,  and  mock  the 
threatenino-s  of  God ;  but  enough  has  been  quoted  for  our  present  purpose. 
I  have  only  to  add,  in  this  place,  that  in  lecturing  to  your  people  you  may 
employ  this  Topic  in  various  ways  with  effect.  Everything  that  is  repre- 
hensible may  be  shown  to  be  attended  with  evil  consequences :  everything 
that  is  good  may  also  be  referred  to  consequences;  for  "godhness  is  prof- 
itable for  all  things."  The  consequences  of  yielding  to  temptation,  and 
of  relaxing  in  the  ways  of  God,  it  will  often  be  necessary  to  point  out,  as 
well  as  those  that  will  certainly  follow  upon  a  patient  continuance  in  well- 
doint^.  Hos.  vi.  3;  Rom.  ii.  7-11.  You  may  remind  them  of  the  fact 
that  God's  ancient  people,  the  Jews,  evidently  fell  or  rose,  enjoyed  pros- 
perity or  suffered  adversity,  as  consequences  of  their  respective  conduct, 
and  that  the  primitive  churches  fared  well  while  they  preserved  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  faith,  but  fell  into  utter  ruin  upon  their  declension.  You 
may  appeal  to  their  own  experience :  what  good  consequences  always  fol- 
lowed their  conduct  when  regulated  by  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  how 
easily  most  of  the  evils  of  which  they  complain  may  be  traced  to  some 
caust3s  in  a  part  of  their  history  which  can  not  be  forgotten,  because  it  lives 
in  the  sorrows  which  it  occasioned.  You  may  also  remind  them  of  the 
divine  goodness  in  averting  many  deserved  evils,  and  of  divine  faithfulness 
in  falfilTin"-  the  word  of  grace  upon  which  he  first  caused  them  to  hope. 
Joshua  took  up  this  topic  with  great  effect  in  his  dying  exhortation  to  all 
Israel,  Josh,  xxiii.,  xxiv. 

Beside  the  broad  and  general  view  of  our  Topic  which  has  been  con- 
sidered in  the  foregoing  pages,  there  is  also  another  mode  in  which  it  will 
demand  your  attention :  viz.,  as  it  inchides  the  inferences  derived  from 
any  truth,  or  the  considerations  which  by  natural  consequence  follow  from 
any  doctrine,*  &c.;  and  it  is  certainly  of  great  importance  in  subjects  of 
controversy,  and  such  as  are  more  particularly  liable  to  abuse.  You  must 
so  speak  and  write  as  to  leave  no  just  ground  for  the  objections  of  your 
adversaries ;  and  if  they  charge  your  opinions  with  bad  consequences,  you 
must  not  only  refute  such  charges,  but  also  set  in  array  the  good  conse- 
quences that  must  follow  upon  the  reception  of  them.  You  may  also 
point  out  the  evil  consequences  which  the  notions  of  your  opponents  seem 
to  involve ;  but  this  must  be  done  with  fairness  and  candor,  otherwise  you 
will  probably  establish  what  you  intended  to  refute,  or  at  least  subject 
yourselves  to  the  charge  of  substituting  railing  accusations  for  temperate 
and  scriptural  reasoning.! 

The  illustrations  given  of  this  Topic  by  Mons.  Claude,  will  sufficiently 
point  out  its  use  as  a  topic  of  observation.  He  observes  that  "when  we 
explain  the  doctrine  of  God's  mercy  it  is  expedient  (at  least  sometimes)  to 
remark  the  good  and  lawful  uses  which  we  ought  to  make  of  it.  These 
uses  are,  to  renounce  ourselves,  to  be  sensible  of  our  infinite  obligations 
to  God,  who  pardons  so  many  sins  with  so  much  bounty,  to  consecrate 
ourselves  entirely  to  his  service,  as  persons  over  whom  he  has  acquired  a 
new  right,  and  to  labor  incessantly  for  his  glory,  in  gratitude  for  what  he 
has  done  for  our  salvation. 

*  See  lecture  viii.,  on  propositional  discourses.  t  See  lecture  xxv. 


CONSIDER    CONSEQUENCES.  299 

"  We  may  also  observe  the  false  and  pernicious  consequences  which 
ungrateful  and  wicked  men,  who  sin  that  grace  may  abound,  pretend  to 
derive  from  this  doctrine.  They  say,  '  We  are  no  longer  to  consider  jus- 
tice now  we  are  under  o-race — the  more  we  sin  the  more  God  will  be  glo- 
rified  in  pardoning  us — this  mercy  will  endure  all  the  time  of  our  lives, 
and  therefore  it  will  be  enough  to  apply  to  it  at  the  hour  of  death,'  with 
many  more  such  false  consequences,  which  must  be  both  clearly  stated  and 
fully  refuted. 

"It  is  much  the  same  with  the  doctrine  of  the  efficacious  grace  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  our  conversion  ;  for  the  just  and  lawful  consequences  which 
are  drawn  from  it,  are,  1.  That  such  is  the  greatness  of  our  depravity  that 
it  can  be  rectified  only  by  Almighty  aid.  2.  That  we  should  be  hum- 
ble, because  there  is  nothing  good  in  us.  3.  That  we  should  ascribe  all 
the  glory  of  our  salvation  to  God,  who  is  the  only  author  of  it.  .  4.  That 
we  must  adore  the  depths  of  the  great  mercy  of  our  God,  who  freely  gaVe 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  convert  us. 

"We  must  remark  at  the  same  time  the  abuses  and  false  consequences 
which  insidious  sophisters  draw  from  this  doctrine,  as  that,  since  the  con- 
version of  men  is  by  the  almighty  power  of  God,  it  is  needless  to  preach 
his  word  and  to  address  to  them,  on  God's  part,  exhortations,  promises, 
and  threatenings — that  it  is  in  vain  to  tell  a  sinner  it  is  his  duty  to  turn  to 
God,  as  without  efficacious  grace  (which  does  not  depend  upon  the  sinner) 
he  can  not  do  it — that  it  has  a  tendency  to  make  men  negligent  about 
their  salvation  to  tell  them  it  does  not  depend  on  their  power.  These,  and 
such  like  abuses,  must  be  proposed  and  solidly  refuted. 

"Moreover,  this  method  must  be  taken  when  you  have  occasion  to  treat 
of  the  doctrines  of  election  and  reprobation — the  propitiatory  sacrifice  of 
Christ's  blood — and,  in  general,  almost  all  religious  subjects  require  it; 
for  there  is  not  one  of  them  all  which  is  not  subject  to  use  and  abuse. 
Take  care,  however,  when  you  propose  these  good  and  bad  consequences, 
that  you  do  it  properly,  and  when  an  occasion  naturally  presents  itself; 
for,  if  they  are  introduced  with  any  kind  of  affectation  and  force,  it  must 
be  disao;reeable. 

"In  general,  then,  this  w^ay  of  good  and  bad  consequences  ought  to  be 
used  when  there  is  reason  to  fear  some  may  infer  bad  consequences,  and 
when  they  seem  to  flow  from  the  text  itself,  for  in  this  case  they  ought  to 
be  prevented  and  refuted,  and  contrary  consequences  opposed  against 
them." 

Instead  of  pursuing  the  Topic  further,  in  its  original  character,  I  shall 
now  turn  aside  to  establish  some  counsels  upon  it,  which  I  hope  will  not  be 
without  their  use  even  as  exemplifications  of  the  Topic;  and  if,  in  the 
prosecution  of  your  future  labors,  the  following  remarks  should  be  the 
means  of  guarding  you  against  failure  by  a  timely  consideration  of  conse- 
quences, my  end  will  be  obtained,  and  you  will  escape  many  a  rock  on 
which  others  have  fallen,  some  of  whom  have  sunk  to  rise  no  more. 

There  are  two  things  in  particular  to  which  I  entreat  your  attention :  in 
the  first  place,  remember  that  an  attention  to  the  consequences  which  your 
conduct  involves  should  regulate  you  in  all  your  engagements  and  pur- 
suits; and  secondly,  never  suffer  the  consideration  o(  'present  consequences 
to  deter  you  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  known  duty,  or  induce  you  in  any 
degree  to  compromise  your  principles. 


300  LECTURE    XVIII. 

First,  an  attention  to  consequences  is  necessary  in  all  your  engagements 
and  pursuits.  This  consideration  of  consequences  is  termed  wisdom, 
prudence,  foresight.  Hence  Solomon  says,  "the  prudent  man  foreseeth 
the  evil  and  hideth  himself,  but  the  simple  pass  on  and  are  punished."  If 
you  wish  for  a  more  full  definition,  read  the  book  of  Proverbs  throughout; 
for  here,  as  Dr.  Watts  has  observed,  you  will  find  maxims  of  prudence 
more  in  number  and  greater  in  value  than  in  all  the  sages  of  antiquity  put 
together. 

Permit  me  here  to  remind  you  that  the  whole  of  human  life  is  but  one 
concatenation  of  causes  and  effects.  Every  action  and  every  imagination 
of  man  has  its  consequences,  many  of  which  extend  to  eternity.  These 
necessarily  follow  the  acts  to  which  they  respectively  belong;  nothing 
need  awaken  surprise ;  nothing  here  occurs  too  early  or  too  late ;  nothing 
comes  without  being  sent  for,  or  brings  a  wrong  tale  when  it  comes.  This 
is  true  as  to  the  natural  course  of  things;  but  still  reservation  is  to  be 
made  for  the  controlling  acts  of  a  superintending  Providence.  God  often 
mercifully  averts  evil,  or  turns  thoughts  and  actions  from  their  direct  ends, 
and  makes  them  bend  to  his  own  purposes :  this  is  so  manifest  from  scrip- 
ture, and  from  common  observation,  that  we  may  leave  the  thought  to  its 
own  protection.  But  I  say,  generally,  every  act  and  every  thought  has  its 
natural  and  direct  consequence,  in  evil  or  in  good.  And  is  not  this  the 
hinge  upon  which  free  agency  and  moral  accountability  turn?  Have  we 
not  here  an  avenue  to  honor  or  infamy?  Hence  it  was  said,  as  early  as 
the  first  age,  "if  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted?  and  if  thou 
doest  ill,  sin  lieth  at  the  door."  It  is  as  silly  as  it  is  wicked  to  say,  "Let 
us  do  evil  that  good  may  come."  The  aposde  Paul  observed  or  antici- 
pated this  disposition  to  error  when  he  said,  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is 
not  mocked ;  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap.  He 
that  soweth  to  the  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption ;  but  he  that 
soweth  to  the  spirit  shall  of  the  spirit  reap  life  everlasdng."  The  purest 
principles  of  grace  do  not  gainsay  this  order  of  things.  We  are  not  prac- 
tically to  say  with  the  stoics  of  old  that  fate  or  destiny  determines  all 
things.  The  admission  of  such  a  notion  would  engulf  human  responsi- 
bility, and  our  free  agency  would  only  be  a  feather  floating  on  the  stream 
of  inevitable  necessity.  Then  to  strive  or  pray  to  avert  an  evil  or  obtain 
a  good,  were  lost  time  and  labor,  Isa.  xlv.  20.  But  it  is  plain  that  God 
has  laid  us  under  obligations  to  his  declared  will,  and  that,  in  bestowing 
grace  to  incHne  us  to  obedience,  he  does  not  supersede  but  concur  with 
our  responsibility.  Grace  disposes  but  does  not  force  to  that  which  is 
good;  and  if  the  behever  in  Christ  forget  his  responsibility  and  neglect 
to  pray  for  divine  strength,  he  will  inevitably  realize  the  bitter  consequences 
in  his  own  unhappy  experience,  and  will  speedily  sink  in  the  scale  of 
moral  character,  though  he  may  not  be  left  to  final  apostacy. 

Without  entering  into  an  extended  detail  of  different  actions,  and  their 
respective  consequences,  we  may  just  glance  at  a  few  pardculars  in  which 
the  consequences  of  our  conduct  may  be  considered  both  as  they  may  ter- 
minate in  ourselves  and  as  they  may  involve  others. 

1.  The  consequences  of  our  conduct  require  consideration  as  they  may 
affect  ourselves.     For  example — 

1.)  The  exercise  and  cultivation  of  the  gracious  dispositions  of  your 
minds  toward  God  will  always  be  followed  by  great  personal  advantages. 


CONSIDER    CONSEQUENCES.  301 

Here  true  happiness  is  enjoyed ;  delivered  from  annoying  evil  passions 
"the  peace  of  God  possesses  the  heart  and  mind  through  Jesus  Christ;" 
while  love  and  praise  assimilate  us  to  the  divine  likeness,  which  is  the  very 
essence  of  bliss,  differing  only  in  degree  from  that  enjoyed  above.  These 
are  the  divine  harbingers  of  eternal  peace  and  tranquillity:  "Great  peace 
have  those  who  love  thy  law,  and  nothing  shall  offend  them."  The  hal- 
lowing of  God's  sabbaths  and  institutions  carries  a  blessing  into  every  day 
in  the  week ;  and  so  long  as  harmony  and  sacred  peace  prevail  within,  the 
noise  of  the  world  will  be  heard  only  as  remote  commotions  of  the  ele- 
ments. The  believer's  "heart  is  fixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord."  Though 
the  eardi  be  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst 
of  the  sea,  though  the  waves  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled,  though  the 
mountains  shake  with  the  swelling  thereof,  there  is  a  river  the  streams 
whereof  make  glad  the  city  of  God." 

On  the  contrary,  "there  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked."  The  indulgence 
of  carnal  and  ungodly  dispositions  is  followed  by  loss  and  disadvantage, 
by  bitter  reflection,  and  forebodings  of  future  consequences  of  a  more 
serious  nature.  The  breach  of  God's  sabbaths  and  venerable  institutions 
brings  a  curse  with  it;  and  the  highest  prosperity  of  the  world  can  not  se- 
cure the  transgressor  from  a  thousand  disquietudes.  A  dreadful  sound 
may  invade  one  ear  while  the  charms  of  music  salute  the  other.  While 
Belshazzar  revelled  in  luxury,  a  handwriting  upon  the  wall  made  all  his 
joints  to  tremble.  Whether  these  consequences  are  immediate  or  remote, 
they  are  equally  certain  and  dreadful;  the  dispositions  of  the  mind  lead  to 
their  corresponding  issues  to  the  individuals  possessing  them,  by  a  sover- 
eign appointment  that  can  not  err  nor  be  controlled. 

2.)  The  habitual  exercise  of  temperance  and  self-denial  can  not  fail  to 
produce  the  happiest  consequences  to  ourselves.  This  is  but  putting  a 
wholesome  restraint  on  the  very  worst  principles  of  our  nature.  It  involves 
the  knowledge  of  our  best  interest,  and  is  itself  an  important  means  of  se- 
curing it.  It  is  the  holy  determination  of  our  will  to  the  will  of  God,  in- 
stead of  the  will  of  the  flesh ;  it  is  to  sow  to  the  spirit,  to  live  independent 
of  a  never-satisfied  appetite.  Besides  peace  of  mind,  this  is  generally  fol- 
lowed by  health  of  body,  which  it  is  one  of  the  surest  means  of  promo- 
ting. This  is  also  the  way  to  that  noble  independence  to  which  those  who 
waste  their  substance  in  "  riotous  living'"  must  be  utter  strangers  ;  while 
this  temperance  of  body  contributes  its  full  share  to  the  vigor  of  the  mind. 
The  apostle  Paul  was  a  noble  example  of  Christian  temperance  (1  Cor. 
ix.  27),  which  there  can  be  no  doubt  contributed  to  spread  a  lustre  over 
his  whole  character. 

But  self-gratifications  and  acts  of  intemperance,  lust,  or  intoxication,  these 
very  rapidly  bring  poverty,  sorrow,  and  disease.  It  would  seem  almost  an 
offence  to  name  such  things,  considering  the  persons  I  am  addressing ; 
but  those  who  know  the  depths  of  Satan,  the  deceitfulness  of  sin,  and  the 
frailties  of  our  nature,  will  not  think  cautions  unnecessary.  Therefore,  I 
say,  "  flee  youthful  lusts,"  carnal  and  fleshly  appetites,  "  which  war  against 
the  soul."  Beware  of  small  indulgences  ;  the  most  shameful  excesses 
have  commenced  at  what  we  call  innocent  indulgences  ;  particularly  many 
a  preacher  has  become  a  drunkard  by  kind  friends  administering  ardent 
spirits  after  preaching :  this  is,  to  say  the  best  of  it,  a  cruel  piece  of  kind- 
ness.    Other  very  kind  friends  will  give  an  invitation,  and  will  importune 


302  LECTURE    XVIII. 

to  something  beyond  temperance  :  thus  the  Lord's  people  become  tempters 
of  one  another.  These  baits  are  too  often  successful,  to  the  ruin  of  the 
preacher  and  the  scandal  of  the  cause.  Now,  my  dear  friends,  take  care 
of  these  tempters,  and  these  tempting  things  ;  put  your  eyes  and  your 
palates  under  a  very  strong  law  :  weak  laws  manifest  weak  governors.  It 
is  a  common  saying  that  "  Parsons  love  good  eating  and  drinking."  1  had 
rather  it  were  said,  "  Parsons  are  the  most  temperate  of  mankind."  And 
how  favorable  this  is  to  studies  upon  divine  things  you  know  very  well.  Now 
what  I  wish  of  you  is  this  :  Consider  consequences. 

3.)  In  considering  the  personal  happiness  which  springs  from  a  well- 
regulated  course  of  conduct,  I  can  not  omit  the  habit  of  industry.  No 
man  is  so  happy  as  the  truly  industrious  minister.  The  acquisition  of 
knowledge  has  an  irresistible  charm  to  an  ingenious  mind ;  here  luxury  is 
found,  and  here  the  truest  treasure.  But,  to  secure  this  end,  too  much 
time  must  not  be  given  to  sleep,  to  talkative  impertinent  friends,  to  visiting, 
to  politics.  Inroads  made  upon  your  time  will  be  like  the  Amalekites  ; 
they  will  consume  even  the  property  you  have  with  much  care  collected 
together.  An  idle  minister  not  only  robs  himself  of  one  great  source  of 
delight,  but  on  every  emergency  he  must  be  ever  scraping  together  what 
others  have  written  and  said,  and  will  secure  no  other  reputation  than  that 
of  a  retailer  of  scraps,  ill-assorted  and  worse  put  together. 

The  Turks  say  that "  a  busy  man  may  be  troubled  with  one  devil,  but 
the  idle  is  tormented  with  a  thousand." — "  The  most  sluggish  of  creatures, 
called  the  potto,  or  sloth,  is  also  the  most  horrible  for  its  ugliness — to  show 
the  deformity  of  idleness,  and,  if  possible,  to  frighten  us  from  it."  Idle- 
ness has  no  memorial  :  everything  perishes  with  him,  except  the  rags  he 
leaves  to  his  heirs.  Some  of  our  greatest  writers  would  have  left  no  ves- 
tige of  their  greatness  if  they  had  not  been  aroused  from  their  habitual 
idleness  by  a  very  powerful  motive,  for  they  never  wrote  a  line  until  they 
were  starved  to  it :  and,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  there  are  preachers  who 
would  never  compose  a  sermon  if  their  wants  did  not  compel  them.  Such 
people  are  driven  to  duty  like  lazy  school-boys,  but  the  industrious  man  is 
always  ready  for  his  work.  Now,  my  brethren,  as  to  industry  and  idle- 
ness, consider  consequences. 

"Be  wise,  then,  Christian,  while  you  may, 
For  swiftly  time  is  flying  ; 
The  idle  man  that  sleeps  to-day, 
Tomorrow  will  be  dying." 

Think  of  the  imperishable  name  that  industrious  ministers  have  obtained, 
such  as  Owen,  Manton,  Howe,  Tillotson,  Henry,  Pool,  Doddridge,  Dwight, 
Fuller,  &c.  If  the  works  of  these  men  had  never  seen  the  Hght,  yet  they 
would  have  been  happy  in  their  labors  ;  for  labor  ipse  voluptas. 

2.  We  should  consider  the  consequences  of  our  conduct  as  they  affect 
others  as  well  as  ourselves.  This  consideration  is  more  particularly  appli- 
cable to  public  men.  Every  act  of  a  king,  of  a  privy  counsellor,  a  sena- 
tor, a  judge,  a  physician,  or  a  minister  of  God's  word,  has  a  good  or  bad 
effect  on  others.  On  the  pilot  depends  the  safety  of  the  passengers,  on 
the  captain  their  comforts,  on  the  minister  under  Chrisi  devolves  the  care 
of  immortal  souls.  Good  or  bad  doctrines,  good  or  bad  examples,  lively 
or  frigid  services,  involve  the  people  m  consequences  of  incalculable  mo- 
ment. A  minister's  knowledge  or  ignorance,  his  love  or  indifference,  his 
wisdom  or  folly,  passes  over  to  the  people,  or  is  engrafted  on  the  congre- 


CONSIDER    CONSEQUENCES.  303 

gation  by  an  almost  necessary  consequence.  I  do  not  say  that  a  minister 
forms  the  character  of  the  people  altogether,  but  he  certainly  bears  an  im- 
portant part  toward  it.  Hence  the  apostle  Paul  says,  in  a  style  and  man- 
ner of  unusual  solemnity  even  for  him,  "  Take  heed,  therefore  (you  under- 
shepherds),  to  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
has  made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the  church  of  God  which  he  has  pur- 
chased with  his  own  blood." 

I  now  beg  leave  to  refer  to  such  a  general  state  of  your  thoughts  as  I 
conceive  will  be  the  best  security  for  the  correctness  of  your  public  acts, 
as  ministers  of  the  gospel.  A  correct  course  of  thought  will  produce  a 
correct  course  of  conduct.  These  thoughts  are  the  "  seeds  of  things," 
the  germ  of  what  is  to  be  produced  ;  if,  therefore,  you  would  have  any 
actions  worth  a  memorial  beyond  the  moment  that  produced  them,  consider 
the  consequences  of  your  thoughts,  and  that  "  a  good  man  out  of  the  good 
treasure  of  the  heart  bringeth  forth  good  things,  and  an  evil  man,  out  of 
the  evil  treasure,  bringeth  forth  evil  tilings."  This  is  the  irreversible  order 
of  things,  and  Solomon  says,  "  Out  of  the  heart  are  the  issues  of  life," 
the  issues  of  wisdom  and  the  streams  of  usefulness.  It  is  a  difficult  thing 
to  get  people  to  begin  here.  It  is  too  generally  the  fashion  to  commence 
with  the  regulation  of  their  acts,  and  though  some  respect  may  here  be 
had  to  the  word  and  will  of  God,  and  the  opinions  of  the  pious,  yet  it  is 
like  an  attempt  to  cast  something  into  the  stream  to  make  it  pure,  when 
the  purity  of  the  fountain  should  be  the  first  object  of  regard.  Our  Savior 
says,  "  Make  the  tree  good,  and  then  its  fruit  will  be  good  also."  From 
this  source,  as  Dr.  Blair  very  justly  remarks,  "all  that  makes  a  figure  on 
the  great  theatre  of  the  world,  the  employments  of  the  busy,  the  enter- 
prises of  the  ambitious,  and  the  exploits  of  the  warlike,  the  virtues  which 
form  the  happiness  and  the  crimes  which  occasion  the  misery  of  mankind, 
originate  in  that  silent  and  secret  recess  of  thought  which  is  hidden  from 
every  human  eye." 

Now,  my  brethren,  see  that  your  thoughts  are  deeply  impregnated  with 
the  love  of  Christ  and  of  precious  souls.  Of  this  love  it  may  truly  be 
said  a  ca'lo  dcscouVu.  Universal  benevolence  is  very  expressive  of  the 
word  love,  though,  it  falls  short :  it  is  correct  in  this,  that  it  expresses  an 
act  of  the  will  strongly  bent  upon  a  good  design.  This  sets  a  Christian 
upon  devising  schemes  of  beneficence  :  "  The  liberal  deviseth  liberal 
things,  and  by  liberal  things  shall  he  stand."  When  a  scheme  is  devised, 
well-conce^yed,  a  very  benevolent  much-needed  scheme,  die  next  thing  is 
to  devise  means  that  shall  fit  us  for  it,  and  to  carry  it  into  execution  in  the 
wisest  and  most  effective  manner.  Your  present  preparatory  studies  for 
the  ministry  are  of  this  nature,  and  you  are  to  consider  the  consequences 
that  will  follow  upon  these  means  being  wise  or  unwise. 

Here,  however,  I  must  interpose  a  caution  :  there  must  be  no  delay. 
This  caution  has,  indeed,  been  long  since  given  :  "  Whatsoever  thy  hand 
findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might;"  set  about  it  directly ;  "  delays  are 
dangerous."  O  how  many  schemes  have  been  lost  or  marred  by  delays  ! 
It  will  be  time  enough  to  morrow,  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow,  is  a  tune 
that  lulls  us  to  sleep  ;  it  is  then  we  dream,  like  the  drunkard,  "  When  I 
awake  I  will  seek  it  yet  again."  A  scheme  suspended  is  a  forlorn  hope 
— to-day  it  is  legitimate,  to-morrow  it  is  the  contrary.  ^  I  thought  thee  fair 
and  lovely,  but  now  diy  charms  have  vanished.     No  subject  is  more  for- 


304  LECTURE    XVIII. 

cibly  exhibited  in  ihc  Sacred  Scriptures  tlian  the  folly  of  procrastination. 
"  How  loni^  halt  you  between  two  opinions  ?" — "  Now  is  the  accepted 
time  ;  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." — "  To-day  if  you  will  hear  his  voice." 
— '*  Work  while  it  is  called  to-day,"  &c.  I  have  no  doubt  but  Shaks- 
pere's  "  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men,"  like  the  chief  of  his  admired  sentences, 
was  borrowed  from  the  Scriptures. 

But,  to  return  to  consequences  in  reference  to  your  preparatory  studies, 
if  you  devote  yom-  time  to  studies  that  will  yield  comparatively  no  profit, 
that  will  not  have  a  direct  tendency  to  your  usefulness  to  your  hearers, 
that  can  at  best  only  add  some  embellishments  or  ornaments  to  you  as  po- 
lite preachers,  the  consequences  of  such  an  unhappy  employment  of  time 
will  be  severely  felt  by  those  whose  benefit  you  profess  to  seek.  Jf,  for 
instance,  you  sjieml  that  part  of  vour  time  upon  acquirini;^  f)r  improvinii;  in 
the  learned  lan;:;uaires  which  ou_i:;ht  to  be  given  to  the  attainment  of  the  first 
principles  of  preaching,  there  will  be  a  sad  perversion  of  things.  The  art 
of  conveying  instruetion  is  in  this  case  the  "  one  thing  needful;"  and  you 
may  be  a  workman  that  need  not  be  ashamed  though  you  should  be  ac- 
quainted with  no  other  language  than  vour  mother  tongue.  A  critical 
knowledge  of  the  languages  was  of  great  importance  at  the  time  of  the 
reformation,  and  is  still  of  importance  to  academic  tutors,  to  those  who 
address  learned  hearers,  and  c-pecially  to  those  whose  particular  station 
raljs  upon  them  to  defend  tiie  great  outworks  of  our  common  Christianity, 
though  even  in  this  last  case  fitness  consists  more  in  the  natural  faculty  of 
reasoning  than  in  any  extensive  acquaintance  with  classic  lore.  But  fo 
the  majority  (d'  preachers  the  learned  languages  are  secondary  accom|ilish- 
menLs  only.  'IMieir  business  is  to  preach  Christ,  and  to  lay  a  solid  foun- 
dation, in  the  first  principles  of  our  faith,  among  the  great  bulk  of  our  im- 
mense population,  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  of  whom  arc  dazzled 
rather  than  instructed  by  what  is  called  a  splendid  discourse. 

H]  in  the  first  instance,  yon  bend  the  energies  of  your  minds,  and  give 
your  ihonghts  to  become  usefid  men,  the  consequences  will  be  most  fe- 
Hcitous.  In  this  course  be  wise,  patient,  and  persevering ;  and  if,  after 
these  objects  shall  be  obtained,  some  fiu-ther  acquaintance  widi  the  lan- 
guages can  be  acquired,  without  interfering  with  pulpit  exercises,  or  too 
much  interrupting  your  lawfid  engagements,  there  can  be  no  objections. 

(Jive  your  thoughts  very  closely  to  the  best  examples,  wherever  they 
are  to  be  fouiul,  and  this  will  snjiersede  the  necessity  of  my  touching  upon 
several  things  which  might  h(M-(>  ha\e  obtained  a  jdac(\  Vou  will  see  the 
love  and  meekness  that  governcMl  your  blessed  Lord:  his  were  "thou'j:hts 
of  mercy  and  peace." — "  What  love  through  all  his  actions  ran  !"  What 
labors  and  self-denials  did  it  lay  upon  him  !  So  that  even  in  this  view  it 
were  well  for  us  to  "  look  to  .Jesus."  Nothing  but  his  spirit,  1  mean  the 
mind  that  was  in  him  so  eminently,  can  ever  do  great  things. 

Secondly  :  Never  sulTer  the  consideration  o^  prcsriit  cnuscfji/aiccs  to  de- 
ter you  from  the  faithfid  discharge  of  known  duty,  or  induce  any,  even  the 
smallest,  compromise  of  your  |)rinciplcs.  This  is  no  more  than  saying, 
"  Consider  consequences  in  their  widest  range,  as  they  iufdude  the  whole 
of  your  existence."  Yet  this  caution  may  not  be  imncccssary.  Our 
views  of  conseqtu:'nccs  are  apt  to 'induce  imwarrantablc  fears  :  "  There  is 
a  lion  in  the  street  jl'  and  here  is  the  check  that  philanthropy  or  benevolence 
receives.     "  The  principle,"  say  these  over-cautious  ones,  "is  good,  but  its 


CONSIDER   CONSEQUENCES.  305 

practice  is  sometimes  attended  with  danger  ;  many  have  lost  their  worldly 
comforts,  their  good  name — nay,  their  lives  have  been  sacrificed  to  it." 
If  universal  approbation  and  immediate  advantage  spread  the  sails,  if  all- 
propitious  winds  invited  embarkation,  and  rich  mines  awaited  our  arrival 
out,  then  we  should  have  as  many  philanthropists  as  fortune-hunters  ;  they 
would,  however,  be  of  a  most  suspicious  character,  and  where  virtue  or 
true  worth  was  to  be  found  in  the  crowd  nobody  could  tell.  But  now 
things  are  by  Infinite  Wisdom  put  upon  a  better  footing.  Here  is  a  fair 
trial  of  principle,  of  courage,  of  true  Christian  forthude  and  magnanimity. 
Here  that  noble  daring  to  be  singular — that  intrepid  purpose  which  noth- 
ing can  intimidate  or  turn  aside — finds  its  exercise.  Here  distinction  of 
character  is  fairly  marked  out,  and  rewards  of  a  suitable  nature,  at  a  suita- 
ble time,  will  be  conferred  by  unerring  hands  on  those  who,  by  faith  and 
patience,  will  wait  for  them,  and  who,  in  doing  what  is  right,  are  fearless 
of  consequences. 

We  must  also  distinguish  between  probable  and  imaginary  consequen- 
ces. Upon  the  former  we  may  make  a  tolerably  accurate  calculation  ;  but 
in  reference  to  the  latter  we  may  be  like  children  going  to  bed,  afraid  of 
ghosts  and  hobgobUns,  when  we  ought  to  commit  ourselves  to  God. 
"  Commit  thy  works  unto  the  Lord  and  thy  thoughts  shall  be  established." 
Such  consequences  as  these  may  affright  us :  "  If  I  follow  such  a  course, 
I  shall  be  persecuted,  or  at  least  laughed  at ;  I  shall  be  called  one  of  the 
saints ;  or  if  I  preach  in  such  a  manner,  I  shall  displease  the  people  ;  if  I 
preach  such  a  doctrine,  I  shall  give  offence  ;  if  I  speak  thus  faithfully,  such 
a  character  v.ill  be  offended,  and  he  has  the  principal  direction  or  is  the 
chief  support  of  the  place."  Now  these  and  many  such  Uke  fears  we 
ought  to  discard  altogether:  "  He  that  hath  my  word  let  him  speak  my 
word  faithfully.  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat  V  saith  the  Lord."  Our 
Lord  spoke  some  very  severe  things  agciinst  these  improper  fears :  "  I 
will  tell  you  whom  you  should  fear ;  fear  him  that  has  power  to  cast  you 
into  hell ;  yea,  I  say  unto  you,  fear  him."  And,  in  truth,  such  fears  are 
as  foolish  as  they  are  sinful ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  the  thing  apprehended 
may  never  come  to  pass,  or,  instead  of  your  fortitude  and  courage  being  a 
drawback  upon  your  interests,  your  interests  may  thereby  be  promoted.* 
The  lines  of  an  overrulinoc  Providence  are  here  so  often  visible  that  no 
mistake  need  be  made  :  the  timorous  are  ruined,  and  the  bold  are  saved 
and  blessed,  even  in  this  world. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  those  who  look  at  present  conse- 
quences, without  sufficiently  weighing  the  future,  to  defeat  their  own  pur- 
pose. Presuming  upon  consequences,  that  they  certainly  will  happen  in 
such  a  particular  way,  is  the  vice  of  ardent  minds,  and  often  becomes  a 
source  of  subsequent  regrets.  We  have  no  right  to  presume  upon  any- 
thing but  what  God  promises.!     As  to  taking  a  settlement  over  a  church, 

*  Let  me  here  remind  you  of  an  anecdote  wbich  was  thoua:ht  worthy  of  a  place  in  Bishop  Home's 
Essays.  In  the  reig^n  of  Charles  II..  a  coort  was  to  be  held  at  Winchester.  The  king  was  to  be 
lodged  with  one  of  the  clergy,  not  very  high  in  rank,  but  whose  house  was  commodious.  He  was 
very  happy  to  receive  the  king,  but  he  mof^t  positively  refused  to  admit  Nell  Gwynne.  the  king's 
mistress.  He  was  deaf  to  all  entreaty  and  remonstrance,  and  to  everj-  representation  of  consequences. 
Refuse  he  did,  and  another  lodging  was  provided  for  the  lady.  Some  time  afterward  a  valuable 
bishopric  was  vacant.  Interest  was  made  for  this  and  that  great  divine,  but  the  king  inqnired— 
'■  What  is  the  name  of  that  little  fellow  at  Winchester  that  would  not  admit  Nell  Gwynne  nito  his- 
house  ?     He  is  an  Vionest  fellow,  and  he  shall  have  the  appointment." 

t  A  preacher  of  high  celebrity  had  at  one  time  prepared  a  discourse  with  which  he  was  enraptured. 
Everj-  hour  was  a  day  till  the  happy  time  should  come  for  its  delivery  ;  when,  lo !  iu.stead  of  the 
bliss  be  had  anticipated,  he  felt  his  mind  iii  a  state  of  wretchedness  and  barrenness.     He  looked  at  tlie- 

20 


306  LECTURE    XIX. 

you  will  find  it  well  to  weigh  consequences.  Presuming  upon  present  ap- 
pearances, many  too  hastily  engage  themselves.  Be  not  hasty  in  trusting 
to  new  and  untried  friends,  the  fair  speeches  of  weathercock  hearers,  who 
may  possibly  extol  you  to-day  and  defame  you  to-morrow.  Know,  as 
much  as  possible,  "  what  is  in  man,"  and  presume  not  upon  the  continu- 
ance of  favorable  gales. 

The  balancing  and  comparing  of  contrary  consequences  is  however 
often  too  delicate  a  thing  for  our  management ;  and  too  much  of  this  bal- 
ancing will  very  likely  end  in  forming  a  cunning  character — a  selfish  dis- 
position. It  is  the  safest  way  to  take  all  the  care  possible  to  ascertain 
whether  our  thoughts  and  devices  be  right,  suitable,  and  seasonable ;  but, 
if  we  must  proceed  to  balancing,  let  us  wholly  discard  selfish  considera- 
tions and  beware  of  an  undue  weight  in  favor  of  present  things,  taking 
Moses  for  our  guide,  who  chose  "  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the  people 
of  God  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season,  esteeming  the  re- 
proach of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  Egypt,  for  (in  bal- 
ancing his  account  of  consequences)  he  had  respect  to  the  recompense  of 
reward." 


LECTURE  XIX. 

TOPIC  XIV. 
REFLECT  ON  THE  END  PP,.OPOSED  IN  AN  EXPRESSION  OR  ACTION. 

The  Holy  Scriptures  not  only  offer  to  our  attention  the  most  interest- 
ing facts,  and  the  most  vivid  exhibitions  of  character,  which  in  themselves 
are  quite  easy  of  comprehension,  but  also  many  things  of  greater  difficulty. 
Some  passages,  which  as  teachers  of  others  it  is  highly  important  for  us  to 
understand,  have,  through  lapse  of  time,  contracted  a  dubious  character. 
For  example,  from  our  present  ignorance  of  ancient  manners,  and  of  the 
peculiar  turn  of  thought  which  was  formerly  familiar  on  several  subjects, 
an  obscurity  arises  in  the  sense  of  some  texts ;  and  in  order  that  we  may 
fix  correctly  on  the  truths  which  they  exhibit,  and  render  them,  so  to 
speak,  tangible  to  the  people,  we  must  use  all  the  means  which  lie  within 
our  reach.  Reference  to  the  original  text,  collation  of  difTerent  transla- 
tions, lexicons,  dissertations,  commentaries,  &c.,  will  frequently  afford 
valuable  assistance.  But  I  am  convinced  that  those  who  have  not  the  op- 
portunity to  avail  themselves  of  such  helps  may  make  very  considerable 
proficiency,  in  the  study  of  even  the  more  difficult  parts  of  scripture,  by  a 
close  attention  to  the  considerations  suggested  by  the  several  topics,  and 
particularly  that  which  now  demands  our  attention.     This  is  in  fact  a  mas- 

clock  with  anxiety  for  the  moment  that  would  permit  him  to  hide  himself  from  the  diupjrace  which  he 
supposed  he  had  incurred  by  such  a  total  failure.  Now,  though  his  anticipations  were  not  realized  in  the 
precise  way  he  expected,  yet  good  was  done  by  the  sermon  :  for  one  of  his  people  sought  liim  out 
whither  he  had  retired  to  vent  his  lamentations,  and  addiessed  him  in  f^ome  such  words  as  these : 
"  Oh  !  .sir,  you  have,  under  God,  been  made  tlie  means  of  restoring  n)y  soul  to  comfort." — "  Well," 
says  the  minis'.er.  "  whatever  it  may  have  done  for  you,  I  know  it  has  brought  great  trouble  upon 
oayself,  aud  I  am  perfectly  ashamed  of  my  sermon  !" 


END    PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION    OR   ACTION.  307 

ter-key  to  the  understanding  of  many  things  in  profane  as  well  as  in  the 
inspired  writings  ;  and  hence  the  maxim  of  Pope — 

"  In  every  work  consult  the  author's  end." 

"  If,  for  example,  you  were  speaking  of  justification,  in  the  sense  in 
which  St.  Paul  taught  it,  you  might  observe  the  ends  which  the  apostle 
proposes,  as — 1.  To  put  a  just  difference  between  Jesus  Christ  and  Mo- 
ses, the  law  and  the  gospel  ;  and  to  show,  against  those  who  would  blend 
them  together,  and  so  confound  both  in  one  body  of  religion,  that  they  can 
not  be  so  united.  2.  To  preserve  men  from  that  pharisaical  pride  which 
reigned  among  the  Jews,  who  sought  to  establish  their  own  righteousness, 
and  not  the  righteousness  of  God.  3.  To  take  away  such  inadequate 
remedies  as  the  law  by  way  of  shadow  exhibited  for  the  expiation  of  sins, 
as  sacrifices  and  purifications,  as  well  as  those  which  pagan  superstition 
proposed,  such  as  washing  in  spring-water,  offering  victims  to  their  gods, 
&c.  4.  To  bring  men  to  the  true  and  only  atonement  for  sin,  which  is 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Such  is  Claude's  illustration  of  diis  Topic,  which  is  quite  sufficient  to 
show  its  importance,  and  perhaps  sufficient  also  to  assist  the  well-furnished 
student  in  applying  it  with  advantage.  But  to  those  whose  resources  are 
more  slender,  a  few  general  remarks,  as  exemplifications  of  the  Topic,  will, 
I  doubt  not,  prove  acceptable.  I  have  had  occasion  to  point  out  a  simi- 
larity between  some  of  the  Topics,  but  I  confess  I  do  not  perceive,  in  the 
present  Topic,  that  similarity  to  the  Topic  of  Principles  which  Claude  in- 
timates. He  says,  "  The  end  proposed  is  not  very  different  to  the  way" 
of  principles,  though  it  may  afford  variety  in  discussing  them."  But  I 
humbly  conceive  that  though  in  some  pardculars  there  is  a  similarity,  yet 
the  two  Topics  are  in  fact  very  different.  The  principle  of  a  word  or  ac- 
tion is  its  philosophy,  its  rationale ;  it  fixes  the  mind  on  something  in  which 
such  word  or  action  originated,  or  in  consequence  of  which  a  thing  is  so 
said  or  done,  and  here  it  terminates.  But  the  end  proposed  has  a  different 
province,  and  fixes  our  thoughts  on  the  final  object  which  the  word  or  ac- 
tion was  intended  to  promote.  The  former  supposes  that  the  true  mean- 
ing of  a  text  is  already  clear,  and  its  object  is  to  show  the  justness,  propri- 
ety, or  excellency  of  it,  &c.,  and  to  generaUze  a  pardcular  subject.  The 
latter  proposes  to  assist  in  discovering  the  true  meaning  of  a  text  by  refer- 
ring to  the  intention  of  the  writer,  the  end  which  he  had  in  view. 

When  treating  on  the  twelfth  Topic  I  observed  that  the  Scriptures,  as  a 
whole,  proceed  on  the  principle  that  man  is  a  fallen  and  degraded  creature. 
Let  us  now  examine  what  is  the  end  proposed  in  the  inspired  volume  gen- 
erally. It  certainly  has  its  end  as  well  as  its  principle,  though  perhaps  in 
such  a  comprehensive  view  it  is  difficult  to  be  precise  enough  to  be  edify- 
ing, and  difficult  to  preserve  the  eye  from  diverging,  because  the  object  is 
large,  and  one  will  think  the  centre  here  and  another  will  say,  "  Nay,  it  is 
there."  However,  it  may  be  sufficiently  correct  for  our  present  purpose 
to  observe  that  the  main  design  of  the  whole  scripture,  or  the  end  proposed 
by  Jehovah  in  impardng  to  sinful  man  this  revelation  of  mercy,  is  that  he 
may  reconcile  sinners  unto  himself,  and  raise  them  from  their  present  deg- 
radation to  glory,  honor,  and  immortality.  See  Rom.  xv.  4  :  2  Tim.  iii. 
IG,  1 7.  Hence  it  is  that  a  Savior  is  the  great  object  everywhere  exhibited. 
In  types  and  shadows,  in  the  descriptions  of  prophecy  as  well  in  the  New- 


308  LECTURE    XIX. 

Testament  records,  he  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end, 
the  sum  and  substance  of  all  holy  writ.  This  he  himself  declares,  John 
V.  39,  46  ;  and  certainly  if  there  had  been  no  covenant  of  redemption — 
no  covenant  of  grace  in  Christ — we  can  not  suppose  there  would  have 
been  any  scriptures  at  all. 

If  any  difficulty  present  itself  in  the  interpretation  of  any  book  of  scrip- 
ture, or  its  minuter  parts,  it  may  very  frequently  be  solved  by  an  attention 
to  our  present  Topic,  because,  as  every  writer  has  some  design,  some  end 
which  he  proposed  to  himself,  and  as  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he  would 
express  himself  in  terms  foreign  to  that  design,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude 
that  all  his  words  and  phrases  are  such  as  were  every  way  in  accordance 
with  his  purpose.     To  be  acquainted  therefore  with  the  scope  of  his  wri- 
ting, or  the  end  which  he  had  in  view,  is  to  possess  a  key  to  all  he  says. 
This,  it  has  been  well  observed,  is  the  soul  or  spirit  of  a  book ;  and,  that 
being  once  ascertained,  every  argument  and  every  word  appear  in  their 
right  place,  and  are  perfectly  intelligable ;  but,  if  the  scope  be  not  duly  con- 
sidered, everything  becomes  obscure,  however  clear  and  obvious  its  mean- 
ing may  really  be.     "Hence,"  as  observed  by  Dr.  Burder,  "how  unfair, 
how  irrational,  how  arbitrary  is  the  mode  of  interpretation  which  many  ap- 
ply to  the  word  of  God !      They  insulate  a  passage ;  they  fix  on  a  sen- 
tence ;  they  even  detach  it  from  the  paragraph  to  which  it  belongs,  and 
explain  it  in  a  sense  dictated  only  by  the  combination  of  the  syllables  or 
the  words  in  themselves  considered.     If  the  word  of  God  be  thus  dissected 
or  tortured,  what  language  may  it  not  seem  to  speak  ?     What  sentiments 
may  it  not  appear  to  countenance?     What  fancy  may  it  not  be  made  to 
gratify  ?     But  would  such  a  mode  of  interpretation  be  tolerated  by  any 
living  author  ?      Would  such  a  method  be  endured  in  commenting  on  the 
admired  productions  of  classical  antiquity  ?     Yet  in  this  case  it  would  be 
comparatively  harmless,  although  utterly  indefensible  ;  but  who  can  calcu- 
late the  amount  of  injury  which  may  be  sustained  by  the  cause  of  revealed 
religion  if  its  pure  streams  be  thus  defiled  ?" 

Begging  the  student  to  remember  that  we  are  only  treating  of  a  few 
difficult  passages,  and  that  we  still  maintain  that  the  chief  parts,  say  forty- 
nine  parts  out  of  fifty,  have  no  need  of  scope,  or  anything  else  of  the 
kind,  to  make  them  plainer  than  they  now  stand  in  the  sacred  text,  we  ob- 
serve that  the  scope  of  an  author  is  either  general  or  particular ;  by  the 
former  we  mean  the  end  which  he  proposed  to  himself  in  writing  his  book, 
by  the  latter  the  end  which  he  had  in  view  when  writing  particular  sections 
or  even  sentences  which  his  book  may  contain  ;  and  we  unite  them  together 
in  design,  because  the  same  rules  will  apply  to  the  whole  and  to  its  parts. 
The  scope  or  intention  of  a  book  of  scripture,  as  well  as  of  any  partic- 
ular section,  may  generally  be  collected  from  some  one  of  the  following 
sources  : — 

1.  From  the  author's  express  mention  of  it  in  some  part  of  his  book. 
Thus  the  wise  man  declares,  at  the  beginning  of  his  books,  that  the  design 
of  the  former  is  to  teach  wisdom  (Prov.  i.  1-4),  and  that  of  the  latter  to 
set  forth  the  vanhy  of  all  earthly  things,  Eccles.  i.  1-3.  Sometimes  this 
is  found  in  other  parts  of  the  book,  as  2  Pet.  iii.  1,  2  :  "  This  second 
epistle,  beloved,  I  now  write  unto  you,  in  which  I  stir  up  your  minds  by 
way  of  remembrance,"  &c.  Thus,  also  John,  in  the  gospel  which  bears 
his  name,  says,  "  These  things  have  I  written  that  you  might  believe  that 


END    PROPOSED    IN   AN    EXPRESSION    OR  ACTION.  309 

Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that,  beheving,  you  might  have 
life  through  his  name."  In  all  such  cases  we  have  the  most  satisfactory 
assurance  respecting  the  great  end  which  the  sacred  writers  had  in  view  ; 
and  whatever  is  doubtful  or  ambiguous  must  be  explained  in  a  sense  cor- 
responding with  their  professed  design. 

2.  From  some  declaration  which  exhibits  the  reason  or  occasion  of  any 
portion  of  a  book  being  written,  as  at  the  beginning  of  many  of  the  psalms, 
which  are  so  plain  as  to  require  no  citation.  The  language  of  the  apostle, 
in  the  seventh  chapter  of  his  first  episde  to  the  Corinthians,  is  of  this 
kind ;  "  Now  concerning  the  things  whereof  you  wrote  unto  me,"  &c. 
Here  we  see  that  it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  apostle  to  write  against 
marriage  generally,  but  to  recommend  celibacy  rather  on  the  principle  of 
expediency,  as  more  suitable  to  the  distressed  and  persecuted  state  of  the 
church.  The  notion  of  celibacy  which  the  Romanists  collect  from  this 
portion  of  the  word  of  God  arises  therefore  from  a  mistake  as  to  the  apos- 
tle's general  design. 

3.  From  considerations  arising  out  of  the  state  of  the  people  to  whom 
the  vyriting  was  originally  addressed,  according  to  the  tenth  and  eleventh 
Topics.*  Thus  you  will  discern  the  scope  of  the  aposde  Paul  in  his 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  by  attending  to  the  distressed  state  of  the  people 
addressed.  It  was  a  state  too  trying  for  some  weak  members  of  the  scat- 
tered church,  and  quite  trying  enough  for  the  strongest.  Apostacies  had 
occurred,  and  seemed  likely  to  recur ;  he  therefore  assembles  all  the  high 
considerations  to  form  his  subject  which  were  likely  to  affect  and  to  pre- 
serve those  that  were  left  to  him.  This  view  of  things  will  also  equally 
suit  the  episde  of  James  and  the  first  of  Peter;  and  in  preaching  upon  or 
from  these  epistles  it  will  somedmes  be  necessary  to  point  this  out  to  the 
people,  perhaps  making  it  the  matter  of  the  exordium. 

4.  From  the  known  errors  of  the  times.  After  these  had  been  the  sub- 
ject of  warnings  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  they  became  the  subject  of 
animadversion  in  the  true  spirit  of  the  ministry.  Now,  besides  other  in- 
stances, h  is  sufficient  to  notice  St.  Paul's  episde  to  the  Galatians  against 
the  return  to  Judaism,  or  that  of  St.  John  against  antichrist  in  his  first 
hideous  form.  It  is  hence  we  perceive  the  force  of  many  expressions  as 
well  as  their  true  meaning ;  and  at  the  same  time  we  have  examples  how 
to  animadvert  on  the  errors  of  the  present  times. 

5.  From  some  conclusions  expressly  drawn  from  any  argument.  These 
are  very  frequent  in  the  apostolic  writiags,  and  possess  the  same  force  as 
the  express  mention  of  their  design.  Thus  Paul  says:  "Therefore  we 
see  that  a  man  is  not  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  but  by  faith  in 
Christ,"  from  which  conclusion  it  is  quite  evident  that  the  aposde  did  not 
mean  to  lead  us  into  an  expectation  of  being  accepted  or  justified  by  our 
works,  but  simply  through  faith  in  Christ.  Hence  we  see  that  works  are 
to  follow  faith,  and  not  to  lead  to  the  object  for  which  faith  is  established. 

6.  From  the  general  drift  and  tenor  of  a  book,  which  must  be  ascer- 
tained by  an  extensive  and  well-connected  view  of  a  whole  episde,  &c. 
This  is  confessedly  difficult,  but  in  some  cases  it  is  necessary.  Mr.  Car- 
penter lays  down  this  point  highly  to  his  own  credit  and  the  benefit  of  the 
student :  "  Such  episde  should  be  read,  and  reread,  from  beginning  to 
end  ;  and  it  is  preferable  to  use  a  copy  in  this  case  where  the  text  is  riot 

*  See  Lecture  xvi. 


010  LECTURE    XIX. 

divided  into  chapters  and  verses."  If  this  can  not  be  had,  let  the  student 
tiismiss  from  his  mind,  or  prohibit  his  eyes  from  the  observance  of  such 
divisions ;  for  they  are  but  of  modern  date,  and  have  their  evils  as  well  as 
their  benefits.  "  Such  epistle  should  be  read  as  we  would  peruse  an 
epistle  from  a  friend,  and  that  three  or  four  times  over,  without  interruption, 
until  the  whole  letter  becomes  clear.  From  this  perusal,  reperusal,  and 
repetition  of  the  document,  we  shall  obtain  a  right  knowledge  of  the  scope 
the  author  had  in  writing  it,  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  general  argument 
of  the  epistle.  For,  as  it  has  been  well  remarked,  the  composition  of 
everv  such  work,  however  loose  and  imperfect,  can  not  have  been  fortu- 
itous ;  we  know  that  by  some  exertion  of  mind  it  has  been  put  together, 
and  we  discover  in  its  connexions,  such  as  they  are,  indications  of  the 
purpose  for  which  the  exertion  was  made.  According  to  the  tendency  of 
the  composition  may  the  reference  be  safely  made  to  its  purpose."  These 
remarks  will  generally  apply  ;  but  in  some  cases  might  not  the  apostles  write 
so  much  for  general  purposes  as  to  preserve  no  connexion  in  the  parts  of  an 
epistle  that  might  lead  to  its  elucidation  from  a  reference  to  the  general 
tenor  of  the  whole.  I  can  not  see  any  one  particular  end  proposed  by 
Paul  in  his  epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  though  the  parts  of  which  it  consists, 
and  the  aposde's  intentions  in  introducing  them,  are  clear  enough ;  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  the  epistle  to  the  Phillippans.  In  no  other  way, 
indeed,  does  Mr.  Roberts,  in  his  valuable  Key  to  the  Bible,  discover  a 
scope  in  the  former  epistle. 

Wherever  a  particular  design  or  intention  can  be  discovered,  in  any  of 
the  ways  just  mentioned,  it  will  generally  furnish  observations  calculated  to 
illustrate  the  meaning  and  force  of  the  passage  to  which  it  refers,  and 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  overlooked;  and,  whether  we  use  a  passage  as 
the  foundation  of  a  discourse  or  as  a  quotation  only,  it  must  never  be  used 
in  any  sense  inconsistent  whh  such  design.  As  there  is  what  we  call  com- 
mon honesty  in  commercial  affairs,  so  there  is  such  a  thing  as  common 
honesty  in  pulpit  affairs ;  and  it  becomes  us  never  to  handle  the  word  of 
God  ignorantly  nor  deceitfully.  It  is  true  we  might  practise  upon  the 
weakness  and  credulity  of  a  congregation ;  there  might  be  no  spies  nor 
informers;  the  fallacy  might  be  received  and  swallowed  down  with  avidity, 
as  a  wholesome  scripture  truth,  and  there  may  be  people  so  vitiated  in  their 
taste  and  understandings  as  to  look  out  for  men  who  will,  by  such  mang- 
lino-s  of  scripture  provide  them  with  the  only  venison  they  can  relish;  but 
vi4iere  is  truth  all  this  while?  Alas!  the  truth  is  not  in  the  text,  or  the 
quotation,  separately,  but  in  the  scope  of  the  whole  context  or  book. 

If,  however,  no  particular  scope  be  apparent,  our  interpretation  of  doubt- 
ful passages  must  be  governed  by  the  general  scope  of  the  whole  New 
Testament — the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus — the  analogy  of  faith;  and,  having 
mentioned  the  analogy  of  faith,  I  shall  here  take  the  opportunity  to  add 
that  it  is  a  kind  of  appeal  to  the  whole  testimony  of  sacred  writ,  as  St. 
Paul,  in  reference  to  the  sentiment  or  doctrine  he  was  writing  about,  ap- 
peals: "But  what  saith  the  scripture,"  Sec,  Rom.  iv.  3,  &c.  Here  he 
rests  his  argument  upon  the  general  basis  of  scripture.  Mr.  Home  de- 
fines this  analogy  to  be  the  constant  and  perpetual  harmony  of  scripture  in 
the  fundamental  points  of  faith  and  practice.  He  says  it  is  what  St.  Paul 
calls  "the  proportion  of  faith,"  and  which  should  be  translated  the  analogy 
of  faith.     To  the  same  effect  many  commentators  interpret  St.  Peter's 


END    PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION    OR    ACTION.  311 

maxim  (2  Pet.  i.  20),  that  "  no  prophecy  of  scripture  is  of  any  private  inter- 
pretation," implying  that  the  sense  of  any  prophecy  is  not  to  be  determined 
by  an  abstract  consideration  of  the  passage  itself,  but  taking  it  in  conjunc- 
tion with  other  portions  of  scripture  relating  to  the  subject,  "  comparing 
spiritual  things  with  spiritual"  (1  Cor.  ii.  13),  a  rule  which,  though  it  be 
especially  applicable  to  the  prophetic  writings,  is  also  of  general  import- 
ance in  the  exposition  of  the  sacred  volume.  And  he  quotes  from  Bishop 
Van  Mildart  three  terms  which  appear  to  be  synonymous  with  the  analogy 
of  faith,  as  Rom.  ii.  20:  "The  form  of  knowledge;"  the  grand  scheme 
and  draught  of  ail  true  knowledge.  Rom.  vi.  17:  "The  form"  or  mould 
"of  doctrine  into  which  the  Christians  were  cast."  And  2  Tim.  i.  13: 
"The  form  of  sound  words."  Upon  the  above  observations  the  whole 
doctrine  of  analogy  is  built,  and  the  student  must  proceed  accordingly, 
praying  earnestly  for  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  which  we 
shall  always  be  in  danger  of  perverting  the  truth,  or  of  misapplying  its 
several  parts.  The  parallel  passages  will  generally  assist  upon  these  points, 
and  particularly  the  context  should  be  regarded. 

We  have  seen  that  the  considerations  suggested  by  this  Topic  are  of 
great  importance  in  determining  the  true  meaning  of  the  sacred  writers ; 
and  perhaps  1  can  not  better  exemplify  its  use  in  sermonizing  than  by  of- 
fering a  few  remarks  on  some  of  those  institutions,  the  true  nature  of 
which  can  be  understood  only  in  proportion  as  the  end  proposed  in  their 
establishment  is  regarded. 

First:  The  Christian  ministry,  as  appointed  by  our  Lord,  falls  so  di- 
rectly in  my  way  that  I  can  not  entirely  pass  it  over.  It  should  be  our 
constant  aim  to  preserve  the  office  in  its  purity,  and  to  be  ourselves  what 
our  Lord  and  Master  expects  and  requires  us  to  be.  What  then  was  the 
end  proposed  in  its  establishment?  Was  it  intended  to  form  a  hierar- 
chy, a  dominating  power,  governing  according  to  the  rules  of  civil  policy? 
Did  our  Lord  intend  that  it  should  be  rendered  subservient  to  the  purposes 
of  human  ambition,  that  ministers  should  become  lords  over  his  heritage 
and  enjoy  princely  titles  and  princely  revenues?  If  this  be  the  case,  you 
have  certainly  usurped  an  office  to  which  you  can  lay  no  claim.  But  what 
does  the  Lord  say?  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world." — "Be  not  you 
called  rabbi,  or  master:  for  one  is  your  master,  even  Christ,  and  all  you 
are  brethren." — "  Whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your 
servant."  These  and  other  passages,  and  more  particularly  when  taken 
in  their  connexion,  certainly  intimate  that  the  gospel  dispensation  knows 
nothing  of  ecclesiastical  rulers  and  a  temporal  head :  indeed,  had  our  Lord 
intended  to  caution  his  messengers  against  all  such  establishments,  he 
could  not  have  employed  language  more  appropriate  or  forcible.  The 
end  proposed  in  the  appointment  of  the  ministry  may  be  readily  under- 
stood from  the  words  of  Christ :  "  Go  you  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature." — "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world."  From  this  commission  it  is  evident  that  the  de- 
sign of  Christ  was  the  promulgation  of  the  truth  by  proper  agents  and 
suitable  means.  Nor  are  we  left  to  discover  by  human  wisdom  either  the 
character  of  the  agents  or  the  nature  of  the  means  to  be  employed  f  both' 
are  sufficiently  pointed  out  in  the  New  Testament;  and  we  have  only  to- 
look  at  the  pages  of  ecclesiastical  history  in  order  to  perceive  the  evil  coor- 


312  LECTURE    XIX. 

sequences  of  substituting  human  authority  instead  of  the  directions  of  God's 
word,  and  perverting  the  institutions  of  Christ  from  their  original  design. 

The  real  power  of  the  gospel  coalesces  only  with  its  own  simplicity, 
and  every  departure  from  that  simplicity  is  of  necessity  injurious.  We 
never  saw  a  revival  of  piety  but  with  the  return  of  simplicity  ;*  for  though 
we  have  had  new  sects  established  by  great  and  learned  men,  who  have 
been  very  far  from  simplicity,  yet  it  is  a  fact  which  may  well  bring  down 
the  pride  of  man  that  every  real  revival  of  primitive  Christianity  has  ori- 
ginated with  men  whose  education  and  habits  have  circumscribed  them 
within  comparatively  narrow  limits  ;t  and  as  soon  as  the  reviving  party, 
dissatisfied  with  its  bounds,  and  the  contempt  usually  experienced,  breaks 
into  the  wide  expanse  of  fashionable  religion  again,  then  the  true  character 
of  Christ's  ministers  is  once  more  lost  in  the  crowd. 

Here  then  is  the  rule  of  judgment  as  to  Christ's  appointment  of  the 
ministry,  and  the  end  proposed  in  it.  Whatever  agrees  with  this  end  in 
Christian  teachers  is  right,  and  all  that  does  not  agree  with  it  is  wrong ; 
and  no  existing  examples,  however  extensive  and  imposing,  ought  to  have 
any  influence  upon  us.  Whatever  be  the  opinions  of  mankind  as  to  what 
respectability  requires  in  the  ministry,  it  is  certain  that  true  respectability 
will  never  be  wanting  where  the  great  end  of  the  institution  is  kept  prac- 
tically in  view. 

Secondly :  The  end  proposed  in  the  sabbath,  now  called  the  Lord's 
day,  deserves  notice  in  this  place.  This  is  one  of  those  positive  institu- 
tions that  connects  itself  so  closely  with  the  Christian  ministry  that  they 
must  rise  or  fall  together.  Much  may  be  done  toward  convincing  a  lax 
and  degenerate  people  of  the  importance  of  the  sabbath  by  our  Topic,  as 
Mark  ii,  27 :  "  The  sabbath  was  made  for  man ;  not  man  for  the  sabbath." 
Man  was  made  before  the  sabbath  was  instituted ;  hence  we  have  the  in- 
duction that  settles  the  point,  for  "that  which  was  instituted  for  the  sake  of 
another  thing  must  yield  to  the  good  of  that  for  the  sake  of  which  it  vvas 
instituted ;"  hence  our  Lord's  expression  is  justified.  It  is  true  the  in- 
junction of  the  sabbath  has  all  the  force  of  a  moral  obligation ;  for  though, 
as  a  positive  institution,  it  does  not  come  to  us  under  that  notion,  yet,  as 
we  are  under  a  moral  obligation  generally  to  obey  our  Maker's  expressed 
will,  it  comes  to  the  same  point  as  if  it  had  been  originally  of  a  moral  na- 
ture. In  our  Lord's  expression,  however,  the  morality  of  the  observance 
is  not  formally  insisted  on,  but  only  the  end  proposed — the  good  of  man 
in  his  fallen  state.  It  is  a  boon  of  Heaven,  a  high  and  distinguished  priv- 
ilege, without  which  man's  moral  character  and  religious  identity  would 
soon  sink  into  that  barbarism  which  actually  exists  among  all  people  who 
are  either  in  a  state  of  ignorance  or  who  wilfully  neglect  its  obligation  and 
advantages  altogether.  The  end  proposed  in  the  Lord's  day  (for  this  is 
the  proper  Christian  appellation)  should  therefore  be  urged  by  all  the  argu- 
ments that  can  be  drawn  from  man's  personal  interests,  and  the  gracious 

*  Luther,  Calvin,  &c.,  upon  the  continent,  and  our  reformers  in  England,  were  good  and  learned 
men  ;  but  they  were  not  so  much  revivers  of  spiritual  religion  as  reformers,  correctors,  purifiers  of 
eross  evils;  they  were  great  and  honorable  men,  raised  up  and  fitted  for  a  particular  purpose;  but 
oui  /evivin'"  preachers  have  only  to  do  with  common  ignorance,  common  sin,  and  unbelief,  to  preach 
Christ  in  aU  simplicity  and  faithfulness.  ,,    ,        o  r 

t  The  late  very  learned  Home  Tooke,  m  his  latter  days,  resided  near  Wimbledon,  buny,  not  tar 
from  the  spot  where  our  itinerants  had  for  some  time  preached  with  great  plainness  of  speech.  Mr. 
Tooke  sent  for  them,  and  said :  "  Here  is  fifty  pounds  toward  improving  your  chapel,  and  I  will 
further  give  a  life  subscription;  for  I  consider  your  manner  of  proceeding  the  nearest  to  that  of  tbe 
apostles  of  anything  that  I  have  ever  heard  or  read  of." 


END   PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION    OR    ACTION.  313 

design  of  our  Lord  in  giving  his  sanction  to  its  observance  by  honorino- 
the  first  two  days  of  the  first  two  weeks  subsequent  to  his  resurrection,  by 
appearing  among  his  disciples,  and  pronouncing  his  blessing  upon  them, 
as  we  collect  from  the  gospel  history.  Here  we  see  that  the  perfected 
scheme  of  salvation  stands  connected  with  our  Lord's  resurrection  from 
the  dead  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  without  which  there  could  have  been 
no  gospel  to  preach,  no  acceptance  with  God  for  any  service  whatever, 
whether  of  a  moral  or  positive  nature,  such  as  we  could  render  in  our  fall- 
en state.  Now  the  announcement  of  the  Lord's  day,  and  the  announce- 
ment of  salvation,  are  heard  in  perfect  harmony ;  while  the  very  institution 
itself  is  the  fairest  type  of  that  eternal  sabbath  of  rest  which  all  desire  to 
obtain,  but  which  those  only  will  enjoy  who  are  disciplined  into  the  uses 
and  benefits  of  the  Lord's  day  on  earth. 

If  we  are  to  subdue  the  vulgar  notion  that  the  observance  of  the  Lord's 
day  is  a  painful  yoke,  it  must  be  by  the  present  Topic,  by  showing  that 
the  institution  was  made  for  man,  that  it  is  not  an  arbitrary  appointment, 
nor  a  useless  exertion  of  wanton  power,  contrived  only  to  display  the  au- 
thority of  the  Master  and  to  embitter  the  subjection  of  the  slave,  but  .a 
kind  and  benignant  indulgence,  to  be  called  on  this  day  into  the  more  im- 
mediate presence  of  our  heavenly  Father,  to  know  his  will  which  is  only 
another  term  for  our  happiness.  This  plan  is  commonly  more  likely  to 
succeed  than  harsher  language,  than  even  moral  argument;  for,  as  Bishop 
Horsley  observes  (to  whom  1  am  indebted  for  some  ideas  in  this  article), 
"Our  Savior's  method  of  instruction  was  not  by  delivering  a  system  of 
morality ,^  in  which  the  formal  nature  of  the  moral  good  should  be  traced 
to  the  original  idea  of  the  seemly  and  the  fair,  the  foundations  of  our  duty 
(or  its  principles)  discovered  in  the  natural  relations  of  things,  and  the  im- 
portance of  every  particular  duty  demonstrated  by  its  connexion  with  gen- 
eral happiness.  This  was  not  his  method  of  instruction,  because  he  well 
knew  how  long  it  had  been  followed  with  litde  effect;  for  abstruse  specu- 
lations, whatever  they  may  have  at  the  bottom  of  solidity  and  truth,  suit 
not  the  capacities  of  the  many  and  influence  the  heart  of  none.  He  took 
therefore  that  course  which  experience  pointed  out  to  be  the  easiest  way 
to  persuade,  as  well  as  the  shortest,  by  putting  the  question  on  the  foodng 
of  advantage." 

Thirdly  :  The  end  Christ  had  in  view  in  his  two  ordinances,  of  Baptism 
and  the  Supper,  is  of  great  importance  to  a  correct  appreciation  of  their 
nature.  With  regard  to  the  former  I  take  it  for  granted  that  your  minds 
are  pretty  well  made  up  as  to  its  object,  mode,  and  expediency,  and  shall 
not  here  offer  any  remarks  upon  it.  As  to  the  latter,  however,  a  few  ob- 
servations may  not  be  inappropriate,  particularly  as  bearing  upon  the  in- 
terptetation  of  scripture. 

The  Roman  catholics  say  that  in  the  mass  they  perpetuate  or  renew  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ,  alleging  the  words  "  This  is  my  body"—"  This  is  my 
blood."  The  reception  of  the  literal  sense  of  these  words,  however,  would 
lead  to  an  absurdity  as  great  as  that  he  really  was  a  "  vine"  or  a  "  door." 
I  think  we  only  want  a  litde  common  sense  to  see  that  this  gross  perver- 
sion of  a  passage  of  scripture  is  only  resorted  to  in  order  to  establish  a  sys- 
tem which  could  not  subsist  without  it.  A  great  share  of  the  revenues  and 
theatrical  pomp  of  the  Romish  church  is  derived  from  this  doctrine.  The 
rule  to  judge  upon  such  a  passage  is,  before  we  can  conclude  upon  the 


314  LECTURE    XIX. 

sense  of  a  text  so  as  to  prove  anything  by  it  we  must  be  sure  that  such 
sense  does  not  involve  a  contradiction.  Revealed  truth  may  be  above 
reason,  but  that  which  is  contrary  to  reason  can  no  more  be  true  and  agree- 
able to  the  revelation  contained  in  the  sacred  writings  than  God  (who  is 
the  author  of  one  as  well  as  of  the  other)  can  contradict  himself.  Hence 
it  is  evident  that  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ,  "  This  is  my  body" — "  This 
is  my  blood,"  are  not  to  be  understood  in  that  sense  which  favors  the  doc- 
trine of  transLibstantiation,  because  it  is  impossible  that  contradictions 
shoidd  be  true,  and  we  can  not  be  more  certain  that  anything  is  true  than 
we  are  that  that  doctrine  is  false.*  Now,  as  we  are  called  upon  to  make 
strenuous  efforts,  not  only  to  convert  catholics,  but  to  prevent  others  from 
embracing  so  corrupt  a  form  of  Christianity,  these  remarks  may  be  useful. 
The  ordinance  of  the  supper  is  not  a  "  bloody  sacrifice." 

Our  English  church  calls  the  ordinance  a  sacrament,  upon  the  supposi- 
tion that,  in  taking  it  solemnly  at  the  altar,  we  do  implicitly  engage  our- 
selves by  an  oath,  or  vow,  as  to  our  future  obedience  to  Christ.  If  our 
vows  were  or  could  be  of  any  value,  if  they  could  afford  any  security  as 
tp  our  future  pure  and  holy  conduct,  I  think  our  sacramental  idea  would 
be  valuable  ;  but  such  is  the  weakness  of  humanity  and  the  power  of  tempt- 
ation, and  such  the  nature  of  a  broken  vow,  that  I  submit  whether  it  be 
not  safest  to  retain  the  vow,  but  still  with  all  might  to  resist  evil  with  the  ad- 
vantages God  gives  us,  and  in  the  strength  of  Christ  to  do  all  that  we  can, 
even  to  the  uttermost.  But  I  conceive  that  the  words  of  the  institution 
do  not  warrant  this  term  sacrament,  however  well  intended.  If  ever  there 
was  or  had  been  a  time  more  important  for  a  solemn  engagement  than 
others,  the  moment  of  the  supper  was  such  a  time,  when  the  apostles  were 
about  to  pass  into  a  situation  of  trial  truly  awful,  and  which  in  the  event 
proved  how  unequal  these  disciples  were  to  keep  a  vow  inviolate.  One 
would  think  our  Savior  in  compassion  saved  his  disciples  from  the  breach 
of  a  vow  and  its  guilt  together,  by  not  enforcing  it  upon  them.  And  it  is 
clear  that  no  solemn  engagement  was  required  at  that  time,  nor  do  we  read 
of  anything  of  this  nature  being  added  subsequently  by  the  apostles,  not 
even  as  a  practice  of  expediency  without  injunction.  I  fear,  if  we  were 
allowed  to  refer  for  the  usage  to  the  early  ages  after  the  apostles'  time,  we 
should  open  too  wide  a  door  to  innovations  ;  for  it  is  certain  that  errors  in 
abundance  soon  crept  into  the  church.  But  I  say  all  this  with  great  def- 
erence to  the  eminent  characters  of  our  church  who  have  written  and  de- 
fended the^  term.  However,  it  is  now  pretty  generally  agreed  that  to  take 
the  sacrament  as  a  qualification  for  office,  and  often  by  persons  who  do  not 
usually  appear  to  pay  reverence  to  religion,  is  a  very  awful  abuse  and  per- 
version of  a  sacred  institution.t  To  me  it  appears  that  the  Lord's  Supper 
is  purely  a  commemorative  ordinance,  and  that  the  end  in  view  on  the 
part  of  our  Savior  was  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of  his  love  in  dying 
for  us.  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me."  This  is  inclusive  of  every- 
thing we  ought  to  do ;  it  has  all  the  force  of  moral  obligation  as  well  as  of 
gratitude,  and  is  exclusive  of  everything  else,  even  by  way  of  amendment. 
In  this  case,  as  though  our  Lord  foresaw  how  the  future  zeal  of  his  peo- 
ple might  go  beyond  his  injunctions,  he  would  impose  a  timely  check  to  it 
in  these  expressive  words  :  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me" — ^this  do 

*  Rev.  Prebendary  Home. 

t  The  act  of  parliament  imposing  the  sacrament  on  taking  certain  ofiBces  is  now  happily  repealed. 


END    PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION    OR    ACTION.  315 

and  no  more :  this  being  properly  done  will  answer  the  purpose  desic^ned. 
It  is  officious  to  go  beyond  this  plain  precept,  or  to  make  it  any'thing 
else  than  commemorative.  We  must  neither  add  nor  diminish  ;  for  if 
we  do  either,  we  indirectly  cast  a  reflection  upon  the  wisdom  of  the  in- 
stitutor. 

Other  divines  call  this  ordinance  eucharistical,  and  certainly  I  like  this 
notion  better  than  the  sacramental.  A  eucharistical  ordinance,  or  this  no- 
tion concerning  it,  is  adopted  from  the  thank-offerings  of  the  Jewish  church. 
Most  certainly  a  ''  thankful  remembrance  of  Christ's  death"*  is  very  proper, 
but  thankfulness  is  only  an  adjunct  which  ought  to  stand  connected  with 
all  we  do  (Col.  iii.  17) ;  the  ordinance  itself  is,  and  ought  to  be,  memora- 
tive.  Its  type,  the  paschal-feast,  exactly  answers  this  idea.  The  Hebrew 
nation  were  ordered  by  the  passover  to  preserve  God's  wonderful  deliver- 
ance in  their  minds  to  all  generations. 

Others,  to  be  quite  sure,  unite  the  sacramental  and  eucharistical  ideas, 
but  here  is  no  predominant  point  on  which  to  fix  the  mind  ;  comprehending 
so  many  ideas,  the  whole  is  weakened  or  destroyed.  However,  every  one 
must  think  for  himself;  and  I  shall  give  presently  a  sketch  of  a  discourse 
that  treats  of  the  supper  under  three  distinct  ideas.  I  think  our  national 
church,  though  she  calls  the  ordinance  a  sacrament,  yet  fully  admits  the 
commemorative  and  eucharistical  ideas ;  and  when  it  is  considered  how 
many  there  were  to  please  at  the  reformation,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  dis- 
tinctness was  lost  to  the  view,  nor  that  many  things  should  find  a  place  in 
the  system  which  were  incompatible  with  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel. 

Fourthly :  The  end  or  design  of  God  in  calling  his  people  out  of  the 
world  IS  worthy  of  your  attentive  consideration.     You  will  have  frequent 
occasion  to  refer  to  it  in  the  course  of  your  ministry,  and  it  is  a  topic  re- 
plete with  instruction  and  encouragement  to  yourselves  as  "  workers  to- 
gether with  God."     The  end  proposed  by  the  Almighty  is  to   save  his 
people  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth.     Hence 
It  IS  declared  that  Christ  "gave  himself  for  us  that  he  might  redeem  us 
from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of 
good  works."     In  strict  accordance  with  this  the  apostle  Peter,  addressing 
his  Christian  brethren,  says,  "  You  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priest- 
hood, a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,  that  you  should  show  forth  the 
praises  of  hini  who  has  called  you  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous 
light,"  1  Pet.  ii.  9.     Though  it  is  the  people's  care  to  exemplify  this  char- 
acter, and  to  the  people  it  was  addressed,  yet  the  formation  of  the  charac- 
ter is  instrumentally  committed  to  the  preacher ;  for  it  is  he  that  is  "  to  feed 
the  flock  of  God"  with  such  wholesome  truths  as  are  calculated  to  pro- 
duce the  character  intended.     By  example,  by  precept,  by  representation, 
by  excitement,  by  vigilance,  he  is  to  be  always  aiming  at  the  end  pro- 
posed.    The  faithful,  anxious  minister  will  sometimes  be  consulting  with 
himself  in  some  such  manner  as  this  :  "  What  additions  have  I  brought 
into  Christ's  church  ?     What  solicitude  has  been  manifested  to  preserve 
them,  to  strengthen  their  graces,  to  increase  their  knowledge,  to  improve 
their  holiness,  to  caution  and  arm  them  against  danger  ?     What  increase 
of  piety,  of  Christian  love  and  zeal,  has  been  produced  by  my  discourses 
to  them?     Are  the  people  more  spiritual  and  heavenly  in  their  conversa- 
tion ?"     Now  this  is  no  small  charge  upon  a  preacher  ;  it  carries  with  it 

*  Church  Catechism. 


316  LECTURE    XIX. 

great  responsibilities — so  much  so,  that  thinking,  conscientious  men  often 
cry  out,  "  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?" 

If  the  sanctification  of  his  people  is  the  end  proposed  by  Christ  in  cal- 
ling them  out  of  the  world,  this  end  should  go  with  the  preacher  into  the 
pulpit  or  desk,  should  suggest  to  him  his  duty  there,  and  direct  him  to 
topics  of  discourse,  that  he  may  be  a  helper  together  with  Christ,  the  chief 
Shepherd,  in  bringing  home  his  wanderers,  and  in  supporting  and  cherish- 
ing the  weak  of  the  flock.  He  will  thus  be  concerned  to  show  himself  a 
faithful  servant  at  every  hand  ;  he  will  be  eyes  to  the  blind,  feet  to  the  lame, 
wisdom  to  the  simple,  and  a  friend  to  all. 

I  am  aware  that  the  preacher  has,  on  entering  the  pulpit,  a  great  many 
things  to  think  of;  still  the  claim  before  us,  the  end  proposed,  can  not  be 
waived  or  lost  sight  of.  This  would  be  like  the  barrister  abandoning  or 
forgetting  the  interest  of  his  client,  or  the  ambassador  omitting  the  main 
point  of  his  instructions  at  a  foreign  court.  Let,  therefore,  this  thought 
be  habitual,  and  the  main  point  will  be  secured.  The  end  in  view,  in 
preaching  the  gospel,  was  and  is  the  calling  of  sinners  to  make  them  saints. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  I  have  endeavored  to  point  out  the  usefulness  of 
this  Topic  in  assisting  us  to  discover  the  true  sense  of  scripture,  and,  for 
the  sake  of  illustration,  have  briefly  considered  the  end  proposed  in  the 
appointment  of  the  Christian  ministry,  in  the  positive  institutions  of  the 
gospel,  &c.  In  what  follows  1  shall  proceed  to  lay  before  you  some  ex- 
amples in  which  the  Topic  forms  the  groundwork  of  division.  Much, 
however,  as  I  love  variety  in  the  construction  of  a  sermon,  and  much  as  I 
have  endeavored  to  promote  it,  I  would  not  add  this  form  to  the  rest  if  I 
were  not  satisfied  that  it  is  well  worthy  of  your  attention  ;  the  following 
examples  will,  I  think,  be  sufficient  to  show  you  that  "  the  end  proposed" 
will  suggest  the  best  mode  of  treating  many  subjects ;  while  the  particu- 
lar end  which  you  have  in  view  must  of  course  always  regulate  the  form 
of  division. 

Mr.  Davies,  of  America,  in  treating  on  the  subject  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, to  which  we  have  already  referred,  divides  upon  our  Topic.  The 
text  is  1  Cor.  v.  8  :  "  Let  us  keep  the  feast,"  &c.  The  author  insists  on 
the  end  proposed  in  the  ordinance  in  the  three  following  particulars  : — 

I.  It  was  intended  as  a  memorial  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  for  his  people. 

II.  It  was  appointed  as  a  badge  of  our  Christian  profession,  and  of  our  being 
united  to  him. 

TIL  As  a  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  both  on  God's  part  and  also  on  ours. 

These  points  he  treats  rather  propositionally.  The  first  part  contains 
my  sentiments  ;  as  to  the  second  part,  I  always  thought  that  it  was  bap- 
tism which  stood  for  the  badge  of  our  profession,  and  I  also  think  that  bap- 
tism has  more  to  do  with  the  covenant  alluded  to  than  the  ordinance  of 
the  Lord's  supper.  Baptism  is,  I  think,  the  proper  initiatory  ceremony, 
and  more  fitly  so  the  more  public  it  is ;  but  the  Lord's  supper  was  first 
celebrated  with  closed  doors. 

In  the  illustration  already  quoted  from  Claude,  we  have  the  ends  which 
the  apostle  Paul  had  in  view  in  insisting  on  evangelical  justification,  which 
might  be  included  in  the  following  divisions : — 

I.  To  preserve  men  from  pharisaical  pride. 

II.  To  withdraw  them  from  ceremonial  observances. 

III.  To  bring  them  to  the  true  and  only  atonement  for  sin. 


END    PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION   OR   ACTION.  317 

Blair  takes  up  this  Topic  in  his  sermon  on  Matt.  xiii.  30  :  "  Let  both 
grow  together  until  the  harvest."  The  doctor  notices  the  mixture  of  bad 
men  with  the  followers  of  God  in  the  present  state,  and  justifies  the  wis- 
dom and  equity  of  divine  Providence  in  permitting  it  by  showing  that  the 
real  benefit  of  his  people  is  the  great  end  proposed  in  this  permission. 
This  he  amplifies  by  considering  the  several  subordinate  ends  which  could 
not  be  so  well  answered  if  the  tares  were  all  rooted  out  by  the  vengeance 
of  Heaven.     The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  doctor's  sermon  : — 

The  end  proposed  by  Jehovah,  ia  permitting  the  mixture  of  good  and  bad  in  the 
present  state,  is  the  real  advantage  of  his  people,  which  is  thereby  promoted — 

I.  In  a  way  of  discipline  ;  for  it  constitutes  a  state  of  trial  well  calculated  to  im- 
prove the  character  of  God's  people. 

1.  As  it  exercises  their  passive  graces.  Were  there  no  bad  men  in  the  world  to 
vex  and  distress  the  good,  the  good  might  appear  in  the  light  of  harmless  innocence, 
but  could  have  no  opportunity  of  displaying  fidelity,  magnanimity,  patience,  and  for- 
titude. In  our  present  imperfect  state,  if  goodness  constantly  proceeded  in  a  smooth 
and  flowery  path, — if,  meeting  with  no  adversary  to  oppose  it,  it  were  surrounded  on 
every  hand  with  acclamation  and  praise, — is  there  no  ground  to  dread  that  it  might 
be  corrupted  by  vanity  or  might  sink  into  indolence  ?  This  dangerous  calm  must 
therefore  be  interrupted  ;  and  wicked  men  are  employed  as  instruments  in  the  hands 
of  God  to  rouse  his  servants  from  dangerous  slumbers,  to  form  them  for  the  day  of 
adversity,  and  to  teach  them  how  to  suffer  honorably. 

2.  As  it  serves  to  improve  their  active  powers.  It  gives  occasion  for  their  graces 
to  shine  with  conspicuous  lustre,  and  makes  them  appear  as  "  the  lights  of  the 
world"  amidst  surrounding  darkness.  Were  it  not  for  the  dangers  that  arise  from 
abounding  iniquity,  many  of  our  active  powers  would  find  no  exercise  ;  there  would 
be  no  opportunity  for  courage  to  act,  for  wisdom  to  admonish,  for  caution  to  watch, 
nor  for  faith  to  be  exerted  in  "  overcoming  the  world."  The  Christian  is  here  to  be 
trained  and  prepared  for  a  paradise  of  innocence,  and  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  perfect 
and  faultless  society;  and  the  wisdom  of  Providence  appears  in  making  the  errors  of 
tlie  wicked  subservient  to  the  improvement  of  the  just.  For  this  end,  therefore,  tares 
are  suffered  at  present  to  grow  up  among  the  wheat. 

II.  In  a  way  of  instruction.  From  the  examples  of  wickedness  by  which  they 
are  surrounded,  the  children  of  God  derive  many  valuable  lessons. 

1.  They  are  thus  admonished  concerning  the  snares  of  Satan.  Tracing  the  dan- 
gerous and  slippery  paths  by  which  so  many  have  been  led  from  small  beginnings  to 
commit  the  greatest  crimes,  and  thus  insensibly  betrayed  into  ruin,  they  are  admon- 
ished to  be  upon  their  watchtower,  their  views  of  human  nature  are  enlarged,  and 
the  sense  of  their  imbecility  is  strongly  impressed  upon  them,  accompanied  with  the 
conviction  of  the  necessity  of  constant  dependence  on  an  almighty  arm.  All  the 
crimes  which  the  servants  of  God  behold  disturbing  society  around  them  are  so  many 
signals  hung  out  to  them,  beacons  planted  in  their  view,  to  prevent  their  making 
shipwreck  among  the  rocks  on  which  others  have  split. 

2.  They  are  further  instructed  by  the  views  thus  exhibited  of  the  evil  and  deform- 
ity of  sin.  The  odious  character  of  sin  never  appears  in  so  strong  a  light  as  when 
displayed  in  the  crimes  of  the  wicked. 

3.  Thus  also  are  they  repeatedly  admonished  that  it  is  an  "  evil  thing  and  bitter 
to  forsake  the  Lord."  We  need  only  open  our  eyes  to  behold  the  wicked  tormented 
by  their  passions,  and  far  removed  from  that  sanctuary  of  calmness  and  tranquillity 
which  is  the  abode  of  happiness.  Practical  demonstrations  of  the  infelicity  of  sin  are 
constantly  exhibited  in  the  example  of  evil-doers ;  and  the  misery  as  well  as  infamy 
of  guilt  is  realized  and  rendered  sensible  to  our  apprehensions. 

When,  therefore,  you  contemplate  the  important  ends  which  are  advanced,  by  per- 
mitting the  tares  to  grow  together  with  the  wheat,  you  behold  how  the  ways  of  God 
may,  in  this  remarkable  case,  be  justified  to  man. 

This  example  is  well  suited  to  our  purpose,  as  it  is  evidently  formed 
throughout  upon  the  Topic.  The  text,  however,  seems  intended  to  dis- 
countenance and  to  forbid  the  intermeddling  hand  of  man,  and  would  lead 
us  rather  to  show  that  man  ought  not  to  attempt  the  extirpation  of  the  wick- 
ed than  why  God  does  not  immediately  destroy  them.     Some  recent  prose- 


318  LECTURE    XIX. 

cutions  in  our  law  courts  give  importance  to  this  subject.  Are  infidels  to  be 
permitted  to  blaspheme  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  to  call  his  gospel  a  false- 
hood ?  Are  our  children  and  domestics  to  be  poisoned  in  their  principles 
by  exhibitions  of  the  titles  of  blasphemous  books  and  advertisements  in 
shop-windows,  and  in  the  handbills  that  are  thrown  down  into  our  areas  ? 
This  is  a  very  awful  evil  ;  it  staggers  us  ;  our  zeal  fires,  and  we  ask,  "  Shall 
tliese  things  be  suffered  ?"  If  scripture  is  to  settle  the  matter,  it  is  settled  : 
"  Let  both  grow  together  until  the  harvest."  If  we  prosecute,  imprison,  and 
fine,  these  wicked  characters,  we  do  but  follow  the  example  and  justify  the  acts 
of  the  inquisitionists.  The  zealous  papist  considers  our  doctrines  as  dam- 
nable as  we  consider  those  of  Carlile  or  Taylor.  True,  there  is  a  differ- 
ence, but  in  both  cases  there  is  an  interference  which  is  interdicted. 
Christ  could  preserve  the  vessel  in  the  storm,  and  Christ  can  preserve  his 
church  against  all  enemies.  He  can  even  bring  good  out  of  evil,  and  ever 
does  so  ;  and  "  evil  men  and  seducers"  will  try  their  skill  upon  the  estab- 
lished Christian  in  vain. 

My  next  example  is  also  from  Blair,  vol.  ii.,  serm.  13,  Eccles.  vii.  2-4: 
"It  is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning,"  &c.  That  is,  viewing  the 
end  proposed,  it  is  so.  That  end  is  the  improvement  of  the  heart:  to  this 
end  the  whole  discourse  inclines.  It  is  a  merely  moral  discourse,  but  as 
such  his  point  is  well  sustained. 

It  is  evident,  observes  the  doctor,  that  the  wise  man  does  not  prefer  sorrow  upon 
its  own  account  to  mirth,  or  represent  sadness  as  a  state  more  eligible  than  joy.  He 
considers  it  in  the  light  of  discipline  only.  He  views  it  with  reference  to  an  end. 
He  compares  it  with  certain  improvements  which  he  supposes  it  to  produce;  "for 
by  the  sadness  of  the  countenance  the  heart  is  made  better."  Now,  if  great  and  last- 
ing benefits  are  found  to  result  from  visiting  the  house  of  mourning,  these  may  be 
capable  of  giving  it  the  preference  to  those  seasons  of  fleeting  joy  which  may  be 
found  in  the  house  of  feasting.  A  proper  attention  to  the  distresses  of  life  is,  how- 
ever, well  calculated  to  produce  very  important  effects  on  our  moral  and  religious 
character  ;  for — 

I.  The  house  of  mourning  gives  some  check  to  levity. 

n.  It  awakens  sentiments  of  piety. 

III.  It  arouses  our  sensibilities  and  sympathies  toward  sufferers. 

IV.  It  gives  seasonable  admonitions  to  prepare  for  what  may  soon  be  our  own 
state. 

V.  Excessive  fondness  for  life  will  thereby  be  moderated. 

Blair  also  furnishes  an  example  in  which  the  Topic  occupies  one  part 
of  the  discourse.  Rom.  viii.  28  :  "  We  know  that  all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  those  that  love  God,"  &c.  His  introduction  is  very  beautiful: 
"It  was  the  opinion  of  many  ancient  philosophers  that  private  and  indi- 
vidual interests  were  sacrificed  to  the  general  good  of  all  men.  The  gos- 
pel has  opened  to  us  a  higher  and  more  comfortable  prospect.  It  assures 
US  that  wliilc  .Jehovah  is  ever  carrying  on  the  general  system  of  things  to 
its  proper  perfection,  the  interest  of  no  one  good  man  is  sacrificed  in  any 
point  to  promote  this  end,  but  his  life  is  at  the  same  time  a  system  com- 
plete within  itself,  where  all  things  arc  made  to  conspire  for  bringing 
about  his  felicity." 

His  first  division  contains  some  remarks  in  reference  to  the  characters 
designated  in  the  text,  and  some  explanation  as  to  what  the  good  is  wliich 
is  designed  for  them.  On  the  latter  subdivision  he  has  some  very  judi- 
cious observations  upon  human  sentiment  as  to  what  is  good;  for  here 
many  things  appear  good  to  some  which  do  not  appear  so  to  others.  In 
he  second  part  the  discourse  opens  into  the  Topic :  The  overruling  power 


END    PROPOSED    IN    AN    EXPRESSION    OR    ACTION.  319 

that  directs  all  events  to  the  end  proposed — the  final  object  in  the  events 
themselves. 

In  general,  this  "  working  together  for  good,"  includes  all  that  happens  to  good 
men  in  this  world,  every  station  and  condition  in  which  they  are  placed,  every  cir- 
cumstance in  their  lot,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  Nothing  befalls 
ihem  fortuitously;  nothing  happens  in  vain,  or  without  a  meaning  ;  but  every  event 
possesses  its  proper  and  destined  place,  and  forms  a  link  in  that  great  chain  of  causes 
which  is  appointed  to  carry  on  their  improvement  and  felicity  (the  end  proposed). 
As  all  the  rivers  upon  the  face  of  the  globe,  however  circuitous  they  may  be  in  their 
progress,  and  however  opposite  in  their  course,  yet  meet  at  last  in  the  ocean,  so  all 
the  seemingly  discordant  events  in  the  life  of  a  good  man  are  made  to  preserve,  upon 
the  whole,  an  unerring  tendency  to  his  good,  and  to  concur  and  conspire  for  promo- 
ting  it  at  the  last.  What  a  noble  and  sublime  view  does  this  present  of  the  supreme 
dominion  of  Providence,  and  of  its  care  exercised  over  every  righteous  man  ! 

To  this  end  all  prosperous  circumstances,  and,  more  to  our* purpose,  all  the  evils 
of  this  life,  were  particularly  designed  to  be  subservient.  It  is  certain  that  from  the 
discipline  of  adversity  the  most  salutary  improvements  of  human  nature  have  been 
often  derived.  In  that  severe  school  the  predominant  errors  of  the  mind  have  been 
corrected  :  "  By  the  sadness  of  the  countenance  the  heart  is  made  better."  The  man 
of  God  has  by  these  means  been  trained  up  to  fortitude  of  mind,  improved  in  human- 
ity to  man,  and  formed  to  the  habits  of  devotion  and  resignation  to  God.  Nay,  their 
very  infirmities,  their  failings  and  errors,  are  made,  by  the  poAverful  influence  of 
God's  grace,  to  contribute  ultimately  to  their  good.  They  are  thereby  instructed  in 
the  knowledge  of  themselves;  and  they  are  properly  humbled  by  the  discovery  of 
their  own  weakness. 

It  is  not  merely  said  that  all  things  prove  good  in  their  issue,  but  that  they  "  work" 
for  it.  This  imports  that  "  all  things"  are  so  formed  by  God  as  to  become  active 
causes  of  happiness  to  those  who  love  him.  His  infinite  wisdom  gives  to  things  most 
unapt  an  aptitude  and  fitness  to  fulfil  his  own  great  ends,  and  makes  dangers  and 
evils  his  instruments  for  accomplishing  the  felicity  of  his  servants.  There  is  a  certain 
operation  and  process  always  going  on,  by  which,  though  we  are  insensible  of  it,  all 
things  are  constantly  advancing  toward  the  end  in  view.  In  the  same  manner  as' the 
operation  of  natural  causes,  though  slow  and  unpcrceivcd,  is  sure  ;  as  the  seed  which 
is  sown  in  the  ground  is  every  moment  unfolding  itself,  and,  though  no  eye  can  trace 
its  progress,  yet  with  a  silent  growth  is  preparing  for  the  stalk  and  full  ear,  so,  in  the 
moral  world,  throughout  all  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  there  is  the  same  latent 
but  certain  progress  of  the  seeds  of  virtue  and  holiness,  tending  toward  perfection  in 
the  end.     "Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous,  and  gladness  for  the  upright  in  heart." 

It  is  said  in  the  text,  not  only  that  all  things  thus  work,  but  they"  work  too-elher," 
for  good,  intimating  that  they  are  made  to  conspire  and  to  concur  one  with'another 
for  bringing  about  what  is  best  on  the  whole.  Taken  singly  and  individually,  it 
rnight  be  difficult  to  conceive  how  each  event  wrought  for  good.  They  must  be 
viewed  in  their  consequences  and  effects,  considered  in  their  dependences  and  con- 
nexions, as  links  hanging  together  to  form  one  extensive  chain.  It  is  by  adjusting 
into  one  consistent  whole  the  various  events  that  fill  up  human  life,  arranging  in  the 
happiest  succession  all  the  occurrences  of  that  complicated  scene,  and  ben'ding  to  his 
purpose  things  which  appear  opposite  and  contrary,  that  the  Almighty  accomplishes 
his  great  plan  in  behalf  of  "  those  who  love  him,  and  are  the  called  according  to  his 
purpose." 

The  end  proposed  could  not  be  better  exemplified  than  in  the  above 
instance,  viz.,  the  end  which  Infinite  Wisdom  has  in  the  afflictions  and 
snfFerings  of  the  godly;  and  I  hazard  the  opinion  that  Dr.  Blair,  who  evi- 
dently paid  his  court  to  the  Topics,  did  derive  the  hint  for  the  composi- 
tion of  his  discourse  fi-oni  that  now  before  us. 

Belore  quitting  diis  Topic,  allow  me  to  remind  you  that  in  all  your  dis- 
courses there  should  be  some  end  proposed,  to  which  the  whole  of  your 
remarks  should  bend;  particularly  should  this  be  the  case  in  reference  to 
such  sermons  as  originate  in  particular  occasions.  Thus  Mr.  Robinson 
says:  "Ordination  sermons  very  properly  turn  on  the  desig?i  of  God  in 
establishing  a  standing  gospel  ministry,  on  the  aims  of  bad  and  of  good 


320  LECTURE    XIX. 

men  in  entering  on  tlie  office,  and  so  on.  Funeral  sermons  are  frequently 
composed  on  this  plan;  the  design  of  God  in  afflictive  providences,  de- 
sign of  ministers  in  eulogizing  the  deceased,  &c.  Fast  sermons,  thanks- 
giving and  commemorative  sermons,  are  also  with  great  propriety  com 
posed  on  such  special  views."  In  what  are  called  charity  sermons,  in 
education  sermons,  or  sermons  recommendatory  of  schools  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  poor,  and  in  missionary  sermons,  the  end  in  view  must  be 
strictly  preserved ;  for  their  utility  greatly  depends  upon  it.  It  is  foolish 
to  say  everything  but  what  a  man  engages  to  say.  Supposing  the  institu- 
tion to  be  so  good  as  to  merit  the  engagement,  it  will  surely  furnish  matter 
sufficient  without  the  introduction  of  topics  foreign  from  the  immediate 
design.  These  sermons  should  all  be  contrived  so  that  the  main  subject 
of  the  text  leads  almost  necessarily,  without  anything  like  forced  or  far- 
fetched inference,  to  a  conclusion  favorable  to  the  institution  whose  inter- 
ests you  are  called  on  to  advocate. 

Again :  some  of  our  highly-valued  institutions  are  assisted  by  public 
meetings,  for  which  a  string  of  resolutions  is  to  be  spoken  to  instead  of 
texts.  Great  good  has  been  done  in  this  way,  both  in  reference  to  the  as- 
sistance afforded  to  the  funds  of  such  societies,  and  also  in  regard  to  the 
salutary  impressions  produced  on  the  minds  of  many  who  have  attended 
their  meetings.  As  it  is  not  improbable  that  you  will  be  called  upon  to  speak 
on  some  of  these  occasions,  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  be  able  to  ac- 
quit yourselves  creditably ;  and  in  a  short  space  I  can  not  do  better  than  to 
say  that,  in  order  to  this,  you  must  avoid  the  faults  and  copy  the  excel- 
lences of  the  examples  before  you.  You  will  observe  that  a  preaching 
speech  neither  answers  the  ends  of  the  committee  nor  pleases  the  people. 
The  end  in  view  requires  good  sense.  Christian  feeling,  a  lively  imagina- 
tion, a  readiness  to  avail  yourselves  of  any  topic  that  occurs,  either  in  the 
report  or  the  opening  speech,  in  an  extemporaneous  and  free  manner ;  for 
written  speeches,  delivered  memoritcr,  seldom  succeed  well.  Persons 
who  habituate  themselves  to  speak  on  the  observational  system*  generally 
make  the  best  platform  speakers.  But  the  mere  textuary  is  quite  out  of 
his  element  on  the  platform,  and  if  he  proceed  at  all  he  must  yrcach. 
Occasional  practice  also  in  proposition  will  be  useful  here,  because  some- 
times a  point  requires  to  be  proved.  However,  some  principal  ideas  may 
be  secured  beforehand  ;  and  these  should  be  so  judiciously  incorporated 
with  the  current  topics  of  the  meeting  that  what  you  may  have  previously 
concocted  in  your  own  mind  may  appear  as  naturally  arising  from  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case  as  if  it  had  not  been  matter  of  study  at  all.  The 
late  Mr.  Canning  was  very  expert  at  this.  Anticipating  pretty  nearly 
what  would  be  said  in  the  house,  he  prepared  a  great  deal  of  subject,  and 
then  threw  in  his  speech,  so  modified  by  the  course  of  the  discussion  as 
to  appear  a  perfectly  off-hand  affair.  This  is  absolutely  necessary  if  you 
desire  that  your  speech  should  be  well  received. 

You  never,  or  very  rarely,  hear  a  sensible  speaker  allude  to  himself. 
Egotism  is  abominable :  sj)eak  handsomely  of  everybody  else,  as  far  as 
truth  will  allow,  and  leave  others  to  speak  of  you.  Anecdotes  are  quite 
fashionable ;  they  often  tell  well,  and  that  makes  them  fashionable.  A  just 
taste  will  direct  you  whether  it  will  be  best  to  fly  your  anecdote  or  to  keep 
it  in  the  cage.     Keep  it  in  the  cage  by  all  means  if  you  are  a  party  in  it, 

"  See  Lecture  vii. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  3£1 

or  say,  as  Paul  said,  "I  know  such  a  man,"  &c.  I  have  heard  a 
speaker  entertain  a  meeting  more  than  half  an  hour  with  a  history  of  his 
benevolent  visits  to  Newgate,  to  Bridewell,  into  cellars,  garrets,  &c.;  and 
he  took  care  to  throw  into  his  speech  all  the  good  things  he  said,  and  the 
vast  convincing  and  converting  power  that  his  words  had  upon  the  poor 
creatures,  and  the  subscriptions  he  raised  for  their  relief,  and  concluded  by 
intimating  that  he  felt  quite  ready  to  go  again  upon  exploits  of  the  same 
kind,  being  most  devoutly  disposed  to  do  all  the  good  he  could  in  his 
humble  way.  The  speech  is  done ;  he  waits  to  be  clapped,  sits  down 
without  it  dreadfully  mortified,  and  vows  he  will  never  attend  such  a  meet- 
ing again.  Now  this  is  fulsome  stuff;  one  is  disgusted  to  hear  a  man  thus 
blowing  his  own  trumpet. 

It  is  an  old  observation,  "  Whenever  you  hear  a  person  speak  of  himself, 
open  both  your  ears;"  for  he  will  lay  open  his  litde  self  in  a  most  divert- 
ing manner,  and  if  he  does  not  edify  he  will  amuse  you.  But  let  the  end 
proposed  in  calling  the  meeting  be  always  uppermost  in  your  thoughts, 
and  you  will  not  be  in  danger  of  offending  by  any  intimation  of  your  own 
consequence;  and,  if  you  should  not  be  so  happy  as  to  make  the  most 
eloquent  speech,  yet  certainly  yours  may  be  the  most  closely  appropriate 
of  any.     This  is,  in  fact,  the  best  praise. 


LECTURE  XX. 


TOPIC  XV. 


CONSIDER  WHETHER  THERE  BE  ANYTHING  REMARKABLE  IN  THE  MANNER 
OF  A  SPEECH  OR  ACTION. 

Although  the  manner  in  which  any  sentiment  is  expressed  or  any  ac- 
tion performed  may  be  considered  as  circumstantial  only,  and  our  first  care 
should  be  directed  to  the  doctrine  or  practice  to  which  any  passage  of 
scripture  may  lead,  yet  the  propriety  of  noticing  whatever  is  remarkable 
in  the  style  of  expression,  &c.,  found  in  scripture,  must  be  obvious  to  all 
who  reflect  on  the  subject.  Frequently  indeed  the  whole  force  of  a  text 
of  scripture  is  lost  by  overlooking  some  emphatic  word. 

In  order  to  discover  the  additional  force  which  peculiarities  of  expres- 
sion convey,  little  more  is  required  than  careful  attention,  though  some 
knowledge  of  the  original  languages  will  aflxjrd  valuable  assistance,  and  it 
is  highly  desirable  that  every  preacher  should  learn  at  least  so  much  of  the 
elements  of  Hebrew  and  Greek  as  may  enable  him  to  profit  by  consulting 
the  lexicons.  Bagster's  Comprehensive  Bible  is  also  a  most  excellent 
help  for  this  purpose,  far  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  ever  edited  be- 
fore ;  it  forms  the  best  pulpit  Bible  in  Europe,  and  considering  its  value 
we  ought  not  to  complain  of  the  price :  I  think  every  congregation  ought 
to  furnish  it. 

The  manner  of  expression  in  every  language  is  called  its  idiom,  its  cast, 
its  phraseology.  In  scripture  these  peculiarities  (chiefly  Hebraisms)  are 
very  numerous.*     Sometimes  the  energy  of  a  sentence  lies  in  a  single 

*  See  Lectare  i.,  pp.  21-23. 

21 


322  LECTURE    XX. 

word,  and  that  a  monosyllable.  Such  words  have  been  called  syncategore- 
matica,  a  term  which  rivals  the  famous  name  chrononountonthologos.  Our 
syncategorematica  signifies  that  a  certain  word,  which  is  of  small  or  of  no 
unusual  value  in  itself,  is  yet  made  of  very  great  account  in  company  with 
other  words,  when  suitably  marshalled  among  them.  But  I  think,  with 
submission,  that  these  words  might  better  be  called  jpointers,  in  allusion  to 
the  two  stars  in  the  Ursa  Major  which  point  to  the  north  star;  for  in  like 
manner  these  words  point  to  the  sense,  and  we  mark  them  as  pointers  by 
a  strong  emphasis,  as  "God  so  loved  the  world"  (John  iii.  16);  for  here, 
whether  we  consider  the  subject  of  the  text  (God's  love),  or  the  gift  (his 
only  Son),  we  are  equally  at  a  loss  for  an  expression  of  admiration :  one 
is  "infinite;"  the  other  is  "unspeakable."  The  aposUe  John,  therefore, 
feeling  the  inexpressible  sublimity  of  his  subject,  would  not  attempt  to  un- 
veil it;  yet  by  one  short  word — so,  and  giving  that  a  place  so  well  adapted 
to  receive  it,  he  conveys  to  the  mind  more  than  any  circumlocution  or  am- 
plification ever  could  have  conveyed.  It  is  in  cases  like  these  that  the 
judicious  preacher,  when  he  does  justice  to  his  text,  enlarges  the  concep- 
tions of  his  audience,  and  elevates  himself  in  the  estimation  of  the  wise. 

The  meaning  of  even  single  words  is  not,  however,  always  convertible 
from  one  language  to  another  without  some  diminution  of  force  or  energy; 
but  in  some  cases  the  translation  may  be  more  expressive  than  the  original, 
as  in  Job  iv.  9:  "By  the  blast  of  God  they  perish."  Here  the  Hebrew 
receives  an  accession  of  streno-th  in  our  EnHish  word  blast.  The  original 
means  no  more  than  to  breathe  out  of  the  nostrils  with  anger,  but  in  En- 
glish it  is  the  concentration  of  every  terrible  idea;  it  is  the  terror  of  terrors, 
directed  by  an  unerring  hand  to  execute  vengeance  divine  in  a  moment  on 
provoking  rebels.     Addison  in  Cato  adopts  this  word  with  effect: — 

"  Is  there  not  some  chosen  curse, 
Some  hidden  thunder  iu  the  store  of  heaven, 
Red  v/ith  uncommon  wrath,  to  blast  the  man 
Who  owes  his  greatness  to  his  country's  ruin  ?" 

The  above  is  not  a  solitary  instance  of  the  original  being  somewhat  in- 
debted to  an  English  translation.  Endless  duration  is  both  in  Hebrew  and 
Greek  but  very  imperfectly  expressed :  in  short  they  have  no  single  term 
to  convey  the  idea  of  our  English  v^^ord  everlasting ;  this  meets  the  full 
exigency  of  the  case;  it  conveys  the  solemn  and  sublime  idea  as  far  as 
language  can  carry  it.  The  name  of  the  Supreme  Being,  Almighty,  ex- 
presses in  an  admirable  manner  the  two  words  in  Hebrew,  n-i'  "r-N*.  As 
instances  in  which  our  translation  of  the  New  Testament  favors  a  strong 
expression,  we  may  refer  to  1  Thess.  v.  23:  "The  very  God  of  peace," 
&c.  John  vii.  26:  "Do  the  rulers  Icnow  indeed  that  this  is  the  very 
Christ."  In  general,  however,  these  emphatic  words,  these  pointers,  are 
by  far  the  strongest  in  the  original,  though  not  widiout  strength  when  trans- 
lated into  the  English  language;  for  instance,  1  Chron.  iv.  10:  "Oh  that 
thou  wouldst  bless  me  indeed.'''' — "It  seems,  beside  what  goes  under  the 
common  notion  of  blessings,  Jabez  reckoned  there  was  somewhat  more 
peculiar,  which  he  calls  blessing  indeed.  There  is  a  known  Hebraism  in 
this  expression ;  what  we  read  '  bless  me  indeed,*  is  '  bless  me  in  blessing 
me;'  as  if  he  had  said,  'Let  me  have  a  blessing  within  a  blessing;  let  me 
have  that  blessing  whereof  the  odier  is  but  a  cortex,  the  outside ;  let  me 
have  that  blessing  which  is  wrapped  up  and  enclosed  in  the  external  bles- 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  323 

sing.'  "     The  expression  is  something  akin  to  that  of  the  apostle  "  grace 
for  grace." 

So  hkewise,  Acts  v.  20  :  "  All  the  words  of  this  life:' — "  By  '  this  life' 
is  meant  a  peculiar  sort  of  life.  This  life  rr,;  foj/^s  Vuyr^.  This  same  life 
that  was  so  highly  predicated  and  cried  up  at  that  time,  so  that  no  one 
could  be  in  doubt  what  kind  of  hfe  it  was.  It  is  true  when  we  use  the 
phrase  *  of  this  life,'  we  ordinarily  refer  to  the  common  affairs  of  this  pres- 
ent temporary  hfe ;  but  that  it  can  not  be  so  understood  here  is  evident ; 
the  whole  business  under  consideration  had  quite  another  reference.  The 
apostles  had  no  controversy  with  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  about  the  affairs 
of  this  world,  or  of  the  best  way  of  hving  a  few  days  on  earth,  but  what 
was  the  surest  way  of  hving  for  ever,  and  whether  believing  in  Christ  as 
the  Messiah,  he  that  was  to  come,  was  not  that  way.  Christ's  complaint  was 
that  they  would  not  come  to  him  that  they  might  have  this  life  :  so  here 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  commanded  the  apostles  to  preach  the  words  of  this 
life,  using  the  demonstrative  term  ravTm — this  same  life,  now  so  much  dis- 
puted, and  which  began  to  make  so  great  a  noise  in  the  world,  cried  up  by 
some,  decried  by  others:  this  sufficiently  distinguished  it.  There  were 
some  obscure  notices  of  it  before ;  but  now  it  was  more  clearly  revealed 
and  more  loudly  to  be  spoken  out.  The  manner  of  expression  signifies  it 
to  be  a  peculiar  and  more  excellent  kind  of  life,  very  distinct  from  and  far 
transcending  what  is  common  to  men,  nor  does  it  leave  us  in  any  doubt 
of  the  angel's  meaning.  Now  the  '  words  of  this  life'  must  necessarily 
mean  the  gospel,  viz.,  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  which  Christ's 
servants  are  bound  to  diff"use  in  the  words  of  it.  Hence  it  follows  that  we 
have  things  here  in  speciality ;  first,  that  the  gospel  is  composed  or  made 
up  of  words  of  a  peculiar,  most  excellent,  and  noble  kind  of  life  ;  and, 
secondly,  that  such  words  are  to  be  revered,  preserved,  preached  pure  and 
without  alloy."* 

We  see  by  these  instances  how  much  is  to  be  learnt  by  paying  strict 
attention  to  the  manner  of  an  expression,  and  that  to  pass  by  this  is  to 
make  slovenly  work  of  preaching.  The  proper  course  as  to  these  passa- 
ges seems  to  be  to  state  the  beauty  or  force  of  the  word  or  words,  or  their 
peculiarity,  and  then  to  comment  upon  them  with  truth  and  accuracy,  as 
in  the  foregoing  quotations.  Some  criticisms  may  be  dry  and  uninteresting, 
but  such  as  these  never  can  be  so. 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that  scripture  follows  no  settled  manner  in  ex- 
pression. Sometimes,  instead  of  a  concise  usage,  it  adopts  a  modified 
manner,  as  in  Gen.  vi.  5  :  "  Every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his 
heart  was  only  evil  continually."  Still,  in  general,  scripture  beauties  con- 
sist in  brevities,  multum  in  iiarvo,  like  the  diamond  that  by  diminutive 
brilhancy  attracts  and  secures  to  itself  the  honor  of  pre-eminence.  It  will 
be  our  present  business  to  search  for  these  valuables,  and  bring  them  to 
light,  or  rather  bring  again  to  light  what  others  have  discovered,  and  per- 
haps the  best  way  will  be  to  consider  them  by  the  part  of  speech  to  which 
they  respectively  belong. 

The  Greek  articles  are  very  superior  to  those  of  the  English,  as  Matt. 
xxvi.  28.  Our  Lord,  at  the  institution  of  the  commemorative  supper,  took  the 
cup,  and  having  given  it  to  his  disciples,  said  :  "  For  this  is  my  blood  of  the 
New  Testament,  which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins."    Almost 

*  J.  Howe. 


324  LECTURE    XX. 

every  syllable  of  the  Greek,  but  especially  the  article,  is  singularly  emphatic. 

TovTO  yap  ccTi  TO  atfia  ^ou,  TO  rfji  Kaivrji   Siadnu'li}  TO  n£pi  ttoWojv  tK')(yvojizvov  ci;  aiptaiv  a^aprioii'. 

The  following  literal  translation  and  paraphrase  are  suitable  to  the  original: 
"  For  this  is  that  blood  of  mine  which  was  pointed  out  by  all  the  sacri- 
fices under  the  Jewish  law,  and  particularly  by  the  shedding  and  sprink- 
ling of  the  blood  of  the  paschal  lamb,  that  blood  of  the  sacrifice  slain  for 
the  ratification  of  the  new  covenant,  the  blood  ready  to  be  poured  out  for 
the  multitude,  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews,  for  the  taking  away  of  sin 
— sin,  whether  original  or  actual,  in  all  its  power  and  guilt,  in  all  its  energy 
and  pollution."* 

Here  we  obtain  a  clear  and  distinct  view  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  which 
we  so  often  commemorate  though  I  think  not  often  enough),  which  reflec- 
tion, abstraction,  or  meditation,  but  faintly  represents.  The  law  is  the 
mirror,  the  medium  of  knowledge ;  this  help  must  not  be  despised  nor 
neglected.  You,  as  preachers,  must  study  the  law;  you  must  be  lawyers, 
or  you  can  not  be  gospelers  in  the  complete  sense  intended. 

In  the  foregoing  translation,  the  three  words  in  capitals  are  the  pointers 
without  which  we  can  not  w^ell  discern  the  sense.  This  is  a  very  choice 
excellence  of  the  Greek  language,  which  Avithout  very  great  care  we  almost 
lose. 

Another  instance  we  have  in  St.  Peter's  famous  confession,  Matt.  xvi. 
16:  T.V  eLbXpi<7Toshvios  TOY  Ocov  TOY  ^ojvros.  "Thou  art  «Ae  Christ,  ^^e  Son 
of  the  living  God."  In  this  passage,  as  in  the  last  instance,  every  word  is 
highly  emphatic,  agreeably  to  a  rule  in  the  Greek  language.  The  apostle 
Peter  did  not  say  merely,  thou  art  Christ,  Son  of  God,  without  the  article, 
but  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Messiah,  the  Son,  that  very  Son,  thus  positively 
asserting  his  belief  of  that  fundamental  article  of  the  Christian  religion,  the 
divinity  and  office  of  the  Redeemer  of  the  world.  Again  :  to  follow  the 
passage  through  every  beauty — "  Of  the  living  God,  or  of  God  the  living 
one."  There  is  also  something  as  to  emphasis  to  be  observed  in  our 
Lord's  reply  to  Peter:  Lv si  UcTpoi-  "  I  say  unto  thee.  Thou  art  Peter," 
importing  that  the  name  was  more  a  title  than  a  proper  name.  This  was 
more  particularly  the  case  in  former  times  ;  for,  when  a  person's  name  was 
changed,  the  new  name  was  always  significant ;  and  for  the  most  part, 
when  a  name  was  given  by  divine  authority,  it  was  predictive  of  some 
peculiarity  in  the  character,  the  life,  the  achievements,  or  the  destiny,  of  the 
person  on  whom  it  was  conferred.  When  Simon  the  son  of  Jona  first 
became  a  follower  of  Christ,  our  Lord  gave  him  the  name  of  Cephas  or 
tlie  rock,  which  passed  into  the  equivalent  word  in  the  Greek,  ITcrpos.  Qur 
Lord,  upon  this  occasion  of  the  confession  of  his  faith,  says  to  him,  "  Thou 
art  Peter.''  The  like  form  of  words — though  the  similarity  appears  not 
in  our  English  .bibles — but  the  like  form  of  words  was  used  by  the  patri- 
arch Jacob,  as  the  exordium  of  the  blessing  which  he  pronounced  upon 
the  most  distinguished  of  his  sons:  "  Thou  art  Judah:  thy  brethren  shall 
praise  thee  ;"  that  is,  "  Thou  hast  been  rightly  named  Judah  ;  the  name 
properly  belongs  to  thee,  because  thou  wilt  be  what  the  name  imports,  the 
object  of  thy  brethren's  praise."  So  here  :  "Thou  art  Peter;"  that  is, 
"  Thou  hast  been  properly  named  so ;  for  it  now  appears  that  thou  hast 
about  thee  what  the  name  imports." 

*  Prebendary  Home,  vol.  il. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR  ACTION.  325 

But  to  proceed  a  little  further  in  these  edifying  criticisms,  turn  to  John 
1.  ^l  .  O  .po<pr,rr,,e,  .„;_'*  Art  thou  that  prophct"  whoHi  the  Jewish  nation 
have  so  long  and  so  anxiously  expected,  and  who  was  promised  by  Mo- 
ses ?'  Deu^  xvm  15-18.  Revert  also  to  John  x.  11  :  E^,.  .,.  a  I'j^'ll 
7-  It,  ^'^^f  g°«?^hepherd  "  or  -  ^/ee  shepherd  that  good  one,"  of  whom 
Isaiah  (xl    11    and  Ezekiel  (xxxiv.  23)  respectively  prophesied.* 

See  John  .  14:  "  The  Word  was  made  fieJ,Udu.elt  among  us," 
ZTZTl  .,<.  literally  tabernacled  among  us.  The  word  ....o.  signifies 
to  e  ect  a  booth,  tabernacle,  or  temporary  residence,  and  not  a  pernfanent 
dweling;  It  was  therefore  fitly  applied  to  the  humanity  of  Cl2,  which 
like  the  ancient  tabernacle,  was  to  be  only  a  temporary  residence  of  the 
eternal  Divmity  on  eardi.     There  is  also  a  strong  emphL L  i.  ^Lord's 

rtteVoVs""Te"^  ''r  ^f••''^  "^^"^^^*  ""^«  Godle  thi:fg 
mat  aie  God  s ,  d  e  Greek  article  is  twice  repeated,  Ta  ro.  e.o..  There  is 
a  still  more  remarkable  emphasis  in  Heb.    xiii    5-  o„  J-/ieie  is 

T:;^Z:t^^''  ^^^-^  '^  ^^™'  »■  -  ^  -"'  -  -eave  thee,  no.l. 

Verbs  in  the  imperative  mood  are  verv  exnresmVf.   ^^  u  r  ^ 

us  reason  too-Ptli^r''     u  n  I  t:xpressive,  as      tome  now,  let 

ub  ledson  together  — "  Come  unto  me  all  vou  thaf  lahm-  "  ^^   .  fk* 

borne  imes  adverbs  carry  great  emphasis  as  to  some  notion  of  time 

de^eneracv  Awl  "  '  P'?"''"'^  ^P'""'"'  ^""^  ^'^^  =>  d™"  of  great 
Pbus  Jews' 4,1  f'T  "'^"P""  wiclcedness  there  were  a  few  Truly 
™   rL   V  ii  T'tT  ""'  '"  ^r"'?-"     We  may  also  notiee  this 

given  on  behalf  of  Christ,"  L;  ^ndl'sam  7:'  T  JtrtTl"  " 

vii  37' " Salutes  t^'  "'""'"'™  °?"^  '^"P-  Ks^'xtTs Zm. 
lo v;d  us  "_.fv*  "S^  "f  r.™''r  *=">  oo^q^efors  through  him  that 

ordinary' f^J^^JJ  '"T^"  ^^  ?'''"'^^''  "*^'  *ere  is  a  more  than 
heroLaftrtmnh      Tl  1'  "T  """'  '^"?'«™-''.  »»  they  express  an 

neroical  tmimph.     The  apostle  does  not  simply  say,  '  We  bear  our  trial., 

iTe  rmr^'We':,""'  ''"'\"^^' '  ^'  ^"="'  -■^-^'inls  coifli  ;t 

u?ab  wUh^,,  V  ""'  */"•  «.»"<!"«™'-^-'  It  is  much  Umt  faith  resists 
TombaT  b,l„  I  "T'^f^  V",;''  '"'"■'^ '"  """i'""  these  trials  after  a  rude 
muchly  to  s!y  f i™  f ,  *^  ^^''^"^^  f ''»»  b^  «"-  "«"'  «  -«?»«^-  is  as 
r"sTstance  '  t  k  s  ,  ™"1"''  "^l'"""  *  ''"™''^''  »"d  triuniph  without 
Toy  fndlL  /  ^*  ™'"='"'V°  '^i''  'He  shall  make  trials  U,e  matter  of  his 
themnottjffl^-'!-*''  "P?"^  '^y''  '  ^e  glory  in  tribulation'),  considering 
was  als^thef  ?r"'  "".'^rT'^''  '""  ^^'"""e  honors  and  feyors.'  This 
Ui  riven  krf?,?'"r^?™  ''*=  ™"'  «»  "><^  PhUippians,  '  Unto  you 
uffeffor  Ws  »L  '  H  ""^  ^''!'f '  "°'  ""'y  ">  '"'"eve  on  him,  but  also^o 
God  for  wL^.t  r^'r?™'"'!':^  sufferings  as  gifts  of  the  liberaHty  of 
uod,  lor  which  the  faithful  are  obliged  to  be  thankful. 

nor  an°eTs  n'o'r",!^"'  P'^'^"'  '  ^  '™  Persuaded  that  neither  death  nor  life, 
to  comi  „' r;  ?"u?'P''''"f  <  T  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things 
eparl  uTfro,^^.?  '  T  '^T^^-:  ""  ""^  "*'"•  ^feature,  shall  be  able  to 
You  may  h/rr  ^\'  °u  ^°'''  "'"''=''  '«  '"  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.' 
i;ou  may  here  remark  the  heroism  and  magnanimity  of  St.  Paul.     His 


*  Home. 


326  LECTURE    XX. 

faith  seems  to  defy  all  the  powers  of  nature.  He  assembles  them  all — 
life,  death,  angels,  &c.,  to  triumph  over  them,  and  to  exult  in  their  defeat. 
This  lano-uage  marks  a  full  persuasion  of  the  favor  of  God  and  an  invinci- 
ble confidence  in  his  love. 

'*  Such  remarks  as  these  may  be  made  upon  many  expressions  of  Jesus 
Christ,  wherein  are  discovered  a  dignity  and  majesty  which  can  not  belong 
to  any  mere  creature,  as  when  he  says,  '  Before  Abraham  was  I  am' — 
'  While  1  am  in  the  world  I  am  the  light  of  the  world' — '  All  mine  are 
thine,  and  thine  are  mine  ;  and  I  am  glorified  in  them' — '  You  believe  in 
God,  believe  also  in  me' — '  Whatsoever  you  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I 
do  ;'  and  many  other  passages  of  the  same  kind." 

The  above  examples  will,  I  think,  be  sufficient  to  show  that  the  manner 
of  an  expression,  &c.,  deserves  your  regard.  This  science  is  worthy  the 
name  that  is  given  to  it,  p/iz/o/oo-y^ — the  lore  of  ivords,  and  can  not  fail  to 
assist  the  diligent  student  to  bring  out  of  the  divine  treasury  things  new 
and  old.  I  have  already  said  that  it  is  not  very  difficult ;  it  requires  noth- 
ing but  an  accurate  inspection  of  words  and  their  design.  An  intimate 
acquaintance  with  your  own  language  is,  however,  of  vast  importance,  and 
to  acquire  it  you  must  submit  to  the  drudgery  of  carefully  studying  a  good 
dictionary.  Perry's  Synonymous  Dictionary  is  excellent  to  direct  to  the 
choice  of  words,  and  Walker's  Pronouncing  Dictionary  for  pronuncia- 
tion. Some  preachers  are  in  the  habit  of  using  words  the  true  meaning 
of  which  they  do  not  understand,  and  not  unfrequently  expose  themselves 
by  a  barbarous  pronunciation,  which  is  a  great  reproach  to  a  public 
speaker. 

I  know  it  is  not  your  duty  to  be  always  pondering  upon  words  ;  gener- 
ally speaking,  you  must  fix  upon  the  subject  of  your  text,  its  general  char- 
acter and  design,  and  must  discuss  ably  and  comprehensively ;  but  when- 
ever there  is  an  evident  emphasis  upon  any  word,  however  small  the  word 
may  be,  it  ought  not  to  be  overlooked  or  neglected. 

Allow  me  to  recommend  that,  when  you  read  the  Scriptures  for  your 
private  edification,  you  mark  these  extraordinary  words  by  drawing  a  hne 
under  them  with  a  pen,  and  I  feel  persuaded  that  your  edification  will  re- 
ward your  sedulous  attention  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  hurrying  peru- 
sal is  like  travelling  post — a  number  of  beauties  scattered  by  the  way  must 
be  passed  unnoticed. 

Having  thus  recommended  the  Topic  to  your  attention,  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  add  that,  in  endeavoring  to  give  their  full  effect,  their  full  strength 
and  fair  proportions,  to  the  peculiarities  on  which  we  are  treating,  we  must 
be  careful  not  to  dwell  so  long  upon  single  words  as  to  become  trifling  or 
tedious,  as  that  would  defeat  the  very  design  and  intention  altogether. 
Some  hints  to  this  end  we  shall  gather  from  the  perusal  of  the  sermons  of 
Walker,  Davies,  Simeon,  &c.  They  thought  this  an  important  point,  and 
they  have  left  us  the  benefit  of  their  plans.  A  few  specimens  shall  now 
be  laid  before  you. 

Mr.  Simeon  on  Deut.  xxvii.  26,  "  Cursed  be  he  that  confirmcth  not  all 
the  words  of  this  law,"  &c.,  notices  the  great  emphasis  of  the  word  Amen, 
which  we  are  so  frequently  taking  into  our  lips.  He  remarks  that  the  term 
imports — 

I.  An  assent  to  the  truth. 

II.  A  confession  of  its  reasonableness. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  327 

III.  An  acknowledgment  of  its  excellency. 

IV.  An  approbation  of  it  with  regard  to  our  own  particular  case. 

Mr.  Davies  (vol.  i.,  p.  188)  on  Isa.  Ixvi.  2  :  "To  this  man  will  I  look, 
even  to  him  that  is  poor,"  &c.  In  this  passage  the  emphasis  lies  upon 
the  pronoun  this,  distinguishing  the  objects  of  divine  regard  and  rejecting 
the  self-righteous  character  that  claims  a  look  from  heaven.  Our  author 
preserves  the  emphasis  by  making  his  divisions  and  discussions  to  turn  on 
the  descriptions  given  in  the  text  of  the  man  to  whom  the  Majesty  of 
Heaven  condescends  to  look  with  favor. 

I.  It  i3»the  poor  man  whom  he  thus  regards. 

II.  His  contrition  is  noticed. 

III.  He  is  one  who  trembles  at  God's  word. 

By  referring  to  a  former  lecture  you  will  see  the  emphasis  and  divisions 
run  upon  the  word  show :   "  Who  will  show  us  any  good  ?"  Ps.  iv.  6. 

Mr.  Walker,  on  Hos.  xiv.  8 — "  Ephraim  shall  say,  What  have  I  to  do 
any  more  with  idols  ?" — takes  notice  of  the  emphatic  word  shall.  He  ob- 
serves— 

There  is  something  very  remarkable  in  this  expression.  Ephraim  had  joined 
himself  to  idols;  God  once  seemed  to  let  him  alone  ;  but  now  divine  compassion 
decides  otherwise :  "  Ephraim  shall  say,"  &:c.  These  words  suggest  the  following 
observations : — 

I.  That  a  sinner  in  his  natural  state  is  joined  to  idols. 

II.  That  to  separate  a  sinner  from  his  idols  is  the  work  of  God  alone. 

III.  That  this  separation  is  effected  by  discoveries  of  grace. 

IV.  That  every  person  thus  separated  will  readily  speak  out  the  words  of  the 
text,  and  cry,  in  response  to  the  Lord's  shall,  "I  will  renounce  idols." 

Walker,  on  Gal.  vi.  4  :  "  Let  every  one  prove  his  own  work."  His 
divisions  are — 

I.  Explain  the  import  of  the  exhortation. 

II.  Give  some  directions  with  regard  to  the  manner  of  conducting  the  inquiry. 

Under  the  former  head  he  remarks,  "  There  is  a  particular  emphasis  in 
these  words,  which  must  not  be  overlooked.  It  is  his  own  work  that  a 
man  must  prove.  We  are  all  ready  enough  to  examine  the  works  of  oth- 
ers, and  to  pass  sentence  upon  them.  We  are  often  abroad,  but  seldom 
at  home,  where  our  chief  business  lies.  Like  some  travellers,  who  are 
well  acquainted  with  foreign  countries,  but  shamefully  ignorant  of  their 
own,  we  know  more  of  others  than  we  are  willing  to  know  of  ourselves, 
and  persuade  ourselves  that  the  study  of  our  own  hearts  is  a  dull  and  mel- 
ancholy business,  which  may  incite  within  us  many  uneasy  thoughts,  and 
can  give  us  no  pleasure." 

_  The  foregoing  examples  turn  chiefly  on  single  words  ;  but  the  Topic 
will  also  lead  us  to  notice  phrases  or  sentences  in  which  the  style  or 
manner  of  expression  may  be  in  any  respect  remarkable.  The  following 
is  an  example  in  which  the  Topic  is  thus  employed  as  the  basis  of  di- 
vision : — 

Walker,  on  James  iv.  13-15  :  "  Go  to  now,  you  that  say.  To-day  or 
to-morrow  we  will  go  into  such  a  city,"  &c.     He  considers — 

I.  The  form  of  expression  condemned. 

II.  The  amendment  suggested. 

These  examples  will,  I  imagine,  be  sufficient  to  direct  any  student. 
Emphatic  words  or  phrases  are  in  some  cases  to  affect  the  division  of  a 
discourse,  while  in  others  a  transient  notice  will  be  sufficient.     A  sound 


328  LECTURE    XX. 

judgment  is  of  continual  utility  ;  and  this,  like  every  other  faculty,  will  be 
strengthened  and  improved  by  exercise  and  experience. 

I  have  no  further  remarks  to  offer  on  this  Topic,  so  far  as  regards  the 
assistance  which  it  is   calculated  to   furnish  in  sermonizing,   but  I  shall 
avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  recommend  an  attention  to  mnjiner  in 
reference  to  the  delivery  of  your  discourses,  and  to  offer  a  few  hints  for 
the  assistance  of  those  who  may  not  have  an  opportunity  to  consult  more 
elaborate  treatises  on  this  subject.     Such,  in  my  view,  is  the  importance 
attaching  to  the  manner  in  which  anything  is  done  that  it  may  be.  called  a 
distinct  study,  and  one  that  is  well  worthy  the  student's  attention.     When 
we  consider  what  a  commanding  influence  the   mere   manner  of  a  thing 
obtains  among  men,  how  much  the  best  actions  may  suffer  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  are  performed,  and  how  often  the  manner  will  carry  a 
point  with  very  slender  means,  must  we  not  admit  that  it  ought  to  receive 
our  best  attention  in  everything  we  execute,  in  everj'thing  we  say,  and  in 
everything  in  which  our  fellow-men  are  to  be  our  observers  and  critics  ? 
The  manner  in  which  an  army  is  arranged  and  a  battle  fought  is  common- 
ly of  great  consequence,  and  often   contributes  more  to  the  victory  than 
valor  or  numerical  strength.     Often  has   the   manner  of  an  orator  been 
found  so  to  strike  the  eye  and  the  ear,  tliat  thunders  of  applause  have  fol- 
lowed a  well-delivered  sentence,  a  just  emphasis,  or  a  graceful  cadence, 
though  the  sentence  itself  would  have   passed  unnoticed  but  for  such  an 
appendage.     We  have  several  popular  preachers  who  owe  almost  every- 
thing to  their  manner ;  and  many  others  who  ought  to  be  popular,  and  cer- 
tainly would  be   so,  if  an  attention  to  manner  occupied  one  tenth  of  the 
time  and  pains  employed  on  their  compositions.     "  When  we  address  our- 
selves to  others  by  words,"  observes  Dr.  Blair,  "  our  intention  certainly 
is  to  make  some  impression  on  those  to  whom  we  speak  ;  it  is  to  convey 
to  them  our  own  ideas  and  emotions.     Now  the   tone   of  our  voice,  our 
looks  and  gestures,  interpret  our  ideas  and  emotions  no  less  than  words 
do  ;  nay,  the  impression  they  make  on  others  is  frequently  much  strong- 
er than   any  that  words   can  make.      We  often  see  that  an  expressive 
look,  or  a  passionate  cry,  unaccompanied   by  words,  conveys  to  others 
more  forcible  ideas,  and  rouses  within  them  stronger  passions,  than  can  be 
communicated  by  the  most  eloquent  discourse.      The  signification  of  our 
sentiments  made  by  tones  and  gestures  has  this  advantage  above  that  made 
by  words,  that  it  is  the  language  of  nature.     It  is  that  method  of  interpret- 
ing our  mind  which  nature  nas  dictated  to  all,  and  which  is  understood  by 
all ;  whereas  words  are  arbitrary  conventional  symbols  of  our  ideas,  and  by 
consequence  must  make  a  more  feeble  impression.     So  true  is  this,  that, 
to  render  words  fully  significant,  they  must  in  almost  every  case  receive 
some  aid  from  the  manner  of  pronunciation  and  delivery  ;  and  he  who,  in 
speaking,  should  employ  bare  words,  without  enforcing  them  by  proper 
tones  and  accents,  would  leave  us  with  a  faint  and  indistinct  impression, 
often  with  a  doubtful  and  ambiguous  conception,  of  what  he  had  deliv- 
ered.    Nay,  so  close  is  the  connexion  between  certain  sentiments  and  the 
proper  manner  of  pronouncing  them,  that  he  who  does  not  pronounce 
them  after  that  manner  can  never  persuade  us  that  he  believes  or  feels  the 
sentiments  themselves."* 

"  Blair,  Lecture  xxxviiL 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  329 

"  Pleads  he  in  earnest  ?    Look  upon  his  face : 
His  eyes  do  drop  no  tears,  his  prayers  are  jest: 
His  words  come  from  his  mouth  ;  ours  from  our  breast : 
He  prays  but  faintly,  and  would  be  denied  : 
We  pray  with  heart  and  soul." 

The  following  is  a  translation  (the  first,  I  believe,  in  print)  of  Borro- 
meo's  directions  on  this  subject,  which  are  well  worthy  of  the  student's 
attention : — 

"Let  him  not  aim  at  a  labored  kind  of  eloquence.  Let  him  avoid  all 
dissimulation.  Let  him  not,  in  the  act  of  speaking,  follow  the  manner  of 
the  ignorant  multitude ;  and  let  him  avoid  obsolete  and  foreign  words.  He 
will  by  all  means  avoid  such  terms  as  those  o^  fate,  for  time,  mischance, 
and  others  of  that  kind.  Let  him  not  affect  a  too  frequent  use  of  epithets, 
nor  a  poetical  kind  of  speaking.  Let  him  not  make  use  of  the  proverbs 
.of  old  women ;  and  let  him  avoid  a  repetition  of  the  same  matter.  When 
he  speaks  of  faults  which  offend  against  chastity,  let  him  use  caution,  lest 
he  imprudently  fall  into  obscene  discourse.  Let  him  take  care  that  in 
speaking  he  do  not  throw  out  scandalous  insinuations.  Let  him  by  all 
means  avoid  flattery,  and  beware  of  an  ostentatious  manner  of  speaking. 
Let  him  not  speak  ambiguously,  nor  too  concisely  or  obscurely,  that  his 
hearers  may  not  be  in  doubt.  A  preacher  will  endeavor  to  moderate  his 
voice  and  action  so  as  to  seem  to  speak,  not  according  to  art,  but  sincerely, 
and  according  to  nature.  Let  him  not  strike  the  pulpit  with  his  hands, 
except  when  the  importance  of  the  subject  requires  it.  Let  him  not  fly, 
as  it  were,  across  the  pulpit,  leaping  first  from  this  corner  and  then  from 
that.  Let  him  stand  upright  in  the  pulpit.  Let  him  not  wrinkle  his  nose, 
lick  his  lips,  fix  his  chin  on  his  chest,  nor  throw  out  his  arms  like  a  gladi- 
ator. Let  him  neither  cough  nor  spit  frequently,  unless  necessity  compel 
him.  Nor  let  him,  while  speaking,  discharge  the  greater  part  of  his  breath 
tlirough  his  nose." 

To  this  plain  but  judicious  counsel  I  beg  leave  here  to  add  the  fol- 
lowing hints,  as  preliminary  to  the  direct  study  of  manner: — 

1.  Study  to  discover  and  correct  your  very  worst  fault  before  you  at- 
tempt anything  else ;  then  endeavor  to  correct  the  next  worst,  and  so  on 
till  your  whole  manner  is  changed.  If  any  difficulty  occur  in  this  discov- 
ery, make  use  of  your  friends  and  even  your  enemies;  at  any  rate  make 
the  discovery. 

"  If  you  in  true  intent  your  faults  would  know, 
Make  use  of  every  friend  and  every  foe." 

This  advice  I  apply  particularly  to  any  natural  or  acquired  bad  habit  in 
speaking. 

2.  Get  a  correct  notion  of  what  is  neat  and  graceful.  To  this  end 
study  nature ;  see  how  nature  expresses  herself  where  passions  or  feehngs 
are  unrestrained.  Also  as  far  as  you  have  opportunity,  take  the  benefit 
of  the  best  living  examples — the  best  public  preachers,  the  best  pleaders, 
the  most  eloquent  of  our  senators.  Whatever  is  excellent  in  these  has  its 
foundation  in  nature. 

3.  Before  manner  can  be  of  any  use,  the  matter  of  your  discourse 
must  be  well  studied  and  arranged,  and  you  must  be  able  to  express  your 
thoughts  in  correct  and  suitable  language,  otherwise  there  would  be  noth- 
ing worthy  of  a  graceful  manner.  A  discourse  well  arranged  and  ele- 
gantly worded  may  be  thought  to  require  no  aid  from  manner;  but  this  is 


330  LECTURE    XX. 

certainly  a  mistake,  since  the  more  excellent  the  matter  and  arrangement 
of  a  discourse,  the  more  capable  it  is  of  receiving  every  embellishment 
that  a  graceful  manner  can  add  to  it :  and  in  this  view  there  is  no  occasion 
to  insthute  the  inquiry,  "  Whether  matter  or  manner  conduce  most  to  the 
effect  of  a  sermon." 

I  am  perfectly  aware  that  the  remarks  offered  in  this  lecture  are  but  litde 
wanted  by  many  of  my  readers.  Some  have  a  countenance  so  naturally 
expressive,  or  possess  such  strong  religious  feelings,  that  they  can  not 
speak  otherwise  than  impressively ;  many  also  have  acquired  such  a  just 
manner  of  pronunciation  from  good  tutors  as  to  require  no  assistance  from 
these  pages;  some  have  a  naturally  graceful  matiner;  some  so  fine  an  ear 
to  propriety,  and  a  perception  so  correct,  that  in  practice  they  are  little 
behind  the  more  highly  educated;  while  others  are  furnished  with  works 
which  treat  fully  on  the  subjects  which  can  here  be  but  briefly  touched 
upon.  All  these  classes  are  quite  out  of  my  present  view,  my  design 
being  to  furnish  some  assistance  to  the  least  educated,  and  to  those  who 
have  the  fewest  advantages. 

One  of  the  first  objects  of  attention,  in  reference  to  manner,  is  the 
proper  management  of  the  voice.  It  is  plain  that  we  should  so  speak  as 
that  we  may  be  well  heard :  the  ancient  wizards  muttered  as  though  they 
distrusted  their  own  words ;  Isa.  viii.  19.  It  is  equally  plain  that  we  should 
speak  agreeably,  so  as  to  move  the  audience  we  address.  By  the  former 
we  raise  or  convey  ideas,  and  by  the  latter  we  excite  emotions.  The 
quantity  of  voice  must  be  sufficient  for  the  whole  space  occupied;  and, 
when  a  voice  is  naturally  weak,  it  may  be  brought  to  a  sufficient  strength 
by  degrees,  as  I  perfectly  know  by  experience.  But,  beside  mere  volume 
of  voice,  the  sound,  in  whatever  degree  it  is  made,  will  receive  very  great 
advantage  from  a  distinct  manner  of  speaking.  "Distinctness  of  articu- 
lation contributes  more,  perhaps,  to  being  well  heard  and  clearly  under- 
stood than  mere  loudness  of  sound.  The  quantity  of  sound  necessary  to 
fill  even  a  large  space  is  smaller  than  is  commonly  imagined ;  and,  with  a 
distinct  articulation,  a  man  of  a  weak  voice  will  make  it  reach  further  than 
the  strongest  voice  can  reach  without  it.  To  this,  therefore,  every  public 
speaker  ought  to  pay  great  attention.  He  must  give  every  sound  which 
he  utters  its  due  proportion,  and  let  every  syllable,  and  even  every  letter 
in  the  word  which  he  pronounces,  be  heard  distinctly,  without  slurring, 
whispering,  or  suppressing  any  of  the  proper  sounds."*  I  add,  speak 
neither  too  slowly  nor  too  rapidly. 

Manner  has  also  some  respect  to  accentuation,  and  on  this  I  must  be 
excused  if  I  lead  you  back  to  your  former  studies.  "Accent,"  says  Mur- 
ray, "  is  the  laying  of  a  peculiar  stress  of  the  voice  on  a  certain  letter  or 
syllable  in  a  word,  that  it  may  be  better  heard  than  the  rest,  or  distin- 
guished from  them ;  as  in  the  word  presume,  the  stress  of  the  voice  must 
be  upon  the  letter  u,  and  hence  the  second  syllable  takes  the  accent." 
Entick's  or  Johnson's  accentuated  dictionaries  give  the  whole  scheme,  but 
Walker's  pronouncing  dictionary  is  generally  considered  the  best. 

Next  to  this,  whole  sentences  require  attention,  and  every  sentence  has 
one  or  more  emphatic  word  or  words  in  it.  Emphasis  (from  cii<paiv<^,  to 
express  strongly)  either  establishes  the  true  sense  of  a  sentence  or  ruins 
and  perverts  it.     Take  for  an  example  the  words  of  our  Savior,  John  vi. 

*  Blair,  Lecture  xxxiii. 


MANNER    OR    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  331 

67:  "Will  you  also  go  away?"  Here  the  emphasis  is  certainly  required 
upon  the  word  you.  "  The  crowd  is  gone,  the  crowd  is  offended,  and 
will  you  go  after  them."  The  reply  of  Peter,  in  the  name  of  his  fellow- 
disciples,  proves  this  point.  Now,  although  I  have  fixed  upon  the  empha- 
sis, yet  there  is  very  strong  meaning  in  the  sentence  on  whichever  word 
the  emphasis  is  placed.  Upon  the  word  you  it  is  very  strong:  ''you,  my 
disciples,  whom  I  have  taken  under  my  wing,  whom  I  have  taught  and 
instructed;  consider  the  profession  you  have  made,  the  obligations  you  lie 
under,  the  expectations  you  have  from  me."  If  we  place  the  emphasis 
on  also,  then  it  refers  to  those  who  have  departed ;  if  on  the  words  go 
away,  fresh  matter  immediately  appears:  "Will  you  leave  your  Master? 
Are  you  willing  to  relinquish  all  claim  to  my  care,  love,  tenderness,  pro- 
tection, and  salvation?  What  wrong  have  you  found  in  me?  have  I  ever 
disappointed  your  just  and  reasonable  hopes?  have  I  ever  been  a  barren 
wilderness  to  you?  Can  you  find  a  better  master?  will  your  adversary 
the  devil,  will  the  world,  or  sin,  promise  and  perform  what  I  make  over  to 
you  in  the  New  Testament?  What  can  earth,  what  can  heaven  itself  do 
for  you?  If  you  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  you,  and 
can  you  bear  my  departure  from  you?" 

There  is  also,  as  you  recollect,  in  most  grammars,  this  example  of  em- 
phasis: "Do  you  ride  to  town  to-day?"  Now  if  you  read  these  words 
without  the  least  emphasis,  the  question  will  be  very  equivocal.  If  you 
place  the  emphasis  on  the  second  word  ^jou,  the  answer  might  be:  "No,  I 
shall  send  my  man."  If  you  place  it  on  the  next  word  ride,  then  the  an- 
swer might  be :  "  No,  I  shall  walk."  If  you  place  it  upon  the  succeeding 
word  tomi,  then  the  answer  might  be:  "No,  I  shall  take  my  ride  in  the 
country."  If,  lastly,  you  place  it  on  to-day,  then  the  answer  might  be: 
"No,  I  shall  defer  my  ride  till  to-morrow." 

Blair  points  out  the  several  shades  of  difference  in  the  point  and  mean- 
in"^  that  may  attach  to  the  appeal  which  Christ  made  to  Judas,  according 
as^he  emphasis  is  placed:  "Judas,  betrayest  thou  the  Son  of  man  with  a 
kiss?"  Marking  the  word  betrayest  makes  the  reproach  turn  on  the  infa- 
my of  treachery.  Betrayest  thou?  makes  it  to  rest  upon  Judas's  connex- 
ion with  his  Master.  Betrayest  thou  the  Son  of  man?  rests  it  on  Christ's 
character  as  the  Redeemer.  Place  the  emphasis  on  the  word  hiss,  and  it 
turns  upon  prostituting  the  signal  of  peace  to  the  purpose  of  destruction. 
Now  I  submit  that  the  emphasis  ought  to  lie  on  thou,  which  marks  Judas's 
connexion  with  his  Master,  because  it  agrees  with  the  prophetic  language 
of  the  Psalms,  Ps.  xli.  9:  "Yea,  my  own  familiar  friend,  in  whom  I 
trusted,  who  did  eat  of  my  bread,  hath  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me ;"  and 
it  is  particularly  noticed  in  the  gospel  that  he  was  "  one  of  the  twelve." 
Besides,  that  any  other  than  one  of  Christ's  friends  should  be  treacherous 
and  deceitful  is  no  marvel  at  all. 

Again :  take  this  passage.  Acts  xvii.  28 :  "  We  are  also  his  offspring." 
If  the  emphasis  be  placed  upon  the  word  we,  it  points  out  who  were  the 
persons  so  called  the  offspring  of  God :  if  placed  on  the  word  are,  it  pos- 
itively asserts  the  truth  of  the  expression :  if  it  be  placed  on  also,  it  im- 
plies that  we  are  not  the  only  persons  that  are  God's  offspring,  but  we  ex- 
press our  claim  as  well  as  others :  if  it  be  placed  on  his,  it  points  us  to 
our  Creator :  and  if  on  the  word  offspring,  we  are  led  from  plain  to  figu- 
rative language,  and  by  a  beautiful  trope,  derived  from  a  tree,  to  consider 


332  LECTURE    XX. 

our  relation  to  and  dependence  upon  God  for  every  blessing,  as  the 
branches  depend  upon  the  root.  In  some  cases  the  emphasis  is  plain,  as 
in  interrogatives :  Who  said  so?  Why  weepest  thou?  Here  it  is  evi- 
dendy  on  the  first  word :  all  interrogatives,  however,  do  not  throw  the  em- 
phasis on  the  first,  for  it  is  sometimes  reserved  for  die  last  word ;  the  sense 
must  direct. 

When  words  are  put  in  opposition,  the  emphatic  words  are  obvious;  as, 
It  is  better  to  be  loved  than  feared.  Nobody  can  err  as  to  "Thou  art  the 
man!"  but  in  other  cases  it  is  confessed  there  is  difficulty.  The  speaker 
must  consider  the  scope  and  design,  because  here  he  has  to  learn  the  mind 
of  another;  but  there  is  no  difficidty  when  he  utters  anything  fresh  from 
his  own  heart,  and  this  is  one  thing  that  makes  natural  eloquence  so  at- 
tractive. Many  of  the  ministers  of  the  establishment  excel  in  public  read- 
ing, because  they  are  unusually  accurate  in  emphasizing ;  and  they  make 
this  a  study.  Some  young  clergymen  have  dieir  Common  Prayer  book 
with  all  the  emphatic  words  underlined  by  a  skilful  hand.  If  our  preach- 
ers were  to  take  opportunities  of  hearing  some  of  our  best  church  minis- 
ters, I  am  persuaded  it  would  not  be  in  vain. 

There  is,  however,  one  remark  I  may  make :  it  is  better  to  emphasize 
too  little  than  too  much.  Extravagance  is  always  disgusting,  and  an  at- 
tempt to  make  almost  every  other  word  emphatic  is  quite  contrary  to  a  just 
manner. 

Notice  must  also  be  taken  of  the  rest  or  jiause  ;  that  is,  we  are  some- 
times to  suspend  discourse.  Racehorses  must  not  stop  till  they  pass  the 
post,  but  not  so  die  preacher  or  reader ;  he  is  allowed  to  take  breaUi  freely 
at  suitable  places  of  his  discourse.  One  such  place  in  preaching  is  at  the 
close  of  a  division  or  subdivision.  Here  the  people  are  relieved,  and  have 
a  profitable  moment  of  reflection :  yet,  for  evident  reasons,  these  pauses 
must  not  be  too  long.  But,  besides  the  pauses  at  the  close  of  a  division 
or  paragra'ph,  there  is  the  rest  of  eloquence — the  rest  that  speaks  when  the 
preacher  suspends  his  voice,  while  the  countenance  still  maintains  the  sub- 
ject or  the  living  thought.  Some  pauses  in  reading  are  necessary  even  to 
convey  the  sense  ;  as,  for  instance.  Matt.  xi.  7 :  "  What  went  you  out  into 
the  wilderness  to  see?  A  reed  shaken  with  the  wind?"  If  these  words 
be  read  as  question  and  answer  (which  according  to  the  preceding  context 
is  evidently  oj)i)osite  to  our  Lord's  meaning),  it  is  as  much  as  though  our 
Itedccmcr  meant  to  say  that  John  was  unworthy  of  attention,  diat  he  waa 
a  fickle,  unstable,  inconsistent  preacher,  carried  about  with  every  wind  of 
doftrine.  Whereas,  if  we  consider  the  passage  as  two  questions  (as  it 
really  is),  the  sense  clearly  appears  to  be  a  strong  assertion  to  the  contrary, 
that  John  was  a  person  of  quite  a  dinerent  character,  and  that  he  stood 
firm  and  immovable  as  an  "iron  pillar"  or  a  brazen  wall,  that  the  doctrines 
he  preached  were  not  yea  and  nay,  but  yea  and  amen.*  Therefore,  to 
mark  the  above  passage  properly,  a  pause  must  l)e  used  after  the  first  ques- 
tion, to  give  silent  eloquence  to  the  passage,  and  the  same  after  the  second 
question  ;  then  our  Lord's  meaning  aj)|)ears  to  advantage. 

May  1  here  interpose  a  caution  that  is  rather  irrelevant,  but  which  now 
occurs  to  me  ?  Take  care  to  ascertain  at  what  place  to  pause  or  leave  oflf 
yotir  discourse,  as  the  people  arc  often  prepared  for  it  before  it  comes. 

Thus  I  have  made  a  few  remarks  on  accentuation,  on  em])hasis,  on  tlie 

*  I  am  indebted  lo  Eadca 'a  View  ui  the  Ooapcl  Miniittry  for  part  of  theac  idcaB. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  333 

rest  or  pause,  each  of  which  is  important,  and  deserves  your  attention  in 
its  place ;  but  there  is  likewise  a  general  skill  necessary  over  all  the  words 
of  a  sentence,  which  we  may  call  the  mode  or  manner.  The  fault  which 
it  is  intended  now  to  correct  is  called  monotony,  from  fovos — single,  and 
Tovoi — a  tone;  uniformity  of  sound,  want  of  variety  in  cadence.  The  ex- 
cellence we  would  therefore  notice,  and  which  we  now  recommend,  is  to 
give  tone  in  variety.  To  give  an  illustration  :  Suppose  one  person  were 
to  repeat  the  progression  of  numbers  from  one  to  eight,  and  to  say,  in  one 
manner  and  tone,  one,  two,  three,  four,  five,  six,  seven,  eight.  This 
he  does  without  any  change  of  higher  and  lower  in  note,  not  even  so 
much  as  the  ticks  of  a  clock.  Suppose  that  a  second  person  should  re- 
peat all  these  numbers  in  the  sound  of  eight  bells.  Now  here  is  a  striking 
difference  ;  something  like  it  exists  between  a  monotonous  speaker  and 
another  who  adds  a  litde  variety  to  his  speaking  :  not  that  he  is  to  sing, 
but  he  is  to  give  to  speech  the  due  grace  of  variety.  As  I  said  before, 
study  nature;  nature  loves  variety.  As  the  eye  and  the  taste  delight  not 
in  sameness,  neither  does  the  ear.  Perpetually  harping  upon  the  same 
string  is  wearisome,  but  a  diversified  melody  is  pleasing ;  and,  if  this  mel- 
ody harmonize  with  good  sense,  it  edifies  also.  Yet,  I  repeat,  to  make  a 
singing  in  reading  or  speaking  is  nowhere  to  be  tolerated  but  in  cathedral 
service,  and  even  there  the  force  of  our  liturgy  is  destroyed  by  it.  Some 
words  are  to  be  delivered  in  a  higher  and  some  in  a  lower  tone,  and  others 
in  a  kind  of  barytone  or  midway  elevation,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  that 
the  rising  and  frilling  is  regular,  not  by  sudden  jerks  from  one  octave  to 
another,  as  in  music.  The  bold  undulation  of  the  sea  waves  in  somewhat 
of  a  gale  is  no  unfit  comparison  ;  or  walking  along  a  path,  straight  as  to 
direction,  but  varied  by  rises  and  falls,  conveys  the  same  idea.  This  is  not 
a  wild  but  an  intelligible  variety  or  modulation,  and  is  only  to  be  acquired 
by  studying  nature,  by  taking  the  best  rules  and  the  best  examples. 

In  this  regulation  of  the  voice  you  have  tone,  inflexion,  and  cadence. 
Tone,  you  know,  means  note  or  sound  ;  and  here  I  mean  further  pretty 
much  the  same  thing  with  what  is  called  in  music  the  pitch  or  key-note. 
It  is  not  positively  any  one  certain  note  for  all  persons  ;  but  the  tone  or 
key  is  that  to  every  one  which  is  natural  to  him,  as  proceeding  from  the 
higher,  the  barytone,  or  the  lower,  and  which  is  to  be  ascertained  by  a  per- 
son's conversation  pitch  :  this  is  the  standard  from  which  elevation  or  ca- 
dence is  to  be  reckoned.  This  is  generally  the  true  judgment ;  but  when 
any  individual  has  by  nature  or  habit  too  much  of  alto  or  feminine,  or  a 
low  base,  both  of  which  are  disagreeable  to  an  audience,  and  both  of  which, 
especially  the  latter,  are  found  by  experience  incapable  of  inflexion  and 
consequently  monotonous,  then  1  earnestly  recommend  an  attempt  to  be 
made  to  overrule  the  prevailing  key  or  tone,  and  to  fix  it  in  a  more  favor- 
able station  ;  but  let  the  student  begin  this  practice  in  his  ordinary  conver- 
sation, where  everydiing  that  relates  to  the  art  of  speaking  should  com- 
mence. 

The  word  inflexion  is  equivalent  to  modulation  :  it  is  the  power  itself 
to  move  higher  or  lower,  as  the  undulating  of  the  waves  before  mentioned  ; 
or  inflexion  has  the  command  of  elevation  and  cadence,  and  is  the  perfect 
contrary  of  the  monotonous  character,  which  is  incapable  of  this  power. 
By  inflexion  you  pass  from  your  key-note  or  natural  tone  higher  or  lower 
yro  re  nata. 


334  LECTURE    XX. 

The  cadence  is  tlje  fall  of  the  voice  below  the  pitch,  commonly  when 
the  speaker  arrives  at  the  full  period,  but  sometimes  at  the  colon  also. 
The  cadence  requires  fine  management,  and  every  possible  preparation  is 
to  be  made  for  it  that  a  refined  taste  can  suggest.  The  noticeable  prepara- 
tion is  at  the  last  comma  preceding  the  full  stop,  and  the  preparation  itself 
is  an  elevation  of  the  voice  on  the  word  just  before  the  comma,  as  in  the 
following  quotation  :  "  Boast  not  thyself  of  to-morrow,  for  thou  knowest 
not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth." 

In  this  sentence  it  may  be  also  observed  that,  the  form  of  the  words  be- 
ing imperative,  the  words  boast  not  require  an  elevation  of  the  voice  above 
the  usual  key-note  ;  but  in  ordinary  cases  the  reading  of  a  sentence  com- 
mences at  the  key  or  pitch,  and  in  general  the  first  variation  is  where  the 
^ense  begins  to  unfold  itself,  and  not  earlier  ;  the  words  that  occur  before 
this  should  be  in  the  key  or  pitch,  without  variation,  that  is,  unless  previous 
sentences,  being  somewhat  impassioned,  forbid  that  regularity;  as  Acts 
xxvi.  :  "  Then  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul,  Thou  art  permitted  to  speak  for 
thyself."  Here  the  first  five  words  are  introductory  ;  they  are  to  be  ut- 
tered in  the  tone  or  key  of  the  voice,  and,  being  introductory,  no  change 
whatever  is  advisable.  After  these  five  words,  the  sense  opens  :  "  Thou 
art  permitted  to  speak  for  thyself."  Here  the  elevation  takes  the  word 
permitted,  and  is  the  preparation  for  the  ensuing  cadence,  "  to  speak  for 
thyself." 

It  is  the  perfect  command  of  these  particulars,  and  their  just  regulation, 
that  can  give  strength  and  beauty  to  tlie  sense  intended  to  be  conveyed  to 
the  mind  for  its  edification  and  delight.  This  is  one  part  of  eloquence  ; 
the  copious  flow  of  thought  and  language  is  the  other.  I  hope,  if  any 
share  of  these  excellences  be  possessed,  that  pride  will  be  excluded  ;  if 
we  speak  well,  it  must  be  as  though  unconscious  of  it,  like  the  nightingale 
that  knows  no  feelings  of  exultation,  however  sweet  her  notes  may  be. 
You  will  very  properly  reflect  that,  even  when  you  have  attained  consider- 
able ability  in  graceful  delivery,  still  your  acquirements  are  far  below  those 
of  others  in  the  same  line  of  excellence,  and  that  to  discover  anything  like 
self-complacency  would  only  manifest  your  want  of  common  sense.  Lit- 
tle minds  are  pleased  with  little  things  ;  but  minds  imbedded  in  wisdom 
are  otherwise  occupied.  They  think  little  of  the  thing  itself,  but  chiefly 
on  the  end  to  be  promoted  by  it — the  glory  of  God  and  men's  good. 

The  foregoing  observations  apply  chiefly  to  temperate  speaking — to  so- 
ber, rational,  argumentative  address — and  to  reading  in  public  ;  but  much 
more  is  necessary  for  animated  address,  the  accompaniment  of  feeling,  or 
affection,  or  passion,  which  will  draw  with  it  some  degree  of  action.  And 
here  too  nature  must  be  followed,  not  however  nature  in  her  vulgar  forms, 
but  nature  corrected  by  good  taste  and  sound  sense.  An  ancient  story 
has  reached  our  times  of  a  dumb  youth,  who,  on  a  certain  sudden  occa- 
sion, when  an  assassin  had  lifted  up  his  arm  with  a  sword  to  slay  his  Hither, 
had  his  feelings  so  much  cxrited  tliat,  with  extended  arms  and  a  most  bitter 
cry,  he  for  the  first  time  spoke,  "  Oh,  save  my  father  !"  Now  imagine 
with  yourselves  how  the  youth  spoke  these  words,  and  then  our  meaning 
is  exemplified  as  io  feelings.  The  principles  of  divine  grace,  which  impart 
an  energy  and  a  value  to  human  language  infinitely  above  what  it  would 
otherwise  possess,  neither  abrogate  nor  forljid  the  operation  of  our  feeUngs,* 

*  See  Lecture  on  CommctU. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  335 

but  on  the  contrary  improve  and  regulate  them  ;  and  if  feelings,  affections, 
or  passions,  have  any  existence  in  our  hearts,  they  will  naturally  find  the 
way  to  our  lips,  will  pervade  our  countenance  ;  our  head,  our  arms,  will 
catch  the  fire  ;  and  emotions  as  well  as  ideas  will  thus  be  communicated  to 
our  hearers.  It  seems  then  a  necessary  inference,  that,  if  the  thing  felt  be 
a  matter  of  pure  nature,  then  it  is  not  a  matter  of  art  ;  and  the  existence 
of  that  which  constitutes  the  fact  of  powerful  feeling  is  necessary  before 
art  can  be  summoned  to  our  aid.  The  following  has  been  ascribed  to  the 
celebrated  Mr.  Garrick,  as  conveying  his  sentiments  on  the  subject.  A 
student,  it  appears,  had  requested  to  know  Mr.  Garrick's  sentiments  on 
public  speaking  ;  and  his  reply  was  nearly  as  follows  : — 

"  My  dear  Pupil  :  You  know  how  you  would  feel  and  speak  in  the  parlor  to  a 
dear  friend  who  was  in  imminent  danger  of  his  life,  and  with  what  energetic  pathos 
of  diction  and  countenance  you  Avould  enforce  the  observance  of  that  which  you  really 
thought  would  be  for  his  preservation.  You  would  not  think  of  playing  the  orator, 
of  studying  your  emphasis,  cadence,  or  gesture.  You  would  be  yourself;  and  the 
interesting  nature  of  your  subject,  impressing  your  heart,  would  furnish  you  with  the 
most  natural  tone  of  voice,  the  most  proper  language,  the  most  engaging  features, 
and  the  most  suitable  and  graceful  gestures.  What  you  would  be  in  the  parlor,  be 
in  the  pulpit ;  and  you  will  not  fail  to  please,  to  afl'ect,  to  profit. 

"  Adieu, ." 

Those  feelings  which  are  excited  by  evangelical  considerations,  and  by 
the  value  and  importance  of  our  immortal  spirits,  will  give  effect  to  Chris- 
tian eloquence,  not  to  the  extinction  of  cultivated  skill,  but  rather  in  con- 
currence with  it.  "  Paul  must  plant  (skilfully),  and  Apollos  must  water 
(judiciously),  and  God  (by  special  unction)  gives  the  increase."  But  let 
it  be  remembered  that  our  time  will  be  far  more  appropriately  and  neces- 
sarily employed  in  humble  prayer  for  divine  influence  than  in  attempts  to 
imitate  those  whose  feelings  are  under  its  control,  and  assuming  what  we 
really  do  not  feel.  He  who  is  the  giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift, 
who  loves  to  be  sought,  and  to  whom  the  cause  of  the  gospel  is  precious, 
will  not  fail  to  answer  prayer  in  this  respect.  But  it  is  not  to  our  present 
purpose  to  treat  of  divine  influences  ;  the  above  hints  are  only  thrown  in 
by  way  of  caution.  He  is  a  presumptuous  preacher  who,  confiding  in  the 
assistance  of  art,  ventures  to  proceed  in  his  work  without  ardently  imploring 
divine  helps  ;  and  he  is  a  vain  preacher  who  despises  the  cultivation  of  those 
natural  gifts  and  talents  which  God  has  given  him  for  edification.  I  may 
therefore  be  allowed  to  name  some  of  the  chief  feelings,  affections,  or  pas- 
sions, which  the  philosophy  of  the  mind  brings  before  us,  and  to  show,  in 
a  few  instances,  what  are  the  external  tokens  of  those  feelings  where  they 
prevail,  and  what  degree  of  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  them. 

I  begin  with  admiration  or  wonder.  This  feeling  is  excited  by  objects 
that  are  grand  or  sublime.  Admiration  expresses  itself  by  both  hands  be- 
ing moderately  elevated,  and  the  eyes  elevated  in  the  same  manner  and 
fixed  upward,  and  gives  the  character  of  astonishment.  It  is  unknown  to 
stupid,  inanimate  beings,  but  a  preacher  makes  strange  work  of  it  that  can 
stumble  upon  what  is  admirable  without  feeling  it,  or  who  can  feel  it  with- 
out the  appropriate  expression  of  countenance.  Who  could  utter  such 
words  as  these  with  apathy?  "  When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work 
of  thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained.  Lord, 
what  is  man  ?"  &c.  The  works  of  the  divine  Architect  exhibit  infinities 
of  sparkling  excellences  which    mock  our  inquiries,  but  which  excite  our 


336  LECTURE    XX. 

admiration.  Again  :  Solomon  says,  with  great  pathos,  "  But  will  God  in 
very  deed  dwell  with  man  upon  the  earth  ?  Behold,  the  heaven  and  the 
heaven  of  heavens  can  not  contain  thee  !"  What  solemn  suitability  do 
such  passages  afford  to  our  devotions  in  connexion  with  due  thoughts  of 
our  insignificancy  and  pollution  !  In  preaching  the  word,  who  can  speak 
without  admiration  of  the  plan  of  redemption  ? — the  divine  love,  the  love 
of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge  ?  Who  can  behold  Jesus  controlling 
nature,  applying  remedies  for  all  diseases,  raising  the  dead,  conferring 
powers  and  faculties  on  man  which  never  before  had  any  existence  in 
him — who  can  speak  of  that  life  and  immortality  which  Christ  has  brought 
to  light,  without  in  some  degree  manifesting  a  grateful  admiration  ?  Surely 
it  is  impossible. 

Again  :  true  religion  is  established  upon  love — love  to  God  and  love  to 
man  ;  a  preacher,  therefore,  who  is  not  strongly  susceptible  of  this  feeling, 
or  who  is  deficient  in  his  manner  of  expressing  it,  can  not  be  eloquent, 
however  well  informed  may  be  his  understanding.  But  the  truly  evangeli- 
cal mind  feels  now,  as  well  as  holy  men  of  old,  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost;  the  love  of  Christ  operates  as  a 
constraining  power,  bearing  everything  before  it,  and  bringing  the  princi- 
ples and  feelings  of  the  mind  into  subjection  ;  the  love  of  the  Spirit  exists 
as  an  indwelling  principle  in  his  heart ;  and  the  love  of  all  persons  and 
things,  wherever  the  grace  of  God  predominates,  is  brought  into  due  sub- 
ordination to  the  love  of  God.  This  love  is  followed  by  extraordinary 
effects  in  preaching  the  word,  and  really  connects  itself  mysteriously  with 
all  gracious  principles,  and  becomes  the  prevaiUng  character  of  the  soul ; 
it  absorbs  everything  else,  and  is  what  St.  Paul  calls  the  perfectness  of  the 
Christian  character,  1  Cor.  xiii.  Nothing  can  compensate  for  the  want  of 
it,  as  St.  Paul  declares  ;  and,  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  it  is  "  like  the 
wings  of  a  dove  covered  with  silver,  and  her  feathers  of  yellow  gold,"  Ps. 
Ixviii.  13.  The  example  of  Paul,  in  his  whole  ministry,  serves  instead  of 
all  others,  except  indeed  that  of  Christ  himself,  as  to  its  mighty  power  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry.  Well  might  the  apostle  express  it  as  the  great 
desire  of  his  soul  on  behalf  of  the  Thessalonians,  that  "  the  Lord  would 
direct  their  hearts  into  the  love  of  God." 

You  can  expect  to  succeed  in  moving  the  affections  of  your  hearers 
only  in  proportion  as  you  manifest  the  spirit  of  love ;  and,  while  I  can 
not  advise  you  to  reject  any  assistance  that  art  may  furnish,  I  am  fully 
persuaded  that  something  beyond  the  reach  of  art  must  be  possessed,  if 
we  would  lead  our  hearers  to  imbibe  this  powerful  principle.  To  drink 
deeply  into  the  Spirit  of  Christ  will  give  an  energy  and  a  pathos  to  your 
whole  manner,  which  will  add  a  persuasive  unction  to  all  you  say. 

We  must  likewise  advert  to  hatred  or  abhorrence.  As  one  object  is 
lovely  to  nature,  so  another  may  be  repulsive  and  disgusting.  Hatred  is 
virtue  or  vice,  a  gracious  fcehng  or  a  devilish  one,  according  to  the  sub- 
ject or  person  who  exercises  it,  or  the  objects  by  which  it  is  excited. 
The  hatred  of  the  evil  spirit  is  the  contrast  of  divine  love,  but  Christian 
hatred  has  a  real  existence,  and  is  turned  as  by  an  instinctive  feeling  against 
everything  that  God  hates.  I  mean  that  this  is  the  case  when  divine  love 
predominates  in  the  heart.  "  Do  not  I  hate  those  that  hate  thee  ?"  (their 
sins,  not  their  persons) ;  "  I  hate  them  with  perfect  hatred,"  Ps.  cxxxix. 
21,  22.     From  the  same  principle  the  believer  hates  himself  and  the  sins 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  337 

that  made  the  Savior  bleed.  The  ugliness  and  deformity  of  sin  appear  so 
detestable,  that  the  believer  "  hates  even  the  garments  spotted  with  the 
flesh,"  as  blood-stained  and  horrible.  We  are,  however,  by  no  means 
moved  as  deeply  as  we  ought  to  be  when  either  sin  or  hoUness  presents 
itself,  or  when  we  are  called  upon  to  express  our  sentiments  respecting 
them.  There  is  so  much  of  the  "  flesh"  in  us,  with  all  its  natural  bias  and 
affection  to  evil,  and  so  litde  of  the  spiritual  nature,  that  we  obtain  but  a 
glimpse  of  the  real  turpitude  of  sin  and  of  the  excellence  of  holiness  ;  but, 
if  we  were  more  perfect,  the  sinner,  though  in  an  angelic  form,  or  with  all 
the  bewitcheries  that  nature  sometimes  attains,  or  sin  in  any  of  its  abstract 
or  most  alluring  forms,  would  appear  black  as  hell ;  and  holiness,  though 
clothed  with  rags,  though  sunk  in  misery,  though  destitute  of  everything 
attractive  to  a  natural  being,  would  instantly  become  the  object  of  love  and 
veneration.  Hence  we  see  the  importance  of  a  truly  spiritual  mind.  The 
moment  that  we  quit  these  bodies,  among  our  first  sensations  in  the  invisi- 
ble world  will  be  astonishment  at  our  former  errors  as  to  the  real  charac- 
ters of  sin  and  holiness. 

Aversion  is  a  modification  of  hatred.  It  is  this  which  Solomon  means, 
Prov.  iv.  14,  15  :  "  Enter  not  into  the  path  of  the  wicked ;  avoid  it,  turn 
from  it,  and  pass  away."  To  the  same  purpose,  Eph.  v.  11  :  "Have  no 
fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove  them." 
This  is  a  holy  delicacy,  that  is  disgusted  at  that  which  offends  God.  Now 
if  a  preacher  is  incapable  of  realizing  this  feeling,  so  as  to  express  it  in  an 
appropriate  manner,  he  can  point  no  shaft  at  sin  with  effect ;  no  smarting 
comment  will  be  delivered,  no  lash  to  make  the  sinner  feel ;  there  will  be 
no  expressive  countenance  to  indicate  the  mind  abhorrent  of  evil.  But, 
when  the  preacher  feels  as  a  Christian  minister  ought  to  feel,  his  counte- 
nance and  manner  will  in  a  good  degree  correspond  with  every  word  that 
is  uttered. 

Holy  zeal  has  perhaps  as  good  a  claim  to  be  called  a  passion  as  any- 
thing that  bears  that  name.  The  Christian  preacher  makes  but  a  melan- 
choly figure  without  it.  This  passion,  or  sensation,  or  quality  (call  it 
what  you  please),  throws  the  whole  countenance  open  ;  the  eye  seems  to 
coruscate,  full  of  ardor  and  impatience  :  in  shbrt,  if  you  would  realize  its 
effect,  imagine  the  apostle  Paul,  with  the  family  of  Philip  the  evangehst, 
when  the  terrors  of  the  Jewish  inquisition  were  arrayed  to  restrain  Paul's 
progress  :  "  What  mean  you  to  weep  and  to  break  my  heart  ?  for  I  am 
ready,  not  to  be  bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem,  for  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  ;"  Acts  xxi.  13.  In  the  general  tenor  of  his  ministry,  the 
love  of  Christ  and  zeal  for  his  name  constrained  him  to  do,  to  brave,  and 
to  suffer  all  things  for  his  sake  and  that  of  the  church.  In  its  more  ha- 
bitual or  temperate  forms  zeal  is  a  fervid  and  holy  unction,  which,  over- 
spreading every  faculty  of  the  preacher,  directs  everything  that  he  speaks, 
and  finds  a  kindred  feeling  in  the  Christian  heart. 

When  I  reflect  upon  the  concentrated  power  of  all  the  holy  passions 
that  invest  the  true  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  say,  "  Surely  here  is  the 
finger  of  God ;  endowments  hallowed  to  the  highest  ends,  the  concentra- 
tion of  heavenly  gifts  exerted  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance,  proclaim  the 
power  of  him  from  whom  comes  every  good  and  perfect  gift."  In  that  de- 
voted breast  we  see  ready  for  action  pity  for  the  wretched,  sorrow  for  hu- 
man wo,  and  compassion    and  benevolence  for  all  mankind.     Personal 

22 


338  LECTURE    XX. 

elevation  of  mind  is  secured  by  faith  in  the  promises,  confidence  in  the 
cause,  and  the  hope  of  a  final  triumph.  But  the  wretched  preacher  that 
feels  not  these  passions  moves  our  commiseration,  and  we  should  as  much 
dread  falling  into  such  an  apathetic  state  as  we  should  dread  the  palsy.* 

An  attention  to  gesture  may  to  some  appear  to  be  below  the  dignity  of 
the  pulpit.  But  it  is  only  necessary  to  witness  the  awkwardness  of  many 
preachers  by  no  means  deficient  either  in  talent  or  learning,  in  order  to  be 
convinced  of  its  importance.  The  expression  of  the  features  and  frame 
is,  properly  and  generally  speaking,  the  language  of  nature,  though  art 
often  counterfeits  this  language,  and  though,  moreover,  some  arbitrary  addi- 
tions have  been  almost  universally  made  to  it.  The  motions  of  the  limbs 
have  become  to  some  extent  artificial  representations  of  meaning.  The 
natural  language  of  gesture  is  more  comprehensive  and  more  readily  un- 
derstood than  that  of  tones.  Contempt,  for  instance,  is  much  more  per- 
ceptible in  the  expression  of  the  countenance  and  motion  of  the  hand  than 
in  the  mere  tone  of  the  voice.  But  the  natural  language  of  gesture,  like 
that  of  tones,  serves  only  to  denote  emotion.  The  expression  of  other 
ideas  requires  instituted  signs,  such  as  written  characters,  articulate  sounds, 
or  artificial  gestures.  Every  emotion  has  from  nature  its  peculiar  expres- 
sion of  countenance,  and  perhaps  its  peculiar  motions  of  the  limbs,  as  well 
as  its  peculiar  tone  of  voice  ;  and  the  reality  of  the  emotion  may  reasona- 
bly be  suspected,  whatever  be  the  tenor  of  the  oral  language,  if  this  be  not 
accompanied  by  the  proper  visible  manifestations  of  feeling.  Gesture  is 
denominated  by  Cicero  the  language  of  the  body,  and,  though  less  com- 
prehensive than  artificial  oral  language,  it  is  more  expeditious  and  convin- 
cing. It  is  easy  to  utter  a  falsehood  in  words  ;  it  is  much  more  difficult  to 
counterfeit  a  suitable  expression  of  countenance. 

It  is  astonishing  to  what  an  extent  gesture  alone  can  go  in  representing 
and  communicating  ideas.  We  are  told  by  Adair,  in  his  History  of  the 
American  Indians,  that  "  two  far-distant  Indian  nations,  who  understand 
not  a  word  of  each  other's  language,  will  intelligibly  converse  together  and 
contract  engagements  without  any  interpreters  in  such  a  surprising  manner 
as  is  scarcely  credible."  The  deaf  and  dumb  hold  intercourse  between 
themselves  and  with  others  t)y  a  language  of  gestures,  natural  and  artificial, 
which  is  wonderfully  comprehensive,  precise,  and  intelligible.  They  have 
an  acuteness  in  interpreting  the  slightest  motion  which  far  surpasses  ours  ; 
and  hence  arises  the  fact,  which  at  first  view  often  appears  strange,  that 
they  can  more  readily  converse  with  each  other  than  with  those  possessed 
of  the  sense  of  hearing.  Such  is  the  power  of  natural  signs  that  in  insti- 
tutions for  the  education  of  the  deaf  and  dumb  one  year  is  sufficient  to  con- 
vey to  the  mind  of  an  intelUgent  pupil  the  signification  of  thousands  of 
written  words.  Through  these  natural  signs,  a  few  years  since,  a  Chinese 
youth  and  Mr.  Laurent  Clerc,  an  assistant  teacher  in  the  Hartford  Asylum, 
himself  deaf  and  dumb,  carried  on  a  conversation  with  each  other  for  a 
considerable  time.  The  Chinese  communicated  in  this  way  a  great  many 
facts  relative  to  the  place  of  his  birth,  his  former  occupations,  the  religion 
of  his  countrymen,  the  meaning  of  Chinese  words,  &c.  ;  and  the  result 
of  the  conversation  amazed  all  who  observed  it. 

It  is  a  matter  of  history  that  Roscius,  a  celebrated  Roman  actor,  and 

*  Dr.  Watts  on  the  Passions,  which  will  supply  the  defects  of  this  lecture,  may  be  had  in  18mo. 
very  cheap. 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR   ACTION.  339 

Cicero,  had  an  amicable  contest  with  each  other  which  could  represent  the 
same  thought  in  the  greatest  number  of  different  ways,  the  former  by  ges- 
ture or  the  latter  in  words  ;  and  it  is  stated,  though  we  can  hardly  believe 
it,  that  neither  party  could  be  pronounced  victorious.  This  contest  is  men- 
tioned by  Cicero  himself  in  one  of  his  letters.  It  is  spoken  of  by  Mac- 
robius  as  one  of  habitual  occurrence  in  the  intercourse  of  these  two  dis- 
tinguished Romans.* 

The  art  of  panto tnime  affords  a  specimen  of  the  precision  and  force 
with  which  gesture  is  capable  of  communicating  ideas,  without  the  aid  of 
oral  language.  This  art  was  carried  by  the  ancients  to  a  much  higher 
pitch  of  perfection  than  that  at  which  it  stands  in  the  present  day ;  and, 
indeed,  we  can  not  possibly  imagine  that  such  spiritless  exhibitions  as  those 
of  modern  pantomimes  should  have  produced  the  wonderful  effect  which 
the  art  is  recorded  to  have  had  upon  Greek  and  Roman  assembhes.  Its 
invention  is  ascribed  to  Telestes,  a  dancer  in  the  employ  of  jEschylus, 
the  Greek  tragedian.  Among  the  Greeks,  however,  it  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  practised  to  any  great  extent.  They  appear  to  have  generally  pre- 
ferred more  intellectual  amusements.  But  the  Romans,  a  less-refined 
people,  became  so  much  attached  to  it  that  it  ranked  highest  on  the  list  of 
their  favorite  diversions,  excepting  perhaps  the  combats  of  wild  beasts  and 
gladiators.  The  first  exercise  of  this  art  in  Rome  is  stated  by  Livy  to 
have  occurred  as  follows :  Livius  Andronicus,  the  first  Roman  dramatist, 
was  accustomed,  as  were  almost  all  the  ancient  dramatic  writers,  to  act  one 
of  the  principal  parts  of  his  play  himself.  His  mode  of  acting  in  one  of 
his  dramas  so  delighted  the  audience  that,  in  the  phrase  of  modern  times, 
he  was  repeatedly  encored ;  and,  his  voice  becoming  hoarse  and  failing 
him  from  the  frequent  recitals  of  his  part,  he  entreated  the  spectators  to 
permit  a  boy  to  repeat  the  words,  while  he  exhibited  the  correspondent 
action.  His  request  was  granted,  and  the  applause  of  those  who  saw  the 
performance  was  redoubled;  for,  as  Livy  says,  he  acted  the  part  with  much 
more  spirit  when  he  was  no  longer  fatigued  by  the  exertion  of  his  voice. 

The  grave  Seneca  confesses  his  passion  for  the  art  of  pantomime ;  and 
he  might  have  cited  the  example  of  Socrates  in  his  favor.  Lucian  wrote 
a  considerable  treatise  concerning  it.  Two  anecdotes  related  by  him  may 
be  here  quoted  :  "  A  distinguished  pantomimic  actor  of  the  time  of  Nero 
prevailed  upon  the  cynic  philosopher  Demetrius,  who  \yas  always  ridiculing 
pantomimes  and  inveighing  against  the  folly  of  the  people  in  being  so  much 
entertained  by  them,  to  be  present  at  his  performance  on  a  certain  occa- 
sion. Demetrius  was  so  delighted  that  he  could  not  contain  himself,  but 
shouted  out,  'Man!  I  not  only  see  but  hear  you,  for  your  very  hands 
speak.'' " 

"  A  prince  of  Pontus,  on  coming  to  Rome  to  do  homage  to  the  emperor, 
visited  the  theatre,  and  was  beyond  measure  diverted  by  the  performances. 
When  about  to  leave  Rome  for  his  own  dominion,  Nero  desired  him  to 
request  some  present  as  a  mark  of  his  regard.  The  prince  begged  his 
principal  pantomimic  actor.  Being  asked  the  reason  of  his  request  he 
replied  that  there  were  many  barbarous  nations  around  him,  speaking  dif- 
ferent languages,  and  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  procure  suitable  interpre- 

*  "  Satis  constat  contendere  eum  (Ciceronem)  eum  ipso  histrione  (Roscio)  solitum,  utrutn  ille  sse- 
pius  eandem  sententiam  variis  gestibus  efficeret,  an  ipse,  per  eloquentiae  copiam,  sermone  diverso  pro- 
nunciaret.  Quae  res  ad  hance  artis  suee  fiduciam  Roscium  abstraxit,  ut  librum  conscriberei  quo  elo- 
quentiam  cum  histrionia  compararet." — Macrobius,  Saturn.  II.  10. 


340  LECTURE    XX. 

ters  in  his  intercourse  with  them  ;  but  this  actor  would  just  serve  his  pur- 
pose." 

In  these  illustrations  of  the  power  of  gesture  nothing  is  further  from  my 
design  than  to  encourage  excessive  or  affected  action.     The  animation  of 
the  preacher's  mind  should  give  character  to  his  countenance  and  also 
direct  his  arms    and  hands ;    and  that  which  nature  dictates,  that  which 
proceeds  from  holy  feelings,  ought  to  be  indulged,  not  hke  the  formal  saws 
of  the  barn-player,  but  the  gi'aceful  action  of  a  Christian  minister.     The 
feehng  of  the  mind  must  direct  these  motions  of  arm  and  hand  :  if  the 
feelino-  be  correct  and  strong,  and  no  vicious  gestures  have  become  habit- 
ual through  carelessness  or  affectation,  the  action  will  not  err  materially. 
A  graceful  motion  of  the  hands  from  the  left  to  the  right,  with  occasional 
elevations  and  extensions,  such  as  good  sense  directs  or  a  good  living  ex- 
ample recommends,  should  be  duly  cultivated.     But  these  accomplish- 
ments, if  acquired  at  all,  must  be  acquired  out  of  the  pulpit;  they  must  be 
practised  in  common  conversation.     The  student  may  sometimes  venture 
to  be  a  little  talkative  in  company,  in  order  to  this  practice.     Everything 
that  belongs  to  elocution  must  begin  at  home,  not  in  the  pulpit ;  tliere  it  is 
to  appear  only  as  a  setded  habit  and  a  second  nature. 

The  following  description  of  the  manner  in  which  the  feelings  of  the 
mind  are  expressed  is  quoted  from  an  essay  of  nearly  eighty  years'  stand- 
ing, and  may  not  be  unacceptable  to  some,  though  to  others  it  may  not  be 
necessary  : — 

"  Tranquillity  appears  by  the  composure  of  the  countenance  and  of  all 
parts  of  the  body.     Joy  and  delight,  in  proportion  to  their  degi'ee,  open 
the  countenance  and  elevate  the  voice.     Love  brightens  the  countenance 
into  a  smile,  and  turns  the  eyes  as  toward  the  object ;  the  tone  of  the  voice 
is  tender  and  persuasive.      Gratitiide  gently  elevates  the  voice  and  the 
eyes,  and  lays  the  right  hand  upon  the  heart.     Admiration  joins  with  these 
an  air  of  astonishment  and  respect.      Veneration  is  more  grave  and  serious, 
with  less  surprise.     Shame  changes  the  countenance  and  declines  the  head  ; 
the  speaker  falters  in  his  utterance,  or  is  silent.     Remorse,  or  a  painful  sense 
of  guilt,  is  further  expressed  by  the  right  hand  striking  the  breast,  the  eyes 
weeping,  the  body  trembling  ;  and  in  true  penitence  the  eyes  are  sometimes 
raised  with  humble  hope.     Fear  opens  wide  the  eyes  and  mouth,  gives  to 
the  countenance  an  air  of  wildness,  covers  it  with  paleness,  projects  the 
hands,  draws  back  the  trembling  body  ;  the  voice  is  weak  ;  the  sentences 
are  short,  confused,  incoherent.     Pity,  w^iich  is  a  mixture  of  love  and 
grief,  looks  down  upon  distress  with  lifted  hands  and  tender  eyes  ;  the  ac- 
cent is  plaintive,  often  accompanied  with  tears.      Grief,  if  sudden  and  vi- 
olent, expresses  itself  by  beating  the  breast,  weeping,  and  other  attitudes 
approaching  to  distraction.      Courage  opens  the  countenance,  gives  the 
whole  form  an  erect  and  graceful  air  ;  the  voice  is  firm,  even,  and  articu- 
late.    Anger  expresses  itself  with  rapidity,  harshness,  noise,  and  a  threat- 
ening attitude.     Aversion  or  hatred  draws  back  the  body,  turns  the  face  on 
one  side,  as  from  the  object,  and  throws  out  the  hands  on  the  opposite  side. 
Commendation  is  expressed  by  an  open,  pleasant,  and  respectful  counte- 
nance, a  mild  tone  of  voice,  and  the  arms  gently  extended  as  toward  the 
person  we  approve.     Reproof  puts  on  a  stern  countenance  and  a  solemn 
voice,  sometimes  with  a  mixture  of  tenderness  and  affection.     Invitation 
has  a  moderate  degree  of  the  expression  of  love  and  respect,  with  the  hand 


MANNER    OF    A    SPEECH    OR    ACTION.  341 

beckoning  the  person  toward  us.  Soliciting  or  requesting  adds  humility 
and  reverence.  Dismissing  with  approbation  is  done  with  a  kind  aspect 
and  tone  of  voice,  the  right  hand  open,  and  gently  waved  toward  the 
person."* 

Thus  you  see  that  a  graceful  manner,  as  it  respects  delivery,  comprises 
a  due  attention  to  accent,  emphasis,  and  rests  or  pauses  ;  the  general  gov- 
ernment of  tone,  modulation,  and  cadence  ;  and,  lastly,  the  appropriate 
expression  of  the  affections  or  passions.t  Surely  the  preacher  that  can 
manage  all  these  well  may  not  be  despised  as  a  novice  in  the  pulpit. 

Permit  me  to  subjoin  the  following  observations  : — 

The  manner  laid  down  has  a  general  command  upon  the  whole  of  your 
public  duty.  It  is  not  necessary  here  to  inquire  whether  the  expectation 
of  the  religious  public,  with  regard  to  this  subject,  be  reasonable  or  not ; 
you  will  fulfil  it  in  the  best  way  you  can. 

In  adopting  from  the  foregoing  hints  any  method  of  expressing  the  sen- 
timents of  your  m.ind  by  action  or  gesture,  you  must,  of  course,  be  reg- 
ulated according  to  times  and  circumstances.  These  things  are  not  to  be 
strained  aUke  on  every  service,  but  in  some  more,  in  others  less.  Lan- 
guage and  manner  are  on  all  occasions,  to  be  suitable  to  each  other.  It  is 
not  fit  that  every  topic  should  receive  the  highest  embellishment.  On  every 
occasion  there  is  always  one  manner  more  suitable  than  any  other. 

"Expression  is  the  dress  of  thought,  and  still 
Appears  more  decent  as  more  suitable. 
Inferior  thoughts  in  high-wrought  modes  expressed. 
Are  like  a  clown  in  regal  purple  dressed  ; 
For  different  modes  with  different  subjects  sort, 
As  several  garbs  with  country,  town,  or  court." 

In  the  public  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  the  accentuation,  emphasis,  tone, 
modulation,  &c.,  are  certainly  to  be  regarded,  yet  in  a  temperate  manner 
only.  Action  with  the  hands,  so  suitable  for  oratory,  must  in  reading  the 
Scriptures  be  dispensed  with,  except  gently  laying  the  hand  on  the  book 
to  give  a  little  increased  effect  to  an  emphasis.  The  animated  passions 
can  not  be  admitted  in  this  kind  of  reading;  but  there  should  be  a  feeling 
of  reverence  and  veneration  engaged  in  the  exercise,  because  the  subject 
is  the  word  of  God  ;  and  this  respectful  feeling  will  give  a  suitable  seri- 
ousness to  the  countenance.  To  acquire  a  suitable  manner,  as  to  this  ar- 
ticle, you  must  attend  the  reading  of  the  best  living  examples  ;  for  no 
written  advices  will  be  of  much  avail. 

The  last  observations,  in  regard  to  reading,  apply  very  closely  also  to 
your  public  prayers.  Here  a  chastised  state  of  mind  will  forbid  all  orna- 
ments of  elocution,  instead  of  which  there  should  be  the  simple  expres- 
sion of  a  most  fervent  spirit,  even  a  fervency  that  burns,  and  that  will,  as 
a  means,  kindle  in  the  hearts  of  those  that  are  waiting  upon  God  with  you 
a  similar  feeling.  Your  expression  should  evidently  proceed  from  your 
very  heart;  and,  as  to  language,  none  is  so  pure  and  acceptable  to  real 
Christians  as  that  which  is  drawn  from  the  word  of  God,  as  Bishop  Hors- 
ley  observes.  No  book  that  I  know  of  is  so  replete  with  suitable  exam- 
ples as  Smith's  System  of  Prayer;  yet  perhaps  in  this  work  the  author 
labors  too  hard  upon  the  point,  and  there  is  frequently  an  awkwardness  of 

•  Essay  on  Public  Speaking.     Longman.     1761. 

t  Our  natural  passions  must  be  sanctified  to  Grod's  service,  or  we  never  can  be  sanctified  in  our 
whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  1  Thess.  v.  23. 


342  LECTURE    XXI. 

manner  introduced  by  that  excess  of  labor.  1  am  of  opinion  that  real 
piety,  breathed  in  pure  English  style,  neatly  intermixed  with  scripture  lan- 
guage, is  the  most  proper.  Rest  assured,  however,  that  the  true  spirit  of 
prayer  can  never  be  brought  to  your  aid  in  public  unless  it  be  cherished  in 
secret  communion  with  God.  Here  lies  the  great  secret.  God  will  not 
honor  us  in  public  if  we  do  not  honor  him  in  private.  It  is  in  the  closet 
that  all  our  holy  unction  is  obtained,  even  for  the  work  of  the  ministry  ; 
and  it  is  here,  Hkewise,  that  the  true  manner  of  our  public  services  is  to 
be  acquired. 


LECTURE  XXI. 

TOPIC  XVI. 
COMPARE  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS  WITH  SIMILAR  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS. 

This  Topic  is  not  only  very  extensively  available  in  every  kind  of  dis- 
course, but  has  also  this  further  advantage,  that  it  is  of  a  very  popular 
character.  Judiciously  employed,  whether  by  way  of  illustration  or  for 
the  purpose  of  confirming  and  establishing  any  truth,  it  can  hardly  fail  to 
instruct  the  most  illiterate  of  our  hearers,  who  may  be  unable  to  follow  a 
connected  chain  of  abstract  argument,  and  will  at  the  same  time  commend 
itself  to  the  more  enlightened.  The  most  important  and  interesting  sub- 
jects which  demand  the  preacher's  attention  are  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures 
under  a  great  variety  of  aspects,  expressed  in  different  forms  of  speech, 
and  mentioned  in  different  connexions.  In  one  passage  a  fact  or  doctrine 
is  referred  to  incidentally,  in  others  it  is  more  largely  narrated  or  discus- 
sed. In  one  place  a  sentiment  is  expressed  in  language  highly  figurative, 
in  others  it  is  stated  in  simple  and  explicit  terms  :  at  one  time  it  is  men- 
tioned in  connexion  with  an  exhortation  or  a  command,  at  another  it  is  the 
subject  of  a  divine  promise,  &c.  It  is  therefore  necessary,  in  such  cases, 
to  compare  the  language  of  any  particular  text  with  similar  statements  in 
other  parts  of  the  inspired  volume,  if  we  intend  to  convey  a  just  and  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  subject  to  our  hearers. 

If  we  are  discoursing  on  the  expressions  or  the  example  of  good  men, 
we  may  bring  before  our  hearers  such  similar  expressions  or  actions  as  are 
calculated  to  show  the  uniform  operation  of  the  truth  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  embrace  it — the  different  degrees  of  excellence  or  infirmity  exempli- 
fied in  different  individuals — die  similarity  discoverable  between  the  con- 
duct of  the  hypocrite  and  the  sincere  disciple,  and  the  principles  on  which 
they  differ,  &c.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  words  or  actions  of  wicked 
men  come  under  our  notice,  as  the  subject  of  animadversion,  we  may 
compare  them  with  similar  statements  in  the  Scriptures,  with  a  view  to  lead 
the  minds  of  our  hearers  to  reflect  on  that  total  depravity  in  which  all  by 
nature  participate,  to  show  die  insinuating  influence  and  rapid  progress  of 
evil  principles,  to  point  out  the  bitter  consequences  of  rebellion  against 
God,  which  may  be  more  evident  from  some  statements  with  which  the 
text  may  be  properly  compared  than  from  the  text  itself.  Sec. 

Suppose  you  were  preaching  on  the  conversion  of  the  Philippian  jailer, 
you  might  remark  that  the  jailer  was  most  probably  a  man  of  a  ferocious 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  343 

and  cruel  disposition.  When  Paul  and  Silas  were  committed  to  his  cus- 
tody, with  a  charge  to  keep  them  safely,  he  appears  to  have  been  devoid 
of  any  feeling  of  common  humanity.  Without  paying  any  attention  what- 
ever to  their  bleeding  wounds,  he  thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  and 
made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks.  But  when  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gos- 
pel had  reached  his  heart,  the  lion  was  changed  into  a  lamb.  Then  his 
bosom  was  no  longer  a  stranger  to  tenderness.  See  Acts  xvi.  24,  33. 
The  jailer's  conduct  may  be  advantageously  compared  with  that  of  Zac- 
cheus  the  publican.  There  were  many  points  of  difference  in  their  char- 
acters; but  the  comparison  lies  in  this,  that  in  both  cases  we  see  the  ruhno-, 
the  predominant  evil  of  the  heart,  subdued  by  the  power  of  the  gospel. 
Injustice  and  oppression  were  the  characteristic  features  of  the  publicans 
generally;  and  Zaccheus,  who  was  chief  among  them,  had  perhaps  be- 
come rich  through  extortion,  and  was  known  to  the  Jews  as  a  man  who 
was  emphatically  a  sinner.  But  when  he  was  made  acquainted  with  those 
things  which  belonged  to  his  peace,  his  heart  was  no  longer  set  on  riches, 
and  he  not  only  came  forward  to  restore  fourfold  to  those  whom  he  had 
wronged  by  false  accusation,  but  the  half  of  all  that  he  possessed  was  also 
devoted  to  the  relief  of  the  poor,  &c. 

Again :  suppose  the  character  of  Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  to  be 
the  subject  of  discourse,  you  would  naturally  compare  her  conduct  with 
that  of  Mary,  and  show  the  superiority  of  the  latter.  Both  the  sisters 
were  strongly  attached  to  Christ;  and  we  are  expressly  told  that  "Jesus 
loved  Martha,  and  her  sister,  and  Lazarus."  But  there  was  a  great  differ- 
ence in  the  degree  of  their  attachment  to  him,  and  in  the  manner  in  which 
It  was  manifested.  Martha  was  anxious  to  show  her  sense  of  gratitude 
and  respect  by  the  entertainment  which  she  prepared :  Mary  seems  to  have 
forgotten  everything  else  through  the  interest  which  she  felt  in  the  instruc- 
tions of  her  Lord,  &c. 

The  principal  illustration  which  Claude  has  given  us  of  this  Topic  is 
very  excellent.  He  observes  :  The  evangelist  speaks  (Acts  i.  1)  of  "  the 
things  that  Jesus  began  to  do  and  to  teach."  Now  in  Acts  vii.  22  he 
says  the  same  of  Moses  :  "  He  was  mighty  in  words  and  deeds."  Here 
you  may  observe  that  these  two  things  joined  together— doing  and  teach- 
ing—are distinguishing  characters  of  a  true  prophet,  who  never  separates 
doctrine  from  practice.  You  may  then  make  an  edifying  comparison  be- 
tween Moses  and  Jesus  Christ.  Both  did  and  taught;  but  there  was  a 
very  great  difference  between  the  teaching  of  the  one  and  the  other.  One 
i^nghi  justice,  the  other  mercy.  One  abased,  the  other  exalted.  One  ter- 
rified, the  other  comforted.  There  was  also  a  great  difference  between  the 
deeds  of  the  one  and  of  the  other.  Most  of  the  miracles  of  Moses  were 
miracles  of  destruction— \mecis,  frogs,  hail,  and  other  things  of  the  same 
kmd  with  which  he  chastised  the  Egyptians.  But  the  miracles  of  Jesus 
Christ  were  always  miracles  of  henevoLence — raising  the  dead,  ffivin^  siffht 
to  the  blind,  &c.*  '  8       b     s 

*  Robinson,  under  this  article,  quotes  from  Bishop  Sanderson,  who  compares  the  thonehts  of  God 

r. Hr?  fi!  T^'/u"""- 1^"^;  ^^  =  '."^^^•■*^  ^'■e  many  devices  in  a  man's  heart;  nevertheless,  the 
counsel  of  the  Lord,  that  shall  stand." 

I.  They  differ  in  their  nature.     Ours  are  devices— fancies ;  God's  are  counsels— ynse,  deliberate 
aeterrmnations. 

II.  They  differ  in  number.     Our  devices  have  multiplicity  and  variety,  they  are  manv ;  God's 
counsel  is  one  uniform  consistent  plan.  .'J  ^ ' 

III.  They  differ  in  \h&\x  manner  of  existing.     Our  devices  are  in  our  hearts— m  intention  only  ; 
(jod  s  counsels  stand — produce  the  intended  effect. 


344  LECTURE   XXI. 

Passages  of  scripture  may  also  be  advantageously  compared  with  others 
in  which  some  synonymous  expressions  are  employed,  whether  with  a 
view  to  elucidate  the  meaning  (as  observed  in  my  lecture  on  the  twelfth 
Topic)  or  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  materials  for  comment  or  illustra- 
tion. Thus  suppose  the  text  to  be  Ezek.  xx.  38  :  "I  will  purge  out  from 
among  you  the  rebels,  and  those  that  transgress  against  me :"  now  see  Ps. 
cxix.  119,  "  lihoxx  imttest  away  all  the  wicked  of  the  earth  like  dross.^^  What 
is  meant  in  the  former  passage  by  purging  is  in  the  second  expressed  by 
putting  away — making  a  separation.  This  is  often  done  in  the  present  life, 
but  will  effectually  be  done  in  the  day  of  judgment.  And  the  same  thing 
is  meant  by  Isa.  i.  25:  "I  will  purely  purge  away  thy  dross,  and  take  away 
all  thy  tin."  Notice  likewise  Isa.  xliii.  21 :  "  This  people  have  1  formed  for 
myself,"  &c.  Now,  if  we  turn  to  Isa.  h.  1-3,  we  find  this  formation  illus- 
trated in  a  manner  which  furnishes  interesting  thoughts  for  enlargement. 
There  we  see  Abram  hewn  out  of  a  rock — a  rude  stone,  to  be  squared, 
and  polished,  and  made  fit  to  be  placed  in  an  eminent  situation  in  God's 
spiritual  building,  &c. 

In  order  to  the  ready  and  skilful  application  of  this  Topic,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  acquire  a  good  acquaintance  with  parallel  jyassages,  and  it  is 
a  happy  circumstance  that  very  great  facilities  are  provided  by  the  labors 
of  biblical  men  for  comparing  one  part  of  scripture  with  another.  We 
owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  God  and  to  these  worthy  men  for  these  facili- 
ties. Bagster's  Comprehensive  Bible  contains  the  most  copious  collection 
of  parallels ;  next  to  this  is  Scott's  Bible  :  Brown's  Self-interpreting  Bible 
is  also  valuable,  and  this  can  be  had  for  thirty  shillings  in  boards.  In  this 
work  the  parallels  given  are  not  so  numerous  nor  so  precise  as  those  of 
Scott,  yet  they  will  be  generally  found  sufficient.  Next  in  rank  is  Cann's 
Bible,  octavo,  and  after  this  work  the  common  Oxford  bibles  with  refer- 
ences. I  might  indeed  have  named  Crutwell's  Concordance  of  parallels; 
but  this  is  scarce  and  dear.  Craddock's  Knowledge  and  Practice,  of  sim- 
ilar utility,  is  of  low  price  and  very  good.  Great  help  will  also  be  found 
in  Cruden's  Concordance.  Some  one  or  two  of  these  works  might  be 
obtained. 

The  study  of  parallels  is  recommended  by  some  of  the  highest  author- 
ities in  sacred  literature,  and  I  can  not  accomplish  my  own  purpose  or 
promote  the  interests  of  the  student  better  than  by  quoting  a  few  passages 
illustrative  of  its  importance.  The  first  is  from  Bishop  Van  Mildert's 
(bishop  of  Durham)  Lectures. 

When  in  any  ordinary  composition  a  passage  occurs  of  doubtful  meaning^  with 
respect  to  the  sentiments  or  doctrine  it  conveys,  the  obvious  course  of  proceeding  is 
to  examine  what  the  author  himself  has  delivered  in  other  parts  of  his  work  upon 
the  subject,  to  weigh  well  the  force  of  any  particular  expressions  he  is  accustomed  to 
use,  and  inquire  what  there  might  be,  in  the  occasion  or  circumstances  under  which 
he  wrote,  tending  to  throw  further  light  upon  the  immediate  object  he  had  in  view. 
This  is  only  to  render  common  justice  to  the  writer ;  it  is  necessary  both  for  the  dis- 
covery of  the  meaning  and  to  secure  him  against  any  wanton  charge  of  error  or  in- 
consistency. Now,  if  this  may  be  justly  required  in  any  work  of  uninspired  compo- 
sition, how  much  more  indispensable  must  it  be  when  we  sit  in  judgment  upon  the 
sacred  volume,  in  Avhich  (if  we  acknowledge  its  divine  original)  it  is  impossible  to 
imagine  a  failure  in  judgment  or  integrity  I 

The  following  is  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  F.  Burder,  who  has  acquired 
the  reputation  of  a  very  correct  author : — 


COMPARISON   OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  345 

God  has  been  pleased  in  sundry  portions  and  in  divers  manners,  to  speak  unto  us 
in  his  word  (Heb.  i.  1) ;  but  in  all  the  books  of  Scripture  we  may  trace  an  admirable 
unity  of  design,  an  intimate  connexion  of  its  facts,  and  a  complete  harmony  of  its 
doctrines.  In  some  instances,  the  same  truths  are  conveyed  nearly  in  the  same  mode 
of  expression ;  in  other  instances,  the  same  sentiments  are  clothed  with  a  beautiful 
variety  of  language.  While  we  are  interested  in  discovering  some  of  the  indications 
of  mental  diversity  among  the  sacred  writers,  we  clearly  see  that  the  whole  volume 
of  revelation  is  distinguished  by  a  certain  characteristic  style  and  phraseology  alto- 
gether its  own,  and  which  for  simplicity,  dignity,  energy,  and  freeness,  must  be 
allowed  to  have  no  parallel.  Now  if  there  be  in  the  various  parts  of  Scripture  such 
important  coincidences  of  sentiment,  of  language,  and  of  idiom,  it  is  evident  we  pro- 
ceed on  just  and  rational  principles  in  comparhig  together  passages  that  have  some 
just  degree  of  resemblance,  and  in  applying  those  the  meaning  of  which  is  clear  to 
llie  illustration  of  such  as  are  involved  in  some  degree  of  obscurity. 

Bishop  Horsley  furnishes  a  good  illustration  of  the  point  in  hand,  and, 
although  it  is  long,  I  can  not  persuade  myself  to  mutilate  it,  since  it  af- 
fords a  fine  specimen  of  biblical  criticism,  of  energetic  conception,  of  bold 
yet  simple  language.  It  is  also  an  incomparable  exhibition  of  explicatory 
discourse,  and  will  add  to  what  I  have  said  on  that  subject  (Lecture  iii.), 
and  refresh  the  mind  of  the  student,  so  that  several  purposes  will  be  pro- 
moted at  the  same  time.  The  text  adopted  is  Ps.  xcvii.  7 :  "  Worship 
him,  all  you  gods;"  but  in  fact  the  whole  psalm  is  explicated. 

It  shoiild  be  a  rule,  with  every  one  who  would  read  the  Holy  Scriptures  with  advan- 
tage and  improvement,  to  compare  every  text  which  may  seem  important  for  the  doc- 
trine it  contains,  or  remarkable  for  the  turn  of  expression,  with  the  parallel  passages 
in  other  parts  of  holy  writ,  that  is,  with  the  passages  in  which  the  subject-matter  is  the 
same,  the  sense  equivalent,  or  the  turn  of  expression  similar.  These  parallel  passa- 
ges  are  easily  found  by  the  marginal  references  in  the  bibles  of  the  larger  form.  It 
were  to  be  wished,  indeed,  that  no  bibles  were  printed  without  the  margin.  It  is  to 
behoped  that  the  objection  obviously  arising  from  the  necessary  augmentation  in  the 
price  of  the  book  may  some  time  or  other  be  removed  by  the  charity  of  religious  as- 
sociations. Meanwhile,  those  who  can  afford  to  purchase  the  larger  bibles  should 
be  diligent  in  the  improvement  of  the  means  with  which  Providence  has  furnished 
them.  Particular  diligence  should  be  used  in  comparing  the  parallel  texts  of  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testament.  When  you  read  the  Old  Testament,  if  you  perceive  by 
the  margin  that  any  particular  passage  is  cited  in  the  New,  turn  to  that  passage  of 
the  New  to  which  the  margin  refers,  that  you  may  see  in  what  manner,  in  what 
sense,  and  to  what  purpose,  the  words  of  the  more  ancient  are  alleged  by  the  later 
writer,  who,  in  many  instances,  maybe  supposed  to  have  received  clearer  light  upon 
the  same  subject.  On  the  other  hand,  when  in  the  New  Testament  you  meet  with 
citations  frorn  the  Old,  always  consult  the  original  writer,  that  you  may  have  the  sat- 
isfaction of  judging  for  yourselves  how  far  the  passage  alleged  makes  for  the  argu- 
ment which  it  is  brought  to  support.  In  doing  this  you  will  imitate  the  example  of 
the  godly  Jews  of  Berea,  which  is  recorded  with  approbation  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  (xvii.),  who,  when  Paul  and  Silas  reasoned  with  them  out  of  the  Scriptures 
of  the  Old  Testament,  clearly  setting  before  them  the  prophecies  concerning  the  Mes- 
siah and  the  accomplishment  of  those  prophecies  in  Jesus,  whom  they  preached, 
"  searched  the  Scriptures  daily  whether  those  things  were  so."  These  Berean  Jews 
compared  the  parallel  passages  of  St.  Paul's  oral  doctrine  with  the  written  scriptures 
of  the  Old  Testament.  And  we  noiv  should  with  equal  diligence  compare  the  writ- 
ten doctrine  of  St.  Paul,  and  of  his  fellow-laborers,  with  the  writings  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. 

It  is  incredible,  to  any  one  who  has  not  in  some  degree  made  the  experiment,  what 
a  proficiency  may  be  made  in  that  knowledge  which  maketh  wise  tmto  salvation  by 
studying  the  Scriptures  in  this  manner,  without  any  other  commentary  or  exposition 
thari  what  the  different  parts  of  the  sacred  volume  mutually  furnish  for  each  other. 
I  will  not  scruple  to  assert  that  the  most  illiterate  Christian,  if  he  can  but  read  his 
English  Bible,  and  will  take  the  pains  to  read  it  in  this  manner,  will  not  only  attain 
all  that  practical  knowledge  which  is  necessary  to  his  salvation,  but,  by  God's  bles- 
sing, he  will  become  learned  in  everything  relating  to  his  religion  in  such  a  degree 
that  he  will  not  be  liable  to  be  misled,  either  by  the  refined  arguments  or  by  the  false 
assertions  of  those  who  endes^vor  to  engraft  their  own  opinion  upon  the  oracles  of 


S46  LECTURE    XXI. 

God.  He  may  safely  be  ignorant  of  all  philosophy  except  what  is  to  be  learned  from 
the  sacred  books,  which,  indeed,  contain  the  highest  philosophy  adapted  to  the  low- 
est apprehensions.  He  may  safely  remain  ignorant  of  all  history  except  so  much  of 
the  history  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Jewish  and  of  the  Christian  church  as  is  to  be  gath- 
ered from  the  canonical  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  Let  him  study  these 
in  the  manner  I  recommend,  and  let  him  never  cease  to  pray  for  the  illumination  of 
that  Spirit  by  which  these  books  were  dictated,  and  the  whole  compass  of  abstruse 
philosophy  and  recondite  history  shall  furnish  no  argument  with  which  the  perverse 
will  of  man  shall  be  able  to  shake  this  learned  Christian's  faith.  The  Bible  thus 
studied  Avill  indeed  prove  to  be,  what  we  protestants  esteem  it,  a  certain  and  suffi- 
cient rule  of  faith  and  practice,  a  helmet  of  salvation  which  alone  may  quench  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  wicked.  My  text,  I  trust,  will  prove  a  striking  instance  of  the  truth 
of  these  assertions. 

If  in  argument  with  any  of  the  false  teachers  of  the  present  day  I  were  to  allege 
this  text  of  the  psalmist  in  proof  of  our  Lord's  divinity,  my  antagonist  would  proba- 
bly reply  that  our  Lord  is  not  once  mentioned  in  the  psalm,  that  the  subject  of  the 
psalm  is  an  assertion  of  the  proper  divinity  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  the  Israelites,  as 
distinguished  from  the  imaginary  deities  which  the  heathen  worshipped.  This 
psalm,  therefore,  which  proposes  Jehovah,  the  God  of  the  Israelites,  as  the  sole  ob- 
ject of  worship  to  men  and  angels,  is  alleged,  he  would  say,  to  no  purpose  in  justifi- 
cation of  worship  paid  to  another  person.  And,  to  any  who  might  know  nothing 
more  of  the  true  sense  of  this  passage  than  may  appear  in  the  words  taken  by  them- 
selves, my  adversary  might  seem  to  have  the  belter  in  the  argument.  I  think  I 
should  seem  to  myself  to  stand  confuted  if  I  knew  no  more  of  the  meaning  of  the 
text,  or  rather  of  the  inspired  song  of  which  it  makes  a  part,  than  an  inattentive 
reader  might  collect  from  a  hasty  view  of  its  general  purport.  But  observe  the  ref- 
erences in  the  margin  of  the  Bible,  and  you  will  find  that  a  parallel  passage  occurs 
in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  in  the  first  chapter,  at  the  sixth  verse.  Turn  to  this 
passage  of  the  epistle,  and  there  you  will  find  this  text  of  the  psalmist  cited  by  St. 
Paul  to  this  very  purpose,  namely,  to  prove  that  adoration  is  due  from  the  blessed 
angels  of  God  to  the  only-begotten  Son  ;  for  thus  he  reasons :  "  When  he  bringeth  in 
the  First-begotten  into  the  world  he  saith.  And  let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship 
him."  The  only  passage  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  the  HebreAv  text  now  stands,  in 
which  this  is  said,  is  this  seventh  verse  of  the  ninety-seventh  psalm.  The  words  of 
the  psalmist,  indeed,  are  these,  "Worship  him,  all  you  gods."  The  apostle,  that  he 
might  clearly  exclude  a  plurality  of  gods,  while  he  asserts  the  Godhead  of  the  Son, 
thinks  proper  to  explain  the  psalmist's  words,  by  substituting  "  all  the  angels  of  God" 
for  "  all  the  gods."  But  it  is  very  evident  that  the  First-begotten  was,  in  the  apos- 
tle's judgment,  the  object  of  worship  propounded  by  the  psalmist,  otherwise  these 
words  of  the  psalmist,  upon  which  he  calls  upon  the  angels  to  worship  Jehovah, 
were  alleged  to  no  purpose  in  proof  of  the  Son's  natural  pre-eminence  above  the  an- 
gels; for  either  the  Son  is  the  object  of  worship  intended  by  the  psalmist,  or  the 
Son  himself  is  to  bear  a  part  in  the  worship  so  universally  enjoined. 

But,  further,  the  collation  of  the  psalmist's  text  with  the  apostle's  citation,  will  not 
only  enable  the  unlearned  Christian  to  discover  a  sense  of  the  psalmist's  words  not 
very  obvious  in  the  words  themselves,  but  it  will  also  give  him  certain  although  sum- 
mary information  upon  a  point  of  ecclesiastical  antiquity  of  great  importance,  upon 
which  the  illiterate  can  not  be  informed  by  any  other  means.  In  the  late  attempts  to 
revive  the  Ebionsean*  heresy,  much  stress  has  been  laid,  by  the  leaders  of  the  impious 
confederacy,  upon  the  opinions  of  the  primitive  church  of  Jerusalem.  They  tell  you, 
with  great  confidence,  that  the  Redeemer  was  never  worshipped,  nor  his  divinity  ac- 
knowledged, by  the  members  of  that  church.  The  assertion  has  indeed  no  other 
foundation  than  the  ignorance  of  those  who  make  it,  who  confound  a  miserable  sect, 
which  separated  from  the  church  of  Jerusalem,  with  the  church  itself  But  how  is 
the  truth  of  the  fact  to  be  proved  to  the  illiterate  Christian,  unread  in  the  history  of 
the  primitive  ages,  who  yet  must  feel  some  alarm  and  disquietude  when  he  is  told 
that  he  has  been  catechized  in  a  faith  never  held  by  those  first  and  best  Christians,  the 
converts  of  the  apostles  ?  Holy  writ,  if  he  is  diligent  in  consulting  it,  will  relieve  his 
scruples  and  remove  his  doubts,  not  only  upon  the  principal  matter  in  dispute,  but 
upon  this  particular  historical  question.  It  must  be  obvious  to  every  understanding 
that  when  any  passage  in  the  Old  Testament  is  cited  by  writers  of  the  New,  in  con- 
firmation of  any  particular  doctrine,  without  any  disquisition  concerning  the  sense  of 
the  citation  or  any  attempt  to  fix  a  particular  sense  upon  it  which  may  suit  the  wri- 

*  See  Buck's  Theological  Dictionary  on  the  word. 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  347 

ter's  purpose — it  must  be  evident,  I  say,  that  a  text  thus  cited  was  generally  under- 
stood at  the  time  by  those  to  whom  the  argument  was  addressed  ;  for  a  text  alleged 
in  any  sense  not  generally  admitted,  could  be  no  proof  to  those  who  should  be  inclined 
to  call  in  question  the  sense  imposed.  The  Hebrews,  therefore,  to  whom  the  apostle 
produces  this  text  of  the  psalmist,  in  proof  of  the  high  dignity  of  the  Redeemer's  na- 
ture, agreed  with  the  apostle  concerning  the  sense  of  the  psalmist's  words.  They 
well  understood  that  the  psalmist  calls  upon  the  angels  to  worship  the  only-begotten 
Son.  And  who  were  these  Hebrews  ?  The  very  name  imports  that  they  were  Jews 
by  birth  ;  they  were  indeed  the  Jewish  converts  settled  in  Palestine.  And  since  the 
epistle  was  written,  during  St.  Paul's  first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  which  might  easily 
be  made  to  appear  from  the  epistle  itself,  and  St.  Paul's  first  imprisonment  at  Rome 
ended  about  the  thirtieth  year  after  our  Lord's  ascension,  they  were  no  other  than 
the  Jirst  race  of  Jewish  Christians,  who  agreed  with  St.  Paul  that  the  Redeemer  is 
the  object  of  worship  propounded  to  the  angels  by  the  psalmist.  And  thus  by  this 
plain  remark,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  sacred  books,  the  unlearned  Christian  may 
settle  his  own  mind,  and  put  to  shame  and  silence  the  disturbers  of  his  faith. 

But  this  is  not  the  whole  of  the  information  which  the  unlearned  Christian  may 
draw  from  the  psalmist's  text,  compared  with  the  apostle's  citation.  The  apostle 
cites  the  psalmist's  words  as  spoken  when  the  First-begotten  was  introduced  into  the 
world,  that  is  to  say,  to  mankind  ;  for  the  word  in  the  original  literally  signifies,  not 
the  universe,  but  this  globe  which  is  inhabited  by  men,  to  which  the  First-begotten 
was  in  these  later  ages  introduced  by  the  promulgation  of  the  gospel.  Now,  since 
the  occasion  upon  which  these  words  were  spoken  was  an  introduction  of  the  First- 
begotten  into  the  world,  if  these  words  are  nowhere  to  be  found  but  in  the  ninety, 
seventh  psalm,  it  follows  that  this  ninety- seventh  psalm  is  that  introduction  of  the 
First-begotten  into  the  world  of  which  the  apostle  speaks.  Hence  the  unlearned 
Christian  may  derive  this  useful  information,  that  the  true  subject  of  the  ninety-sev- 
enth psalm,  as  it  was  understood  by  St.  Paul  and  by  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  to 
which  this  epistle  is  addressed,  within  thirty  years  after  our  Lord's  ascension,  when 
that  church  must  have  been  entirely  composed  of  our  Lord's  own  followers  and  the 
immediate  converts  of  the  apostles,  was  not,  as  it  might  seem  to  any  one  not  deeply 
versed  in  the  prophetic  language,  an  assertion  of  God's  natural  dominion  over  the 
universe,  but  a  prophecy  of  the  establishment  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom  by  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  the  general  conversion  of  idolators  to  the  service  of  the 
true  God.  The  First-begotten  is  the  Lord,  or  rather  Jehovah,  for  that  is  the  word 
used  in  the  original,  whose  kingdom  is  proclaimed  as  an  occasion  of  joy  and  thanks- 
giving to  the  whole  world. 

And  that  this  was  no  arbitrary  interpretation  of  the  psalm,  imagined  by  enthusi- 
asts or  invented  by  impostors  to  make  the  sacred  oracles  accord  with  their  own  con- 
ceits or  with  their  own  designs,  will  appear  by  a  closer  inspection  of  the  psalm  itself, 
which  can  not  be  consistently  expounded  of  any  other  king  nor  of  any  other  king- 
dom. 

That  Jehovah's  kingdom,  in  some  sense  or  other,  is  the  subject  of  this  divine  song, 
can  not  be  made  a  question;  for  thus  it  opens — "Jehovah  reigneth."  The  psalm, 
therefore,  must  be  understood  of  God's  natural  kingdom  over  his  whole  creation,  of 
his  particular  kingdom  over  the  Jews,  his  chosen  people,  or  of  that  kingdom  which 
is  called  in  the  New  Testament  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  the 
kingdom  of  Christ.  God's  peculiar  kingdom  over  the  Jews  can  not  be  the  subject 
of  this  psalm,  because  all  nations  of  the  earth  are  called  upon  to  rejoice  in  the  ac- 
knowledgment of  this  great  truth  :  "  Jehovah  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice  ;  let  the 
many  isles  be  glad  thereof"  The  same  consideration,  that  Jehovah's  kingdom  is 
mentioned  as  a  subject  of  general  thanksgiving,  proves  that  God's  universal  dominion 
oyer  his  whole  creation  can  not  be  the  kmgdom  in  the  prophet's  mind  ;  for  in  this 
kingdom  a  great  majority  of  the  ancient  world,  the  idolators,  were  considered,  not 
as  subjects  who  might  rejoice  in  the  glory  of  their  monarch,  but  as  rebels  who  had 
everything  to  fear  from  his  just  resentment.  God's  government  of  the  world  was  to 
them  no  cause  of  joy  otherwise  than  as  the  erection  of  Christ's  kingdom,  which  was 
to  be  the  means  of  their  deliverance,  was  a  part  of  the  general  scheme  of  Providence. 
It  remains,  therefore,  ttiat  Christ's  kingdom  is  that  kingdom  of  Jehovah  which  the 
inspired  poet  celebrates  as  the  occasion  of  universal  joy.  And  this  will  further  ap- 
pear by  the  sequel  of  the  song.  After  four  verses,  in  which  the  transcendent  glory, 
the  irresistible  power,  and  inscrutable  perfection  of  the  Lord,  who  to  the  joy  of  all 
nations  reigneth,  are  painted  in  poetical  imag:es,  taken  partly  from  the  awfiil  scene 
on  Smai  which  accompanied  the  delivery  of  the  law,  partly  from  other  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  presence  with  the  Israelites  in  their  journey  through  the  wilderness,  he  " 


348  LECTURE    XXI. 

proceeds,  in  the  sixth  verse,  "  The  heavens  declare  his  righteousness,  and  all  the  peo- 
ple see  his  glory."  We  read  in  the  nineteenth  psalm  that "  the  heavens  declare  the 
glory  of  God."  And  the  glory  of  God,  the  power  and  the  intelligence  of  the  Crea- 
tor, is  indeed  visibly  declared  in  the  fabric  of  the  material  world.  But  I  can  not  see 
how  the  structure  of  the  heavens  can  demonstrate  the  righteousness  of  God.  Wisdom 
and  power  may  be  displayed  in  the  contrivance  of  an  inanimate  machine ;  but  right- 
eousness can  not  appear  in  the  arrangement  of  the  parts  or  the  direction  of  the  mo- 
tions of  lifeless  matter.  The  heavens,  therefore,  in  their  external  structure,  can  not 
declare  their  Maker's  righteousness  ;  but  the  heavens,  in  another  sense,  attested  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  when  the  voice  from  heaven  declared  him  the  beloved.  Son 
of  God,  in  whom  the  Father  was  well-pleased,  and  when  the  preternatural  darkness 
of  the  sun  at  the  crucifixion,  and  other  agonies  of  nature,  drew  that  confession  from 
the  heathen  centurion  who  attended  the  execution,  that  the  suffering  Jesus  was  the 
Son  of  God. 

It  is  added,  "  And  all  the  people  see  his  glory."  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  our 
translators,  over-studious  of  the  purity  of  their  English  style,  have,  through  the  whole 
Bible,  neglected  a  distinction  constantly  observed  in  the  original  between  people  in 
the  singular  and  peoples  in  the  plural.  The  word  people,  in  the  singular,  for  the 
most  part  denotes  God's  chosen  people,  the  Jewish  nation,  unless  any  other  particu- 
lar people  happen  to  be  the  subject  of  discourse.  But  peoples,  in  the  plural,  in  put 
for  all  the  other  races  of  mankind,  as  distinct  from  the  chosen  people.  The  word 
here  is  in  the  plural  form,  "  and  all  the  peoples  see  his  glory."  But  when,  or  in 
what  sense,  did  any  of  the  peoples,  the  idolatrous  nations,  see  the  glory  of  God  ? 
Literally  they  never  saw  his  glory.  The  effulgence  of  the  Shechinah  never  was  dis- 
played to  them,  except  when  it  blazed  forth  upon  the  Egyptians  to  strike  them  with 
a  panic,  or  when  the  towering  pillar  of  flame  which  marshalled  the  Israelites  in  the 
wilderness  was  seen  by  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine  and  Arabia  as  a  threatening 
meteor  in  their  sky.  Intellectually,  no  idolaters  ever  saw  the  glory  of  God,  for  they 
never  acknowledged  his  power  and  Godhead ;  had  they  thus  seen  his  glory  they 
would  have  ceased  to  be  idolaters.  But  all  the  peoples,  upon  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  saw  the  glory  of  Christ,  They  saw  it  literally  in  the  miracles  performed  by 
his  apostles  ;  they  saw  it  spiritually  when  they  perceived  the  purity  of  his  precepts, 
when  they  acknowledged  the  truth  of  his  doctrine,  when  they  embraced  the  profes- 
sion of  Christianity,  and  owned  Christ  for  their  Savior  and  their  God. 

The  psalmist  goes  on,  "  Confounded  be  all  those  that  serve  graven  images,  that 
boast  themselves  of  idols :  worship  him,  all  you  gods."  In  the  original  this  verse 
has  not  at  all  the  form  of  a  malediction,  which  it  has  acquired  in  our  translation  from 
the  use  of  the  strong  word  confounded.  "  Let  them  be  ashamed  :"  this  is  the  ut- 
most that  the  psalmist  says.  The  prayer  that  they  may  be  ashamed  of  their  folly 
and  repent  of  it  is  very  different  from  an  imprecation  of  confusion.  But  in  truth  the 
psalmist  rather  seems  to  speak  prophetically,  without  anything  either  of  prayer  or 
imprecation :  "  They  shall  be  ashamed."  Having  seen  the  glory  of  Christ,  they 
shall  be  ashamed  of  the  idols,  which,  in  the  times  of  their  ignorance,  they  worship- 
ped. In  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses,  looking  forward  to  the  times  when  the  fulness 
of  the  Gentiles  shall  come  in,  and  the  remnant  of  Israel  shall  turn  to  the  Lord,  he 
describes  the  daughters  of  Judah  as  rejoicing  at  the  news  of  the  mercy  extended  to 
the  Gentile  world,  and  exulting  in  the  universal  extent  of  Jehovah's  kingdom  and 
the  general  acknowledgment  of  his  Godhead. 

In  the  tenth  verse,  having  in  view,  as  it  should  seem,  the  sufferings  which  the  first 
preachers  were  destined  to  endure,  he  exhorts  those  who  love  Jehovah  to  adhere  at 
all  hazards  to  their  duty,  in  the  assurance  that  their  powerful  Lord,  on  whom  they 
have  fixed  their  love,  "  preserveth  the  souls  of  his  saints,  and  delivereth  them  out  of 
the  hand  of  the  wicked." — "  Light,"  he  adds,  "  is  sown  for  the  righteous,"  or,  to 
render  the  words  more  strictly,  "Light  is  shed  over  the  Just  One,  and  gladness  upon 
the  upright  of  heart."  The  just  and  \he  just  one  are  two  different  words,  the  one 
a  collective  noun  expressing  a  multitude,  the  other  expressive  of  a  single  person. 
These  two  words  are  unfortunately  confounded  in  our  English  bibles.  The  Just  One 
is,  I  think,  in  many  passages  of  the  Psalms,  of  which  I  take  this  to  be  one,  an  ap- 
pellation which  exclusively  belongs  to  Christ  and  his  human  character.  Light,  for 
splendor,  is  an  easy  image  for  a  condition  of  prosperity  and  grandeur.  "  Light  is 
shed  over  the  Just  One,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  who  is  now  exalted  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,"  And  this  light  shed  on  him  is  a  source  of  gladness  to  all  the  upright  in 
heart.  "Rejoice  in  Jehovah,  therefore,  you  righteous;  rejoice  in  him  by  whom 
you  are  yourselves  united  to  the  first  principle  of  goodness,  being,  power,  happiness, 
and  glory;  and  give  thanks  at  the  remembrance  of  his  holiness." 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  349 

Now,  besides  the  purposes  I  hinted  at  before,  this  sermon  is  a  fine  vin- 
dication of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  it  teaches  us  how  we  should  explain 
the  Psalms  in  a  manner  corresponding  with  the  view  which  Horsley,  Home, 
and  many  others,  have  taken  of  these  sacred  compositions.* 

Whatever  is  calculated  to  elucidate  or  enrich  our  subject  by  comparing 
words  and  actions  with  similar  words  and  actions  may  properly  be  con- 
sidered as  falling  under  the  present  Topic,  and  I  shall  here  introduce  an 
example  from  Walker,  in  which  he  illustrates  the  nature  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry generally  by  comparing  it  with  the  primitive  ministry.  His  text  is 
1  Cor.  iv.  1,2:  "  Let  a  man  so  account  of  us  as  of  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,"  &c. ;  and  he  proposes — 

I.  To  explain  the  account  given  us  in  the  text  of  the  nature  of  our  office  as  minis- 
ters of  Christ  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 

II.  To  point  out  the  corresponding  obligations  incumbent  on  Christians  with  re- 
gard to  those  intrusted  with  this  ministry. 

Under  the  former  head  of  discourse  he  observes — 

In  order  to  have  clear  apprehensions  of  this  subject  it  will  be  necessary  to  look 
back  to  the  origin  of  the  office,  and  see  wherein  it  differed  at  its  first  appointment 
from  the  circumstances  in  which  it  exists  at  present.  I  commence  by  observing  that 
the  ministry  of  the  word  is,  in  all  essential  points,  the  same  ever  since  it  was  or- 
dained as  an  employment.  At  the  same  time  it  is  plain  that  several  circumstances 
attending  it  are  considerably  varied.  The  ordinary  call  to  the  office  which  now 
takes  place  is  very  different  from  the  miraculous  unction  by  which  men  were  conse- 
crated to  it  in  former  times.  Their  vocation  was  more  immediate,  more  striking, 
and  attended  with  more  ample  powers  as  well  as  more  splendid  effects.  From  their 
immediate  inspiration  an  authority  was  derived  to  their  words  to  which  none  of  us 
can  justly  pretend.  They  promised— and  the  blessings  of  time  and  eternity  were 
conveyed  with  their  words ;  they  threatened — and  vengeance  from  heaven  followed 
without  delay. 

The  apostles  enjoyed  from  their  divine  Master  the  communication  of  his  own 
powers  over  nature,  which  they  exercised  even  to  a  greater  degree  than  Jesus  him- 
self chose  to  do.  All  these  extraordinary  powers  have  now  ceased.  The  pastors  of 
the  Christian  church  are  now  men  in  all  respects  like  yourselves,  to  whom  God  has 
conveyed,  by  the  hands  of  other  men,  authority  to  preach  the  word.  Still,  however, 
the  originalproposilion  stands  true,  namely,  that  the  office  is,  in  all  essential  points, 
the  same  as  exercised  both  by  them  and  us :  for  it  is  easy  to  conceive  that  the  su- 
perior prerogatives  which  have  been  mentioned  vary  some  circumstances  in  the 
ministry  only,  but  do  not,  in  any  degree,  alter  its  nature.  The  essence  of  the  office — 
the  foundations  of  pastoral  authority — remain  unimpaired.  His  promise  is  unaltera- 
ble :  "  Behold,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world."!     From  his  holy 

*  The  above  excellent  remarks  on  parallelisms  of  texts  lead  us  to  reflect  on  the  parallelisms  of 
subjects  which  I  have  attempted  to  establish  throughout  the  Topics;  these  form  a  point  of  observa- 
tion which  may  be  called  the  doctrine  of  transitions,  a  passing  over  to  relative  branches  of  divine 
knowledge  (see  Topic  iv.)  These  transitions  admit  of  a  great  variety  of  particular  applications  of 
the  leading  doctrines  of  scripture,  few  in  number,  manifold  in  amplification.  It  is  the  art  of  combina- 
tion, of  associating  things  scattered  abroad  in  scripture,  but  which  really  may  be  systemized  in  the 
practice  of  teaching.  Sometimes  this  will  be  done  by  way  of  illustration,  or  amplification,  or  infer- 
ence, or  confirmation  ;  and  we  may  see  that  this  is  the  thread  of  Horslcy's  argument  last  quoted  by 
way  of  confirmation.  We  here  see  how  one  thing  hangs  upon  another :  for  instance,  how  many 
truths  hang  upon  the  fall  of  man,  how  many  on  the  recovery!  We  see  the  regular  connexion  of 
cause  and  effect,  of  designs  and  accomplishments,  and  a  thousand  other  things  of  great  importance  in 
discussion. — See  James  Dodglas,  Esq.,  on  Errors  in  Relii^ion,  pp.  303,  304,  &c. 

t  It  has  been  observed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  uses  three  expressions  to  show  the  perpetuity  of  this 
promise:  1.  Aiui/,  answering  to  the  Hebrew  word  ^^''V,  which  imports  a  continuance  to  the  end^  of 
the  world.  2.  Su^rcXtia  tt^s  tt,?  avvreXeiag  tov  aiwi/of.  As  the  first  expression  is  simply  affirmative, 
the  second  is  something  like  a  denial  of  the  contrary — the  denial  of  the  termination  before  the  world's 
end.  3.  Ylaaai  ra;  rtjicpai — all  days  and  successions  of  times  ;  for  it  is  not  ^tO  vijaif  nf^fiai  vjiiov — 
luilh  you  all  your  days,  which  might  soon  be  ended  ;  but  it  is  jruo-a?  raj  rj/i^paj — all  days  till  days  are 
no  more.  From  these  phrases  it  is  evident  that,  as  a  gospel  ministry  is  to  be  perpetuated  till  days  are 
done,  so  the  divine  presence  will  be  commensurate  therewith.  It  would  be  too  narrow  an  interpre- 
tation of  this  text,  as  to  Christ's  being  with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world,  to  say  that  he  is  no  longer 
with  them  than  they  live  in  the  world  ;  it  would  yet  be  more  absurd  to  say  that  their  personal  minia- 
tiy  was  coeval  with  the  world:  wherefore  the  inlerencc  is  obvious,  that,  as  the  preaching  of  the  gos- 
pel was  the  substance  of  their  commi.ssion  to  all  the  world,  so,  while  the  world  stands,  there  should  be 
preachers  thereof,  and  Christ's  presence  with  them. — Pott's  Sermons,  vol.  ii.,  p.  49. 


350  LECTURE    XXI. 

hill,  where  he  sits  as  King  of  Zion,  he  provides  for  the  perpetuity  of  his  church,  and 
he  does  now  give  pastors  and  teachers,  if  not  apostles  and  prophets,  for  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ. 

This  at  the  present  time  is  the  state  of  the  ministry  among  us ;  so  that  if  the  doc- 
trines we  set  forth  are  agreeable  to  the  scriptures,  if  the  morality  we  enforce  is  a 
conversation  becoming  the  gospel,  we  are  in  all  respects  to  be  accoimted  of  as  "the 
ministers  of  Christ,  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,"  according  to  the  words  of 
the  text;  that  is,  we  shall  be  worthy  of  these  appellations  if  we  be  found  faithful.* 
One  more  view  of  comparison  in  reference  to  the  ministry  may  not  be 
unacceptable.  Take  1  Pet.  iv.  11  :  "  If  any  man  speak,  let  him  speak  as 
the  oracles  of  God." 

Now  here  is  a  presumption  that  some  do  not  speak  according  to  "  the  oracles  of 
God."  And  here  is  the  comparison.  Paul,  James,  Peter,  Jude,  and  John,  animadvert, 
in  very  severe  terms,  upon  the  principles  and  conduct  of  such  men.  These  bold  and 
presumptuous  men  dare  to  pass  their  vile  notions  for  the  oracles  of  God.  These 
notions  are  forgeries ;  their  early  fathers  were  the  false  prophets  with  whom  such 
men  as  Elijah,  and  particularly  Jeremiah,  had  to  contend.  They  are  not  to  be 
known  by  their  garments,  nor  by  their  canting  expressions,  nor  by  their  bold  assump- 
tions, but  by  the  infallible  rule  of  our  Savior :  "  By  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them." 
These  fruits  are  various,  and  their  wiles  many.  Immorality:  "  Professing  to  know 
God,  in  works  they  deny  him."  Or  they  "separate  themselves  ;"  this  is  a  mark  of 
easy  application.  They  wish  their  people  to  become  a  selfish  people,  and  their 
unity  is  not  the  unity  of  the  gospel.  True  gospel  unity  is  not  a  party  spirit,  but  a 
universal  spirit ;  it  aims  at  uniting  all  mankind.  Or  these  false  teachers  separate 
doctrine  and  practice,  the  means  from  the  end,  one  part  of  God's  word  from  other 
parts,  placing  one  set  of  texts  in  array  against  another  ;  or  they  are  destitute  of 
Christian  charity,  meekness  love,  and  forbearance,  or  impatient  of  all  control  and 
every  degree  of  authority,  though  ever  so  slight  and  ever  so  scriptural.  Others  are 
deniers  of  Christ's  proper  divinity,  of  free  grace,  and  justification  by  faith,  or  of 
Christ's  perpetual  ordinances,  or  introducers  of  ordinances  and  sacraments  which 
Christ  never  ordained.  They  are  cavillers  and  disputers,  mixers  of  Christianity  and 
philosophy  ;  "  from  such  turn  away:"  for  one  is  weary  of  naming  more  of  their  ab- 
surdities. But,  in  favor  of  some  among  the  private  hearers  of  such  mischievous  lead- 
ers, we  must  make  a  difference.  They  are  the  led  of  such  leaders  as  I  have  named  ; 
the  deceived,  not  deceivers.     "  The  Lord  knoweth  those  that  are  his." 

Now,  on  the  other  hand,  the  true  ministers  "  speak  according  to  the  oracles  of 
God"  as  to  all  main  and  essential  subjects,  and  in  general,  though  they  may  diff'er 
in  particular  articles,  yet  they  "  hold  the  Head."  The  word  of  God  is  their  rule,  the 
foundation  of  their  doctrines  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  is  their  instructor.  Instead  of  being 
proud  and  self-willed,  they  allow  themselves  to  be  led,  knowing  their  own  ignorance, 
weakness,  and  insufficiency  ;  instead  of  following  their  own  fancies,  they  think  and 
"  speak  according  to  the  oracles  of  God." 

The  word  here  called  oracles  (from  an  Old  Testament  usage)  is  the  rule.  These 
oracles  are  known  to  be  divine  from  their  perfect  conformity  to  the  divine  nature — 
that  notion  of  the  divine  nature  which,  even  without  scripture,  evidently  pertains  to 
him,  though  seen  more  clearly  in  scripture  light. 

1.  Is  God  a  spirit?  His  word  (law  and  gospel),  with  all  its  important  contents, 
is  of  a  spiritual  nature :  "  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit  and  they 
are  life,"  John  vi.  63.     "  The  law  is  spiritual,"  Rom.  viii.  14,  and  viii.  2. 

2.  Is  our  blessed  Redeemer  "  the  Lord  God  omnipotent"  ?  His  gospel  is  "  the 
power  of  God  to  salvation,"  Rom.  i.  16. 

3.  Is  God  all-sufficient  ?  So  are  "  the  Holy  Scriptures,  able  to  make  wise  unto 
salvation,"  2  Tim.  iii.  15-17. 

4.  Is  he  a  king  to  exercise  kingly  power?  The  word  is  his  bow  by  which  he 
subdues  the  people  under  him.  See  Ps.  xix.  7  ;  Hab.  iii.  9 ;  Eph.  vi.  17  ;  Heb.  iv. 
12 ;  2  Cor.  x.  4,  5. 

5.  Is  he  a  judge?  He  will  judge  every  man  according  to  Christ's  gospel,  Rom. 
ii.  16. 

6.  Is  Christ  the  true  God  and  eternal  life  ?  His  word  is  the  word  of  truth,  John  i. 
17.     It  contains  the  words  of  eternal  life,  John  vi.  68. 

7.  Is  he  faithful  ?     His  word  is  the  faithful  word,  Ps.  cxix.  138. 

8.  Is  God  just?     His  word  is  the  word  of  righteousness,  Heb.  vi.  13. 

9.  Is  he  God  our  Savior?     His  gospel  is  the  word  of  our  salvation,  Acts  xiii.  26. 

*  Walker,  vol.  iv. 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  351 

10.  Is  he  unchangeable  ?     The  gospel  is  the  everlasting  gospel,  Mark  xiii.  31  • 
Rev.  xiv.  6. 

11.  Is  he  all-wise  ?     In  his  word  "he  has  abounded  toward  us  in  all  wisdom  and 
prudence,"  Eph.  i,  8. 

12.  Is  he  sovereign  ruler?     His  word  is  his  will,  Matt.  vii.  21  ;  2  Tim.  iv.  14,  15. 

13.  Is  he  full  of  grace  ?     The  gospel  is  the  word  of  his  grace,  Acts  xx.  24,  32. 

14.  Is  he  essentially  good  ?     His  word  is  good,  Rom.  vii.  12. 

15.  Is  he  holy?     His  word  is  pure,  Ps.  cxix.  140. 

16.  Is  he  wonderful  ?     His  testimonies  are  wonderful,  Ps.  cxix.  129. 

17.  Is  Christ  precious  ?     His  promises  are  so,  2  Pet.  i.  4. 

18.  Is  he  unsearchable  ?     His  gospel  is  an  exhibition  of  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ,  Eph.  iii.  8. 

Now  here  is  a  conformity  between  the  character  of  God  and  of  Christ 
and  the  holy  oracles  ;  and,  as  there  is  a  perfect  conformity  between  the 
character  of  God  and  the  excellency  of  his  word,  so  there  must  be  a  simi- 
lar conformity  between  this  divine  word  and  the  matter  of  our  preaching. 
As  Moses  had  very  strict  orders  respecting  the  tabernacle — he  was  to 
"  make  all  things  according  to  the  pattern  shown  to  him  in  the  mount" — 
so  preachers  are  to  preach  exactly  according  to  truth.  To  this  end  their 
preaching  must  be  pure  and  entire — pure  in  the  matter,  entire  as  to  the 
substance.  In  all  kinds  of  doctrinal,  practical,  and  evangelical  subjects, 
they  must  conform  to  the  word,  the  whole  word,  and  nothing  but  the  word. 
If  you  look  over  the  various  complaints  of  Christ  and  his  apostles,  con- 
cerning those  that  have  endeavored  to  corrupt  the  word  of  God,  going 
through  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  with  this  particular  view,  you 
will  obtain  great  light  upon  the  subject.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  you  ex- 
amine the  whole  Scriptures  for  yourselves,  to  see  what  is  exhibited  for 
truth  and  in  what  light  and  on  what  occasions  they  were  respectively  writ- 
ten, and  the  objects  to  which  they  were  evidently  designed  to  lead,  &c., 
you  will  be  in  a  condition  to  preach  "  according  to  the  oracles  of  God." 
And  if  this  be  done  carefully  and  diligently,  with  much  prayer  to  God, 
you  will  be  able  to  preach  the  divine  oracles  without  much  assistance  from 
the  theories  of  men,  even  of  the  best  of  men,  and  with  the  least  liabihty  of 
error. 

Among  the  subjects  which  will  come  under  your  notice  in  relation  to 
this  Topic,  you  will  sometimes  be  called  upon  to  compare  those  scriptures 
which  contain  the  threatenings  of  God  with  those  which  record  their  ful- 
filment. In  many  instances  recorded  in  Icripture  the  agreement  is  awful- 
ly minute  :  as  the  destruction  of  the  antediluvian  world  and  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  the  captivity  of  the  Jews,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  &c. 
Here  the  comparison  is  perfectly  easy  ;  but  in  many  instances  threatenings 
have  been  suspended  or  reversed,  and  these  present  a  difficulty  which  re- 
quu-es  much  of  caution  and  of  wisdom.  We  must  either  admit  that  such 
threatenings  were  not  intended  to  be  taken  absolutely  and  unconditionally, 
though  no  conditions  are  expressed,  or  that  our  ordinary  ideas  of  the 
divme  unchangeableness  are  incorrect,  though  apparently  justified  by  the 
strongest  expressions  of  scripture,  and  agreeing  with  the  clearest  deduc- 
tions of  reason. 

The  awful  threatenings  of  absolute  reprobation  in  regard  to  their  tem- 
poral state  have  been  fulfilled  in  many  recorded  instances  where  the  par- 
ties have  filled  up  the  measure  of  their  iniquities,  as  the  Sodomites,  the 
Canaanites,  &c.,  in  whom  the  light  of  nature  and  of  conscience  had  ceased 
to  operate,  who  had  "  given  themselves  over  to  work  all  kinds  of  iniquity 


352  LECTURE    XXI. 

with  greediness."  These  characters  brought  themselves  into  this  state  ; 
they  passed  their  day  of  trial  without  any  improvement,  and  therefore 
"judgment  came  upon  them  to  the  uttermost,"  and  the  only  end  remain- 
ing was  that  they  might  become  examples  of  "  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God."  In  some  of  these  instances  special  warnings  were  given.  Noah 
was  a  preacher  of  righteousness  to  the  antediluvians,  but  without  effect. 
In  other  instances  we  do  not  know  that  any  special  communication  was 
made.  The  Sodomites  had  it  not,  and  this  did  give  a  rehef  to  their  char- 
acter, for  our  Lord  intimates  that,  if  they  had  received  such  communica- 
tions, they  would  or  they  might  have  repented  ;  but  they  sinned  against 
the  light  of  nature  and  the  holy  example  of  Lot,  and  they  perished  with- 
out warning  in  any  special  form,  to  which  they  had  no  claim  on  the  ground 
of  justice.  In  other  instances,  Jehovah,  as  supreme  governor  of  the  world, 
has  passed  threatenings  on  nations  which  had  not  their  effect  for  a  long 
season :  these  threatenino:s  were  not  communicated  to  the  wicked  nations 
themselves,  but  mentioned  as  private  communications  to  his  servants  the 
prophets ;  for  usually  "  the  Lord  did  nothing  but  he  revealed  his  secret 
to  the  prophets,"  Amos  iii.  7.  This  was  remarkably  fulfilled  in  the  inti- 
mation made  to  Abrani  respecting  Sodom  ;  and  in  the  Revelation  it  is 
said  to  John,  "  Come,  and  I  will  show  you  the  judgment  of  the  great 
whore."  Yet  the  grace  of  regular  warnings  seems  not  to  have  been  given, 
for  reasons  above  assigned.  In  these  and  similar  cases  the  threatenings 
and  their  accomplishments  were  written  "  within  and  without" — in  the 
mind  of  God  and  by  outward  intimations  to  the  prophets. 

There  seem  also  to  be  many  threatenings  against  the  Lord's  people  if 
they  depart  from  their  steadfastness,  or  alter  their  course  from  good  to  bad, 
as  Rom.  viii.  13  :  "  If  you  live  after  the  flesh  you  shall  die."  Even  here 
there  must  be  a  saving  clause  for  returning  backsliders,  and  such  a  sen- 
tence may  in  the  hands  of  the  Spirit  bring  the  backslider  to  a  sense  of  his 
guilt  and  danger ;  upon  this  Mr.  Caryl  says,  "  Those  who  are  above  all 
curses  may  be  threatened  with  a  curse,  and  those  who  shall  certainly  be 
preserved  from  doing  that  which  inevitably  brings  the  curse  may  be  told 
of  a  curse  in  case  they  should  do  it."* 

Having  premised  these  remarks,  I  proceed  to  observe  that,  apart  from 
such  instances,  whenever  God  has  condescended  to  hold  any  intercourse 
with  his  sinning  creatures  by  sending  a  message  to  them,  though  conveyed 
in  the  form  of  a  threatening,  it  is  a  certain  indication  that  they  were  not 
absolutely  reprobated.  I  submit  that  if  any  of  the  antediluvians  had  re- 
pented, by  the  preaching  of  Noah,  a  place  of  refuge  would  have  been  pro- 
vided for  them  ;  and  that  wherever  a  denunciation  has  been  conveyed  to  a 
people,  it  carries,  whether  expressed  or  not,  an  implied  contingency  that 
if  they  repented  they  might  and  would  be  saved  :  the  case  of  the  Ninevites, 
left  upon  record  for  our  instruction,  is  exactly  to  the  point.  Now,  if  this 
be  correct,  the  difficulty  is  surmounted ;  God's  justice,  truth,  and  un- 
changeableness,  are  not  compromised  in  the  least.  God  wills  a  further 
day  of  trial  to  his  sinning  creatures  ;  he  puts  it  upon  this  issue.  Whether 
it  be  said  simply,  "  You  shall  perish,"  or  whether  the  condition  be  ex- 

*  Upon  this  difficult  subject  I  refer  to  Watson's  Theological  Institutes,  vol.  i.,  pp.  419,  420  ;  again, 
442-446 ;  Magee  on  the  Atonement,  vol.  i.,  p.  KiG.  I  shall  only  quote  Dr.  Jortin,  vol.  i.,  p.  29,  on 
Exodu.s  XX.  5,  6.  "  When  God  threatens  he  threatens  what  he  may  do,  not  what  he  must  do  : 
though  he  be  obliged  by  his  perfections  to  do  nothing  unjust,  he  is  not  obliged  to  do  everything  that 
may  possibly  be  done." 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  353 

pressed,  "  Except  you  repent  you  shall  perish,"  it  makes  no  difference 
at  all.  The  very  circumstance  of  a  communication  speaks  for  itself;  it 
proves  that  "  the  day  of  grace  is  not  past :"  therefore  sentences  reversed 
are  no  reflection  upon  the  character  of  Jehovah  ;  they  are  in  perfect 
agreement  with  all  just  legislation,  and  are  not  at  variance  with  the  divine 
prescience. 

I  choose  to  put  the  question  upon  this  representation  rather  than  upon 
what  has  been  asserted,  that  '*  God  changes  not,  but  he  ivills  a  change,'''' 
which  I  confess  I  can  not  understand.  This  must  still  be  a  willing  and 
a  counter-willing  ;  but  upon  my  humble  suggestions  you  have  only  to 
admit  the  implied  accompaniment  to  the  threatening,  and  this  knotty  point 
is  untied.  It  seems  to  me  evident  that  a  righteous,  intelligent,  and  good 
governor,  will  rule  his  creatures  in  this  manner.  He  will  preserve  in  his 
determinations  a  view  to  man  as  an  accountable  creature,  as  a  rational  pro- 
bationary, to  be  influenced  by  hope  and  fear  to  choose  the  wisest  course  ; 
otherwise  we  had  better  at  once  return  to  the  notion  of  the  stoics,  that  "  all 
things  are  governed  by  a  certain  and  inevitable  necessity." 

I  further  beg  leave  to  say,  lest  I  should  be  supposed  to  give  up  a  doc- 
trine which  1  firmly  believe,  that  as  God  has  in  some  instances  given  no 
special  warnings,  but  has  in  others  given  such  warnings,  wherein  much 
sovereignty  is  seen,  so  he  can  exercise  a  further  act  of  grace  toward  his 
sinning  creatures  ;  he  can  secretly  and  specially  incline  and  dispose  some 
of  them,  not  only  to  repentance,  but  to  faith  in  his  mercy;  audit  is  hence- 
that  the  Ninevites  expressed  such  faith  as  a  peradventure  ;  "  Who  can  telli 
if  God  will  turn  and  repent,  and  turn  away  from  his  fierce  anger,  that  we 
perish  not  f  Jonah  iii.  2.  As  he  inclined  the  idolatrous  Lydia,  by 
"  opening  her  heart,"  so  he  sometimes  saves  a  "  brand  from  the  burning" 
and  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  this  without  destroying  man's  free-agency,. 
or  tarnishing  his  adorable  perfections,  which  he  exercises  with  a^  sovereign, 
hand. 

But,  to  return  to  the  comparison  of  God's  threatenings  with  their  fulfil- 
ments :  you  have  here  a  view  how  to  make  use  of  this  Topic  in  preaching 
to  sinners.  I  have  said  that  wherever  God  sends  a  message  to  a  people 
by  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  the  gospel  in  his  hand  as  his  warrant,  it 
is  always  to  be  presumed  that  the  people  are  not  reprobated  ;  if  they  were, 
an  overruling  Providence  would  withhold  this  gospel ;  you  may  therefore 
excite  fears  and  hopes  ;  you  may  adduce  instances  of  sundry  threatenings 
against  sinners,  and  compare  them  with  sundry  fulfilments,  as  the  apos- 
tles Peter  and  Jude  did,  and  especially  as  Paul  did  in  the  third  and  fourth 
chapters  of  his  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ;  and  you  may  say  with  all  boldness, 
"  How  shall  you  escape  if  you  neglect  so  great  salvation  ?"  &c.  This 
comparison  of  things  is  well  adapted  to  awaken  "  the  dead  in  sin."  Your 
instances  are  of  the  most  unexceptionable  character,  your  position  is  firm, 
and  your  inference  can  not  be  denied  ;  nay,  you  may  say  that  ancient  re- 
fusals of  mercy  were  not  attended  with  the  same  aggravated  guilt  which  is 
connected  with  the  rejection  of  mercy  under  the  clear  discoveries  of  the 
gospel,  which  at  its  beginning  was  proclaimed  by  our  Lord  Jesus  himself 
whh  the  most  wonderful  display  of  miracles,  and  the  truth  of  which  is  evi- 
denced to  this  day  to  us  by  those  who  wrote  the  gospel  history.  Here,  I 
say,  keep  closely  and  faithfully  to  the  comparison,  and  suffer  them  not  tO' 
escape  the  consequence  of  that  comparison. 

23 


354  LECTURE    XXI. 

The  same  course  must  be  taken  in  respect  to  any  that  may  have  de- 
clined from  the  gospel,  and  perhaps  this  is  the  true  point  of  St.  Paul's 
argument  above  quoted.  The  Israelites  were  lost,  or  many  of  them,  by 
the  spirit  of  apostacy  ;  for  in  their  hearts  they  "  turned  back  to  Egypt:" 
their  unbelief  was  predominant  over  all  kinds  of  miracles  and  authorities. 

But  the  more  agreeable  part  of  your  duty  remains  :  that  is,  to  say  with 
Paul  in  another  place,  and  which  is  quoted  from  prophecy  and  applied  to 
the  gospel  dispensation,  "  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time  ;  behold,  now 
is  the  day  of  salvation."  You  may  announce  that  even  now,  bad  as  their 
case  is,  they  are  not  as  yet  reprobated  ;  that  it  is  yet  "  the  day  of  salva- 
tion." And  here  you  may  enter  into  another  comparison  of  facts.  As 
the  Hebrew  Christians  in  St.  Paul's  time  "  did  actually  by  believing  enter 
into  rest" — the  earnest  of  heaven  felt  in  their  hearts — so  you  may  assure 
sinners  that  on  their  beUeving  the  testimony  of  the  gospel  they  shall  even 
now  enjoy  that  justifying  grace  which  brings  peace  with  it ;  thus  you  excite 
and  operate  both  upon  fear  and  hope. 

Another  subject  of  some  importance  suggested  by  our  Topic  is  that  of 
comparing  the  commands  of  scripurc  with  its  jwotnises.  This  will  often 
furnish  much  that  is  instructive  and  edifying,  and  is  necessary  in  order  to 
solve  as  far  as  possible  the  apparent  inconsistency  of  commands  being 
given  to  those  whose  innate  and  essential  depravity  unfits  them  for  per- 
forming the  things  enjoined,  and  to  calm  the  disquietudes  of  those  who 
feel  their  own  insufficiency  to  "  enter  into  peace"  by  accurate  compliance 
with  the  commands,  as  a  means  of  obtaining  the  blessings  or  the  promises 
annexed  to  them.  On  this  account  many  are  apt  to  "  write  bitter  things 
against  themselves"  to  whom  the  comfort  of  pardon  and  peace  belongs. 

We  undoubtedly  allow  the  force  of  the  commands  ;  and  the  necessity 
of  divine  assistance  in  order  to  all  holy  obedience  must  be  ceded  to  us. 
The  commands  stand  upon  the  right  which  God  has  over  us  as  his  crea- 
tures ;  the  promises  stand  upon  his  purpose  of  grace.  The  command  is 
to  direct ;  the  promise  is  to  cheer  and  to  console.  Man's  weakness,  alas  ! 
is  too  evident  to  need  demonstrauon  ;  but,  if  any  were  necessary,  it  is  to 
be  found  in  the  several  prayers  of  God's  people  offered  up  for  assistance, 
which  would  not  have  been  offered  if  they  had  not  been  conscious  of  their 
own  instability.  Let  us,  however,  beware  of  so  stating  the  necessity  of 
divine  influence  as  to  neutralize  human  responsibility,  as  if  it  arose  from  an 
inability  distinct  from  the  waywardness  of  the'human  heart,  whereas  noth- 
ing can  be  clearer  than  that  the  inability  of  man  is  altogether  of  a  moral 
and  not  of  a  physical  nature. 

The  late  Mr.  Wilks  some  years  ago  considered  this  subject,  and  drew 
up  a  collection  of  commands,  each  accompanied  with  a  scriptural  prayer 
for  grace  to  obey  it,  and  also  with  an  absolute  promise.  The  wt)rk  to 
which  I  refer  is  entitled  "  Scripture  Harmony  ;"  and  lest  this  litde  pro- 
duction should  be  lost  through  its  minuteness,  or  at  least  may  not  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  majority  of  my  readers,  I  shall  transcribe  into  these 
pages  a  portion  of  it,  the  value  of  which  every  divinity  student  will  readily 
appreciate  : — 

Much  has  been  said,  by  many  good  but  mistaken  people,  concerning  our  ability  to 
fulfil  what  they  term  the  cnndttions  of  the  New  Covenant.  Much  of  the  preceptive 
part  of  revelation  has  been  referred  to  in  support  of  this  opinion,  and  the  common 
plausible  conclusions  drawn  from  such  scripture  is  that  '  it  is  inconsistent  in  the  di- 
vine Being  to  enjoin  what  we  are  unable  to  perform.'     This  sentiment,  as  it  is  flat- 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  355 

tering  to  human  nature,  has  seduced  some,  and  frequently  distressed  others.  The 
present  design,  therefore,  is  to  show  the  scripture  bearings  upon  this  subject.  Here 
in  every  instance  we  have,  1.  A  command.  2.  A  supplication  for  aid.  And,  3.  A 
direct  promise  of  such  aid. 

Ezek.  xviii.  31 :  Make  you  a  new  heart,  &c. 
Ps.  li,  10:  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God. 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26 :  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you. 

1  Cor.  v.  7 :  Purge  out  the  old  leaven,  &c. 
Ps.  li.  7  :  Purge  me  with  hyssop,  &c. 
Isa.  i.  25 :  I  will  purge  away  thy  dross. 

Ezek.  xxxiii.  11 :  Turn  you  from  your  evil  ways,  &c. 
Jer.  xxxi.  18 :  Turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned. 

Rom.  xi.  26 :  There  shall  come  out  of  Zion  a  deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungod- 
liness from  Jacob. 
Amos  iv.  12:  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  &c. 
1  Chron.  xxix.  18 :  Prepare  their  hearts  vinto  thee. 
Ps.  X.  17 :  Thou  wilt  prepare  their  heart. 

Eph.  V.  14 :  Awake  thou  that  sleepest. 

Ps.  cxix.  25 :  Quicken  thou  me,  &c. 

John  V.  25 :  The  dead  shall  hear  my  voice. 

Isa.  Iv.  2  :  Eat  you  that  which  is  good. 
Ps.  xc.  14:  Satisfy  us  with  thy  mercy. 
Jer.  xxxi.  14:1  will  satisfy  them  with  fatness ;  they  shall  be  satisfied  with  my  goodness. 

1  Chron.  xxviii.  9 :  Know  thou  the  God  of  thy  fathers. 
Exod.  xxxiii.  13  :  Show  me  now  thy  ways. 

Jer.  xxxi.  14 :  They  shall  all  know  me. 

Isa.  Iv.  6 :  Seek  you  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found. 
Job.  xxiii.  3  :  0  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him  ! 
Jer.  xxix.  13,  14:  You  shall  find  me,  &c. 

Rev.  iii.  18:  Anoint  thy  eyes,  &c. 

Ps.  cxix.  18 :  Open  thou  my  eyes,  &c. 

Isa.  xxix.  18  :  The  blind  shall  see  out  of  obscurity,  fee 

Job  xxii.  22:  Receive  the  law  at  his  mouth,  &c. 

Ps.  cxix.  36  :  Incline  my  heart,  &c. 

Jer.  xxxi.  33 :  I  will  write  my  law  in  their  hearts,  &c. 

Prov.  iv.  23 :  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence. 
Ps.  XXV.  20 :  0  keep  my  soul  and  deliver  me. 
Isa.  xxvii.  3 :  I  the  Lord  do  keep  it,  &c. 

2  Chron.  xx.  20 :  Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God. 
Acts  xvi.  31 :  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Mark  ix.  24  :  Help  thou  my  unbelief,  &c. 

Zeph.  iii.  12  :  They  shall  trust  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

Acts  ii.  40  :  Save  yourselves,  &c. 

Jer.  xvii.  14:  Save  me,  and  I  shall  be  saved. 

Isa.  xlv.  17 :  Israel  shall  be  saved,  &c. 

Isa.  i.  16  :  Wash  you,  make  you  clean. 

Ps.  li.  2 :  Wash  me  thoroughly,  &c. 

Ezek.  xxxvi.  25 :  I  will  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  &c. 

Ezek.  xviii.  31 :  Cast  away  all  your  transgressions, 
Hos.  xiv.  2 :  Take  away  all  iniquity. 
Isa.  vi.  7  :  Thy  iniquity  is  taken  away. 

Hag.  i.  5 :  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Consider  your  ways. 

Ps.  cxix.  5:  O  that  my  ways  were  directed,  &c. 

Ezek.  xxxvi.  31 :  Then  shall  you  remember  your  evil  ways. 

Isa.  xxvi.  20  :  Come,  my  people,  enter  thou  into  thy  chambers ;  hide  thyself,  &c. 

Ps.  xvii.  8 :  Keep  me  as  the  apple  of  thy  eye. 

Job  V.  21 :  Thou  shalt  be  hid  from  the  scourge  of  tongues. 


356  LECTURE    XXI. 

Matt.  xi.  28 :  Come  unto  me  all  you  that  labor. 

Cant.  i.  4 :  Draw  me,  and  we  will  run  after  thee. 

John  vi.  37  :  All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to  me. 

Matt.  xi.  29:  Learn  of  me,  &c. 

Job  xxxiv.  32 :  That  which  I  see  not,  teach  thou  me, 

John  vi.  45 :  They  shall  be  all  taught  of  God. 

John  XV.  4 :  Abide  in  me. 

Ps.  li.  11 :  Cast  me  not  away  from  thee. 

John  X.  28  :  They  shall  never  perish. 

Rom.  vi.  12  :  Let  not  sin  reign  in  you. 

Ps.  xix.  13  :  Keep  back  thy  servant  from  presumptuous  sins,  &c. 

Rom.  vi.  4 :  Sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over  you,  &c. 

Gal.  V.  1 :  Stand  fast,  therefore,  &c. 

Ps.  cxix.  117  :  Hold  thou  me  up,  and  I  shall  be  safe. 

Rom.  xiv.  14 :  He  shall  be  holden  up. 

Mark  xiv.  38 :  Watch  and  pray,  lest  you  enter  into  temptation,  &c. 

Matt.  vi.  13  :  Lead  us  not  into  temptation. 

1  Cor.  X.  13 :  He  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  your  strength. 

1  Thess.  V.  17  :  Pray  without  ceasing. 

Luke  xi.  1 :  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray. 

Zech.  xii.  10:  I  will  pour  out  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplications,  &c. 

Compare  again  these  passages,  viz. ; 

1  Pet.  V.  8,  9 ;  Ps.  xxii.  21  ;  Rom.  xvi.  20. 

2  Pet.  iii.  18  ;  Hab.  iii.  2 ;  Hos.  xiv.  7. 
Rev.  ii.  10 ;  Ps.  xxv.  21  ;  Isa.  xlvi.  4. 

I  think  no  preacher  can  go  far  in  his  work  without  meeting  some  diffi- 
culty on  the  subject  of  commands,  and  especially  as  many  are  to  be  found 
in  the  New  Testament,  which  we  are  accustomed  to  think  savors  most  of 
grace ;  nay,  I  think  the  greater  number  are  to  be  found  here.  A  judi- 
cious preacher  will  therefore  so  conduct  himself  as  to  remove  the  difficul- 
ties which  these  distinct  kinds  of  texts  impose  upon  his  care.  The  mere 
exhibition  of  such  a  list  of  scriptures  as  that  just  now  given  will  not  effect 
the  desired  object,  though  the  view  itself  is  proper  enough.  The  com- 
mands are  not  to  be  neutralized  to  mean  nothing  at  all ;  to  use  a  vulgar 
expression,  they  are  not  to  be  set  up  to  be  knocked  down  again ;  there 
must  be  some  inquiry  into  the  principles  upon  which  they  are  established 
(twelfth  Topic).  We  ought  to  consider  the  divine  authority  that  the  com- 
mands bear.  This  authority  must  never  be  lost  sight  of;  the  gospel  was 
never  intended  to  abrogate,  or  diminish,  or  suspend  it:  "If  I  be  a  master, 
where  is  my  fear?  If  I  be  a  father,  where  is  my  honor?"  Mai.  i.  6. 
This  fear  or  this  honor  is  founded  in  his  just  authority.  Allow  me  then 
to  suggest  that  our  subjection  to  the  divine  commands  is  our  acknowledg- 
ment of  this  authority,  and  that  everything,  whether  found  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament or  the  New,  that  bears  the  character  of  authority  or  command,  "is 
holy,  just,  and  good"  (Rom.  vii.  12),  and  should  be  directed  to  its  proper 
and  legitimate  effect,  either  to  direct  or  convince.  Antinomians  (properly 
so  called)  here  stand  convicted.  Every  disposition  to  laxity  of  conduct 
here  finds  a  suitable  corrective.  • 

There  is  also  a  principle  cognizable  in  the  divine  commands  which  is 
of  a  most  benign  nature,  and  which  most  delightfully  softens  the  before- 
mentioned  considerations,  and  ought  to  attract  our  love  to  the  commands. 
This  principle  has  respect  to  the  reward  of  the  righteous,  the  reward  of 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  357 

grace,  a  reward  that  the  gospel  opens  to  us,  and  which  is  peculiar  to  itself 
and  quite  distinct  from  the  reward  attached  to  the  original  law  of  our  cre- 
ation, or  that  of  a  perfect  performance  of  the  written  law.  This  is  the 
reward  of  obedience;  for  every  act  at  the  final  judgment,  whether  it  be 
bad  or  good,  is  to  "receive  a  just  recompense  of  reward;"  and  to  this 
Moses  had  respect,  Heb.  xi.  26.  The  manner  in  which  our  blessed  Sa- 
vior adverts  to  this  subject,  in  the  twenty-fifth  chapter  of  Matthew,  shows 
that  it  is  the  very  principle  of  God's  legislative  justice,  which,  so  far  from 
contravening  the  freeness  of  redemption  by  Christ,  does  very  wonderfully 
and  graciously  operate  in  unison  with  it.  Here,  then,  we  find  one  design 
of  the  commands  in  question :  had  there  been  no  commands,  there  could 
not  properly  have  been  any  obedience;  and,  if  no  obedience,  then  no 
reward:  therefore  in  such  a  case  the  righteous  would  have  lost  their 
crown,  their  honor,  their  distinction — the  public  testimony  of  their  acts 
which  the  "  God  of  all  grace"  will  at  the  last  day  make  manifest  to  all 
worlds.  Thus  the  commands  lay  the  foundation  for  a  part  of  the  joy  of  the 
righteous.  Surely  we  have  here  some  rich  gems  of  great  value,  and  we 
would  not  have  one  command,  even  the  most  trying  to  human  nature,  ex- 
punged from  the  divine  word. 

Again :  God  will  bring  forward  these  commands  at  the  last  day,  and 
the  acts  of  obedience  to  them,  to  stand  as  the  most  manifest  proofs  to  all 
intelligent  creatures  of  the  justice  of  his  sentence  of  life  and  blessedness ; 
and  the  presumptuous  and  impenitent  disobeyers  of  those  commands,  who 
will  then  reap  the  fruit  of  their  disobedience,  will  be  compelled  to  ac- 
knowledge that  their  sentence  is  just. 

Undoubtedly  the  commands  are  also  designed  to  convince  of  sin  in 
order  to  repentance,  and  to  lead  to  humble  prayer  for  recovering  and  help- 
ing grace,  and  for  the  exercise  of  faith  in  the  promises  of  such  grace. 
The  texts  just  quoted  fall  in  with  this  last  idea.  For  this  purpose  they 
were  collected  and  arranged,  and  for  this  purpose  I  have  transcribed  them. 

What  I  have  submitted  to  you  on  the  subject  of  the  commands,  will,  I 
hope,  assist  you  properly  to  compare  things  together,  according  to  the 
suggestion  of  our  Topic,  and  to  preach  consistently  and  scripturally.  To 
represent  every  subject  clearly  to  the  people  is  an  important  art,  and  must 
be  attained,  that  we  may  not  "darken  counsel  by  words  without  knowl- 
edge." "We  should,"  says  Mr.  Caryl,  "labor  to  deliver  our  minds 
plainly  concerning  the  mind  of  God,  that  what  we  utter  may  not  tend  to 
perplexity,  but,  as  much  as  in  us  lies,  a  clearing  of  the  word.  As  we  pro- 
fess to  give  light  in  dark  cases,  so  we  ought  to  act ;  and  the  prayerful  stu- 
dent while  he  looks  habitually  to  the  great  Source  of  light  and  knowledge, 
will  not  only  give  the  people  the  result  of  his  own  studies,  but  that  also 
which  he  is  taught  of  God,  and  which  is  infinitely  preferable." 

The  next  inquiry  which  our  Topic  suggests,  relates  to  the  comparison 
of  promises  with  the  manner  of  their  fulfilment.  It  is  a  very  easy  thing 
to  jump  over  or  pass  by  difficulties,  and  perhaps  sometimes  it  is  the  safest 
way;  but  it  is  better  if  possible  to  obviate  them,  and  so  make  the  way 
somewhat  smoother  for  followers.  One  of  the  difficulties  which  will  pre- 
sent themselves  on  the  subject  before  us  is  to  reconcile  promises  appa- 
rently conditional,  and  affecting  our  salvation,  with  the  unconditional  and 
unchangeable  purposes  of  God,  which  nothing  can  reverse  ;  "  for  the  gifts 
and  callings  of  God  are  without  repentance."     We  are  deeply  concerned 


358  LECTURE    XXI. 

in  both  these  important  points.  No  doubt  one  is  given  for  our  caution, 
the  other  for  our  comfort ;  but  when  we  consider  the  different  course  of 
their  operations,  and  the  different  principles  upon  which  they  appear  to 
turn,  we  seem  to  be  presented  with  the  view  of  the  prophet,  "  a  wheel 
in  the  midst  of  awheel"  (Ezek.  i.  16) — something  complex  to  us,  however 
true — a  wheel  within  a  wheel,  one  moving  in  a  straight,  the  other  in  a 
transverse  direction;  and  yet,  in  some  way  unknown  to  us,  the  double  ac- 
tion is  but  one.  The  unconditional  expressed  purpose  of  Jehovah  may 
perhaps  be  fitly  represented  by  the  principal  wheel,  always  progressing, 
always  fulfilling  the  divine  designs  in  grace,  which  "wait  not  for  man." 

In  this  department  of  divine  truth  we  hear  such  language  as  this:  "I 
will  work,  and  none  shall  hinder." — "Have  I  said,  and  shall  I  not  do  it?" 
— "The  counsel  of  the  Lord,  that  shall  stand."  The  sins  of  the  Jews 
did  not,  as  it  is  pretended,  prevent  the  advent  of  the  Messiah;  "but  when 
the  fulness  of  time  had  come,"  the  Savior  appeared.  Herod  could  not 
murder  him  ;  the  Jews'  malice  could  not  suppress  his  gracious  acts  and 
doctrines.  Here  we  shall  read  with  advantage  the  second  Psalm,  in  con- 
nexion with  references  to  it  in  Acts  iv.  25-28;  also  Isa.  xxviii.  16. 

To  the  same  account  we  place  the  promises  respecting  the  work  of  the 
Spirit,  as  Joelii.  28-32  and  Zech.  xii.  10,  connected  with  the  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  the  mighty  power  of  the  word 
in  its  progress  to  evangelize  the  world.  Here  the  co-operation  of  human 
agency  can  only  be  resolved  into  the  purpose  itself.  The  divine  right  to 
employ  it,  direct  it,  and  prosper  h,  did  not  depend  on  the  will  of  man, 
but  on  the  power  and  authority  of  God. 

Here  everything  is  very  clear ;  but  when  in  Ezekiel's  vision  we  find  the 
inner  wheels  giving  as  I  should  suppose  a  transverse  motion,  having  a  real 
but  secret  connexion  with  the  principal  wheel,  representing  perhaps  that 
economy  of  the  divine  government  by  which,  while  cause  and  effect  in  any 
individual  action  are  secured,  yet  an  agency  is  called  forth,  apparently  per- 
mitted to  will  or  not  to  will,  to  whom  something  is  electively  committed. 
In  the  first  case  the  divine  will  takes  the  lead;  in  this  second  a  human 
agent  seems  to  take  the  lead.  If  we  do  so  and  so,  such  a  blessing  will  be 
bestowed.  As  "draw  nigh  unto  God  and  he  will  draw  nigh  unto  you," 
James  iv.  8. — "Come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  you  separate,  and  I 
will  receive  you,"  2  Cor.  vi.  17. — "Awake  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise 
from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light,"  Eph.  v.  14. — "Ask  and 
you  shall  receive,  seek  and  you  shall  find,"  Matt.  vii.  7. — "If  any  man 
open  unto  me,  I  will  come  in  to  him,"  Rev.  iii.  20. — "  Believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shall  be  saved,"  Acts  xvi.  31. — "Him  that 
Cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out,"  John  vi.  37.  Besides  these, 
there  are  hundreds  more  which  we  consider  as  conditional  promises,  or 
as  declarations  of  what  will  necessarily  fall  out,  as  an  effect  follows  a 
cause,  and  which  any  wise  man  would  easily  sec  must  result  from  such 
and  such  conduct,  as  Rom.  viii.  13.  But  still  it  is  clear  that  any  really 
conditional  or  regulated  promise  hangs  upon  something  to  be  done  by  us, 
and  we  see  that,  wherever  the  regulation  is  observed,  God  is  not  slack 
concerning  the  fulfilment  of  his  promises ;  for  it  is  in  all  cases  true  that,  if 
we  draw  nigh  to  God,  he  does  draw  night  to  us — if  we  seek,  we  do  find — 
if  we  believe,  we  are  saved — if  we  come  to  Christ,  he  does  receive  us, 
and  if  we  refuse  to  come  to  him,  we  are  not  received.     These  are  unques- 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  359 

tionable  facts.  It  is  evident  that  we  are  dealt  with  here  as  rational  and  ac- 
countable creatures.  Now,  whether  we  see  it  or  not,  there  is  no  doubt  a 
connexion  between  the  general  purpose  of  God  and  the  free-agency  of 
man.  The  general  purpose  may  rationally  consist  with  the  disposing  of 
men's  minds  to  the  due  use  of  appointed  means.  The  work  of  convert- 
ing grace  supposes  such  influence ;  and  our  working  out  our  own  salva- 
tion with  fear  and  trembling  does  not  exclude  God's  working  in  us  to  will 
and  to  do  of  his  own  good  pleasure  (Phil.  ii.  12,  13) ;  so  that  v^^hen, 
agreeably  to  our  Topic,  we  compare  the  promises  with  the  conditions  an- 
nexed, we  do  it  with  great  advantage  to  ourselves,  and  shall  be  enabled  to 
adjust  a  case  of  conscience  upon  it  for  the  benefit  of  our  hearers,  seeing 
that  this  wheel  in  the  midst  of  a  wheel,  having  a  transverse  motion,  does 
not  offer  any  insuperable  difficulty;  "for  at  last,"  as  good  Mr.  Bayne* 
says,  "the  will  is  subject  to  grace,  and  not  grace  to  the  will."  God  is 
still  free  in  the  exercise  of  his  sovereignty,  in  disposing  the  mind  to  him- 
self, when  even  in  an  act  of  rebellion,  as  in  the  case  of  Saul  of  Tarsus 
when  intent  on  persecuting  the  saints  of  God. 

Thus  far,  my  brethren,  I  think  you  may  proceed,  that  is,  to  justify  the 
divine  procedure,  his  just  right  to  establish  his  own  purposes,  to  carry  them 
into  execution  against  all  opposition,  to  exact  from  man  the  concurrence 
of  his  will,  to  place  him  under  responsibilities,  to  give  encouragement  to 
exertion,  and  to  put  means  into  his  hands  for  this  purpose  which  he  has  so 
much  interest  in  improving.  Thus  far  we  have  real  and  practical  utility 
in  comparing  the  state  of  things  till  we  understand  their  bearings,  till  we 
apprehend  what  the  mind  or  will  of  God  is  upon  those  points  in  which  a 
well-regulated  ministry  is  so  much  concerned,  and  in  which  the  light  of 
private  Christians  is  either  diminished  or  promoted.  We  ought  to  give 
the  people  as  much  satisfaction  as  we  can.  But  into  deep  speculations 
and  disputations  enter  not.  I  never  knew  any  good  done  by  them.  Hu- 
man weakness  is  not  to  be  trusted  far  into  the  intricacy  and  secret  connex- 
ion between  the  principal  and  subordinate  wheels  of  the  divine  admin- 
istration. Practical  vtilitij  is  the  point  at  which  you  are  to  aim  and  at 
which  you  are  to  stop.  As  often  as  necessary  you  will  maintain  the  sov- 
ereignty of  God,  that  he  has  a  right,  in  willing  an  end,  to  will  also  the 
means,  to  arm  those  means  with  necessary  efficacy,  and  to  support  them 
by  his  promises  ;  and  you  will  show  that  there  is  a  perfect  analogy  with 
this  divine  method  in  the  natural  world,  which  indeed  opens  up  another 
subject  of  comparison.  Here  God  wills  a  crop,  but  wills  also  the  needful 
culture  and  labor.  God  wills  light  to  the  world,  but  makes  the  heavenly 
bodies  subservient  to  this  end.  Thus  he  wills  our  spiritual  improvement, 
and  all  means  in  connexion  widi  it.  Nor  can  there  be  anything  more  rea- 
sonable or  more  honorable  to  us  than  placing  talents  in  our  hands  that  we 
may  increase  them — making  us  the  agents  of  our  own  happiness — accept- 
ing, in  kindness,  the  co-operation  of  our  poor  endeavors  with  his  purpo- 
ses— putting  a  number  of  regulated  promises  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
are  so  deeply  interested  in  their  object — putting  us  upon  nothing  less  than 
self-preservation  and  self-interest — honoring  his  creature  with  an  active 
agency  suited  to  a  renewed  state,  an  activity  too  so  necessary  to  our  spir- 
itual health  as  well  as  our  improvement — putting  us  upon  the  exercise  of 

*Tbe  divine  alluded  to  was  Paul  Bayne,  of  St.  Andrew's  College,  Cambridge.  His  work  on 
Ephesians  is  in  some  parts  insufficient,  in  others  very  excellent,  which  observation,  I  think,  will  ap- 
ply to  divinity  works  in  general  of  that  age. 


360  LECTURE    XXI. 

our  faith  in  the  divine  word,  upon  the  expectancies  of  hope — making  us 
examples  of  success  in  the  use  of  means — giving  us  a  blessed  experience 
that  the  Lord  is  gracious,  and  a  blessed  foretaste  of  "  the  grace  that  we  are 
to  receive  at  the  revelation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

This  view  of  things  places  our  rehgion  above  the  suspicion  of  fanaticism ; 
and,  if  these  conditional  promises  had  been  withheld,  the  loss  would  have 
been  very  great ;  there  would  have  been  no  suitability  between  the  economy 
under  which  we  are  placed  and  the  common  nature  of  man,  but  a  strange 
anomaly  exhibited  to  us,  which  all  the  wisdom  of  philosophy  could  never 
have  reconciled  nor  accounted  for.  We  have  therefore  much  reason  to  be 
grateful  that  the  economy  of  grace  is  so  suited  to  our  state  and  to  every- 
thing that  is  remedial  which  that  state  requires. 

Allow  me,  however,  to  show  more  at  large  that  these  conditional  prom- 
ises are  actually  and  experimentally  of  a  beneficial  nature,  and  that  their 
not  standing  as  a  part  of  the  Sacred  Scripture  would  be  a  very  great 
calamity. 

1.  I  observe  in  the  first  place,  that  a  Christian  is  necessarily  influenced 
by  hope  and  fear  in  spiritual  things.  He  comes  under  these  influences  in 
a  new  manner  in  conversion  ;  and,  in  proportion  as  he  is  actuated  by  them, 
his  spiritual  Hfe  is  to  be  estimated  as  lively  or  dull,  or  languishing.  I  do 
not  say  that  these  are  the  only  motives  to  action,  because  love  is  equally 
essential ;  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  hope  and  fear  are  principal  motives 
of  determination  as  to  man's  conduct.  The  hope  of  reward  influenced 
Moses's  choice;  and  the  apostle  says,  "Let  us  also  fear,  lest"  such  and 
such  consequences  follow.  Now  try  the  issue  upon  a  single  regulated 
promise  of  our  dear  Lord  and  Master:  "Ask,  and  you  shall  have;  seek, 
and  you  shall  find,"  &c.  Does  not  the  promise  actually  and  experimen- 
tally operate  upon  the  believer's  mind  ?  Is  he  not  influenced  to  pray  by 
the  very  terms  of  the  promise?  and  is  he  not  put  into  a  state  of  fear  that  if 
he  do  not  so  seek  he  will  not  find  or  obtain  that  which  is  the  matter  of  pe- 
tition ?  Certainly  w^e  must  answer  in  the  affirmative.  Here,  is  a  proof 
of  the  excellence  and  utility  of  a  conditional  promise,  and,  however  dead 
his  frame  of  mind  may  be,  when  he  connects  widi  this  the  promise  of  a 
spirit  of  grace  and  supplication — the  assurance  that  the  Spirit  will  help  his 
infirmities,  though  "  with  groanings  which  can  not  be  uttered" — does  he 
not  resolve,  "  Thy  face  will  I  seek" — "  My  voice  shalt  thou  hear  in  the 
morning"  ?     Now  this  is  such  a  plain  case  of  utility  that  no  doubt  remains. 

2.  The  weakness  of  our  common  nature  requires  such  stimuli,  in  all 
variety.  Does  the  Savior  say,  "  Come  unto  me,  and  you  shall  find  rest 
for  your  souls  "?  The  believer  answers,  "  I  come  unto  thee,  for  thou  art 
the  Lord  my  God  :  in  thee  the  destitute  find  mercy."  Take  but  a  review 
of  the  promises  of  scripture,  and  you  will  perceive  that  all  of  them  tend  to 
action,  the  very  essence  of  the  Christian  life,  that  they  are  adapted  to  all 
possible  circumstances  with  an  accuracy  of  foreknowledge  that  is  very 
wonderful,  implying,  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  our  wants,  which 
nothing  but  omniscience  could  discern  or  infinite  goodness  could  supply ; 
and  yet  there  is  not  one  promise  too  much. 

Again  :  There  are  promises  to  our  due  observance  of  the  Lord's  in- 
stitutions, and  of  all  other  obligations  rightly  regarded.  There  are  prom- 
ises to  encourage  our  trust  and  confidence  in  every  season  of  affliction  or 
sorrow.     There  are  promises  made  to  the  exercise  of  every  Christian 


COMPARISON   OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  361 

grace,  and  they  are  all  yea  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus.  Now  suppose  the 
absence  of  these,  or  their  existence  without  the  condition  under  which  they 
are  given  ;  in  either  case  the  want  must  be  severely  felt,  both  by  the  pri- 
vate Christian  and  more  especially  by  the  preachers  of  the  gospel,  who 
could  never,  whh  all  their  ingenuity,  furnish  a  substitute.  In  former  times, 
more  than  at  present,  it  was  the  practice  of  preachers  to  urge  to  activity 
from  motives  collected  from  heathen  philosophers.  This  was  indeed  a 
miserable  shift;  but,  if  the  funds  of  eloquence  which  these  promises  sup- 
ply were  wanted,  we  must  go  again  to  the  school  of  Athens,  for  topics  of 
discourse,  and  we  might  say  of  the  pulpit,  "  The  glory  has  departed."  I 
hope  it  has  been  sufficiently  shown  that  these  promises  have  an  important 
place  in  scripture,  that  they  are  in  fact  an  invaluable  treasury  of  comfort 
and  instruction. 

3.  Does  not  the  Christian  stand  in  continual  need  of  some  evidence  of 
his  state  before  God,  and  especially  in  the  dark  and  cloudy  day  ?  What 
better  evidence  can  he  have  than  that  which  arises  from  the  agreement  of 
his  mind  with  the  promises  of  God  ?  This  is  not  the  case  whh  a  hypo- 
crite ;  he  wants  the  promises,  but  wants  them  without  that  state  of  the 
heart  to  which  the  promises  have  respect.  The  believer  can,  on  the  con- 
trary, appeal  to  God  for  his  sincerity  that  he  desires  the  promises  only  in 
God's  own  way,  and  believes  that  God  will  work  in  him  to  will  and  to  do 
of  his  own  good  pleasure  ;  and  this,  I  say,  is  an  enviable  estate  :  his  will, 
which  God  first  looks  at,  is  always  present  to  promote  the  purposes  of 
grace  according  to  grace  received ;  the  Spirit  of  God  witnesses  with  his 
Spirit  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.  Our  business,  therefore,  is  to  compare 
the  promises  with  the  requirements  annexed  to  them  ;  and  though  we  may 
find  an  apparent  dissimilarity  of  principles,  such  as  has  been  stated,  yet 
we  shall  not  be  led  to  any  unfavorable  result,  for  we  are  here  under  sov- 
ereign protection.  God  himself  has  made  these  two  principles  one,  and 
what  he  has  joined  together  let  no  man  put  asunder.  Privilege  and  obli- 
gation united  will  be  offensive  only  to  a  distempered  or  perverted  mind  ; 
and,  when  we  compare  the  one  with  the  other,  we  shall  see  their  fitness 
and  propriety — we  shall  see  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in  placing 
them  thus  before  us — we  shall  endeavor  to  carry  on  the  design  by  giving 
our  people  the  utmost  satisfaction  in  our  power  as  to  their  expediency, 
utility,  and  beauty — we  shall  endeavor  to  prevent  them  from  any  misun- 
derstanding which  might  be  conceived  upon  the  point — we  shall  not  allow 
it  to  be  thought  that  there  is  any  merit  in  meeting  the  regulation  or  acquire- 
ment, for  in  fact  God's  own  grace  confers  the  qualification  as  well  as  the 
benefit — we  shall  not  allow  any  to  be  discouraged  from  an  apprehension 
of  their  inability  to  meet  the  requirement,  since  the  humble  are  under  a  spe- 
cial protection — we  shall  hold  a  just  balance,  give  the  full  weight  of  all  the 
consolations  to  be  derived  from  the  unchangeable  love  of  God  (Rom.  viii. 
39),  and  all  needful  caution,  that  none  may  presume  without  a  fair  and 
scriptural  ground. 

Though  not  entering  into  the  original  intention  of  our  Topic,  I  offer  no 
apology  for  directing  your  minds  to  a  branch  of  comparison  which  appears 
to  me  of  great  utility,  viz.,  comjyaring  the  worTis  of  God  with  the  word  of 
God.  This  will  lead  us  to  examine  whether  our  faith  can  really  be  bene- 
fited, and  we  made  more  efficient  ministers  of  the  gospel,  by  such  com- 
parison.    Is  there  any  such  connexion  between  the  natural  and  moral  or 


362  LECTURE    XXI. 

spiritual  world  as  to  lead  to  the  inference  that  they  are  counterparts  of  each 
other,  formed  with  the  design  of  carrying  into  effect  one  great  and  v/orthy 
end,  which  separately  could  not  be  so  well  effected  ?  Or  shall  we  find 
that  these  two  economies  are  really  so  distinct  as  to  be  without  any  man- 
ner of  connexion  whatever  ?  The  apparent  similarities  which  invite  our 
inquiry,  and  which  are  very  striking,  must  be  the  effect  either  of  design 
or  of  what  is  called  accident.  The  former  appears  to  me  the  more  ra- 
tional conclusion.  The  resemblances  were,  it  is  presumed,  designed  for 
some  great  end,  and  that  end  must  be  the  instruction  of  man. 

Objections  to  this  view  of  the  subject  have  arisen.     Sensitive  Chris- 
tians, zealous  for  the  honor  of  scripture  literally  translated  or  understood, 
have  placed  themselves  against  it ;  they  are  afraid  of  committing  themselves 
to  what  they  conceive  an  unsafe  theory,  as  they  are  in  another  case  to  affix 
a  spiritual  sense  to  any  historical  or  ceremonial  passage,  lest  they  should 
fall  into  the  rank   of  enthusiasts.     There  are  others  who  think  that  the 
word  of  God  is  the  only  source  of  instruction  to  mankind,  and  who  are 
timorous  of  looking  into  the  volume  of  nature,  because  infidels  derive  their 
religion  (if  such  it  can  be  called)  from  this  source,  and  because  some  per- 
sons of  a  visionary  turn  of  mind  have  brought  the  study  into  some  discred- 
it.    I  can  not,  however,  think  a  sentiment  unsafe  that  is  warranted  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and  which  has  been  viewed  in  its  just  light  by 
such  men  as  Bishops  Home,  Butler,  and  Horsley,  to  which  I  add  the 
late    Mr.   Romaine,    Parkinson,   Jones  of  Nayland,   and  many  others — 
men   who  have  been   esteemed   among  the  brightest  ornaments   of  the 
church.     I  do  not  doubt  the  sufficiency  of  scripture  ;  but  I  beg  leave  to 
say  that  the  volume  of  nature  is  recognised  in  scripture  much  more  broadly 
and  extensively  than  many  other  things  which  we  generally  receive.     1  am 
not  inclined  to  abandon  a  system  or  sentiment  because  it  has  been  abused, 
since  such  abuse  could  only  arise  out  of  an  acknowledgment  of  its  truth, 
and  out  of  the  same  kind  of  zeal  which  has  brought  religion  itself  into 
some  discredit.     I  am  not  therefore  inclined  to  abandon  the  works  of  God 
as  a  source  of  divine  instruction  because  infidels  establish,  or  pretend  to 
establish,  their  opinions  upon  them.     These  characters  are  not  destitute 
of  intelligence  ;  and,  whatever  be  their  sin,  they  admit  that  the  finger  of 
God  is  visible  throughout  universal  nature,  and  that  instruction  is  to  be 
derived  from  what  they  hear,  see,  and  feel.     But  this  is  their  sin  :  they 
aim  a  deadly  blow  at  revelation,  through  a  vain  pretence  of  the  sufficiency 
of  natural  religion.     We  admit  their  premises,  that  nature  is  instructive  ; 
but  we  deny  their  conclusion,  that  revelation  is  unnecessary.     I  am  sorry 
to  observe  that  there  is  a  disposition  in  man  to  lower  the  divine  designs, 
which  we  are  told  are  as  much  "  higher  than  our  thoughts  as  the  heavens 
are   higher  than  the   earth ;"  and  again,  that  "  God's  thoughts  are  very 
deep."     But  why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  to  us  that  God 
should  so  have  constructed  the  visible  things  of  his  natural  creation  as  to 
render  them  an  image  of  his  moral  government  in   many  material  points? 
in  how  many  we  can  not  tell.     Do  we  not  frequently  find  combinations 
where  at  first  we  saw  but  a  simple  act?     Is  this  one  of  the  most  mysteri- 
ous things  imaginable  ?     Or  rather  is  it  not  so  plain  that  "  he  that  runs 
may  read"  ?     Is  not  the  greater  part  of  the  figurative  language  of  scripture 
built  upon  resemblances  to  nature  ?  and,  if  we  admit  the  metaphors,  we 
must  admit  the  connexion. 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  363 

It  seems  to  me  a  littleness  of  mind  to  suppose  that  the  coincidences  ob- 
servable between  the  volume  of  nature  and  that  of  inspiration  originated 
in  mere  accident,  like  the  famous  "  fortuitous  concourse  of  atoms  which 
tumbled  together  and  produced  this  world,"  but  how  nobody  could  tell ! 
As  we  believe  that  this  frame  of  nature  was  contrived  in  all  its  parts  to  an- 
swer many  and  different  purpo.ses,  by  a  sagacity  that  is  infinite,  so  I  pre- 
sume we  may  believe  that  among  other  combinations  the  natural  world  was 
so  ordered  at  the  first  as  to  provide  materials  of  instruction  to  man.  Hence 
we  find  in  scripture  such  pointed  references  from  one  to  the  other  as  the 
following  :  "  As  the  rain  cometh  down  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  re- 
turneth  not  thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it  bring  forth  and 
bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater,  so  shall 
my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth  ;  it  shall  not  return  unto  me 
void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in 
the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it,"  Isa.  Iv.  10,  11.  "As  the  earth  bringeth 
forth  her  bud,  and  as  the  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are  sown  in  it  to 
spring  forth,  so  the  Lord  God  will  cause  righteousness  and  praise  to  spring 
forth  before  all  the  nations,"  Isa.  Ixi.  11.  "  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner, 
and  the  ass  his  master's  crib,  but  Israel  knoweth  not  me,  my  people  do 
not  consider,"  Isa.  i.  3.  "  All  creatures,"  says  Caryl  in  his  admirable 
commentary  on  Job,  "  have  a  teaching  voice,  and  read  us  divinity  lectures 
of  divine  Providence.  There  are  four  things  which  the  creatures  teach 
us  :  they  teach  us  that  there  is  a  God,  and  much  concerning  him  :  '  Even 
the  invisible  things  of  him  from  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly  seen, 
being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and 
Godhead,'  Rom.  i.  20.  The  creatures  teach  us  ready  obedience  to  the 
will  of  God,  in  that  all  creatures  obey  the  law  of  their  creation  :  '  Fire  and 
hail,  snow  and  vapor,  stormy  winds  and  tempests,  fulfil  his  word,'  Psalm 
cxlviii.  8.  They  teach  us  dependence  upon  God.  Things  without  life 
are  exhibited  as  putting  forth  acts  of  faith  :  '  The  earth  cries  to  the  heav- 
ens ;  and  the  corn,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil,  cry  to  the  earth,'  Hos.  ii.  21. 
The  whole  creation  teaches  that  there  is  something  further  provided  for  us 
than  what  we  now  enjoy.  The  earnest  expectation  of  the  creature  wait- 
eth  for  further  manifestations,  Rom.  viii.  19.  '  Ask,'  says  Job,  '  the  beasts, 
and  they  will  tell  thee.'  So  many  creatures,  so  many  teachers.  The  ox 
teaches  us  to  know  our  bountiful  Lord.  The  ant  preaches  industry  to  man. 
We  are  again  excited  to  look  to  the  feathered  creation  for  instruction. 
The  fowls  of  the  heavens  seek  their  meat  from  God  :  '  The  stork  know- 
eth her  appointed  times  ;  the  turde,  and  the  crane,  and  the  swallow,  ob- 
serve the  time  of  their  coming  :  but  my  people  know  not  the  judgments 
of  the  Lord,'  Jer.  viii.  7." 

"  The  heathen,  indeed,"  as  Mr.  Jones  of  Nayland  has  observed,  "  re- 
garded the  world  as  a  parable,  the  literal  or  bodily  part  of  which  is  mani- 
fest to  all  men,  while  the  hidden  meaning  is  known  only  to  the  wise  ;  that 
is,  the  moral  in  the  fable,  or  the  interpretation  of  the  parable,  was  above 
vulgar  apprehensions."  Now  that  which  was  a  mystery  to  the  heathen  is 
none  to  the  Christian  with  the  Bible  in  his  hand  ;  the  secret  is  opened 
by  scripture,  and  the  connexion  of  things  is  clearly  unfolded.  Whoever, 
therefore,  sees  this  connexion  with  an  unprejudiced  mind  will  be  in  the  way 
to  understand  the  Scriptures  better  than  he  could  by  the  Scriptures  alone. 

There  are,  moreover,  peculiar  circumstances  which  constitute  the  mate- 


364  LECTURE    XXI. 

rial  world  a  fit  source  of  instruction.  For  instance,  the  universality  of  its 
lessons.  Infidels  say  that  our  revelation  meets  the  ear  of  only  a  small  part 
of  the  world,  but  that  if  it  were  from  heaven  it  would  be  universal.  Time 
and  means  must  effect  a  refutation  of  this  objection,  such  as  God  will 
eventually  provide  ;  but  against  the  works  of  nature  no  such  argument  can 
be  advanced,  for  they  are  of  universal  application,  and  every  human  being 
that  has  eyes  and  ears,  with  any  share  of  observation  and  reflection,  has 
the  benefit  here  of  an  instructor.  That  men  in  heathen  countries  are  not 
better  instructed  than  they  are  is  owing  to  the  same  cause  which  leaves 
men  in  a  state  of  ignorance  in  England — a  wicked  and  untractable  nature. 
The  works  of  God  have  a  language  everywhere  intelligible.  "  There  is 
no  speech  nor  language  where  their  voice  is  not  heard,"  Ps.  xix.  "  To 
saint,  to  savage,  and  to  sage,"  God  speaks  in  his  works ;  and  by  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  earth,  or  by  the  elements  surrounding  them,  he  excites  to 
fear  and  to  hope,  and  that  in  many  instances  with  a  voice  which  the  noise 
of  their  idolatries  can  not  overpower,  and  which  the  delusions  of  their 
priests  can  not  silence  ;  and,  when  this  language  of  nature  strikes  in  with 
that  innate  consciousness  which  possesses  every  human  heart,  this  univer- 
sal teaching  may,  in  very  many  instances,  be  to  a  certain  degree  salutary. 
This  is  a  proof  of  God's  universal  benevolence,  and  that  to  such  a  degree 
as,  St.  Paul  says,  will  leave  the  heathen  "  without  excuse." 

As  the  material  creation  was  admirably  fitted,  by  its  universality,  to 
teach  all  nations,  so  it  had  this  further  adaptation,  that  it  was  ever  un- 
changeable in  its  general  character.  So  steady  have  been  the  operation 
of  the  laws  of  nature,  that  stoics  have  considered  everything  as  proceeding 
in  one  regular  course  by  an  inevitable  necessity,  and  infidels  of  modern 
date  have  claimed  this  as  an  argument  against  scripture  miracles,  the  falla- 
cy of  which,  however,  Dr.  Campbell  has  very  ably  exposed  ;  yet  these 
testimonies,  added  to  historical  records  and  our  own  observation,  establish 
the  point  that  nature  is  always  the  same  (miracles  excepted),  and  is  there- 
fore a  steady  instructor.  As  the  "  word  of  God  abideth  for  ever,"  as  God 
in  all  his  glorious  attributes,  and  perfections,  in  his  determinations  and 
counsels,  changes  not,  so  nature,  throughout  her  works,  is  the  same  in 
the  thousands  of  years  that  are  past  and  shall  remain  the  same  till 
time  shall  end.  Though  kingdoms  rise  and  fall,  though  some  stars,  as 
astronomers  tell  us,  lose  their  places,  though  the  sentiments  of  men  may 
undergo  a  thousand  revolutions,  yet  the  material  creation,  and  its  endless 
objects  of  instruction,  are  always  the  same,  and  the  references  to  natural 
things  that  are  made  for  our  benefit  in  the  Scriptures  lose  nothing  of  their 
pristine  authority  by  the  lapse  of  thousands  of  years.  These  references, 
whether  made  by  David  or  the  prophets,  or  our  blessed  Lord  himself,  are 
now  as  well  understood  as  they  were  at  first ;  while  the  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  the  manners  of  nations  have  been  so  great  that  at  the 
present  time  we  can  ill  understand  the  history  of  antiquity.  The  un- 
changeable nature,  therefore,  of  the  visible  objects  that  afford  instruction 
particularly  fits  them  for  their  office.  It  is  this  by  which  they  stand  rec- 
ommended to  us  even  upon  the  very  same  ground  as  the  immutability  of 
the  written  word. 

The  works  of  nature  are  not  only  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  instruction 
by  their  universality,  and  by  their  unchangeable  nature,  but  also  by  their 
adaptation  to  the  lowest  capacities  of  men.     A  mathematical  demonstra- 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  365 

tion  is  a  demonstration  only  to  a  mathematician,  and  a  learned  demonstra- 
tion requires  the  learning  of  the  learned  to  perceive  its  force.  Greek  can 
be  understood  by  a  Grecian,  sublime  things  may  be  comprehended  by 
elevated  minds,  and  deep  mysteries  and  doctrines  may  be  quite  intelligi- 
ble to  divines  and  their  polite  hearers.  In  all  these  cases,  however,  the 
multitude  are  left  out.  But  the  works  of  God,  like  all  the  essentials  of 
scripture,  are  of  a  character  adapted  to  the  capacities  of  the  many  ;  and  1 
am  convinced,  by  this  coincidence,  that  both  are  from  God,  who  has  as 
much  regard  to  the  poor,  to  the  multitude,  the  great  mass  of  mankind,  as 
to  the  learned  and  the  wise  ;  and  when  I  consider  that  the  lessons  of  na- 
ture and  those  of  the  divine  Scripture,  with  the  teachings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  superadded,  all  teach  the  same  thing,  speak  the  same  language  to 
man's  heart,  and  point  man  to  the  same  objects,  to  be  pursued  by  the  same 
course,  I  am  constrained  to  exclaim,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God  !"  Such 
coincidences  could  never  have  happened  but  that  an  intelligent,  wise,  and 
good  Being,  having  in  view  the  instruction  of  ignorant,  erring,  lost  man, 
ordered  these  things  in  his  unerring  counsels  ;  and  whatever  regard  God 
had  to  his  own  glory,  which  must  ever  be  the  first  object,  yet  has  he  been 
mindful  of  us. 

This  representation  of  things  may  not,  however,  fully  satisfy  those  who 
plead  for  the  exclusive  sufficiency  of  the  written  word,  without  the  aid  of 
nature.  There  is  something  highly  commendable  in  a  zeal  for  the  suffi- 
ciency of  the  Scriptures  in  an  age  like  this,  when  scripture  is  depreciated, 
if  not  in  plain  words,  yet  by  implication ;  and  I  am  sensible  that  these 
scriptures  are  able  to  make  a  man  wise  unto  salvation,  and  thoroughly  fur- 
nished to  all  good  works.  But  this,  with  our  believing  and  beloved  friends, 
is  not  the  present  point,  which  alone  is,  whether  or  not  the  natural  things 
of  creation  continue  to  afford  materials  of  instruction  to  man.  The  opin- 
ion that  the  instructions  of  nature  are  no  longer  required,  appears  to  be 
founded  upon  a  notion  like  this,  that  the  morning  star  is  now  no  longer 
necessary  since  the  great  light  of  heaven  shines  upon  us,  or  that  some  sort 
of  supersedeas  has  issued  to  stay  the  proceedings  of  all  natural  religion,  or, 
as  some  people  say,  as  the  law  of  Moses  is  abrogated  by  the  hope  of  the 
gospel,  so  is  the  law  of  nature.  Now  this  is  a  very  short  way  of  escaping 
all  inquiry:  but  I  submit  that  whatever  was  once  thought  necessary  to  the 
instruction  of  man  remains  still,  and  will  ever  remain,  necessary  in  some 
degree,  and  more  especially  to  some  part  of  mankind,  while  the  world 
continues.  True  rehgion  is  always  the  same  under  every  economy,  and 
the  avenues  to  it  are  the  good  old  paths.  That  its  paths  may  be  made 
plainer,  and  that  more  light  may  be  shed  on  them  by  succeeding  times,  I 
am  ready  to  admit ;  but  that  one  path  is  stopped  up  by  hedge  or  ditch 
since  the  creation  of  the  world  I  must  beg  leave  to  deny.  This,  however, 
will  appear  more  clearly  by  considering  what  the  most  ancient  religion 
was,  what  it  appeared  to  be  in  different  subsequent  dates,  and  what  it  is  at 
the  present  day. 

Defaced  as  the  image  of  God  was  by  the  fall,  yet  man  remained  a  rea- 
sonable and  conscious  being,  and  consequently  an  accountable  agent. 
The  visible  creation  was  before  the  eye  of  man.  He  could  not  but  make 
reflections  upon  what  he  saw.  Nature  was  not  so  corrupt  but  man  must 
believe  and  acknowledo-e  the  divine  nature  and  existence,  since  it  must  be 
intuitively  evident  to  a  rational  being  that  no  creature  could  make  itself. 


366  LECTURE    XXI. 

The  broad  lines  of  excellency  everywhere  seen  must  impress  his  mind 
with  some  notion  of  the  divine  wisdom;  for  this  is  the  unavoidable  infer- 
ence from  the  view  presented  to  him.  It  must  appear  right  to  him — his 
reason  and  conscience  must  dictate — that  this  divine  Being  deserved  suit- 
able affections  from  him,  and  that  the  want  of  such  affections  must  be  a 
great  fault;  and  he  must  feel  within  him  a  moral  sense  of  right  and  wrong 
with  respect  to  his  Maker.  He  must  observe  how  admirably  every- 
thing above  his  head,  and  everything  he^e  below,  did  silently  obey  its 
Maker.  He  must  also  feel  his  situation  in  respect  to  his  fellow-creatures 
to  be  such  that  some  relative  law  required  observance,  and  could  not  be  dis- 
obeyed with  impunity,  as  in  the  case  of  Cain  and  of  Lamech;  and  beside 
mere  obligation,  that  his  fellow-creature  was  entided  to  his  love  and  affec- 
tion :  for  it  is  only  by  progressive  degradations  that  this  principle  can  be 
extinguished.  Both  in  respect  to  his  Maker  and  his  fellow-creatures,  it 
was  plain  to  him  that  God  had  commenced  his  legislative  authority,  by  the 
inward  feelings  of  conscience  as  well  as  by  outward  demonstrations;  it 
was  plain  that  God  in  his  providence,  in  his  sovereign  direction  of  cause 
and  effect,  did  actually  make  a  difference  between  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked  (Gen.  iv.  7),  and  that  this  legislation  would  proceed  beyond  the 
bounds  of  the  present  life. 

In  this  stage  of  civil  society,  or  individual  existence,  it  must  have  been 
evident,  on  inspection  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  of  the  bounteous 
earth,  the  clouds  of  rain,  and  springs  of  water,  that  God  was  supremely 
good:  nay,  further,  by  the  beauty  and  variety  of  many  created  things, 
such  as  met  and  delighted  the  senses,  it  must  have  been  evident  that  God 
was  indulgent  also.  The  rich  clothing  of  the  earth  by  day — the  beauty 
of  the  bespangled  heavens  at  night — the  rising  and  setting  sun,  scattering 
infinite  varieties  of  colors  and  forms  over  the  light  clouds  that  seemed  to 
delight  in  receiving  these  impressions — the  fanning  breeze  and  the  shady 
groves,  all  combined  to  gratify  and  delight  the  beholder ;  while  delicious 
fruits  gave  taste  its  pleasure,  and  the  ear  was  delighted  by  concords  of 
sweet  sounds,  ^olian  melody  so  ravished  the  ear  of  Jubal  that  he  in- 
vented the  harp  and  the  organ,  instruments  to  produce  those  sounds  at 
will.  Whether  or  not  Jubal's  lyre  or  harp,  and  organ,  were  first  dedi- 
cated to  God,  does  not  appear  from  history;  but  it  is  extremely  probable 
that  they  were  tuned  to  the  expressions  of  gratitude  and  praise  to  him. 

That  the  wickedness  of  man  may  do  all  kinds  of  violence  to  this  natu- 
ral religion  is  awfully  true;  but  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  this  equally 
holds  good  as  to  any  other  form  of  religion.  Man  may  degenerate  into  a 
form  worse  than  brutish :  but  still  I  contend  that  every  part  of  my  repre- 
sentation is  such  as  might  have  existed :  and  that  it  was  such  as  the  Sov- 
erign  Ruler  of  the  world  did  look  for  is  most  certain;  for  the  condemna- 
tion of  the  flood  was  not  inflicted  because  these  antediluvians  refused 
Moses  or  Christ,  but  because  "every  thought  and  imagination  of  man's 
heart  was  evil,  only  evil,  and  that  continually."  Man's  wickedness  was 
perpetrated  in  the  midst  of  the  light  of  nature  that  surrounded  him,  and 
his  transgressions  had  this  mark  of  infamy  upon  them. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  had  man  no  other  light  in  the  antediluvian  ages 
than  what  nature  unfolded?  Yes,  certainly.  The  early  institution  of 
sacrifices  was  a  species  of  instruction  which  applied  itself  in  a  way  of 
comfort  to  that  sense  of  guiU  which  every  man  acquainted  with  hunself 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  367 

must  feel.  He  was  here  taught  that  God  might  be  propitiated,  that  there 
was  forgiveness  with  him,  that  he  might  be  feared,  and  that  God's  charac- 
ter was  mercy,  or  else  these  sacrifices  were  appointed  in  vain.  As  to  what 
was  peculiar  to  those  sacrifices,  and  in  what  they  might  at  some  future  pe- 
riod terminate,  he  might  be  involved  in  much  obscurity  (though  faith 
might  penetrate  this  gloom,  as  in  the  case  of  Abel,  Heb.  xi.  4) ;  yet  here 
was  substantively  the  first  light  of  the  gospel.  The  first  institution  of  the 
sabbath  was  given  to  these  ages;  and  holy  men  of  God,  Abel,  Seth, 
Enoch,  and  Noah,  were  patterns  of  the  true  religion,  and  such  patterns  in 
their  "walk  with  God"  as  it  were  well  if  we  in  the  nineteenth  century  of 
the  Christian  era  could  closely  follow.  Enoch  and  Noah  were  preachers 
of  righteousness,  and  their  holy  example  was  a  sweet  savor  to  God  and 
men:  and  this  was  not  without  effect;  for  a  church  was  formed,  and  its 
members  were  distinguished  as  the  "sons  of  God."  So  that  "God  did 
not  leave  himself  without  a  witness"  in  this  remotest  period  of  his  legis- 
lative sovereignty. 

Nay,  I  contend  that  there  has  not  been,  can  not  be,  any  change  in  that 
which  constituted  then  the  essence  of  true  religion,  or  only  a  change  of 
blessed  improvement,  as  the  earliest  dawn  of  the  morning  is  improved  by 
the  advance  of  day,  while  the  light  itself  as  to  its  nature  is  materially  the 
same.  The  first  elements  of  religion  were  wisely  contrived  for  such  a 
creature  as  man  actually  is,  and  while  man  is  man  he  must  continue  to  be 
dealt  with  in  a  manner  precisely  the  same.* 

The  amount  of  what  has  been  stated  is  this,  that  man  was  created  a  re- 
ligious being,  that  in  the  fall  this  character  was  not  absolutely  and  entirely 
changed,  that  God  left  with  man  the  volume  of  universal  nature  to  read  for 
his  instruction,  and  that  he  graciously  superadded  such  revelations  as  were 
necessary  to  instruct  him  in  those  things  which  nature  alone  could  not  lead 
him  to  comprehend. 

Religion  after  the  flood  would  necessarily  be  the  same  as  before  it  oc- 
curred. It  certainly  acquired  new  sanctions  by  the  awful  visitation  of  an 
almost  universal  destruction.  Noah  had  witnessed  a  populated  and  a  de- 
stroyed world — a  world,  once  beautiful,  utterly  transformed  and  wasted. 
The  solemnity  of  that  scene,  and  his  miraculous  escape,  were  well  calcu- 
lated to  prepare  his  mind  for  that  sacrifice  which  was  his  first  act  after  he 
descended  from  the  ark.  We  see  in  him  the  grand  patriarch  of  the  new 
world,  its  only  ruler,  its  first  priest,  its  "preacher  of  righteousness." 
Faithful  to  his  charge,  he  did  not  meditate  a  new  theology,  though  his  un- 
worthy posterity  did  so ;  like  Paul,  that  which  he  received,  that  he  handed 
over  to  his  sons  and  successors.  That  he  did  not  innovate  in  religion  is 
presumptively  evident;  for,  if  such  had  been  the  fact,  the  pen  of  Moses 
would  diligently  have  noted  it. 

Proceeding  further,  we  find  that  Abram,  without  any  special  command, 

*  "  The  nature  of  man  being  the  same  now  as  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and  the  nature  of 
God  being  unchangeable,  it  must  follow  that  the  great  objects  of  the  dispensations  of  God  to  man 
must  be  the  same  in  every  age,  though  the  form  and  the  manner  after  which  that  object  is  pursued  may 
be  different.  So  that '  what  God  spoke  in  former  times  to  the  fathers  by  the  prophets'  will  be  found 
the  same,  in  sense  and  effect,  with  what  he  '  spoke  in  the  last  days  by  his  Son,'  thoui<h  he  spoke  '  in 
divers  manners,'  as  occasions  might  require  '  at  sundry  times;'  and  this  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  con- 
sequence to  be  observed  :  and  hence  Paul  spoke  of  the  gospel  being  preached  in  the  wilderness,  as 
well  as  after  our  Lord's  advent  and  ascension.  The  law  and  the  gospel  have  the  same  name,  and 
arc  distinguished  by  the  same  character.  So  that  the  religion  of  the  people  of  God  was  the  same  for 
substance  under  the  Old  as  under  the  New  Testament :  we  find  one  true  religion  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  to  its  end." — Jones  of  Nay  land. 


368  LECTURE    XXI. 

or  any  notion  of  his  own,  "built  altars  to  the  Lord"  in  the  manner  of 
Noah.  In  both  cases,  and  in  succeeding  ages,  the  true  religion  survived 
the  convulsions  of  nature.  The  earth,  though  transformed,  resumed  its 
vegetative  powers.  The  animal  tribes  passed  into  their  kinds  and  species 
to  accompany  a  repeopled  world,  capable  with  the  unchanging  heavens  of 
leading  man  "from  nature  up  to  nature's  God."  Every  assistance  in  the 
way  of  instruction  to  man  remained  ;  and,  had  not  the  deep-rooted  deprav- 
ity of  man  corrupted  this  religion,  idolatry  and  all  its  hideous  concomit- 
ants would  not  so  soon  have  overspread  the  earth.  Had  the  example  of 
Noah,  of  Abraham,  and  of  his  family,  been  followed,  the  generation  of 
those  ages,  as  they  spread  themselves  over  the  earth,  would  have  spread 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  ;  and,  with  the  resurrection  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom  after  the  flood,  "righteousness  also  might  have  sprung  out  of  the 
earth."  To  that  time,  I  say,  no  novelty  in  religion  obtained;  and,  though 
degeneracy  was  so  rapid,  yet  we  have  undoubted  evidence  that  the  voice 
of  nature  could  still  be  heard,  that  consciousness  of  right  and  wrong  could 
not  be  lost,  that  in  every  succeeding  age  an  acknowledgment  was  made  of 
the  existence  of  a  supreme  Being  above  all  the  vanities  of  the  Gentiles. 

If  a  time  had  ever  arrived  for  the  introduction  of  a  new  religion,  what 
period  so  favorable  as  that  of  Moses,  to  whom  "God  spoke  face  to  face, 
and  mouth  to  mouth."  But,  while  we  admit  that  the  econoiny  of  the  Mo- 
saic law  was  very  great  and  important,  yet  we  ask  of  what  did  it  consist? 
The  determination  of  Jehovah  to  form  a  people  for  himself,  a  clear  expo- 
sition of  the  law  of  creation,  a  complete  ritual  respecting  those  sacrifices 
which  the  patriarchs  had  somewhat  irregularly  observed,  a  clearer  discov- 
ery of  the  Messiah,  to  whom  all  sacrifices  and  types  pointed — in  short,  a 
ritual  that  answered  the  end  of  the  gospel  and  pointed  to  the  Lamb  of 
God  that  should  come  into  the  world.  Here  was  indeed  a  new  light,  but 
no  new  religion.  The  religion  of  nature  was  to  continue,  but  with  special 
cautions  against  certain  abuses.  The  Israelites  were  admonished  to  re- 
member that  when  they  saw  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  stars,  these  were  not 
to  be  worshipped,  when  they  looked  to  the  wisest  among  the  creatures, 
they  were  not  to  make  from  them  any  likeness  of  the  Deity.  Now  these 
very  interdictions  show  the  existence  of  a  natural  religion,  and  are  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  its  being ;  while  they  intimate  the  fatal  proneness  of 
fallen  man  to  substitute  the  creature  in  the  place  of  the  Creator. 

From  this  time  and  throughout  the  prophetic  ages,  when  instruction  to 
man  assumed  a  regular  form,  and  was  enriched  with  promises  and  prophe- 
cies of  future  good,  the  language  in  which  those  instructions  were  conveyed 
was  in  a  great  degree  derived  from  the  natural  world  as  well  as  from  the 
written  law,  from  which  it  appears  that  the  natural  world  could  not  then  be 
dispensed  with  as  an  instructor. 

Passing  on  to  the  opening  of  the  gospel  dispensation,  do  we  here  find 
any  diminution  of  references  to  the  volume  of  nature  ?  The  conduct  of 
our  blessed  Lord  himself  fully  answers  this  question.  He  gave  his  sanc- 
tion to  the  method  of  instruction  which  his  prophets  in  every  age  had  used 
so  successfully.  He  laid  every  object  of  nature  under  contribution,  and 
from  things  natural  led  his  disciples  to  things  spiritual.  He  compared  him- 
self to  the  sun,  the  light  of  the  world,  his  word  of  truth  to  seed  cast  into 
the  earth,  the  resurrection  of  the  seed  to  the  appearance  of  grace  in  the 
heart,  heavenly  wisdom  to  the  pearl  of  great  price,  &c.     His  parables 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  369 

were  made  up  of  such  resemblances,  and  without  a  parable  he  spoke  not 
unto  the  people. 

In  the  apostolic  epistles  allusions  are  more  generally  made  to  the  lan- 
guage of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  and  references  to  nature  occur  less  fre- 
quently, though  sufficient  still  to  show  that  there  was  no  abandonment  of 
the  system.  This  continuance  of  the  language  of  nature  and  that  of  the 
law  in  the  New  Testament  is  an  evident  proof  that  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other  had  become  useless.  The  law  did  not  abrogate  the  religion  of  na- 
ture, nor  did  the  gospel  abrogate  ehher  the  one  or  the  other,  but  shed  a 
new  and  glorious  light  upon  both.  As  Dr.  Jortin  has  observed,  "  Nature 
instructs  us  in  all  her  parts.  Every  creature  conveys  some  useful  doc- 
trine. We  may  learn  constancy  from  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  which 
keep  their  appointed  course.  We  may  learn  honesty  and  gratitude  from 
the  earth,  which  faithfully  preserves  what  is  committed  to  her  care,  and 
repays  our  labor  with  interest.  We  may  learn  industry  from  the  animals 
who  provide  against  hunger,  change  of  seasons,  and  the  assaults  of  ene- 
mies. We  may  learn  obedience  and  obligation  from  the  domestic  crea- 
tures who  love  their  master,  and  serve  him  in  their  respective  character.* 

The  gospel  of  Christ  is  the  very  highest  illustration  of  divine  benevo- 
lence ;  and  all  the  pains  we  can  take  to  render  it  familiar  to  the  under- 
standings of  the  ignorant,  by  comparisons  drawn  from  such  objects  as  come 
within  the  cognizance  of  the  senses,  will  not  be  considered  unnecessary. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  lead  you  into  this  study,  I  shall  here  add  a  few  brief 
illustrations,  which  may  serve  to  show  how  the  works  of  God  may  be  com- 
pared with  the  word  of  God.     I  begin  with — 

1.  The  image  of  light  A  Light  is  that  fine  and  subtile  matter,  univer- 
sally diffused,  that  strikes  our  eyes.  The  natural  sun  is  the  source  of  this 
light ;  it  was  the  first  perfect  visible  creature.  "  God  said.  Let  there  be 
light,"  Gen.  i.  3.  It  discovers  all  the  beauty  of  the  world,  quickens  the- 
motions  of  nature,  and  is  commonly  made  the  emblem  of  joy,  as  darkness 
is  the  emblem  of  sorrow.  What  would  the  world  be  without  this  blessing  ? 
We  can  not  conceive  of  the  loss  of  it  by  the  case  of  a  person  that  is  blind,, 
because  the  bUnd  receive  great  benefit  from  the  eyes  of  others.  The  best 
image  of  darkness,  the  opposite  of  the  blessing  we  are  speaking  of,  is  seea 
in  the  state  of  the  Egyptians,  who  were  three  days  without  the  sun,  Exod^ 
X.  21—23.  Darkness  is  emphatically  employed  to  represent  what  is 
gloomy  and  appalling;  and  what  can  be  more  natural  than  to  compare  the 
light  of  day  with  that  spiritual  knowledge  of  which  Christ  himself  is  the 
source  ?  John  viii.  12.  The  apostle  does  so  compare  them,  2  Cor.  iv. 
6:  "  God,  who  commanded  the  ligiit  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  has  shined 
into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in^ 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  The  allusions  of  scripture  to  this  point  are 
very  numerous;  and,  in  your  speaking  to  the  people,  what  an  easy 
opening  is  this  to  the  nature  of  the  gospel !  how  often  will  this  give  aq 
illustration  that  can  not  be  misunderstood  ! 

2.  Compare  the  church  of  God  to  the  vioon,  &c.  Her  light  is  borrowed, 
imperfect,  variable,  inconstant,  spotted  with  corruptions.  From  Jesus  the 
church  receives  all  her  light  of  inspiration,  ordinances,  and  grace.  Amid 
various  changes  of  outward  circumstances,  amid  numberless  spots  of  im- 
perfections, she,  during  the  night  of  time,  communicates  the  fight  of  fife- 

•  Jortin's  Sermon  on  Luke  xvi,  8.  t  Vide  Dr.  Hunter  on  Light. 

24 


370  LECTURE    XXI. 

to  our  darkened  earth.  The  righteous  also  shall  shine  as  stars  for  ever 
and  ever.  Ministers  are  compared  to  stars,  Rev.  i.  20.  Christians  are 
styled  children  of  light,  and  required  to  hold  fortii  their  light  to  the  world, 
as  stars  do. 

3.  The  air  is  that  thin,  dilatable,  and  compressible  body  in  which  we 
breathe,  and  which  surrounds  the  earth  to  a  great  height.  We  could  not 
live  a  moment  without  air  :  the  action  of  the  lungs  administers  it  to  the 
body,  and,  as  a  means,  it  is  by  this  we  "  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  be- 
ing." That  the  air  may  be  preserved  in  a  proper  state  to  support  life  it  is 
not  stagnant,  but  is  put  in  motion  by  the  wind,  which  in  fact  is  nothing 
else  but  air  in  motion  :  but  what  propels  it  forward,  or  pushes  it  in  this  or 
that  direction,  no  philosopher  can  tell ;  such  is  its  mystery  that  it  mocks 
the  wise  man  of  the  world  as  it  passes  by  him,  John  iii.  8.  This  element, 
like  light,  is  an  admirable  means  of  instruction,  no  doubt  ordained  to  a 
spiritual  as  well  as  a  natural  use.  Neither  of  these  can  be  supposed  acci- 
dental resemblances.  "  In  the  air,"  says  Mr.  Jones,  "  we  have  a  figure 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  worketh  imperceptibly  as  it  listeth,  while  we 
can  not  tell  '  whence  it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth.'  As  air  is  necessary 
to  natural  life,  so  the  operations  of  the  divine  Spirit  are  necessary  to  the 
spiritual  life.  As  the  air  gives  the  breath  of  speech,  so  the  Holy  Ghost 
gives  the  utterance  of  inspiration  as  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the 
Spirit  came  upon  the  disciples  like  a  rushing  mighty  wind,"  &c. 

4.  Water  diud/ire  are  equally  to  be  found  comparable  to  spiritual  objects ; 
both  are  applied  as  emblems  of  purification,  and  water  is  also  employed  to 
signify  that  which  refreshes  and  comforts.  Divine  grace  is  emphatically 
called  "  living  water,"  as  that  water  is  which  is  taken  from  a  spring,  be- 
cause it  brings  with  it  new  life  and  spirit,  which  it  has  derived  from  the 
subterraneous  chymistry  of  nature,  and  which  is  always  found  to  contain  a 
large  quantity  of  air.  The  application  of  water  to  wash  and  purify  the 
body  is  used  to  signify  the  inward  cleansing  of  the  soul  from  sin  by  the 
washing  of  regeneration  ;  and  all  the  purifications  by  water  under  the  law 
had  a  similar  meaning,  as  a])plied  in  those  words  of  the  prophet,  "  Then 
will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be  clean ;  from  all  your 
filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you  ;  a  new  heart  also 
will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you."  This  new  heart 
and  new  spirit,  as  the  work  of  God's  grace,  was  always  signified  by  every 
act  of  religious  purification,  according  to  that  of  the  psalmist,  "  Wash  me, 
and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow.  Make  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God !  and 
renew  a -right  spirit  within  me." 

5.  The  cwr///,  that  solid  mass  of  matter  which  has  in  itself  the  necessary 
powers  of  vegetation,  is  l)y  our  Lord  likened  to  the  heart,  the  good  ground 
which  brings,  some  thirty,  some  sixty,  some  a  iumdred  fold.  The  renewed 
soul,  so  to  speak,  has  its  vegetative  qualities,  and  brings  forth  fruit  unto 
God;  while  it  has  its  contrast  in  the  wicked  unrenewed  heart,  which  brings 
forth  briers,  thorns,  thistles,  &c.,  only  fit  to  be  burned. 

6.  Next  to  these  the  clouds  of  the  lower  luiavens,  the  rai?i  and  dew, 
all  have  their  likenesses  in  the  benign  kingdom  of  grace,  and,  as  well  as 
some  other  products  of  the  air,  are  as  clearly  referred  to  in  scripture  as 
such. 

7.  To  inspire  holy  fear,  thunders,  lightnings,  storms,  and  tempests,  are 
images  of  divine  anger,  and  are  admirably  adapted  to  a  popular  discourse. 


COMPARISON    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  371 

8.  The  various  products  of  the  earth — as  woods,  trees,  shrubs,  corn, 
seeds,  flowers — have  spiritual  resemblances  assigned  them  in  scripture. 

9.  So  also  the  various  tribes  of  birds  and  animals,  some  bearing  resem- 
blances to  the  saints,  some  to  the  wicked,  and  that  of  various  kinds,  to 
which  may  be  added  the  reptile  class ;  and  here  we  have  reason  to  remem- 
ber the  serpent.  There  are  also  the  flying  and  crawling  insects,  and  the 
tenants  of  the  watery  element,  most  of  which  receive  notice  of  one  kind 
or  another  in  God's  book. 

10.  The  human  body  is  compared  to  the  church  of  Christ  (I  Cor.  xii.), 
and  distinct  parts  of  the  body  represent  spiritual  acts.  Man's  food,  of  va- 
rious sorts,  is  spiritualized,  and  also  the  Hquid  elements  that  contribute  to 
his  sustenance — his  various  movements,  actions,  and  motions — the  faculties 
of  the  senses,  appetites,  and  passions — his  habits,  his  occupations,  his  con- 
stitutional state  as  to  health  and  sickness,  his  enjoyments  and  his  diseases, 
everything  that  happens  to  him  from  his  birth  to  his  grave — his  times  and 
seasons,  his  relationships  and  dependences,  his  civil,  his  political,  his  re- 
ligious, his  commercial,  his  social  character,  as  an  inhabitant  of  earth  and 
an  expectant  of  heaven — admit  of  comparisons  as  entertaining  as  they  are 
instructive. 

11.  It  has  been  said  that  even  doctrines  of  the  highest  class  might  be 
learnt  from  visible  nature.  Allow  me  to  add  that  man's  eating  o^  the  flesh 
of  animals,  to  which  we  are  so  reconciled  that  we  scarcely  give  it  a  thought, 
exposes  to  our  view  the  similitudes  of  "  the  derivation  of  a  principle  of 
spiritual  life  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  remission  of  sin  by  the  shed- 
ding of  his  innocent  blood,  which  are  doctrines  essential  to  the  gospel,  and 
every  way  agreeable  to  the  condition  of  man's  natural  life ;  for  we  live  by 
the  death  of  innocent  animals,  which  are  compelled,  without  any  fault  of 
their  own,  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  our  sustenance.  Thus  thoughtless 
men  observe  a  practice  without  understanding  it,  as  Caiaphas  prophesied 
without  knowing  what  he  said  :  '  It  is  expedient  that  one  man  die  for  the 
people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not,'  John  xi.  50.  It  is  expedi- 
ent that  the  innocent  should  die  to  feed  our  bodies — let  any  man  deny  it  if 
he  can  ;  and  it  is  equally  expedient  that  Jesus  Christ  should  die  to  feed 
our  souls.  The  animals  before  referred  to  are  no  doubt  doomed  to  die  by 
the  wise  appointment  of  God  ;  as  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,  with  the 
meekness  and  innocency  of  the  lamb,  was  brought  to  the  slaughter,  that 
throuo;h  his  death  we  mio;ht  have  eternal  hfe."* 

Here  I  am  led  to  advert  to  that  light  which  nature  sheds  on  the  doc- 
trine of  the  resurrection.  "  Some  animals,  after  a  torpid  state  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  death,  recover  the  power  of  life  at  the  proper  season 
by  the  influence  of  the  sun,  some  after  submersion  in  water  during  the 
whole  winter.  Some  crawl  for  a  time  as  helpless  worms  upon  the  earth, 
like  ourselves ;  then  they  retire  into  a  covering,  which  answers  the  end  of 
a  coffin  or  a  sepulchre,  where  they  are  invisibly  transformed  and  come 
forth  in  the  proper  season  in  glorious  array,  with  wings  and  painted  plumes, 
more  like  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  than  such  worms  as  they  were  in  their 
earthly  state."  This  transformation  is  so  striking  and  pleasant  an  emblem 
of  the  present,  the  intermediate,  and  the  glorified  state  of  man,  that  people 
of  the  most  remote  antiquity,  when  they  buried  their  dead,  embalmed  and 
enclosed  them  in  an  artificial  covering,  so  figured  and   painted  as  to  re- 

*  Jones,  pp.  334-336. 


372  LECTURE    XXI. 

semble  the  caterpillar  or  silkworm  in  the  intermediate  state.  And,  when 
renovation  is  to  be  insisted  on  from  the  works  of  nature,  we  can  refer  safe- 
'y  to  St.  Paul's  critical  observations  on  a  grain  of  wheat  (1  Cor.  xv.),  which 
seems  to  perish,  but  which  in  due  season  springs  up  to  life.  Do  not  these 
things  contain  matters  that  may  well  throw  light  on  the  glorious  doctrine 
of  the  resurrection?  and  surely  God,  who  made  man  at  the  first  of  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  can  form  him  afresh  from  the  same  material. 

The  objects  of  comparison  thus  briefly  set  before  you  may  be  sufficient 
to  give  impulse  to  your  thoughts,  and  to  excite  you  to  pursue  the  subject, 
not  as  philosophers,  but  as  divines :  and  I  recommend  you  to  cherish  this 
study  for  the  enlargement  of  your  own  minds  in  the  knowledge  of  nature 
and  the  word  of  God.  In  the  course  of  your  study  ideas  may  present 
themselves  in  two  ways :  by  beginning  with  the  works  of  nature,  and  then 
rising  to  the  spiritual  and  scriptural  objects  which  they  may  illustrate,  or 
commencing  with  any  scriptural  allusion  to  the  objects  of  nature  in  the 
course  of  your  reading,  and  then  descending  to  the  thing  pointed  out. 

Leaving  it  undetermined  how  far  the  ancient  world  were  able  to  derive 
spiritual  ideas  from  natural  things,  yet,  now  that  the  key  is  presented  to  us 
by  the  Scriptures,  we  should  surely  be  -unpardonable  if  we  did  not  avail 
ourselves  of  it ;  and  to  what  extent  this  Topic  may  with  propriety  be  pur- 
sued it  is  impossible  to  say.  In  general,  it  may  be  observed  that  the  whole 
volume  of  nature  is  available,  and  that  by  the  several  particular  objects  pre- 
sented to  our  notice  an  easy  ascent  is  afforded — 

"  From  nature  up  to  nature's  God," 

and  to  the  several  truths  he  desires  us  to  know,  and  wherein  we  shall 
find  part  and  counterpart  more  aptly  indented  than  is  generally  supposed. 

While,  however,  the  book  of  nature  lies  open  before  you,  and  invites 
your  attention,  the  word  of  God  must  be  the  chief  object  of  your  study  ; 
and  it  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  collect  all  the  natural  objects  presented 
under  different  aspects  in  the  Scriptures,  and  to  form  a  little  system  for 
yourself:  indeed  this  would  be  worthy  of  some  able  pen. 

In  closing  my  remarks  on  this  Topic,  allow  me  to  observe  that  the  act 
of  comparing  one  thing  with  another  is  of  considerable  importance  in  ev- 
ery branch  of  study  ;  by  this  means  truth  is  elicited,  and  by  this  means  also 
is  truth  elucidated.  When  about  to  compose  any  discourse,  you  must 
first  examine  carefully  and  diligently  what  your  text  contains  independent- 
ly of  all  human  helps,  though  after  this  operation  you  may  take  the  benefit 
of  such  assistances  as  you  possess.  After  you  have  ascertained  and  col- 
lected the  principal  ideas,  "  the  seeds  of  things,"  but  before  you  have 
formed  your  divisions,  submit  your  work,  thus  far  done,  to  comparison. 
Compare  your  ideas  with  the  context,  with  parallel  passages,  with  the  anal- 
ogy of  faith,  &c.  By  these  comparisons  you  will  discover  whether  your 
thoughts  are  deficient  or  unsuitable,  or  redundant,  and  especially  whether 
you  have  started  any  eccentric  idea,  such  as  would  expose  you  to  animad- 
version ;  for  I  think  young  speakers  are  somewhat  liable  by  a  sanguine 
turn  of  mind  to  commit  mistakes  here.  You  will  then  compare  such  ideas 
as  are  to  stand  for  the  discourse  one  with  another.  By  this  comparison 
of  the  ideas  among  themselves  you  will  see  into  what  different  classes  they 
may  be  arranged  :  and,  having  thus  fixed  upon  your  general  divisions,  you 
will  proceed  again  to  compare  these  selected  ideas  among  themselves  in 


COMPARISON    OP    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  373 

order  to  place  them  to  advantage  in  subdivisions.  When  you  have  thus 
far  assorted  and  arranged  your  ideas,  you  will  recur  to  the  chief  point  you 
had  in  view  in  fixing  on  your  text,  and  endeavor  to  bring  all  your 
thoughts  to  bear  upon  this  principal  point.  These  rules,  with  a  sound  and 
vigorous  judgment,  will  enable  you  to  produce  a  truly  original  sermon, 
suited  to  those  extraordinary  occasions  which  will  sometimes  occur,  for  I 
have  no  idea  of  every  sermon  being  thus  labored  :  a  preacher's  time  may 
be  much  better  employed.* 

We  may  further  observe  that  comparing  things  assimilates  to  reasoning 
upon  things  ;  and,  though  we  are  occupied  in  the  study  and  diffusion  of 
revelation,  yet  with  reason  we  have  something  to  do,  or  how  can  "we  put 
to  proof  the  things  that  differ  ?"t  How  compare  a  false  position  with  a 
true  one  that  directs  itself  against  if?  St.  Paul  says,  "  Judge  you  what  I 
say,"  by  which  he  intimates  that  what  he  had  been  stating  was  reasonable, 
or  it  could  not  have  been  referred  to  the  decision  of  a  sound  understand- 
ing. Again  :  Paul  before  FeHx  "  reasoned  of  righteousness,  temperance, 
and  judgment  to  come  ;"  and  so  forcible  and  convincing  was  his  reason- 
ing, that  the  tyrant,  whose  frown  was  sufficient  to  strike  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  his  subjects,  now  trembled  under  an  appalling  consciousness  of 
guilt.  It  is  true  that  human  reasoning  is  capable  of  perversion,  and  some- 
times makes  "  the  worse  appear  the  better  cause,"  at  least  to  carnal  minds,  who 
greedily  adopt  the  sophistries  of  those  who  he  in  wait  to  deceive.  While, 
however,  reasoning  is  abused  by  many,  and  feared  by  a  few  who  have 
perceived  that  abuse  and  the  mischief  it  has  done,  still  it  has  its  uses  and 
rules,  which  are  not  to  be  neglected  or  shunned  by  a  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel. "  When  the  gospel  gains  admittance  into  the  human  mind,  it  is  far 
from  superseding  the  use  of  the  reasoning  faculty  ;  but  rather,  by  enlarging 
the  bounds  of  the  Christian's  knowledge,  provides  it  with  a  new  province, 
wherein  it  may  exercise  itself  with  greater  certainty  and  delight.  It  affirms 
in  the  strongest  manner  all  the  declarations  of  God,  all  the  reason  of  duty 
naturally  imprinted  on  his  conscience  ;  and  adds  to  them  what  was  entirely 
wanting  before — a  divine  '  reason  of  hope.'  The  strictest  reasoner  can 
have  no  valid  objection  against  the  gospel,  unless  he  will  quarrel  with  it : 
it  provides  a  sinner  with  a  source  of  comfort,  without  the  aid  of  his  rea- 
soning faculties,  where  all  his  natural  funds  for  reasoning  proved  utterly 
insufficient."} 

Not  so  finely  expressed,  but  closer  to  the  point,  is  Mr.  Caryl :  "  Rea- 
son is  that  ground  or  soil  which,  being  tilled  and  dressed,  manured  and 
well  wrought  upon,  brings  forth  those  excellent  fruits  of  wisdom  which 
ennoble  the  mind  of  man." 

The  several  gradations  or  links  of  intellect  discernible  between  the  idiot 
and  the  wisest  man  in  the  world  will  be  seen  in  the  powers  and  exercises 
of  reason  as  they  are  respectively  possessed  and  used.  Reason  shows  us 
the  superiority  in  some  respects  of  the  wisdom  of  worldfings  over  the  chil- 
dren of  light.  The  comparison  and  the  reasoning  following  upon  it  are 
thus  stated  by  Jortin  : — 

"  The  children  of  this  world  have  continual  regard  to  the  end  they  pursue.  They 
never  lose  sight  of  it,  let  it  be  wealth,  or  power,  or  honor,  or  pleasure.  It  is  their 
constant  object ;  it  fills  their  earliest  and  latest  thoughts  ;  it  rises  and  lies  down  with 

*  See  essay  on  Extemporaneous  Preaching,  in  the  Appendix, 
t  See  Dr.  A.  Clarke  and  Macknight  on  Phil.  i.  10. 
t  Jones's  Bib.  Cyclo.,  vol.  ii. 


374  LECTURE    XXII. 

them  ;  it  goes  out  and  returns  home  with  them.  But  God's  children  are  seldom  so 
intent  on  their  great  concerns.  Sometimes  they  forget  it,  sometimes  do  things  con- 
trary to  it ;  often  they  are  busy  in  affairs  that  have  no  relation  to  it.  They  are  rather 
good  by  fits  and  starts  than  with  uniform  and  consistent  perseverance. 

"  The  children  of  this  world  are  wise  in  choosing  proper  means  to  obtain  their  end. 
If  they  happen  to  be  insufficient,  they  change  them,  choose  others,  and,  like  the  dili- 
gent spider  whose  net  is  broken,  begin  the  work  again.  Christians  are  seldom  equally 
judicious.  They  sometimes  trust  to  deceitful  hopes,  adopt  imperfect  expedients,  rely 
too  much  on  zeal  for  opinions. 

"  The  children  of  this  world  are  diligent  in  their  pursuits  ;  seldom  is  a  Christian  so 
assiduous  in  attending  on  the  means  of  grace. 

"  The  children  of  this  world  are  constant  and  resolute  ;  they  are  not  dejected  by 
difficulty,  discouraged  by  refusal,  tired  by  labor,  seduced  by  flattery,  prevailed  on  by 
importunity,  bribed  by  reward,  persuaded  by  eloquence,  daunted  by  threats,  put  out 
of  countenance  by  ridicule,  nor  overborne  by  clamor,  to  abandon  their  pursuits.  But 
the  good  are  in  danger  of  being  overpowered  by  every  discouragement,  every  strata- 
gem, every  obstacle,  that  works  on  their  hopes  or  fears,  or  their  inclmation."* 


LECTURE  XXII. 

TOPIC  XVII. 

REMARK  THE  DIFFERENCES  OF  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS  ON  DIFFERENT 

OCCASIONS. 

Whatever  falls  under  the  idea  of  similarity.,  whether  in  a  more  gen- 
eral or  more  minute  degree,  belongs  to  the  Topic  which  formed  the  sub- 
ject of  the  foregoing  lecture.  We  now  turn  to  the  consideration  of  dis- 
similarities ;  and,  as  we  are  required  to  comjmrc  one  part  of  scripture  with 
another  in  order  to  discover  such  dissimilarities,  much  that  is  said  on  the 
subject  of  comparison  generally  will  apply  to  the  present  Topic.  It  will 
not,  therefore,  be  necessary  to  extend  our  present  remarks  to  any  great 
length.  The  specific  province  of  the  Topic,  as  appears  from  its  title,  is 
the  elucidation  of  discrepancies  by  a  reference  to  different  occasions  and 
circumstances,  which  do  actually  govern  and  compel  different  words  and 
actions,  and  of  which,  therefore,  it  is  both  our  duty  and  wisdom  to  take 
due  notice. 

Differences  certainly  do  appear  ;  what  is  the  reason  ?  Because  there 
is  a  difference  of  occasions  and  circumstances.  The  right  way  of  noticing 
these  differences  themselves  is  to  begin  with  the  first  in  order,  and  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  last,  and  then  show  that  some  new  occasion  or  circumstance  has 
created  a  necessary  difference.  Mr.  Robinson  observes,  in  reference  to 
this  Topic,  "  Seeming  differences  in  scripture  are  reconciled  by  showing 
that  on  different  occasions  it  was  proper  to  say  and  unsay,  to  allow  and 
disallow,  to  establish  an  economy  and  to  dissolve  it.  The  prophet  Sam- 
uel reasoned  witli  the  Jews  on  this  principle  concerning  the  righteous  acts 
of  the  Lord  to  them  and  their  fathers  :  1  Sam.  xii.  G-15.  According  to 
him,  kings,  priests,  prophets,  ordinances,  establishnients,  captivities — all 
were  appointed  for  the  producing  of  moral  rectitude  or  obedience  ;  and, 
for  the  production  of  this,  different  treatments  were  necessary  on  different 
occasions."     There  is  a  change  of  administration,  but  not  of  purpose. 

*  Jortin's  Sermon  on  Luke  xvi.  8. 


REMARK    DIFFERENCES    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  375 

Jehovah  commanded  a  certain  course  of  daily  sacrifices  to  be  offered  un- 
der the  law  ;  yet  by  his  prophets  he  declares  his  abhorrence  of  them  be- 
cause abused  and  perverted  from  their  proper  end.  God  prohibited  all 
except  the  priests  from  eating  the  shovvbread,  and  yet  permitted  David 
and  his  followers  to  eat  it  under  particular  circumstances.  The  brazen 
serpent  was  to  be  preserved  as  a  memorial  in  the  holy  place,  and  yet 
for  good  reasons  Hezekiah  in  God's  behalf  broke  it  in  pieces.  Circum- 
cision was  strictly  enjoined  ;  yet  in  the  wilderness  for  forty  years  it  was 
dispensed  with.  None  were  by  the  law  allowed  to  eat  of  the  sacrifices 
without  the  ceremony  of  purification  ;  but  under  the  existing  circumstances 
in  the  time  of  King  Hezekiah,  this  ceremonial  cleansing  was  not  enforced, 
2  Chron.  xxx.  IS. 

Again :  "  The  Bible  contains  a  record  of  the  laws  by  which  God's 
kingdom  has  been  governed  under  various  circumstances.  In  the  patri- 
archal state  one  code  of  laws  was  necessary,  under  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tion another,  and  afterward  under  the  gospel  a  third,  differing  circumstan- 
tially from  both  the  former  ;"  and  it  would  seem,  from  the  language  of 
prophecy,  that  a  fourth  state  of  the  church  is  yet  to  come,  in  which  there 
will  be  such  an  abundant  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  to  supersede 
the  ordinary  ministration  of  the  gospel :  "  They  shall  teach  no  more  every 
man  his  neighbor  and  every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  ; 
for  they  shall  all  know  me  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest,"  Jer. 
xxxi.  34. 

If  we  pass  from  the  Old  to  the  New  Testament,  we  shall  meet  with  simi- 
lar diversities.  Christ  revokes  some  Old-Testament  records  (Matt,  v.)  and 
adds  new  weight  and  importance  to  moral  precepts.  Our  Lord's  speech 
to  his  disciples  also  differed  materially  at  different  times,  the  reason  of 
which  will  be  found  in  the  declaration  that  he  uttered  things  "  as  they  were 
able  to  bear  them."  On  one  occasion  he  restricts  the  pubUcation  of  the 
gospel  "to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,"  and  cautions  his  dis- 
ciples "  not  to  enter  into  any  city  of  the  Samaritans  ;"  on  another  he  com- 
mands them  to  carry  the  gospel  of  salvation  into  all  kingdoms,  Mark 
xvi.  15. 

In  the  apostolic  epistles  we  find  many  similar  instances  :  thus  St.  Paul 
strenuously  insists  on  justification  by  faith  alone  ;  and  James  declares  that 
"a  man  is  justified  by  works,  and  not  by  faith  only,"  which  we  have  ex- 
plained in  a  former  lecture,  p.  261.  In  some  epistles  we  find  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  rather  referred  to  as  matters  beyond  dispute  than 
fully  stated  and  pressed  on  the  people  ;  in  others  they  are  defended  with 
great  vehemence,  and  those  who  oppose  them  are  anathematized.  Differ- 
ent occasions  demanded  this  different  mode  of  address.  When  no  oppo- 
sition was  made  to  these  doctrines  by  the  professors  of  Christianity,  it  was 
unnecessary  to  employ  argument  in  their  defence ;  but  when  the  Jewish 
teachers  of  gnostics  obstructed  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  it  became  necessa- 
ry to  guard  the  Christian  church  from  the  influence  of  such  teachers,  and 
to  expose  their  sophistries.  In  all  these  cases  a  change  in  words  and  ac- 
tions is  called  for,  and  such  change  is  regulated  by  occasions  and  circum- 
stances, just  as  our  statute-books  receive  the  accession  of  new  articles, 
while  many  of  the  old  ones  become  obsolete  and  a  dead  letter,  or  as  new 
municipal  regulations  are  demanded  by  some  new  disorders,  &c.  These 
differences  should  unquestionably  be  carefully  noticed  by  die   preacher, 


376  LECTURE    XXII. 

who  will  thereby  often  be  furnished  with  very  appropriate  thoughts  for 
illustration  as  well  as  for  removing  the  difficulties  which  such  differences 
may  occasion.  Mons.  Claude  observes,  "  When  a  weak  scrupulosity  or 
a  tenderness  of  conscience  was  in  question,  which  put  some  of  the  faithful 
upon  eating  only  herbs,  St.  Paul  exhorted  the  strong  to  bear  the  infirmi- 
ties of  the  weak  :  '  Let  not  him  that  eateth  despise  him  that  eateth  not,  and 
let  not  him  that  eateth  not  judge  him  that  eateth,  for  God  hath  received 
him,'  Rom.  xiv.  3.  But  when  the  same  St.  Paul  speaks  of  false  teachers, 
who  wanted  to  impose  a  yoke  on  conscience,  and  who,  under  pretext  of 
meats  and  days,  were  attempting  to  join  Moses  with  Jesus  Christ,  as  if 
Christians  were  still  obliged  to  observe  the  ceremonial  law,  tlien  the  apos- 
tle has  no  patience  with  them,  but  condemns  and  anathematizes  them  as 
people  who  preached  another  gospel,  and  exhorts  the  faithful  to  '  stand 
fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  had  made  them  free,  and  not  to  be  en- 
tangled again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage,'  Gal.  v.  ]. 

"  So,  again,  when  you  find  in  the  gospel  that  Jesus  Christ  sometimes  for- 
bade his  disciples  to  publish  the  miracles  that  he  wrought  and  to  declare  his 
divinity,  and  at  other  times  that  he  ordered  them  to  publish  upon  {ho  house- 
tops what  they  had  heard  in  pirate^  and  to  preach  to  all  nations  the  mys- 
teries of  his  kingdom,  you  must  remark  that  this  difference  is  owing  to 
different  occasions.  While  Jesus  Christ  was  upon  earth,  the  mysteries  of 
his  kingdom  were  covered  with  the  veil  of  his  humiliation,  it  being  neces- 
sary in  some  sense  to  conceal  them  ;  but,  after  his  exaltation,  it  became 
proper  to  publish  them  to  the  whole  earth. 

"  The  same  diversity  may  be  remarked  in  what  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to 
the  Canaanitish  woman,  that  he  was  '  sent  only  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel,'  and  that  it  was  '  not  meet  to  give  the  children's  bread  to 
dogs.'  This  seems  contrary  to  an  almost  infinite  number  of  passages  of 
scripture  which  affirm  diat  Jesus  Christ  is  '  the  light  of  the  Gentiles' — '  to 
him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be.'  These  and  all  other  such  pas- 
sages will  perfectly  agree  if  you  distinguish  time,  and  occasion.  While 
Jesus  Christ  was  upon  earth,  he  was  '  the  minister  of  the  circumcision  ;' 
but,  when  he  departed  to  glory,  his  ministry  extended  over  the  whole 
earth." 

.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add  any  further  illustration  of  the  use  of  this  Topic 
in  sermonizing.  Perhaps  it  must  be  admitted  that  its  province  is  almost 
exclusively  restricted  to  occasional  observations.  However,  I  can  not 
close  my  remarks  upon  it  without  suggesting  diat  similar  differences  to 
those  which  occur  in  scripture  will  be  required  in  your  conduct  as  minis- 
ters. On  the  same  principle  that  parents  are  obliged  to  resort  to  new 
measures  to  preserve  family  decorum,  so  pastors  and  teachers  must  adapt 
their  instructions  and  their  measures  to  the  varying  circumstances  of  the 
people.  A  heavy  charge  rests  upon  them  ;  they  stand  in  the  capacity  of 
rulers  in  Christ's  name,  and  great  responsibility  attaches  to  their  office. 
St.  Paul  intimates  this  when,  addressing  the  people,  he  says,  "  Obey  those 
that  have  the  rule  over  you,"  Heb.  xiii.  17.  Indeed,  if  a  minister  has  no 
authority,  he  can  have  no  responsibility  ;  and,  if  he  has  no  responsibility, 
he  can  have  no  office  :  and  there  is  an  end  of  the  wiiole  affair  at  once. 
Some  persons  may  think  that  the  greatest  share  of  responsibility  ought  to 
rest  in  the  deacons  and  members  j  but  the  apostle  Paul  certainly  did  not 
intend  these  by  the  "  rulers  over  the  people  ;"  for  the  words  are,  "  Obey 


REMARK    DIFFERENCES    OF    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  377 

those  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  who  s])calc  to  you  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  When  ministers  surrender  any  part  of  their  office,  I  do  not  think 
it  an  act  of  any  merit  to  themselves,  or  conducive  to  the  real  advantage  of 
the  people. 

Perhaps  these  sentiments  are  gratuitous  ;  perhaps  it  will  be  thought  that 
ministers  know  their  office  sufficiently.  However,  it  will  be  agreed  on  all 
hands  that,  in  the  exercise  of  ministerial  authority  and  ministerial  address, 
many  things  must  be  said,  or  done,  or  omitted,  according  to  circumstances, 
and  that  vviiat  is  proper  at  one  time  may  bo  highly  in^jroper  at  another. 
So  long  as  diftcrent  occasions  occur,  which  no  ordinary  foresight  can  an- 
ticipate, different  conduct  and  varied  address  must  be  resorted  to  by  the 
Cinistian  teacher.  This  could  not  fail  to  be  noticed  by  discerning  minds, 
and  it  has  occasioned  their  just  remarks.  Mr.  Howe,  on  Luke  xix.  41, 
42,  says,  "  What  are  the  things  which  belong  to  the  peace  of  a  people 
living  under  the  gospel  ?  The  things  belonging  to  a  people's  peace  are 
not  throughout  the  same  with  all.  Living  or  not  living  under  the  gospel 
makes  a  considerable  difference  in  the  matter.  Before  the  incarnation  and 
public  appearance  of  our  Lord,  something  was  not  necessary  among  the 
Jews  that  afterward  became  necessary.  It  was  sufficient  for  dicm  l)efore  to 
believe,  more  indefinitely,  in  a  Messiah  to  come  :  afterward  he  ])lainly  tells 
them,  '  If  you  beheve  not  that  I  am  he,  you  shall  die  in  your  sins,'  John 
viii.  24.  Believing  in  Christ  can  not  be  necessary,  as  a  duty.,  to  pagans 
who  never  heard  of  him,  however  necessary  it  tnay  be  as  a  means  of  their 
salvation.  Their  not  believing  in  him  can  not  be  itself  a  sin,  though  by 
it  they  should  want  a  remedy  for  their  other  sins  ;  but  the  case  is  very  dif- 
ferent with  regard  to  us,"  &c. 

I  beg  leave  to  observe,  further,  that  diere  will  sometimes  be  a  necessity 
of  acting  or  speaking  in  some  new  way,  as  new  circumstances  occur,  or 
reformations  are  not  to  be  looked  for,  and  the  order  and  purity  of  Chris- 
tian communities  are  not  likely  to  be  preserved.  Occasions  are  frequently 
occurring  to  call  for  firmness,  and  much  wisdom  is  necessary  to  direct 
that  firmness.  By  wisdom,  however,  I  do  not  mean  Uiat  crafty  wisdom 
which  priests  employ  to  enslave  the  people,  nor  that  boisterous,  overbear- 
ing policy  diat  deafens  die  voice  of  reason,  nor  a  fearful  and  timorous  pru- 
dence ;  but  "  the  wisdom  which  cometh  from  above,"  so  beautifully  de- 
scribed by  James,  iii.  17,  just  such  wisdom  as  St.  Paul  manifested  on  all 
occasions — the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  united  with  the  harmlessness  of  the 
dove,  l^iinful  as  it  may  be,  timely  interference  must  be  made.  Nehe- 
miah  had  a  very  painful  duty  to  perform  on  a  certain  well-known  occasion  ; 
yet  he  flinched  not  from  it,  and  he  thereby  saved  the  declining  interest  of 
religion  from  a  fital  lapse  and  certain  ruin.  Want  of  courage  in  moments 
of  difficulty  is  the  very  worst  fault  that  can  lie  against  a  minister  of  re- 
ligion. On  die  other  hand,  I  am  willing  to  allow  that  die  necessity  re- 
ferred to  must  be  apparent,  indubitable,  and  imperious.  Perpetual  inter- 
meddling radier  weakens  than  strengdiens  audiority,  and  ultimately  defeats 
the  purpose  which  it  seeks  to  promote.  Now  here  we  must  go  by  scrip- 
ture instances  of  such  real  necessity,  and  diese  will  in  some  respects  guide 
our  judgment.  Observe  die  manner  and  suitable  matter  of  Paul's  address 
to  I'eter  when  he  practised  some  dissimulation  at  Antioch  :  Gal.  ii.  What . 
in  the  infancy  of  the  church,  must  Jesuitism  be  charged  upon  one  bearing 
the  apostolic  name  ?  shall  the  vilest  leprosy  appear  among  holy  brediren  ?  or 


378  LECTURE    XXII. 

shall  cowardice  disgrace  the  character  of  Christ's  ambassador?  No  ;  ra- 
ther than  these  things  should  occur,  Peter  must  be  "  withstood  to  the  face  ;" 
and  no  doubt  Peter  was  afterward  very  thankful  for  this  timely  rebuke,  by 
which  the  church  was  saved  from  dishonor. 

Again  :  there  w^as  a  time  when  the  Galatians  were  so  attached  to  Paul 
that  they  would  have  "  plucked  out  their  own  eyes  to  give  them  to  him  ;" 
but  when  a  corrupted  gospel  invaded  this  church,  and  it  became  a  ques- 
tion whether  the  pure  or  the  spurious  should  stand,  see  with  what  spirit 
and  with  what  wisdom,  too,  St.  Paul  acted  :  his  love,  his  zeal,  his  holy 
jealousy  gathered  round  his  heart,  and  gave  utterance  to  an  epistle  well 
calculated  to  produce  compunction  for  their  folly,  and  to  restore  order, 
peace,  and  love.  On  another  occasion,  when  danger  threatened  the  Cor- 
inthian church,  with  what  a  determined  but  tempered  address  Paul  under- 
took the  work  of  reformation  !  This  was,  as  is  well  known,  a  mixed 
church.  Some  had  great  merit ;  these  he  highly  commended.  Some 
were  wicked ;  these  he  threatened,  and  one  he  directed  to  be  excommuni- 
cated, but  afterward,  on  his  repentance,  recommended  a  restoration. 
Some  were  given  to  a  party  spirit ;  these  he  cautions  and  instructs.  Some 
abused  the  ordinance  of  the  Supper;  to  these  he  gave  a  timely  check.  In 
short,  he  adopted  his  own  rule  given  to  the  ministers  of  Thessalonica ;  he 
"  warned  the  unruly,"  those  bolder  spirits  that  are  impatient  of  all  restraint, 
and  who,  the  better  to  carry  their  purpose,  endeavor  to  confederate  others 
with  them. 

Now  if  we  attend  to  the  spirit  of  this  Topic,  and  the  hints  suggested  by 
it  to  our  reflection,  we  shall  be  directed  to  the  discreet  and  prudent  con- 
duct of  a  spiritual  father,  exercising  that  sound  and  healthy  judgment 
which  ever  ought  to  pervade  the  ministerial  character.  The  irresponsible 
individual  has  no  such  part  to  act ;  his  own  conduct  is  his  only  care  ;  and 
it  would  have  been  well  for  some  to  have  been  so  placed  in  the  world. 
The  mere  preacher  has  but  little  to  do  with  that  wisdom  to  which  we  now 
refer  ;  when  his  sermons  are  provided  and  delivered,  his  work  is  done. 
He  is  one  of  those  beautiful  and  melodious  creatures  that  everybody  ad- 
mires, but  with  whom  no  wise  man  is  satisfied,  and  whom  no  wise  congre- 
gation would  choose  for  a  regular  pastor.  He  may  please  in  the  pulpit 
atKl  the  drawing-room  :  his  cultivated  mind,  his  fine  taste,  his  ready  wit 
and  richness  in  anecdote,  are  qualities  which  can  not  fail  to  give  him  an 
attractive  influence.  Besides,  he  can  not  so  break  the  rules  of  good 
breeding  as  to  speak  unpleasant  things.  With  the  sins  and  the  follies  of 
individuals  he  has  no  concern  ;  indeed,  he  feels  that  he  has  no  talent  to 
manage  them  ;  and  perhaps  in  this  he  is  perfectly  right — an  office  of  diffi- 
culty must  fall  into  better  hands.  But  the  true  father  of  a  spiritual  family 
loses  his  individual  character,  and  becomes  in  his  speech,  and  in  his  con- 
duct, and  even  in  the  expressions  of  his  countenance,  just  what  circum- 
stances require  of  him,  just  what  parental  duty  and  rising  occurrences  urge 
upon  him.  He  stands  in  Christ's  stead  in  everything.  He  enters  fully 
into  the  spirit  of  his  office  ;  his  private  feelings  are  placed  in  subjection  or 
neutrality.  With  other  ministers,  and  perhaps  much  in  the  same  manner, 
*'  he  preaches  the  word."  He  labors  in  season,  but  he  has  also  some 
things  to  do  as  it  were  out  of  season,  that  is,  when  his  public  service  is 
ended  ;  then,  if  needs  be,  he  reproves,  rebukes,  exhorts  with  all  long-suf- 
fering, as  often  as  new  circumstances  call  for  it ;  and  this  he  docs  that  the 


CONTRAST    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  379 

parties  may  be  "  sound  in  the  faith."  In  the  exercise  of  that  faithfulness 
and  vigilance  which  his  pastoral  office  demands,  he  uses  entreaties,  and 
addresses  the  objects  of  his  care  as  "  his  little  children,"  Gal.  vi.  Endear- 
ments the  most  tender  will  be  mingled  with  his  severest  rebukes  ;  so  that 
his  love,  his  anxiety  for  the  welfare  of  the  party,  can  never  justly  be  doubt- 
ed. His  courage  and  firmness  will  be  balanced  with  the  "  meekness  and 
gentleness"  of  Christ.  There  was  no  want  of  courage,  faithfulness,  and  de- 
cision, in  the  friends  of  Job,  but  they  wanted  the  tenderness  and  fellow-feeling 
which  his  case  required  ;  they  consequently  added  weight  to  his  affliction, 
and  forced  him  to  cry  out,  "  Have  pity  upon  me,  have  pity  upon  me,  O 
my  friends  !"  Job  xix.  21.  We  are  not  to  "  break  the  bruised  reed,"  not 
to  "  destroy,  but  to  save." 

In  acknowledging  the  difficulties  of  this  work,  it  would  be  some  conso- 
lation if  any  rules  could  be  laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  those  who  desire 
to  acquit  themselves  as  good  stewards  of  the  divine  word.  But  if  the  oc- 
currence itself  can  not  dictate  the  proper  course  or  expedient,  if  it  defy 
your  keenest  penetration,  I  recommend  the  study  oi  yrecedents.  Some  of 
these  have  been  named  in  this  lecture  from  the  Scriptures,  and  many  oth- 
ers might  be  referred  to.  The  history  of  the  church,  and  your  own  obser- 
vation and  experience,  will  furnish  more.  In  this  important  matter,  how- 
ever, you  must  earnestly  pray  for  divine  direction. 


TOPIC  XVIII. 
CONTRAST  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS. 

This  and  the  preceding  Topic  may  possibly,  at  first  sight,  seem  to  in- 
terfere with  each  other;  but  it  will  be  manifest,  on  a  little  reflection,  that 
the  similarity  between  them  is  rather  apparent  than  real,  rather  in  sound 
than  in  sense.  For  the  purpose  of  occasional  observation,  the  foregoing 
Topic  is  certainly  of  some  value,  and  has  a  province  peculiar  to  itself; 
but  it  is  very  limited  in  its  application,  and  furnishes  no  materials  for  di- 
vision or  extended  discussion.  Besides,  it  ought  to  be  observed  that  when 
we  compare  two  or  more  things  together,  and  take  notice  of  such  differ- 
ences as  fall  within  the  province  of  the  foregoing  Topic,  our  object  is  to 
show  the  substantial  agreement  which  exists,  notwithstanding  these  differ- 
ences, or  to  examine  where  the  truth  lies ;  but  we  contrast  things  that  are 
opposite  to  one  another  in  order  to  make  more  striking  a  thing  already 
known  and  acknowledged.  The  present  Topic  is  of  extensive  applica- 
tion :  perhaps  there  is  no  subject  on  which  a  reference  to  it  may  not  assist 
the  preacher,  either  in  the  study  or  in  the  pulpit ;  and  it  may  be  employed 
in  any  or  every  part  of  a  discourse,  as  expediency  may  dictate.  Con- 
trast, it  is  obvious,  may  sometimes  take  the  lead  in  an  exordium,  and  at 
others  it  may  bring  up  the  rear  in  a  peroration.  On  some  occasions  it 
may  form  one  division  or  subdivision  of  a  discourse,  and  on  others  every 
head  or  division  will  turn  upon  it.  Sometimes  it  may  be  introduced  as  a 
figure  of  rhetoric,  or  as  a  casual  illustration ;  and  sometimes  many  con- 
trasts may  be  clustered  together  in  a  kind  of  rhetorical  close  column,  to 
aid  the  purpose  of  argument  or  persuasion.  Mr.  Robinson,  who  could 
be  excdlent  when  his  wit  would  allow  him,  justly  remarks  on  this  subject 


380  LECTURE    XXII. 

that  "there  is  no  end  of  the  utihty  o(  contrast  in  theology;  it  illustrates  rev- 
elation by  contracting  it  with  all  the  systems  of  false  religion:  'Never  man 
spoke  like  this  man,'  John  vii.  40.  It  illustrates  Christianity  by  placing 
it  opposite  to  Judaism :  '  You  have  not  come  to  Mount  Sinai,  but  to  Mount 
Zion,'  Heb.  xii.  18.  It  distinguishes  the  true  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ 
from  pretenders:  'We  are  not  as  many  who  corrupt  the  word  of  God; 
but  ivc  speak  as  of  God,'  2  Cor.  ii.  17.  It  displays  tlie  beauty  of  the  true 
church  by  comparing  it  with  the  deformity  of  false  religions :  '  What 
agreement  has  the  temple  of  God  with  idols?'  2  Cor.  vi.  IG.  It  is  of  ex- 
cellent use  in  preaching  the  law,  by  contrasting  what  men  are  with  what 
they  ought  to  be,  2  Pet.  iii.  11.  It  is  excellently  adapted  to  comfort,  by 
contrasting  the  wisdom  of  Providence  with  the  folly  of  him  who  com- 
plains of  it,  tlie  sufficiency  of  pardoning  mercy  with  the  abundance  of  a 
sinner's  unworthiness,  the  pleasures  of  piety  with  the  amusements  of  sin, 
the  privileges  of  a  saint  with  the  licentiousness  of  a  sinner,  the  aids  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  with  the  efTorls  of  the  tempter.  It  will  be  of  use  in  recover- 
ing a  backslider,  by  comj)aring  his  present  with  his  former  state,  Jer.  ii. 
In  these,  and  a  thousand  other  cases,  contrast  is  lovely  beyond  ex- 
pression." 

In  his  illustration  of  this  Topic,  Mons.  Claude  notices  the  contrast  be- 
tween Christ  and  his  servants  in  the  hour  of  martynlom.  He  observes: 
"  You  may  oppose  the  agonies  and  terrors  which  seized  Jesus  Christ  at 
the  approach  of  death,  to  the  constancy  and  joy  of  the  martyrs,  who  flew 
to  martyrdom  as  to  a  victory.  This  contrariety  of  emotions  is  accounted 
for  by  the  difTerence  of  the  persons.  Jesus  Christ  was  the  reconciler  of 
sinners  unto  God,  bearing  tlieir  sins,  and  engaging  with  the  eternal  justice 
of  the  leather;  but  the  martyrs  were  believers,  reconciled  to  God,  fighting 
under  Christ's  banners,  and,  as  mystical  soldiers,  maintaining  his  righteous 
claims.  Christ  was  filled  with  a  sense  of  God's  wrath  against  sin;  tlie 
martyrs  were  filled  with  a  sense  of  his  love  to  them.  He  met  death  as  an 
armed  enemy;  but  they  approached  him  as  a  vanfjuished  foe,  or  rather  as 
an  enemy  reconciled,  who,  having  changed  his  nature,  became  favorable  to 
ihem.  In  one  word,  Jesus  Christ  was  at  war  with  death,  whereas  death 
was  at  peace  and  in  friendship  with  the  martyrs. 

"In  general  we  may  affirm  that  contrast  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
topics  of  Christian  rhetoric,  and  that  whiih  furnishes  the  most  striking 
illustrations.  Great  care,  however,  must  be  taken  that  the  opposition  be 
natural,  easy  to  comprehend,  and  properly  placed  in  a  full,  clear  light." 

The  human  mind  is  so  constructed  as  to  be  always  pleased  with  con- 
trasts; and  accordingly  the  ingenuity  of  man  has  been  put  to  its  full 
stretch  in  order  to  produce  them  in  relation  to  matters  of  sight,  taste,  &c. 
In  music,  for  example,  harmonies  would  not  always  please;  a  skilful  com- 
poser, therefore,  throws  in  discords  at  certain  intervals,  that  his  concords 
may  return  more  pleasantly  on  the  ear.  The  painter  must,  for  the  same 
reason,  have  his  lii,dit  and  shade;  and  the  cook  finds  it  necessary  to  tempt 
and  gratify  the  palate  by  |)r()(hi(ing  his  acids  and  his  sweets  in  the  same 
dish.  Theatrical  exhibitions  are  no  doubt  indebted  to  this  love  of  con- 
trast for  much  of  their  celebrity;  for  the  characters  of  the  drama  are  com- 
raonly  most  pleasing  when  set  in  iJjc  strongest  point  of  opposition,  which 
is  sometimes  carried  to  a  degree  that  is  almost  ridiculous. 

It  has  been  often  said  by  critics  in   language,  that  tlie  very  free  use  of 


CONTRAST    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  381 

contrast  is  a  fault.  If,  however,  the  Scriptures  are  to  form  our  standard, 
we  shall  be  in  little  danger  of  offending  by  its  too  frequent  employment ; 
for  there  is  probably  no  figure  of  rhetoric  so  much  used  in  scripture  as 
this :  in  the  hagiographical  books  contrasts  are  grouped  so  thickly  as  to 
raise  our  admiration  and  astonishment.  The  striking  character  of  this 
Topic,  and  the  facility  with  which  it  can  be  comprehended  by  the  great 
mass  of  the  people,  furnish  a  powerful  apology  for  its  use ;  and  it  is  surely 
a  pity  (to  use  no  stronger  term)  that  well-educated  persons  should  indulge 
such  a  fastidious  disposition  as  to  nauseate  that  which  is  so  useful  to  their 
less-favored  brethren,  beside  which  they  ought  to  have  some  reverence  for 
the  example  afforded  by  the  extensive  use  that  is  made  of  it  in  the  word 
of  God.  However,  prudence  will  certainly  dictate  to  the  preacher  the 
propriety  of  watching  against  real  excess :  even  jewels  and  diamonds  lose 
their  effect  by  too  great  profusion. 

The  ample  volumes  of  nature  and  providence  abound  with  materials 
well  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  contrast;  and  these  furnish  an  interesting 
and  intelligible  language  for  expressing  spiritual  ideas.  We  have  day  and 
night,  light  and  darkness,  winter  and  summer,  spring  and  autumn,  heat  and 
cold,  tempest  and  serenity.  In  the  eardi  we  have  barren  and  fruitful  soils, 
lofty  mountains  and  deep  valleys,  the  arid  desert  and  the  flowing  brook, 
&c.  In  the  creatures,  what  an  endless  catalogue  of  contrasts  is  presented  ! 
Animals  fierce  and  tame,  immensely  large  and  diminutively  small.  The 
products  of  the  ground  how  contrary !  Some  vegetables  bitter,  some 
sweet;  some  purgative,  some  astringent.  In  the  structure  of  men's  minds 
we  observe  a  like  variety :  some  are  formed  for  soaring  with  almost  the 
intelligence  of  angels,  while  others  partake  of  the  imbecility  of  idiots  and 
are  scarcely  raised  above  the  brutes;  some  minds  seem  made  for  ruling, 
and  others  are  quite  of  a  passive  character;  some  are  full  of  passion  and 
feeling,  while  others  are  all  indifference  and  apathy. 

With  regard  to  the  primary  intention  of  the  Topic,  as  a  topic  of  obser- 
vation, it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  add  anything.  If  you  are  preaching 
on  some  expression  of  the  good  man's  feelings  or  desires,  it  may  be  placed 
in  contrast  with  the  desires  and  feelings  of  the  wicked.  If  the  conduct  of 
the  believer  in  Christ  comes  before  you,  it  may  be  considered  as  contrasted 
with  the  conduct  of  the  unbeliever  in  similar  circumstances,  &c.  In  fact, 
everything  that  forms  the  subject  of  discourse  must  have  some  opposite, 
and  by  placing  it  in  contrast  with  such  opposite,  it  will  frequently  be  found 
to  receive  its  strongest  illustration ;  for  the  most  lovely  object  never  ap- 
pears so  exquisitely  beautiful  as  when  placed  by  the  side  of  deformity,  nor 
does  folly  ever  appear  so  conspicuously  absurd  as  when  contrasted  with 
the  dictates  of  true  wisdom.  That  preacher  who  possesses  the  ability,  natu- 
ral or  acquired,  of  thus  placing  the  objects  of  instruction  in  contrast  be- 
fore his  hearers,  will  consequently  seldom  fitil  to  edify  and  please.  Some- 
times your  text  will  invite  a  reference  to  this  Topic  by  containing  what  may 
be  called  an  implied  contrast,  as  Isa.  Ixvi.  2  :."  To  this  man  will  I  look  who 
is  of  a  poor  and  contrite  spirit,  and  who  trembleth  at  my  word."  Here 
there  is  an  evident  intention  of  contrasting  the  humble  saint  with  the  proud 
superficial  pretender  to  religion ;  and  if  we  would  preserve  the  spirit  of 
the  text  throughout  our  discussion,  we  must  take  due  notice  of  such  con- 
trast. This  may  be  done  by  observing  that  the  individual  here  described 
as  the  object  of  divine  complacency  is — 


382 


LECTURE    XXII. 


I.  The  poor  man,  one  who  is  sensible  of  his  emptiness — in  opposition  to  those  who 
in  their  own  eyes  are  "rich  and  increased  in  goods,  having  need  of  nothing,"  though 
in  fact  they  are  "  poor,  and  wretched,"  &c. 

II.  The  contrite  man,  who  grieves  on  account  of  his  transgressions — in  opposition 
to  the  fool,  who  mocks  at  sin  and  glories  in  that  which  is  his  shame. 

III.  The  man  who  trembles  at  God's  word — in  opposition  to  the  self-confident  and 
the  secure. 

Mr.  Jay  has  a  beautiful  sermon  on  the  contrast  plan,  on  Rom.  v.  5: 
"Hope  maketh  not  ashamed."  Here  the  words  not  ashamed  suggested 
the  antithesis;  for,  if  the  Christian's  hope  be  distinguished  as  one  which 
maketh  not  ashamed,  it  is  implied  that  all  other  hopes  may  make  ashamed. 
He  says : — 

I.  Certain  kinds  of  hope  do  make  ashamed. 

1.  The  hope  of  the  worldlin<T,  by  the  insufficiency  of  its  objects. 

2.  That  of  the  Pharisee,  by  the  weakness  of  its  foundation. 

3.  That  of  the  Antinomian,  by  the  falseness  of  its  warrant. 
II.  Tlip  believer's,  on  the  contrary,  "  maketh  not  ashamed." 

1.  It  is  accompanied  by  divine  love. 

2.  This  love  characterizes  its  possessors. 

3.  It  qualifies  fur  that  future  glory  upon  which  its  intents  are  fixed. 

Mr.  Burder,  on  Num.  xiv.  24:  "My  servant  Caleb,  because  he  has 
another  spirit,"  &c. 

I.  Real  Christians  are  actuated  by  a  spirit  different  from  that  of  the  world.  "  Ca- 
leb has  another  spirit." 

II.  Those  who  possess  a  right  spirit  will  follow  the  Lord  fulli/. 

III.  Those  who  follow  the  Lord  fully  shall  be  honorably  distinguished  by  hira. 

Here  the  contrast  forms  the  first  head,  and  is  again  taken  up  in  the  sec- 
ond ;  while  in  the  preceding  example  the  two  general  divisions  contain  the 
separate  points  to  be  contrasted.  Some  reflection  is  certainly  required,  in 
order  to  determine  the  most  suitable  method  of  introducing  a  prominent 
contrast  on  any  particular  subject. 

Beddome,  on  John  viii.  0,  "  Being  convicted  by  their  own  conscience," 
discusses  the  implied  contrast.  The  words  owfi  conscience  imply  that  there 
existed  another  species  of  conviction,  that  is,  such  as  was  impressed  by 
the  Spirit  of  God;  and  here  he  establishes  a  contrast  which  pervades  the 
whole  discourse.     The  following  is  the  division: — 

I.  Some  distinctions  with  respect  to  conscience  itself     It  may  be  considered  as — 

1.  Ignorant  or  enlightened. 

2.  Unneces'sarily  scrupulous  or  daringly  presumptuous. 

3.  Pure  or  defiled. 

4.  Tender  or  seared. 

5.  Peacea])le  or  troublesome. 

6.  Natural  or  renewed. 

II.  The  dilTtriMirt'  between  natural  and  spiritual  convictions. 

1.  Natural  convictions  regard  only  the  guilt  of  sin,  as  in  the  case  of  Cain;  the 
spiritual  are  attended  witli  a  deep  and  painful  sense  of  inherent  guilt  and  pollution, 
as  in  the  j)aral)le  of  tin'  prodigal. 

2.  In  natural  eonviclidns  the  soul  is  actuated  by  slavish  fear ;  but  those  of  the  Di- 
vine  Spirit  iiave  more  of  a  regard  to  the  honor  of^Ciod. 

3.  The  natural  extend  only  to  siiine  sin,  as  Achan  and  as  Judas;  but  the  spiritual 
is  convinced  of  all  :  "  Come  .see  a  man  that  lias  told  me  all  that  ever  I  did." 

4.  Natural  conviction  soon  wears  away  ;  the  other  is  permanent. 

5.  One  may  consist  with  love  of  sin  ;  the  other  hates  every  false  way. 

I  have  selected  these  instances  of  implied  contrasts  for  examples,  because 
whenever  contrast  is  thus  noticed  it  discovers  some  ingenuity  in  the  preach- 
er, in  discerning  the  justness  of  such  a  turn  of  thought.  When  this  is 
done  in  a  sensible  manner  it  can  not  fail,  1  should  think,  of  producing  a 


CONTRAST    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  383 

good  effect,  from  the  circumstance  of  its  being  unexpected  by  the  audience. 
The  following  are  examples  in  which  the  preachers  follow  out  the  con- 
trast which  is  expressed  in  the  text  itself. 

I  have  already  given  a  mere  outline  of  Bishop  Sanderson's  famous  ser- 
mon on  Prov.  xix.  21 :  "  There  are  many  devices,"  &c.  As  the  bishop's 
works  are  however  in  but  few  hands,  I  may  be  allowed  here  to  make  an 
enlarged  quotation.  We  have  a  proverb,  "  Man  purposeth  but  God  dis- 
poscth,"  not  an  unfit  glossary  on  the  text.     Our  author  considers — 

I.  The  (lifTurcnt  names  here  employed:  Ours  are  "devices;"  his  are  "counsels." 

The  names  of  things  are  used  in  scripture  with  far  greater  accuracy  than  in  many 
other  writings  ;  the  word  "  devices,"  for  instance  ;  in  some  cases  these  may  appear 
to  be  wise,  but  compared  with  God's  "  counsels"  they  are  only  imaginations,  or  any 
lighter  name  tlial  can  be  found  ;  for  every  name  is  too  high  and  too  honorable  to  give 
expression  to  their  vacuity  and  nothingness.  Very  chimeras  they  are,  castles  in  the 
air,  that  have  no  real  existence  in  them,  no  base  or  bottom  to  support  them.  They 
are  fancies,  and  so  the  word  might  very  well  be  translated:  "  There  are  many  fan- 
cies in  man's  heart,"  such  as  may  sometimes  appear  in  madmen  destitute  of  judg- 
ment, who  will  occasionally  throw  out  such  satirical  wit,  and  make  such  smart  rep- 
artees, as  to  excite  astonishment.  Or  these  fancies  are  like  ill-concocted  dreams, 
which  represent  golden  mountams  and  airy  nothings,  which  yet  affect  the  dreamer 
excessively.*  Solomon  treats  of  these  as  "  vanity,  folly,  and  madness,"  Eccles.  ii.  1, 
2,  &c.  They  applaud  themselves  in  their  cunning  and  deep  contrivances  ;  they  trust 
to  their  wealth,  power,  strength,  or  policy  ;  they  think  they  can  carry  all  before  them, 
yet  all  shall  terminate  "  like  a  dream  when  one  awaketh  ;  so  shalt  thou  make  their 
image  to  vanish  out  of  the  city."  There  is  a  similar  representation  in  Isa.  xxix.  7, 
8:  Those  that  fight  against  "  Mount  Zion  shall  be  even  as  when  a  hungry  man 
dreameth  that  he  is  eating,"  &c.  Or  the  deepest  policy  shall  be  as  a  spider's  Aveb  ; 
that  is  one  of  the  prophet's  comparisons  too,  a  thing  of  great  curiosity  to  the  eye,  spun 
of  a  most  fine  subtle  thread,  and  in  a  most  exact  proportion,  but  a  thing  of  no  strength 
at  all,  unless  against  a  small  fly  (the  greater  ones  will  break  through  it)  ;  the  slight- 
est touch  strikes  it  all  away  in  a  moment. 

Now  contrast  these  with  God's  eternal  purposes — it  is  not  so  with  them.  They 
are  sage  counsels,  called  "  the  counsel  of  the  Lord,"Ps.  xxxiii.  11 :  "  The  counsel  of 

*  Mr.  Howe  pursues  the  subject  of  dreams  very  ingeniously  in  his  sermon  on  1  Thcss.  v.  6  :  "  Let 
US  not  sloep  as  do  others."  Tracing  the  re.semblance.s  between  a  person  in  a  state  of  sleep  and  a 
person  in  the  delusions  of  fallen  nature,  he  considers — 

I.  The  sleep  referred  to. 

1.  As  a  state  of  forfiretfulness.  Sleepy  persons  are  oblivions;  so  men  are  forgetful  of  their  sinful 
fallen  state  ;  they  have  forgotten  their  Creator,  and  the  guide  of  their  youth. 

2.  As  a  stale  of  insensibility.  Persons  in  a  profound  sleep  can  not  be  made  to  feel  without  difficulty 
sometimes ;  you  may  even  prick  them,  yet  they  do  not  feel.  Sinners,  likewise,  are  dead  in  sin,  in  a 
dead  sleep,  as  we  eay  ;  it  is  very  difficult  to  prick  them  to  the  heart,  Acts  ii.  37. 

3.  As  a  state  of  security  and  unapprehensivcne-ssof  a  future  threatened  danger.  The  house  may 
be  on  fire,  thieves  and  murderers  at  hand,  the  sword  at  the  breast,  or  the  knife  at  the  throat,  yet  they 
are  free  from  fear.  Do  we  not  .see  this  exemplified  in  sinners  ?  Destruction  from  the  Almighty  is 
no  terror  to  them.  Or  like  the  nocturnal  somnambulist,  who,  if  not  prevented,  would  climb  parapets 
and  incur  ruin. 

4.  As  a  state  of  misapprehension.  It  is  common  for  persons  in  sleep  to  have  their  heads  full  of 
false  images,  or  false  conceptions  of  things  which  are  true ;  the  case  is  so  with  the  world  in  their 
sleep  ,  they  can  tell  you  how  to  dis-imagine  all  the  greatest  realities  and  turn  them  into  shadows. 
God  and  Christ,  heaven  and  hell,  they  will  call  fancies;  but  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  this  world 
which  are  truly  so  called  (ijcra  noWrts  cpavraatag,  Actsxxv.  23)  are  counted  by  them  as  realities. 

5.  There  is  also  (which  is  much  like  the  last)  a  great  unaptness  to  reflect  upon  anything  as  absurd, 
though  never  so  truly  so,  which  occurs  to  them  in  their  dreaming  state.  Let  things  occur  to  them 
ever  so  absurd,  they  take  no  notice  of  the  absurdity  ;  let  them  dream  themselves  to  be  in  ever  such 
odd  and  antic  postures  or  situations,  they  find  no  error ;  all  is  reality.  And  .so  is  the  case  with  the 
world  too ;  the  most  absurd  things  imaginable  are  no  absurdities  to  thorn  ;  bu.sying  themselves  all 
their  days  about  mere  trifles,  the  most  absurd  things  that  ever  could  enter  into  human  imagination 
so  much  as  to  think  of  are  yet  no  absurdities  to  them,  even  to  live  without  God  in  the  world,  though 
he  made  them  and  preserves  them,  without  any  care  whether  they  go  to  hell  or  not. 

6.  The  proper  business  of  life  is  suspended  (Prov.  vi.  9,  10) ;  and  so  it  is  with  men  in  the  affair  of 
salvation,  Heb.  ii.  3. 

7.  They  are  greatly  displea.sed  with  those  who  attempt  to  rouse  them,  and  they  will  quarrel  with 
the  light  itself  if  it  shine  upon  their  faces  ;  the  very  case  with  those  who  arc  in  the  deep  sleep  of  sin. 

IT.  Upon  what  account  it  ill  becomes  Christians  to  imitate  tlieoe  sleepers.     It  is  very  unsuitable — 

1.  To  their  principles. 

2.  To  their  state. 

3.  To  tlieir  designs  and  ends. 


384:  LECTURE    XXII. 

the  Lord  standeth  for  ever,  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  to  all  generations."  This  seems 
copied  in  the  New  Testament,  Eph.  i.  11  :  "  According  to' the  eternal  purpose  of  him 
who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will."  Yet  we  are  not  to  re- 
ceive the  term  in  its  proper  sense.  In  strictness  God  neither  counsels  nor  debates, 
nor  "  has  any  counselled  him,"  Rom.  xi.  34.  God  has  no  need  of  these  ;  in  truth,  as 
the  word  devices  was  too  high  in  the  former  case,  so  the  word  counsel  is  too  low  in 
the  present  case.  Scripture  in  this,  as  well  as  in  many  other  parts,  adapts  its  lan- 
guage to  men's  understandings  ;  as,  "  By  him  actions  are  weighed,"  so  here  the  di- 
vine determinations  are  called  counsels."  Such  are  the  resolutions  which,  following 
upon  good  advice  and  mature  deliberation,  Avhere  all  the  circumstances  are  taken 
into  due  consideration,  and  tlie  conveniences  and  inconveniences  examined  and 
weighed,  and  they  are  better  approved  of,  as  being  more  solid,  and  likely  to  prove 
more  successful,  "than  those  sudden  motions  that  light  people  hit  upon— as  light- 
ning, which  is  but  a  flash,  while  sound  counsels  are  like  the  sun,  which  has  a  full 
and  durable  light  within  itself,  always  alike,  though  sometimes  under  a  cloud.  God's 
counsels  "  of  old  are  faithfulness  and  truth." 

II.  There  is  a  difference  as  to  number.  Ours  are  "  devices,"  in  the  plural  number, 
and  with  the  express  addition  of  multiplicity,  "  many  devices ;"  God's  is  but  one — 
"  counsel,"  in  the  singular. 

Men's  purposes  are  various  and  changeable.  Seldom  do  we  continue  long  in  one 
mind,  but  on  every  slight  occasion,  as  the  weathercock  with  the  wind,  we  are  ready 
to  turn  and  face  about.  What  between  fears  and  hopes,  desires  and  cares,  our 
thoughts  are  so  pulled  and  harrowed  this  way  and  that  Avay,  that  we  are  often  so 
distracted  that  we  scarcely  know  what  the  next  expedient  ought  to  be.  Sometimes 
this  is  not  of  necessity,  but  a  change  of  mere  whim  or  caprice — fond,  like  children, 
of  a  toy  this  moment,  the  next  throwing  it  away  for  another.  Quod  peliit  spernit  ; 
and  men  are  thus  "  troubled  about  many  things."  All  this  proves  this  one  thing,  at 
the  least — the  positive  insufficiency  of  all  and  every  earthly  good. 

It  is  no  commendation  then,  but  rather  a  dii^paragement,  to  men's  devices,  that 
they  are  so  many ;  but  it  is  the  honor  of  God  that  his  counsel  is  but  one,  and  un- 
changeable. We  find  it  expressed  with  that  adjunct,  Heb.  vi.  \1 ,  to  a^ttraOtTov  Tm 
/3ov\n(, — "  the  immutability  of  his  counsel ;"  and  it  is  there  laid  down  as  the  great 
foundation  of  Christian  hope,  and  the  very  strength  of  our  consolation.  Quod  scj-ipst, 
scripsi.  What  he  has  written  in  the  secret  book  of  his  determinate  counsel,  though 
it  be  counsel  to  us  and  uncertain  until  he  reveal  it  or  the  event  discover  it,  yet  is  it 
most  certain  in  itself,  and  altogether  unchangeable.  We  follow  our  devices  many 
times,  Avhich  we  afterward  repent;  and  truly  our  second  thoughts  are  mostly  the 
best.  But  with  him  there  is  no  after-counsel  to  correct  the  errors  of  the  former.  He 
knoweth  not  any  such  thing  as  repentance — it  is  altogether  hidden  from  his  eyes. 
He  is,  indeed,  sometimes  said  to  repent,  as  Gen.  vi.  and  Jonah  iii.  10;  but  this  is  not 
ascribed  to  God  properly,  but  as  other  human  passions  and  affections  are,  as  grief, 
sorrow,  kc,  to  import  some  actions  of  God,  eventually  and  according  to  the  man- 
ner of  our  understanding  resembling  the  operations  which  those  passions  produce  in 
us,  but  have  nothing  at  all  of  the  nature  of  those  passions  in  him.  See  Num.  xxiii.  19. 

III.  The  different  manner  of  their  existing.  Ours  are  but  conceived  in  the  heart ; 
but  he  is  able  to  give  real  subsistence  to  his  designs  and  to  make  stand  fast  and  firm  : 
"The  counsel  of  the  Lord,  that  shall  stand." 

It  is  not  material  here  whether  our  devices  be  hatched  in  the  heart  or  the  head, 
whether  they  relate  to  the  afftctions  or  the  understanding;  how  many  soever  they 
may  be,  unless  God  give  leave,  there  they  must  stay.  It  is  no  matter  how  man  plots 
and  r()ntrives  to  avoid  this  or  tliat  danger,  to  compass  this  or  that  design,  to  gratify 
this  friend  or  advance  that  child,  to  counteract  or  defeat  that  enemy  ;  for  when  man 
has  summoned  all  his  powers,  and  set  all  his  wits  to  work  to  manage  his  design  and 
make  all  sure,  unless  God  say  Amen,  and  unless  it  please  him  to  prosper  this  or 
that — all  is  in  vain.  Ps.  cxxvii.  1,  2.  These  thoughts  may  indeed  reach  the  tongue, 
and  man  inav  speak  "great  swelling  words  of  vanity  ;"  but  still,  if  (iod  put  a  nega- 
tive to  his  alllirmative,  it  is  soon  settled,  as  in  the  fool's  scheme  in  the  gospel,  or  as 
Sennacherib  in  Ilezekiah's  time.  But,  as  to  the  counsel  of  (Jod.it  is  established  like 
the  everlasting  mountains,  which  can  not  be  moved.  What  he  has  purposed  either 
to  do  himself  or  to  have  done  by  any  of  his  creatures,  shall  most  certainly  and  most 
infallibly  come  to  pass  in  every  circumstance,  just  as  he  has  appointed  it.  It  is  es- 
tablished in  the  heavens;  and  though  all  the  powers  in  earth  and  hell  should  join 
their  fcjrces  together,  and  set  their  shoulders  and  slrenijth  against  it,  and  thrust  sorely 
at  it  that  it  may  fall,  yet  shall  they  never  be  able  to  move  nor  shake  it,  much  less  to 
remove  it  from  the  place  where  it  stands  or  to  overthrow  it.     This,  I  presume,  has 


CONTRAST    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  385 

Deen  sufficiently  established,  as  Matt.  xvi.  18.  Not  only  because  of  the  eternity  of 
his  own  being,  nor  because  he  is  the  author  of  all  being,  but  also  because  he  is  able 
to  give  being,  reality,  and  subsistence,  to  his  own  will  and  words,  to  all  his  purposes 
and  promises. 

Our  excellent  author  establishes  this  point  on  such  perfections  of  God 
as  bear  upon  this  subject — his  sovereignty,  his  eternity,  his  wisdom,  and 
his  power,  topics  to  the  study  of  which  you  should  devote  your  noblest 
intellectual  powers. 

Davies,  on  2  Cor.  iv.  18  :  "  While  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are 
seen,"  &c.  Here  also  the  contrast  lies  in  the  text  itself,  and  a  heavenly- 
minded  preacher  must  dwell  with  delight  on  such  a  contrast.  Our  author 
proposes — 

I.  To  give  a  comparative  view  of  visible  and  invisible  things.  This  I  do,  he  ob- 
serves, that  you  may  see  the  trifling  nature  of  the  one,  and  the  importance  of  the 
other,  under  one  head. 

II.  To  show  the  great  and  happy  influence  which  a  suitable  impression  of  the  su- 
perior importance  of  invisible  to  visible  things  would  have  upon  us. 

The  whole  sermon  is  full  of  contrast ;  and  it  is  conducted  in  such  a 
manner  as  at  once  to  impress  and  instruct. 

The  same   author,  vol.  iii.,  p.  189,  on  Matt.  ix.  12  :  "  Those  that  are 
whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  those  that  are  sick." 
I.  The  character  of  the  "  whole." 

1.  They  are  such  as  never  had  any  clear  and  affecting  sight  or  sense  of  sin. 

2.  They  are  easy  and  secure.     Hence — 

3.  They  are  unwilling  to  apply  to  a  physician. 
II.  The  character  of  the  "  sick." 

1.  They  are  willing  to  do  anything,  to  submit  to  anything,  if  it  may  but  save  them 
from  the  mortal  disease  of  sin. 

2.  They  are  satisfied  that  Jesus  is  the  only  physician  of  souls  ;  they  rely  upon  hi& 
skill,  love,  and  care. 

3.  They  come  to  Jesus  and  are  healed. 

This  is  not  one  of  Davies's  best  sermons ;  and  I  have  been  obliged  tO' 
alter  the  second  part  to  preserve  the  contrast:  the  subject  itself  is  well 
suited  to  a  mixed  congregation. 

Beddome,  James  ii.  18 :  "  Show  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and 
I  will  show  mine  by  my  works." 

I.  True  faith  is  a  visible  grace ;  defective  faith  is  audible  only. 

II.  True  faith  is  fruitful ;  faith  without  works  is  dead. 

III.  Those  who  pretend  to  faith,  and  yet  are  destitute  of  good  works,  are  awfully 
deceived. 

Surely  such  contrasts  as  these  will  supply  the  place  of  many  arguments  ; 
for  we  see  here  at  a  glance  the  case  as  it  stands.  In  short,  contrast  is 
argument  in  miniature,  mullum  in  'parvo.  It  is  like  flame  or  blaze,  in  com- 
parison of  smoke ;  for  argument  is  often  as  dark  as  smoke,  at  least  to 
illiterate  people. 

We  have  an  instance  of  contrast  conducted  in  a  different  form  in 
Walker,  on  1  Thess.  ii.  4:  "But,  as  we  were  allowed  of  God  to  be  put 
in  trust  with  the  gospel,  even  so  we  speak,  not  as  pleasing  men,  but  God, 
who  trieth  our  hearts."     His  arrangement  is  as  follows :  Consider — 

I.  The  nature  and  extent  of  the  divine  principle  mentioned  in  the  text — a  supreme 
desire  to  please  God. 

II.  The  happy  effects  which  would  flow  from  our  being  animated  with  this  steady: 
and  prevailing  desire. 

1.  This  would  make  us  ready  to  every  good  word  and  work. 

2.  Our  conduct  would  thereby  be  consistent  and  uniform. 

25 


386  LECTURE    XXII. 

3.  A  sincere  desire  of  pleasing  God  would  lessen  the  difficulties  of  obedience,  and 
support  us  under  all  the  sulTcrings  to  which  duty  may  expose  us. 

But  to  set  these  advantages  in  a  more  striking  light,  let  us — 

III.  Examine  the  opposite  principle,  and  take  a  view  of  the  man  whose  great 
aim  is  to  obtain  the  approbation  of  his  fellow-creatures.     Consider — 

1.  To  what  drudgery  he  submits. 

2.  How  trivial  the  acquisition,  should  he  succeed. 

3.  To  what  disappointments  he  is  exposed. 

4.  How  precarious  and  uncertain  the  possession. 

This  outline  possesses  a  quality  (listinct  from  all  tiie  former,  by  its  being 
addressed  more  lo  the  philosophy  of  the  mind  and  its  reasoning  powers ; 
but  the  strength  and  excellence  of  the  discourse  is  owing  to  the  contrast 
exhibited.  I  may  also  add  that  the  last  head  of  discourse  appears  to  have 
been  suggested  by  our  ISth  Topic,  as  there  is  nothing  in  the  words  of  the 
text  to  lead  particularly  to  this  mode  of  illustration,  though  it  is  very  suita- 
ble. Blair's  sermon  on  the  Love  of  Praise,  to  which  I  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  refer  in  a  future  lecture,  is  comparatively  weak  for  want  of  diat 
antithesis  in  whicli  Walker's  excels. 

The  following  is  from  Mr.  PL d ward  Cooper,  whose  work  has  gone 
through  many  editions.  Matt.  vi.  24:  "No  man  can  serve  two  masters," 
&c.     Here  the  contrast  is  in  the  ''  two  masters,"  &c.     He  proposes  to — 

I.  Open  the  text,  by  stating  the  case  which  it  exhibits. 

n.  Consider  the  contrast  it  contains,  and  the  separate  demands  alluded  to.  God's 
demands  are  of  the  highest  order — God  peremptorily  says,  Love  thy  neighbor; 
Mammon  says.  Love  thyself. 

These  and  similar  contrasts  arc  pursued  to  a  great  length. 

You  have  an  instance  of  the  use  of  this  Topic  in  Ps.  cxlv.  16  :  "  Thou 
openest  thy  hand,"  &c. ;  and  here  Mr.  Fuller  leads  you  into  the  practice 
of  contrast  in  the  most  familiar  manner  possible.* 

I  shall  conclude  this  lecture  by  giving  an  instance  of  argumentative  con- 
trast, something  similar  to  which,  if  it  be  not  inimitable,  may  be  thrown 
into  any  part  of  a  discourse.  It  is  addressed  lo  light  and  thoughtless 
youth,  who  are  jirejudiced  against  religion  ;  but  the  whole  essay  ought  to 
be  read  a  dozen  times  over  for  its  matter,  manner,  and  style,  which  are  of 
the  highest  order.  The  devotee  of  youthful  folly  and  dissipation  is  intro- 
duced as  murmuring  at  the  restraints  and  the  sanctions  of  religion  : — 

A  cruel  alternative !  to  yield  such  submission  or  incur  such  conseouences.  Is  it 
■not  liard  that  T  should  be  required  to  surrender  all  the  delights  which  are  the  privi- 
lege of  my  age,  to  repress  my  vivacity,  to  forsake  my  gay  society,  to  al)andon  my 
amusements,  to  inflict  self-denial  at  every  turn,  to  deplore  all  that  I  am  and  all  tliat 
I  have  been,  to  force  my  attention  and  affections  away  from  this  interesting  world 
around  me  toward  another  and  unseen  world  of  which  I  know  nothing,  to  toil 
through  severe  and  never-ceasing  exercises  called  discipline,  to  exhaust  my  spirits 
in  solemn  reflection,  to  live  in  terror  lest  everything  I  do  or  enjoy  should  be  sin,  to 
renf)unce  and  put  mvsell  in  conflict  with  tiie  prevailing  habits  of  society,  to  be 
marked  as  an  over-rigbieous  or  melanrholv  mortal,  to  look  through  a  darkened  me- 
dium at  everything  in  life,  and  go  through  the  world  thinking  of  every  step  as  a 
progress  toward  the  grave? 

But  vou  well  know  that  sucii  a  representation  is  no  just  account  of  the  demands  of 
religion-  At  the  same  time  we  wish  not  to  keep  out  of  view  nor  to  underrate,  as 
some  persons  have  injudiciously  attempted  to  do,  the  austere  characteristics  of 
Christianity.  It  must  be  unetiuivocally  avowed  that  religion,  efFectually  prosecuted, 
does  involve  great  hil)ors,  a  disci|)lin(!  often  severe,  and  therefore  many  ])ainful  ex- 
periences. It  must  include  much  that  is  mortifying  to  nattiral  inclinations.  How 
should  it  be  otherwise  with  a  being  of  a  corrupt  nature,  who  is  to  be  trained  and 
prepared,  and  that  while  under  the  incessant  influences  of  a  corrupt  world,  for  a  final 

*  See  page  -i'i  uf  litis  vuluroe. 


CONTRAST    WORDS    AND    ACTIONS.  387 

State  of  holiness  and  felicity?  If  the  natural  condition  of  the  mind  be  uncongenial 
with  what  is  divine  and  heavenly — if  its  affections  be  unattempercd  to  love  and  de- 
light in  that  element  which  is  the  vitality  of  the  happiness  of  the  beings  whom, 
alone  and  exclusively,  the  revelation  from  God,  and  even  your  own  reason,  authorize 
you  to  conceive  of  as  happy  in  a  superior  state — if  there  be  this  alienation  and  un- 
fimess  (and  what  is  aversion  to  religion  but  the  proof  of  it?  or  rather  it  is  the  thing 
itself) — if  the  case  be  so,  then  the  soul  is  in  a  condition  so  dreadfully  wrong  that  it 
is  not  strange  the  agency  for  transforming  it  should  inflict  pain  in  the  salutary  pro- 
cess. That  it  should  work  with  some  expedients  of  bitterness,  keenness,  and  fire,  is 
quite  in  analogy  with  the  operations  necessary  for  subduing  the  extreme  maladies  of 
an  inferior  order. 

Religion,  it  is  acknowledged,  brings  its  pains,  just  because  it  comes  from  heaven 
to  maintain  a  deadly  conflict  in  the  soul  Avith  principles  and  dispositions  which  are 
rebellious  against  heaven  and  destructive  to  the  soul  itself  It  is  fit  that  you  should 
see  the  whole  truth,  and  clearly  understand  that  the  agent  which,  in  a  capacity  like 
that  of  a  tutelary  spirit,  takes  in  charge  a  perverted,  sinful,  tempted  being,  to  be 
humbled  and  reclaimed,  taught  many  mortifying  lessons,  discipiirted  through  a  series 
of  many  corrections,  reproved,  restrained,  and  incited,  and  thus  conducted  onward  in 
advancing  preparation  for  the  happiness  of  another  world,  must  be  the  inflicter  of 
many  pains  during  the  progress  of  this  beneficent  guardianship.  And  it  is  not,  as 
your  aversion  and  murmurs  would  imply,  the  fault  of  religion  that  the  case  is  so,  but 
of  that  depraved  nature  which  religion  is  designed  and  indispensable  to  redeem. 

So  much  for  the  darker  side.  But  now,  on  the  other  hand,  you  can  surely  con- 
ceive, as  compatible  with  all  this,  a  great  preponderance  of  happiness  in  this  re- 
ligious life,  which,  before  you  had  duly  weighed,  you  thought  to  be  mcompatible 
with  it.  And  therefore  you  ought  to  take  it  on  your  conscience,  as  a  reproach  for 
criminal  want  of  thought  or  of  honesty,  that  you  admitted  no  other  notion  of  religion 
than  that  of  a  gloomy  melancholy  thing.  Instead  of  turning  away  from  it  as  a  grim 
and  ghostly  object,  sent  to  encounter  you  for  no  more  friendly  purpose  than  to  ob- 
struct you,  with  threatening  aspect,  at  every  avenue  to  the  scenes  of  delight,  there 
ought  to  arise  within  your  mind  a  sterner  image  to  condenm  you  for  wilfully  mis- 
judging its  character  and  the  service  it  has  to  off'er  you.  For  you  can  comprehend 
that  there  is  attainable,  through  the  efficiency  of  religion,  something  far  better  than 
all  you  can  hope  ever  to  enjoy  under  the  unhallowed  advantage  of  rejecting  it.  Try 
faithfully  whether  you  can  not  understand  that  it  would  be  a  great  felicity  to  feel 
that  your  spirit  is  changing  into  conformity  to  a  nobler  model,  growing  into  the  only 
right  constitution  and  image  to  be  retained  for  ever,  to  feel  that  the  evil  which  in- 
fests it  is  shrinking  and  subdued  under  a  mightier  power,  to  regard  the  best  and 
greatest  Being  as  no  longer  an  appalling  object,  thought  of  with  reluctance  and  a 
wish  that  you  could  be  for  ever  out  of  his  sight  and  reach,  but  now  with  emotions 
of  love,  and  confidence,  and  hope,  with  an  assurance  of  his  mercy  through  Jesus 
Christ,  with  an  experience  of  real  communication  with  him  concerning  all  your  in- 
terests, and  with  a  consciousness  that  you  are  in  activity  for  a  Master  who  will 
confer  an  infinite  reward.  Think  whether  it  Avould  not  be  happy  to  feel  habitually 
a  power  maintaining  a  sacred  control  over  your  passions  and  your  will,  and  preserv- 
ing the  current  of  your  life  unmingled  with  the  world's  pollutions.  Imagine  your- 
self animated  at  the  close  of  each  year,  or  shorter  period,  with  fervent  gratitude  to 
God  in  consideration  of  what  sins  and  follies  he  has  saved  you  from  thus  much 
longer.  Can  you  doubt  whether  that  one  emotion  would  really  be  worth  more,  to  an 
accountable  being,  than  all  the  pleasurable  feelings  which  an  irreligious  person  can 
have  enjoyed  during  the  whole  interval  ? 

Place  before  your  mind  a  scheme  of  life  in  which  you  shall  see  yourself  commit- 
ted to  the  care  and  disposal  of  a  beneficent  Providence,  the  course  of  your  life  from 
the  beginnuig,  with  a  constant  assurance  that  sovereign  wisdom  and  goodness  will 
watch  over  all  its  movements  and  events,  will  conduct  you  through  its  perplexities 
and  perils,  will  give  you  just  so  much  temporal  good  that  more  would  not  be  for  your 
welfare,  and  will  constrain  all  things  you  are  to  pass  through  to  co-operate  to  your 
ultimate  happiness.  Think  also  of  enjoying  the  consciousness  that  you  are  not 
throwing  the  inestimable  spring-season  of  your  life  away,  but  expending  it  so  as  to 
enrich  every  succeeding  period,  and  to  ensure  a  fine  setting  sun  upon  the  last.  Say, 
honestly,  whether  all  this  be  not  something  better  than  any  scheme  of  life  which  you 
have  indulged  your  imagination  in  shaping.  Or,  if  you  sometimes  surrender  your- 
self to  the  fascinations  of  romance  and  poetry,  glowing  over  bright  pictures  of  felicity 
m  which  religion  has  no  place,  make  the  experiment  on  your  mind,  in  an  hour  of 
cooler  feeling,  whether  you  dare  pronounce  that  it  would  be  well  to  forego  this  hap- 


388  LECTURE    XXII. 

piness  of  religion  by  a  preference  of  that  which  is  exhibited  in  these  highly-colored 
fictions,  on  the  supposition  that  they  could,  for  you,  be  turned  into  reality.  Yes,  if 
these  images  could  be  turned  into  facts ;  but  let  me  hint  to  you  that  the  very  exhibit- 
ors of  these  delectable  fabrications  out  of  air  would  scorn  your  folly  in  expecting  any 
such  realization. 

Observe  some  of  those  young  persons  (I  hope  you  are  not  so  unfortunate  as  not  to 
know  such)  whom  you  yourself  believe  to  be  most  under  the  power  of  religion ;  call 
them,  if  you  will,  its  prisoners,  its  bondmen,  its  slaves  ;  some  of  your  gay  compan- 
ions attempt  to  ridicule  them  as  its  focls ;  but  do  you  observe  whether  their  piety 
conduces  to  their  happiness.  It  is  true  they  are  not  happy  after  the  manner  in  which 
your  lighter  friends  account  of  happiness — not  happy  if  the  true  signs  of  that  state 
be  a  volatile  spirit,  a  continual  glitter  of  mirth,  a  dissipation  of  mind  and  time  among 
trifles,  a  dread  of  reflection  and  solitude,  an  eager  pursuit  of  amusements;  in  short,  a 
prevailing  thoughtlessness,  the  chief  suspensions  of  which  are  for  the  study  of  matters 
of  appearance  and  fashion,  the  servile  care  of  faithfully  imitating  the  habits  and  no- 
tions of  a  class,  or  oerhaps  the  acquirement  of  accomplishments  for  show.  It  must 
be  confessed  they  have  thoughts  too  grave,  the  sense  of  too  weighty  an  interest,  a 
conscience  too  solicitous,  and  purposes  too  high,  to  permit  them  any  rivalry  with  the 
votaries  of  such  felicity.  Certainly  they  feel  a  dignirj'in  their  vocation  which  denies 
them  the  pleasure  of  being  frivolous.  But  you  see  them  often  cheerful  and  some- 
times very  animated.  And  their  animation  is  of  a  deeper  tone  than  that  of  your 
sportive  creatures ;  it  may  have  less  of  animal  briskness,  but  there  is  more  soul  in  it. 
It  is  the  action  and  fire  of  the  greater  passions,  directed  to  greater  objects.  Their 
emotions  are  more  internal  and  cordial ;  thty  can  be  cherished  and  abide  within  the 
heart  with  a  prolonged,  deep,  vital  glow ;  while  those  which  spring  in  the  youthful 
minds  devoid  of  reflection  and  religion  seem  to  give  no  pleasure  but  in  being  thrown 
in  volatile  spirits  at  the  surface.  Did  you  think  that  these  disciples  of  religion  must 
renounce  the  love  of  pleasure?  Look  then  at  their  policy  for  securing  it.  The 
most  unfortunate  calculation  for  pleasure  is  to  live  expressly  for  it.  They  live  pri- 
marily for  duty,  and  pleasure  comes  as  a  certain  consequence.  If  you  have  but  a 
cold  apprehension  of  the  degree  of  such  pleasure,  if  you  can  but  faintly  conceive 
how  it  should  be  exquisite,  you  can  at  least  understand  that  it  rnust  be  genuine. 
And  there  is  in  it  what  maybe  called  a  principle  of  accumulation  ;  it  docs  not  vanish 
in  the  enjoyment,  but,^  while  passing  as  a  sentiment,  remains  as  a  reflection,  and 
grows  into  a  store  of  complacent  consciousness,  which  the  mind  retains  as  a  posses- 
sion left  by  what  has  been  possessed.  To  have  had  such  pleasures  is  pleasure,  and 
is  so  still  the  more  the  more  of  it  is  past.  Whereas  you  are  aware,  if  you  have  been 
at  all  observant  of  the  feelings  betrayed  by  the  youthful  children  of  folly  in  the  inter- 
vals of  their  delights  (and  does  nothing  in  your  experience  obtrude  the  same  testi- 
mony?), that  those  delights,  when  past,  are  wholly  gone,  leaving  nothing  to  go  into 
a  calm  habitual  sense  of  being  happy.  The  pleasure  is  a  blaze  which  consumes  en- 
tirely the  material  on  which  it  is  lighted,  so  that  the  uncalculating  youth  who  seized 
a  transient  pleasure  last  week,  or  yesterday,  has  no  satisfaction  from  it  to-day,  but 
rather,  perhaps,  feels  fretted  with  a  sense  of  being  cheated,  and  left  in  an  irksome 
vacancy,  from  which  he  has  no  relief  but  in  recovering  his  eagerness  to  pursue 
another,  which  is,  in  the  same  manner,  to  pass  entirely  away-  To  insist,  therefore, 
that  religion  is  better  than  this  giddy  course,  as  productive  of  happiness  in  this  life, 
would  seem  but  an  impertinent  j)l('ading  in  its  favor. 

Now,  for  once,  be  a  thoughtful  and  serious  being,  willing  to  apprehend  the  con- 
trast between  all  this  vanity  of  pursuit  and  the  state  of  a  young  person  who  feels  a 
profound  conviction  that  hi*  has  made  the  right  choice,  who  finds  that  his  grand  pur- 

Eosf  will  boar  the  severest  exercise  of  his  judgment  and  pleases  him  ihf  ino^t  wlu-ti 
e  judges  the  most  rigorously,  who  feels  an  elation  of  spirit  in  vowing  an  eternal 
fidelity  to  his  object,  who  beholds  it  undiminished  in  excellence  when  gloom  over- 
spreads his  other  intere^^ls  and  prospects,  a  luminar)'  which  .shines  through  and 
shini's  the  brighter  for  the  darkness. — Foster^s  Introductory  Essay  to  the  Rise  and 
Progress  of  Religion  m  the  Soul.* 

'  See  also  Howe,  in  Slaflord,  on  Romans  ;  or  Howe's  Living  Temple;  Chalmew  cu  Aatronomy ; 
and  on  Ezek.  xxxiii.  30.    .loriin.  vol.  ii.,  p.  305. 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  389 

LECTURE  XXIII. 

TOPIC  XIX. 

EXAMINE    THE  GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION  AND   SHOW  THE 
TRUTH  OR  EQUITY  OF  IT. 

When  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  is  in  question,  as  in  John  i.  14, 
"  And  the  word  was  made  flesh,"  &c.,  &c.,  you  may  recur  to  the  foun- 
dation of  this  truth,  as  revealed  in  scripture,  in  order  to  show  that  a  divine 
person  did  take  upon  him  real  and  proper  humanity,  in  opposition  to  the 
notions  of  some  ancient  heretics,  who  imagined  that  the  human  nature  of 
Christ  was  only  apparent.  For  this  purpose  you  must  look  into  the  an- 
cient prophecies  for  such  passages  as  attribute  two  natures  to  Christ,  Isa. 
vii.  14 ;  ix.  6 ;  Mich.  v.  1.  To  the  same  purpose  you  may  also  apply 
New-Testament  texts  which  speak  of  the  same  subject,  as  Matt.  i.  21- 
23  ;  Luke  i.  31-35  ;  1  Tim.  iii.  16;  Heb.  ii.  14,  &c.  And  you  may 
further  observe  such  reasons  for  this  singular  economy  as  theology  furnishes, 
and  which  are  taken  from  the  design  of  our  salvation. 

In  like  manner,  when  you  treat  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  or  his  as- 
cension to  heaven,  you  must  take  this  Topic,  and  show  the  fidelity  and 
credibility  of  the  testimony  borne  by  the  disciples.  Your  argument  may 
be  established  by  observing  what  followed  his  resurrection  and  ascension, 
as  the  effusion  of  the  Spirit,  the  abolition  of  the  empire  of  the  devil  and 
his  idols,  the  conversion  of  whole  nations  to  the  worship  of  the  one  true 
God,  miracles,  prophecies,  &c.  Thus  the  Scriptures  are  the  ground  of 
our  faith ;  our  doctrines  are  the  ground  of  our  practice  ;  the  love  and  good 
pleasure  of  God  are  the  ground  of  salvation. 

The  same  method  is  proper  when  some  ijredictions  are  your  subjects,  as 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  ;  for  you  may 
either  narrate  history  to  show  the  execution  or  you  may  reason  upon  the 
subject  to  show  how  wonderful  the  divine  xcisdojn  was  in  that  dispensation  : 
the  whole  will  evince  the  truth  of  the  predictions. 

The  grounds  of  an  action  or  expression  may  very  properly  be  exam- 
ined, to  show  its  equity  or  truth,  when  anything  surprising  and  uncommon 
is  in  question,  for  such  things  at  first  seem  to  shock  the  minds  of  auditors ; 
or  when  you  are  pressing  home  an  exhortation  to  the  practice  of  any  duty 
which  can  not  be  performed  without  difficulty.  For  example  :  The  phar- 
isees  complained  that  the  disciples  of  Christ  did  not  keep  the  traditions  of 
the  elders.  In  order  to  justify  the  disciples,  you  may  show  the  foundations 
of  Christian  liberty,  and  remark  that  the  true  worship  of  God  does  not 
consisi  in  the  observance  of  external  ceremonies,  much  less  in  the  obser- 
vance of  human  traditions  and  customs  ;  but  it  consists  in  true  piety,  real 
inward  holiness,  and  actual  obedience  to  the  commandments  of  God. 

Again,  Jesus  Christ,  after  he  had  healed  the  paralytic  man,  commanded 
him  to  siji  no  more  lest  a  worse  thing  should  come  unto  him.  Here  you 
must  go  to  the  grounds  of  the  expression  to  show  its  equity.  These  are, 
that  some  sins  had  drawn  the  wrath  of  God  upon  him  before — that  if  he 
continued  in  them,  that  wrath  would  certainly  return — that  the  favors  which 
we  receive  from  God  engage  us  to  glorify  him  by  good  works,  &c. 


390  LECTURE    XXIII. 

Further :  Suppose  your  text  to  be  Matt.  xvi.  24  :  "  Then  said  Jesus 
unto  his  disciples,  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me."     Here  you  may  show — 

1.  That  these  words  have  an  immediate  reference  to  some  good  end,  an  end  the 
most  worthy  of  the  Christian  character  and  calling,  the  Christian  ministry,  conse- 
quently such  mortifications  and  self-denial  as  are  really  necessary  to  that  end  must 
be  imposed. 

2.  That  the  injunction  supposes  something  within  us  which  would,  if  not  restrained, 
obstruct  the  accomplishment  of  that  end,  and  which  must  be  denied  most  peremp- 
torily, steadily,  and  perseveringly. 

3.  That  such  end  should  be  so  clearly  kept  in  view,  so  impressively  felt,  and  so 
highly  prized,  as  to  induce  us  to  deny  ourselves,  and  to  lay  aside  every  weight,  &c. ; 
Heb.  xii.  ]. 

4.  That  this  self-denial  is  nothing  else  but  an  exchange  of  objects,  the  glory  of 
God,  the  good  of  souls,  instead  of  that  mean  thing  called  self,  in  all  its  hateful  forms 
and  detestable  bearings.  It  is  nothing  more  than  an  exchange  of  gratifications,  the 
gratifications  arising  from  the  pleasure  of  doing  good,  instead  of  eating,  drinking, 
ease,  and  carnal  pleasures,  which,  if  pursued,  would  only  terminate  in  disease  of 
body  and  guilt  of  conscience.  It  is  but  putting  a  wholesome  restraint  on  the  worst 
principle  of  our  nature,  selfishness. 

In  the  original  tide  of  this  Topic  Monsieur  Claude  proposes  to  examine 
\\\e  grounds  and  causes  of  an  action,  &c. ;  but  as  the  two  ideas  appear  to 
me  perfecdy  distinct,  and  as  I  have  included  the  latter  under  the  Topic 
"  Principles,"  to  which  I  think  h  properly  belongs,  I  shall  confine  my  pres- 
ent observations  to  the  former,  and  endeavor  as  much  as  possible  to  ab- 
stain from  every  idea  to  which  my  remarks  on  the  twelfth  Topic  referred. 
It  is  quite  possible,  however, that  after  all  the  care  lean  bestow  to  preserve 
consistency  I  may,  in  some  measure,  fail  of  accomplishing  this  purpose, 
and  I  must  acknowledge  that  the  grounds  of  a  subject  may  lie  in  its  prin- 
ciple or  in  its  implications  :  but  it  would  have  been  evidently  improper  to 
throw  the  whole  subject  of  grounds  into  either  of  those  departments  ;  for, 
besides  the  possible  error  involved  in  it,  this  would  have  been  throwing  the 
greater  into  the  less. 

This  Topic  comprehends  all  the  points  of  consideration  on  which  any 
doctrine  or  practice  is  founded — die  proofs  or  arguments  by  which  any  truth 
is  supported  or  any  practice  enforced.  Grounds  may  soinetimes  be  cast 
into  a  propositional  form  ;  and  may  be  in  their  nature  theological  or  moral, 
practical  or  experimental,  persuasive  or  cautionary ;  or  the  Topic  may  be 
turned  against  error,  false  groimds,  and  vain  pretences.  In  a  field  so  ex- 
tensive and  so  important  the  preacher  can  never  want  matter  ;  something 
upon  one  or  other  of  these  heads  will  be  continually  recurring  either  in 
the  beginning  or  body  of  the  discourse.  However,  I  would  not  have  the 
people  to  be  teased  per])etually  witli  an  extensive  discussion  of  the  grounds 
of  every  truth  hrfxiglit  before  tlieni,  as  this  might  have  the  effi'ct  of  dimin- 
ishing their  attention  :  "to  everydiing  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  cwcry 
purpose  under  heaven  ;"  and  even  when  the  thing  is  proper  enough  in  it- 
self, and  quite  seasonable,  yet  there  is  a  quantum  sujficit,  and  a  time  to 
have  done,  or  to  pass  on  to  the  otli{;r  parts  of  the  discourse.  Sometimes 
a  passing  remark  on  the  Topic  will  be  stifTKicnt ;  and  frequently  this  may 
form  the  exordium  of  your  (hscourse.  Since,  however,  there  can  be  little 
difficulty  in  applying  the  Topic  in  its  less  extended  form,  as  a  topic  of  ob- 
servation, I  shall  not  here  detain  you  with  any  further  illustrations,  but 
shall  proceed  at  once  to  place  before  you  soine  examples  in  which  the 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  391 

Topic  forms  a  prominent  part,  and  I  trust  that  some  of  these  examples 
will  be  found  so  excellent  and  instructive  as  to  require  no  apology. 

Mr.  Simeon  furnishes  an  example,  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the 
first  part  of  which  is  formed  on  the  Topic.  His  text  is  Isa.  xlviii.  16  : 
"  Now  the  Lord  God,  and  his  Spirit,  hath  sent  me." 

So  mysterious  and  important  a  doctrine  as  that  of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  God- 
head ought  not  to  be  founded  on  any  grounds  which  are  not  clear,  strong,  adequate, 
and  convincing.  But  it  may  be  illustrated  from  passages  on  which  we  could  not 
altogether  venmre  to  establish  it.  Such  is  the  present  text.  In  the  forty-seventh 
chapter  God  is  declaring  that  he  will  destroy  Babylon  and  restore  his  captive  people 
to  their  own  land  ;  and,  throughout  the  chapter  whence  the  text  is  selected,  he  warns 
his  people  to  bear  in  remembrance  that  he  had  foretold  this  event  several  hundred 
years  before  it  should  be  accomplished,  and  that  consequently,  when  it  should  occur, 
they  must  trace  it  to  Jehovah  himself,  who  had  foreordained  this  deliverance,  and  de- 
signed it  to  be  a  type  of  that  greater  deliverance  which  he  would  effect  for  a  ruined 
world.  It  is  in  this  connexion  that  the  speaker  says:  "  Now  the  Lord  God,  and  his 
Spirit,  hath  sent  me  ;"  and,  if  the  prophet  be  the  speaker,  then  the  sense  of  the  pas- 
sage is  clear,  viz. :  The  Lord  has  sent  me  to  announce  to  you  these  great  events.  But 
if  the  speaker  be  the  Son  of  God,  which  is  more  agreeable  with  the  context,  then  a 
small  alteration  must  be  made  in  our  translation,  and  the  passage  must  be  read, 
"  Now  the  Lord  God  hath  sent  me  and  his  Spirit," — hath  sent  me  to  effect  this  great 
deliverance,  and  his  Spirit  to  reveal  it  unto  you ;  and  this  is  the  sense  which  most 
expositors  adopt.  But,  whichever  construction  we  prefer,  the  passage  clearly  inti- 
mates a  plurality  in  the  persons  of  the  Godhead,  which  is  the  doctrme  now  to  be 
established.     Let  us — 

I.  Trace  the  scriptural  authority  on  which  this  doctrine  is  grounded. 

We  may  reasonably  expect  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  if  true,  to  pervade  the  Scrip- 
tures throughout.  Accordingly  we  do  find  it  more  or  less  clearly  intimated  from  the 
beginning.     We  may  trace  it — 

1.  In  the  Old  Testament.  In  the  very  first  chapter  of  the  Bible,  where  the  crea- 
tion of  all  things  is  declared,  there  isa  plurality  of  persons  mentioned  as  determining 
to  complete  the  whole  by  the  formation  of  man  ;  Gen.  i.  26.  So  again  at  the  expul- 
sion of  man  from  paradise  a  similar  representation  is  given  ;  iii.  22.  At  the  building 
of  the  tower  of  Babel,  also,  the  Deity  speaks  of  himself  in  the  same  manner  ;  xi.  7. 
In  like  manner,  where  the  Messiah  is  spoken  of,  a  plurality  is  almost  always  marked. 
In  his  qualification  for  his  work  ;  Isa.  xi.  2  ;  Ixi.  1.     The  effect  of  his  mission  ;  Zech. 

ii.  n. 

2.  In  the  New  Testament.  Mark  the  terms  in  which  his  incarnation  was  an- 
nounced ;  Luke  i.  35.  His  consecration  to  the  mediatorial  office  at  his  baptism  ;  MatL 
iii.  16,  17.     See  also  Matt,  xxviii.  19 ;  2  Cor.  xiii.  14. 

II.  Consider  the  particular  offices  attributed  in  scripture  to  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit. 
These  clearly  manifest  the  distinction  which  we  are  considering. 

1.  The  Father  is  the  fountain  from  whom  the  whole  of  salvation  proceeds. 

2.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  come  to  procure  salvation  for  us ;  Isa.  xlii.  1  ;  Ps.  xl. 
6-8  ;  Eph.  V.  2. 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit  applies  this  salvation  to  us.  See  John  xv.  26  ;  xvi.  14  ;  xvi. 
8 ;  xiv.  16 ;  1  Thess.  v.  23  ;  Rom.  viii.  16 ;  Eph.  i.  13,  14  :  Rom.  viii.  11  ;  and  par- 
ticularly notice  what  Peter  says  (1  Pet.  i.  2) :  "  Elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge 
of  God  the  Father,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedience  and  sprink- 
ling of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ." 

III.  The  comfort  which  the  knowledge  of  these  facts  is  calculated  to  give. 
Almost  endless  are  the  blessed  inferences  that  would  follow  upon  the  doctrine  in 

hand ;  but  it  must  suffice  to  mention  two  things.     Have  the  sacred  Three  so  con- 
curred in  the  work  of  redemption  ?     Then  we  may  be  assured  of — 

1.  The  readiness  of  Jehovah  to  save  us. 

2.  The  sufficiency  of  the  salvation  thus  provided. 

Here  are  exhibited  those  substantial  grounds  of  the  doctrine  which  ought 
to  pass,  not  only  into  every  congregation,  but  also  into  every  school  in  the 
kingdom.  I  should  recommend  the  preacher  to  enlarge  by  comment, 
modestly  but  firmly  expressing  his  sentiments.  So  great  a  man  as  Dr. 
Beattie  has  thrown  a  damp  upon  teaching  children  the  doctrines  of  Chris- 


392  LECTURE   XXIII. 

lianity,  "because,"  he  says,  "  they  can  not  understana  tnem.'  — "  Great 
men  are  not  always  wise  ;"  and  here  is  a  proof  it :  for  a  more  mischievous 
and  censurable  sentiment  can  not  be  uttered.  Accordino;  to  this  lode 
grown  people  must  not  attempt  anything  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity, 
because  they  can  not  comprehend  the  subject ! 

As  the  above  sentiment  of  Dr.  B.  has  spread  itself  far  and  wide,  and 
is  acted  upon  very  extensively,  but  especially  in  our  public  boarding- 
schools,  and  as  our  Sunday-schools  are  not  out  of  danger,  I  beg  leave  to 
ask  the  philosophers  of  Dr.  Beattie's  school.  What  is  that  it  is  desirable 
should  grow  up  in  the  minds  of  youth  and  pervade  the  whole  life  ?  Is  it 
sacred  truth  ?  Then  plant  the  germ  of  truth  early ;  fix  it  in  the  mind  ; 
there  let  it  grow  into  more  perfect  knowledge,  and  strengthen  into  sound 
principles  of  action.  I  do  not  expect  the  child  perfectly  to  know  what  i. 
learns  :  I  do  not  myself  know  many  things  which  yet  I  am  aiming  at ;  but 
the  elements  of  knowledge  must  be  imbibed  before  good  effects  can  be 
expected.  "  Timothy  from  a  child  knew  the  Holy  Scriptures."  How 
did  he  know  them  ?  Just  as  a  child  could  know  them.  When  did  the 
use  of  this  knowledge  appear?  When  Paul  wrote  to  him  in  subsequent 
hfe,  when  pressing  upon  us  innumerable  requirements  of  skill,  in  which 
nothing  but  scripture  can  direct  us  with  safety.  Away,  therefore,  with 
such  sentiments  as  Beattie's  in  this  matter. 

It  is  astonishing  that  this  wise  age  should  blunder  upon  that  old  well- 
marked  rock  of  forming  character  upon  morals,  and  encourage  the  delusion 
of  acquiring  doctrines  afterward.  Doctrines  must  first  be  acquired  ;  and 
morals  are  to  be  established  upon  those  doctrines  which  form  their  best 
motives  and  firmest  support. 

Mr.  Simeon  gives  us  also  an  example  in  which  the  second  part  of  the 
subject  turns  upon  our  Topic.  The  text  is  1  Pet.  ii.  13-17  :  "  Submit 
yourselves  to  every  ordinance  of  man,"  &c.  The  sermon  is  the  substance 
of  what  the  author  preached  on  the  coronation  of  George  IV.  He  com- 
mences very  properly  by  observing — 

The  great  duty  of  a  Christian  minister  is  to  exalt  the  Savior,  and  to  call  men  to 
submit  to  his  government.  But  we  can  not  truly  submit  to  Christ,  unless  we  yield 
obedience  to  those  laws  which  relate  to  our  conduct  in  civil  life,  as  well  as  those 
which  refer  to  the  inmost  workings  of  our  souls  toward  God  :  and  we  should  be 
wanting  in  our  duty,  as  Christian  pastors,  if  we  did  not  avail  ourselves  of  suitable  oc- 
casions for  opening  to  you  a  subject  of  such  importance.     Consider — 

I.  Our  duty  in  relation  to  civil  government.  It  is  called  in  the  text  an  "  ordinance 
of  man;"  and  so  it  is  as  far  as  relates  to  the  particular  form  of  government  estab- 
lished in  any  kingdom.  Yet,  in  its  original  appointment,  civil  government  proceeds 
from  God  himself:  Rom.  xiii.  1.  Our  subjection  to  it  is  therefore  a  part  of  the  duty 
we  owe  to  God,  and  hence  we  are  required  to  submit  to  the  ordinances  of  man  "for 
the  Lord's  sake."     See  Rom.  xiii.  1,  2,  and  5. 

II.  The  grounds  and  reasons  of  it.     These  are — 

1.  Its  bi'ing  altosTciher  of  (Jod's  appointment.  The  power  exercised  by  earthly 
rulers  is  God's  authority  delegated  to  men.  It  is  not  man.  therefore,  but  (nid,  whom 
we  arc  called  to  obey:  Num.  xvi.  11  ;  1  Sam.  viii.  7;  Rom.  xiii.  4.  We  are  lo 
"  submit"  ourselves  to  man  ;  "  for  so  is  the  will  of  God." 

2.  Itsconduciveness  to  the  public  welfare.  Though  authority  may  not  always  be 
exerted  aright,  yet  it  is  ordained  for  the  public  good — "  tin-  punishment  of  evil-doers, 
and  the  benefit  of  those  who  do  well."  Suppose  the  laws  of  the  land  to  be  suspended] 
and  every  one  left  to  folhtw  the  bent  of  liis  will  willmut  Aar  and  without  restraint, 
what  misery  would  soon  pervade  the  kingdom  !  what  scenes  of  rapine,  violence,' and 
cruelty,  would  the  country  |)rest'nl! 

3.  Its  tendency  to  recommend  religion.  God  has  special  respect  to  ibis  :  it  is  "  his 
will"  that  we  should  fultil  this  duty,  "  that  by  well-doing  we  may  put  to  silence  the 


GROUNDS  OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  393 

ignorance  of  foolish  men."     This  should  be  an  object  near  to  the  heart  of  all  the 
Lord's  people  ;  and  they  should  labor  to  accomplish  it  "  for  the  Lord's  sake." 
in.  The  manner  in  which  it  should  be  performed. 

1.  With  integrity  of  mind. 

2.  With  an  harmonious  attention  to  all  other  duties. 

This  last  subdivision  is  very  judicious,  as  affording  an  opportunity  for 
entering  on  topics  of  higher  and  more  momentous  interest  than  those  which 
refer  to  civil  government.  The  text  and  the  occasion  sufficiently  justify 
Mr.  Simeon's  remarks  ;  and  he  brings  the  matter  fairly  before  us.  The 
language  is  temperate  and  judicious,  and  offers  no  offence  to  the  high  or 
low  party  ;  this  accords  with  my  own  sentiments.  I  would  not  have  min- 
isters abandon  the  right  of  private  judgment,  or  the  exercise  of  any  con- 
stitutional privileges  ;  but  I  beg  leave  to  say  that  the  high  character  of  the 
preacher  of  the  gospel  should  never  merge  in  that  of  a  politician 

The  following  is  also  from  Simeon  on  2  Thess.  iii.  5  :  "  The  Lord 
direct  your  hearts  into  the  love  of  God,"  &c. 

I.  The  objects  of  the  apostle's  wish. 

IL  The  grounds  or  reasons  of  it.— Many  considerations  might  be  mentioned,  but 
they  may  be  comprised  under  two  heads: — 

1.  The  attainment  of  such  a  state  would  be  conducive  to  their  present  happiness. 

2.  It  was  indispensably  necessary  to  their  future  welfare. 

The  following  outline  is  introduced  more  on  account  of  its  subject  than 
for  the  sake  of  adding  to  a  list  of  examples  already  sufficiently  numerous 
for  our  purpose.  Walker,  vol.  iii.,  p.  213,  on  family  worship;  2  Sam. 
vi.  20  :  David's  return  to  bless  his  household. 

I.  Prove  the  indispensable  duty  of  family  worship. 

1.  From  the  light  of  nature.— A  family  is  a  society  connected  together  by  such 
strict  ties  that  every  argument  for  the  propriety  of  private  prayer  is  equally  conclu- 
sive for  that  of  family  devotion.  Of  this  even  the  heathens  were  sensible  ;  for  be- 
sides their  tutelar  deities,  who  were  supposed  to  preside  over  cities  and  nations,  and 
who  had  public  honors  paid  to  them  in  that  character,  we  read  of  household-gods,* 
whom  every  private  family  worshipped  at  home  as  their  immediate  guardians  and 
benefactors. 

2.  From  the  word  of  God.— The  light  of  Scripture  affords  us  a  more  clear  and 
satisfying  discovery  of  our  obligations  to  this  duty,  as  well  as  of  the  proper  manner 
of  performing  it.  Thus  we  are  commanded  to  "  pray  always,  Avith  all  prayer  and 
supplication  in  the  Spirit,  and  to  continue  in  prayer."  And  it  is  observable  that  this 
exhortation  is  particularly  addressed  to  masters  of  families,  as  you  may  read  (Col. 
iv.  1,  2),  "  Masters,  give  unto  your  servants  that  which  is  just  and  equal,  knowing 
that  you  also  have  a  Master  in  heaven."  The  apostle  goes  on,  still  addressing  them 
in  the  same  character,  "  Continue  in  prayer,  and  watch  in  the  same,  with  thanksgiv- 
ing."  In  the  same  strain  Paul  writes  to  Timothy  (1  Tim.  ii.  8),  "I  will  therefore 
that  men  pray  everywhere,  lifting  up  holy  hands,  without  wrath  or  doubting."  And 
surely,  if  in  all  places  men  ought  to  lift  up  holy  hands  unto  God,  much  more  ought 
they  to  do  so  in  their  own  families,  which  are  immediately  under  their  care,  and  for 
whose  spiritual  as  well  as  temporal  interests  they  ought  to  be  chiefly  concerned. 
Accordingly,  we  learn  from  the  sacred  history  that  this  has  been  the  uniform  prac- 
tice of  good  men  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 

1.)  The  care  of  the  ancient  patriarchs  to  keep  up  family  religion  is  very  remark- 
able. We  find  Abraham  setting  up  altars  wherever  he  came  ;  and  for  what  end  did 
he  this,  but  that  on  these  altars  he  might  offer  sacrifices,  and  call  upon  God  with  his 
household  ?  We  have  another  bright  example  of  this  in  Job,  of  whom  we  read  (Job 
i.  5)  that  "  he  sent  for  his  sons  and  sanctified  them,  and  rose  up  early  in  the  morning, 
and  offered  burnt-offerings  for  each  of  them."  And,  lest  it  might  be  thought  that 
this  family-worship  was  only  occasional  and  accidental,  it  is  added  at  the  close  of 
the  verse,  "  Thus  did  Job  continually." 

2.)  The  same  good  practice  was  contmued  after  the  Jews  were  formed  into  a  na- 

*  Laban's  were  of  this  kind,  and  in  the  British  Museum  there  are  some  hundreds  of  these  to  be 
seen. 


394  LECTURE    XXIII. 

tional  church,  and  had  priests  appointed  to  preside  in  the  public  worship.  Thus 
Joshua  vowed,  not  only  for  himself,  but  likewise  for  his  house,  that  they  would  serve 
the  Lord,  which  plainly  imports  a  resolution  on  his  part  to  use  all  the  means  in  his 
power  to  make  his  family  do  so,  particularly  to  worship  God  before  them,  and  to 
take  care  that  none  should  dwell  in  his  house  who  would  not  join  in  this  holy  service. 
The  example  of  David  in  the  text  is  abundantly  plain  ;  for,  though  he  had  priests 
and  Levites  about  him,  yet  he  did  not  devolve  the  work  upon  them,  but  he  himself, 
as  head  and  master  of  the  house,  "  blessed  his  household." 

3.)  In  the  New  Testament  writings  it  is  very  usual  to  give  private  families  of  de- 
vout Christians  the  name  of  churches.  But  surely  this  would  have  been  a  most  im- 
proper appellation  if  God  had  not  been  publicly  acknowledged,  and  the  daily  sacri- 
fices of  prayer  and  praise  had  not  been  offered  in  them. 

II.  Point  out  the  reasons  on  which  this  duty  is  grounded. 

1.  Families  are  natural  societies,  formed  originally  by  God,  and  held  together  by 
his  providence,  and  they  must  have  subjects  in  common  for  prayer  and  praise. 

2.  As  God  is  the  founder,  so  he  is  likewise  the  gracious  benefactor,  of  our  families. 
If  personal  blessings  claim  the  private  acknowledgments  of  the  person  who  receives 
them,  family  blessings  ought  in  like  manner  to  be  acknowledged  by  united  thanks- 
givings in  our  household.  Were  a  man,  having  a  numerous  offspring,  to  receive 
some  signal  favor  from  an  earthly  benefactor,  by  which  his  circumstances  were 
changed  from  meanness  and  want  to  an  easy  or  a  decent  competence,  would  it  not 
be  a  natural  acknowledgment  for  him  to  bring  his  family  and  children  in  their  best 
apparel,  and  present  them  to  his  benefactor,  fed  and  clothed  with  his  bounty,  to  offer 
him  their  united  thanks?  Would  not  such  a  scene  be  delightful  on  both  sides? 
Would  it  not  be  enjoyed  as  a  very  lovely  appearance,  even  by  a  mere  spectator? 
And  is  there  less  beauty  or  propriety  in  the  same  acknowledgments  offered  to  the 
God  in  whom  we  live  and  breathe,  and  who  gives^  us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy? 
Does  he  set  the  hedge  of  his  protection  around  us,  and  defend  us  from  the  many  evils 
to  which  we  are  continually  exposed,  and  shall  he  yet  have  no  tribute  of  praise  of- 
fered up  from  those  houses  in  which  he  maketh  us  to  dwell  in  safety  ?  How  disin- 
genuous and  unreasonable  must  this  appear  to  every  candid  and  grateful  mind  ! 

3.  As  we  receive  all  our  family  blessings  from  God,  so  we  are  guilty  also  of  many 
family  sins  against  him,  and  ought,  therefore,  to  join  together  in  the  penitent  con- 
fession of  our  sins  and  in  deprecating  the  judgments  which  we  have  deserved.  In  a 
word,  whatever  reason  there  is  for  single  persons  to  worship  God,  there  is  the  same 
reason  for  families  to  do  it.  As  there  are  personal  sins,  and  wants,  and  mercies,  so 
there  are  family  sins,  family  wants,  and  troubles,  family  mercies  and  deliverances; 
and  therefore  it  must  appear  highly  reasonable  that  the  members  of  each  family 
should  unite  together  in  humiliation,  and  prayer,  and  thanksgiving.  Those  who  sin 
together  should  ask  forgiveness  together  ;  and  those  who  receive  mercies  together 
should  join  in  praising  tiieir  common  benefactor. 

III.  Consider  the  manifold  advantages  which  accompany  the  practice  of  this  duty, 
and  the  pernicious  consequences  Avhich  flow  from  the  neglect  of  it. 

1.  The  practice  of  this  duty  would  be  of  great  use  to  promote  even  your  temporal 
and  worldly  interest.  Your  prosperity,  as  well  as  your  comfort,  depends  very  much 
upon  the  dutiful  behavior  of  your  children,  and  the  fidelity  of  your  servants.  This,  I 
suppose,  you  will  readily  acknowledge.  Now  it  is  evident  to  a  demonstration  that 
nothing  can  contribute  more  effectually  to  this  than  the  good  practice  which  I  am 
recommending  to  you.  Bring  the  fear  of  God  into  your  families,  and  that  will  se- 
cure your  authority  better  than  anything  else  can  do. 

2.  It  has  a  manifest  tendency  to  promote  your  spiritual  and  eternal  interest.  It  is 
not  only  a  considerable  branch  of  that  homage  which  you  owe  to  God,  but  it  may 
also  be  of  great  use  to  restrain  you  from  sin,  and  to  render  you  cautious  and  circum- 
spect in  every  part  of  your  behavior.  A  man  will  be  ashamed  to  do  anything  against 
the  honor  of  that  God  whom  he  so  publicly  acknowledges  before  his  family  ;  and  the 
very  desire  of  appearing  consistent  with  himself  in  the  eyes  of  his  children  or  ser- 
vants will  hardly  fail  to  produce  at  least  an  outward  decency,  and  to  restrain  him 
from  many  of  those  scandalous  sins  which  he  might  otherwise  be  in  danger  of  com- 
mitting. So  that,  though  family-worship  served  no  higher  purpose  than  to  hedge  in 
our  practice  before  our  household,  I  should  even  think  that  a  considerable  recom- 
mendation of  it ;  and  every  wise  and  good  man  must  esteem  and  value  it  upon  that 
account.  But  this  is  one  of  the  least  of  its  happy  effects.  The  practice  of  this  duty 
would  not  only  render  our  outward  conduct  cautious  and  decent,  but  would  also  tinc- 
ture our  minds  deeply  with  a  sense  of  God,  and  of  divine  things.  It  would  give  us 
greater  boldness,  too,  in  our  secret  approaches  to  the  throne  of  grace.     How  can  that 


GROUNDS    OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  395 

man  have  any  confidence  or  enlargement  of  heart  in  secret  prayer  whose  conscience 
reproacheth  him  with  never  having  honored  that  God  in  public  from  whom  he  is  now 
going  to  ask  the  most  unmerited  favors  ?  «•         i 

3.  Under  the  influences  of  the  divine  Spirit,  it  is  one  of  the  most  eflectual  means 
of  promoting  the  salvation  of  your  household.  Many  godly  persons  have  ascribed 
their  own  vital  impressions  of  religion  to  their  living  in  a  devout  family  ;  and  many 
a  sinner,  ruined  by  vice  and  evil  habits,  has  too  justly  laid  a  portion  of  the  blame  of 
his  conduct  on  the  wickedness  of  those  with  whom  he  dwelt.  What  numbers  of 
children  and  servants  have  been  lost  for  want  of  that  good  example  which  it  was  the 
duty  of  their  parents  or  masters  to  have  given  them  !  .    .  -, 

4.  The  last  advantage  of  family  religion  which  I  shall  mention  is  its  tendency  to 
form  a  holy  church  and  people,  and  to  propagate  religion  from  generation  to  gener- 
ation. The  public  state  of  religion  in  the  world  must  entirely  depend  on  the  care 
bestowed  on  the  cultivation  of  it  in  private  families.  If  the  nursery  be  neglected, 
how  is  it  possible  that  the  plantation  should  prosper  ?  Such  as  the  families  are  of 
which  congregations,  churches,  and  kingdoms,  are  composed,  such  will  be  the  flour- 
ishing or  the  decayed  state  of  religion  in  these  larger  communities.  Had  we,  w-ho 
minister  m  the  public  worship  of  God,  only  to  lay  those  stones  in  order  in  the  build- 
ing which  parents  and  masters  of  families  had  previously  polished,  how  easy  and 
delightful  would  be  our  task  !  how  comely  and  beautiful  would  our  worshipping  a^ 
semblies  appear  !  how  pure  and  comfortable  would  their  communion  be!  But  if 
these  shall  neglect  to  exert  their  proper  influence,  if  the  work  of  hundreds  or  thou- 
sands shall  be  left  to  be  performed  by  one  or  two,  what  a  tedious  labor  must  it  prove  ! 
What  effect  can  divine  truths,  delivered  once  a-week  have,  unless  the  impression  of 
them  be  afterward  kept  alive  by  family  devotion  and  domestic  religion  ?  It  is  no 
wonder  that  a  tender  plant  should  wither  and  die  which  is  seldom  visited  or  watered; 
and  it  is  as  little  wonderful  that  those  should  continue  wicked  and  impenitent  who 
but  once  a-week  come  under  the  influence  of  a  religious  ordinance,  and  who  neither 
see  nor  hear  anything  of  God  but  when  the  stated  season  of  public  instruction  returns. 
If  religion  die  in  families,  how  can  it  live  in  nations  ?  Is  it  not  an  inevitable  con- 
sequeiice  that  all  our  public  devotions  must  in  this  case  dwindle  away  mto  mere  hy- 
pocrisy and  lifeless  unavailing  forms  of  worship  ? 

As  public  instructors  we  must  frequently  insist  on  this  point,  and  it  ^yill 
be  proper  to  endeavor  to  remove  the  timidity  and  the  difficulties  which 
heads  of  families  often  feel  in  making  a  beginning.  I  will  mention  my 
experience  in  reference  to  this  subject.  I  think  no  poor  creature  ever 
suffered  more  repugnance  to  it  than  myself.  O  what  a  conflict  between 
fears  and  duty!  How  could  I  begin?  what  should  I  say  in  prayer  with 
my  family?  However,  after  months  of  sinful  hesitation,  I  at  last  resolved 
that  at  all  events,  if  spared,  I  would  commence  on  the  first  day  of  the 
new  year.  As  the  time  came  my  agony  increased.  The  evening  and  the 
hour  approached.  I  could  hardly  have  felt  more  at  any  awful  calamity, 
so  much  was  I  terrified:  but  I  had  vowed,  and  I  could  not  go  back. 
Well,  we  all  kneeled  together.  I  had  not  a  thought  or  a  word  to  say  when 
I  kneeled,  but  still,  attempting  to  open  my  mouth,  God  gave  me  both 
thoughts  and  words  enough,  blessed  be  his  name !  And,  even  indepen- 
dently of  the  sense  of  obligation,  I  would  not  now  neglect  the  continu- 
ance for  all  that  the  world  could  supply.  This  is  stated  as  matter  of  en- 
couragement. I  look  upon  mine  as  an  extreme  case :  it  was  an  excessive 
weakness — in  part  a  constitutional  infirmity.  It  is  indeed  a  solemn  thing 
to  call  upon  God;  but,  as  Christians,  we  are  encouraged  to  recollect  that 
he  is  the  "  God  of  all  grace,"  and  that,  by  approaching  him  in  the  exer- 
cise of  family  and  social  as  well  as  private  prayer,  we  are  rendering  a  re- 
quired service,  which  he  will  both  acknowledge  and  bless,  doing  for  us 
infinitely  "  above  what  we  can  ask  or  think." 

Notwithstanding  the  importance  of  this  Topic  in  point  of  rank,  it  might 
very  safely  be  dismissed  with  the  foregoing  illustrations.     If,  however,  an 


396  LECTURE    XXIII. 

apology  be  necessary  for  detaining  the  reader's  attention,  I  hope  it  will  be 
found  in  my  anxiety  to  supply,  as  far  as  possible,  everything  that  can  con- 
tribute to  his  benefit;  and,  as  it  is  highly  important  that  every  preacher  of 
the  gospel  should  be  familiar  with  the  groimds  of  our  common  faith,  the 
consideration  of  this  subject  may  not  be  deemed  much  out  of  place  under 
this  Topic.  Some  remarks  have  already  been  made  on  detached  parts  of 
the  evidences  of  Christianity,  and  several  pertinent  extracts  have  been  in- 
ti'oduced  in  different  parts  of  the  work.  But  it  appeared  to  me  that  some 
little  service  might  be  rendered  by  stating,  in  a  connected  manner,  some 
of  those  facts  and  circumstances  on  which  the  truth  of  the  gospel  is 
founded,  and  that  though  the  facts  collected  may  be  few  in  number,  briefly 
discussed,  and  perhaps  imperfectly  put  together,  yet  my  intention  might  be 
favorably  received.  Still  I  would  recommend  every  student  of  divinity  to 
pursue  the  subject  if  possible  in  its  more  extended  details,  by  studying 
works  of  a  standard  and  acknowledged  character,  which  ought  to  form  a 
part  of  every  Sunday  school  library,  and  be  recommended  by  every 
preacher  to  the  perusal  of  his  people.  The  subject  itself  may  sometimes 
with  propriety  be  thrown  into  the  form  of  a  sermon,  adopting  such  texts 
as  1  Pet.  V.  12:  "This  is  the  true  grace  of  God  in  which  we  stand" 
(where  the  word  grace  is  put  for  gospel) ;  or  2  Pet.  i.  16 :  "  We  have  not 
followed  cunningly-devised  fables,"  &c. ;  or  any  of  like  general  import. 

Although  it  is  true  that  the  nations  and  communities  which  are  blessed 
with  pure  Christianity,  are  highly  advanced  in  intellectual  improvement 
above  those  that  are  without  it — that  our  religion  has  been  professed  and 
honored  by  the  great  and  the  good  in  every  stage  of  its  existence — that 
many  hundreds  of  thousands  have  sealed  their  testimony  of  its  truth  with 
their  blood — that  a  still  greater  number  have  been  supported  by  it  through 
all  manner  of  trials,  and  have  died  in  the  fullest  assurance  of  its  validity — 
and  that  every  individual  who  lives  under  its  influence  possesses  in  him- 
self an  evidence  which  is  to  him  complete  and  irresistible,  agreeably  with 
the  declaration,  "He  that  believeth  hath  the  witness  in  himself" — yet 
these  considerations  do  not  afford  sufficient  evidence  to  satisfy  the  skepti- 
cal part  of  mankind,  and  it  is  fit,  both  on  their  account  and  our  own,  that 
we  should  be  prepared  to  give  other  reasons  for  the  hope  that  is  in  us  be- 
side those  which  are  contained  in  the  above  statements.  It  is  not  my 
intention  to  enter  at  large  into  the  body  of  evidence  on  which  the  truth  of 
revelation  is  grounded;  but  I  shall  endeavor  to  show,  as  fully  as  my  limits 
will  permit,  that  the  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  Christianity  origi- 
nally obtained  credence,  were  of  such  a  kind  as  to  exclude  the  possibility 
of  forgery — that  the  Christian  faith,  if  founded  on  falsehood,  must  neces- 
sarily have  perished  in  the  age  in  which  it  originated,  or  rather  that  it 
never  could  have  been  received  at  all  even  by  the  more  credulous,  much 
less  by  vigilant  adversaries,  who  were  men  of  reason  and  reflection — from 
which  it  will  follow,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  that  the  establishment  of 
Christianity  in  the  world,  under  such  circumstances,  satisfactorily  proves  its 
divine  origin. 

It  will  be  admitted  that  no  nation  or  country  (or  even  any  individual,  in 
his  senses)  could  ever  be  so  credulous  as  to  believe  that  a  certain  course 
of  events  occurred  under  their  own  immediate  notice,  when  no  such 
events  had  taken  place ;  yet  on  the  supposition  that  Christianity  is  a  for- 
gery, this  must  have  been  precisely  the  fact  with  reference  to  it  in  Judea, 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  397 

eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  since  its  first  promulgators  appealed  to  their 
countrymen  as  witnesses  of  the  principal  facts  on  which  it  is  founded. 
Every  system  of  imposture  has  its  origin  involved  in  obscurity.  Such 
was  the  religion  of  Ephesus ;  Acts  xix.  35.  At  some  time  or  other,  no- 
body knows  how  or  when,  the  image  of  Diana  fell  down  from  Jupiter' 
Such  is  the  origin  of  Ephesian  worship  ;  and  this  is  a  good  sample  of  hea- 
then superstition.  The  ancient  Britons  followed  the  druidical  religion; 
but  who  ever  heard  of  any  authentic  origin  which  could  be  referred  to  as 
proving  that  it  came  from  God?  But  the  circumstantial  and  explicit  ac- 
counts of  the  origin  of  our  religion,  are  such  as  to  render  the  supposition 
of  imposture  altogether  unreasonable,  if  not  absurd;  for  if  Christianity 
had  been  introduced  in  a  manner  different  from  that  which  is  recorded, 
and  if  the  events  connected  with  the  birth,  ministry,  death,  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ,  to  which  the  first  preachers  appealed  as  well-known  facts, 
had  never  really  occurred,  how  was  it  possible  for  the  falsehood  to  escape 
detection?  Infidels  have  indeed  attempted  to  involve  the  origin  of  Chris- 
tianity in  suspicion,  with  what  degree  of  rationality  may  be  estimated 
from  the  following :  Volney,  a  French  writer,  some  years  ago  asserted  that 
the  estabhshment  of  Christianity  arose  out  of  the  following  circumstances : 
"The  great  mediator  and  first  judge  [of  the  Jews]  was  expected,  and  his 
advent  desired,  that  an  end  might  be  put  to  the  Jewish  calamities.  This 
was  so  much  the  subject  of  conversation  that  some  one  was  said  to  have 
seen  him;  a  rumor  of  this  kind  was  all  that  was  wanting  to  establish  a 
general  certainty;  and  the  popular  report  became  a  demonstrated  fact. 
The  imaginary  being  was  realized;  and  all  the  circumstances  of  mytho- 
logical tradition  being  in  some  measure  connected  with  this  phantom,  the 
result  was  an  authentic  history,  which  henceforth  it  was  blasphemy  to 
doubt!"  Since,  however,  the  Jews,  as  a  people,  have  ever  been  the  in- 
veterate opponents  of  Christianity,  is  it  not  absolutely  absurd  to  suppose 
that  they  were  concerned  in  fabricating  or  supporting  such  a  history? 

Our  own  country  has  furnished  examples  of  infidelity  quite  as  illustri- 
ous. Mr.  Taylor  has  not  scrupled  to  assert  that  there  never  was  such  a 
person  as  Jesus  Christ.  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  the  reasoning 
which  he  considers  sufficient  to  overturn  all  the  evidence  derived  from  tes- 
timony :  "  The  persons  of  whom  they  [the  scriptures  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment] treat  never  existed :  because  demoniacs,  devils,  ghosts,  angels,  hob- 
goblins (see  Acts  xix.  15),  persons  who  had  once  been  dead,  who  could 
walk  on  water,  ride  in  the  air,  &c.,  such  as  Satan  and  Jesus  Christ,  are 
the  persons  of  whom  these  scriptures  treat:  and  that  such  persons  never 
existed  is  demonstrable — 

"1.  From  the  utter  incongruity  of  such  figments  with  the  estabhshed 
laws  of  sound  reason. 

"  2.  From  the  total  absence  of  all  historical  reference  to  their  existence. 

"3.  From  innumerable  passages  of  these  scriptures  themselves,  which 
fully  admit  the  merely  visionary  hypostasis  of  their  fabulous  hero.  See 
Luke  ix.  29;  Mark  ix.  2;  Luke  xxiv.  31;  John  v.  6;  and  innumerable 
other  passages,  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  true  and  genuine  gospels  of 
the  most  primitive  Christians,  which  taught  that  he  was  ninety-eight  miles 
tall  and  twenty-four  miles  broad,  that  he  was  not  crucified  at  all,  that  he 
was  never  born  at  all,  that  by  faith  only  are  we  saved,  &c.,  all  equally 


398  LECTURE    XXIII. 

indicative  that  Christianity  had  no  evidence  at  all,  but  was  a  matter  of  mere 
conceit,  fancy,  or  superstition,  from  first  to  last. 

"That  the  events  which  they  relate  never  happened  is  demonstrable, 
(further  than  as  a  consequence  of  the  preceding  proposition)  from  the  fact 
that  some,  many,  or  all  of  these  events,  had  been  previously  related  of 
the  gods  and  goddesses  of  Greece  and  Rome,  and  more  especially  of 
the  Indian  idol  Chrishna,  whose  religion,  with  less  alteration  than  time 
and  translations  have  made  in  the  Jewish  scriptures,  may  be  traced  in 
every  dogma  and  every  ceremony  of  the  evangelical  mythology." 

The  cause  that  rests  on  such  distorted  representations  and  such  plain 
and  palpable  falsehoods  for  support,  certainly  carries  internal  evidence  of 
its  weakness ;  and  no  intelligent  person  who  is  at  all  conversant  with  his- 
tory, will  be  in  danger  of  being  misled  by  such  means.  But  as  these  bold 
assertions,  however  false,  may  stagger  the  illiterate,  and  afford  to  the  pro- 
fane some  relief  from  the  remonstrances  of  conscience  and  the  fear  of 
future  condemnation,  it  is  proper  for  the  preachers  of  the  gospel  to  guard 
the  weak  in  judgment  and  experience  against  them. 

The  cause  at  issue  stands  thus  :  It  is  asserted,  on  the  one  hand,  that 
there  never  was  such  a  person  as  Jesus  Christ,  or  that  what  is  ascribed  to 
him  in  the  New  Testament  is  false  ;  and  that,  taking  off  the  sanction  which 
time  has  conferred  on  the  belief  of  it  and  reducing  the  value  derived  from 
authority  and  priestly  craft  to  its  proper  standard,  the  whole  story  is  un- 
worthy the  belief  of  sensible  men.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  asserted  that 
the  religion  of  Christ  could  never  have  been  established  had  not  the  things 
which  are  stated  respecting  him  been  true. 

Now,  whether  there  was  such  a  person  as  Jesus,  and  what  were  the 
doctrines  which  he  taught,  are  inquiries  relative  to  facts,  and  like  every 
other  question  of  this  nature,  must  be  determined  by  historic  testimony. 
There  are  fables  and  there  are  real  histories  ;  and  the  distinction  between 
the  one  and  the  other  is  generally  pretty  strongly  marked.  Whether  there 
ever  was  such  a  person  as  Hercules,  and  whether  the  things  ascribed  to 
him  were  true  or  false,  we  decide  from  a  reference  to  history  ;  and,  having 
ascertained  that  every  history  which  bears  the  marks  of  authenticity  is  si- 
lent upon  the  subject,  we  conclude  that  Hercules  was  a  creature  of  the 
poets  and  nothing  more  ;  for,  had  the  descriptions  given  of  him  by  the 
poets  corresponded  with  any  real  character,  historians  could  not  have 
failed  to  mention  him.  But,  on  the  contrary,  if  it  be  inquired  whether 
there  ever  was  such  a  person  as  William  the  Conqueror,  we  determine  in 
the  affirmative  without  any  fear  of  mistake,  because  his  name  and  his  deeds 
are  recorded  in  the  authenticated  part  of  our  English  history.  That  he 
really  had  a  bloody  conflict  with  Harold,  and  overcame  him  at  the  battle 
of  Hastings,  is  rendered  as  certain,  notwithstanding  the  lapse  of  time,  as 
though  it  had  transpired  within  our  own  memory,  upon  the  same  principle 
as  it  will  be  evident  to  future  generations  that  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and 
the  defeat  of  Bonaparte,  &c.,  were  real  occurrences.  The  same  rule  of 
judgment  may  be  applied  to  the  solution  of  our  present  inquiry.  The 
thinf^s  which  are  stated  of  Christ  and  his  immediate  followers  are  such  as 
could  not  have  failed  to  excite  the  opposition  of  the  Jews  ;  they  are  de- 
clared not  to  have  been  done  in  a  corner,  but  publicly  ;  yet  the  Jews  never 
made  any  attempt  to  deny  them.  It  is  true  they  disputed  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  and  denied  his  claims  to  the  Messiahship  ;  but  respecting  his  birth. 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  399 

parentage,  public  teaching,  and  death,  there  was  no  controversy.  The 
gospel  histories  are  by  them  uncontradicted  to  the  present  day,  the  divine 
character  and  mission  of  Jesus  alone  being  objected  to  on  their  part. 
These  gospel  histories  mark  with  peculiar  precision  the  time,  place,  and 
peculiar  circumstances,  attending  the  birth  of  Christ,  informing  us  it  was 
during  that  part  of  the  reign  of  Cesar  Augustus  when  Cyrenius  was  gov- 
ernor of  Syria  (Luke  ii.  1,  2) — that  it  was  in  Bethlehem,  in  the  days  of 
Herod  the  king — that  certain  wise  men,  being  apprized  of  his  birth*  by 
the  appearance  of  a  miraculous  star,  journeyed  from  the  east  to  Judea  in 
order  to  worship  him — that  Herod,  alarmed  by  the  apprehension  of  a  rival, 
assembled  the  Jewish  sanhedrim,  and  desired  them  to  search  the  prophetic 
records  for  some  intimation  that  might  throw  light  upon  the  subject.  The 
result  of  this  inquiry  was  that  Bethlehem  was  announced  to  be  the  place 
of  the  Messiah's  birth  ;  and  this  agreed  with  the  fact  respecting  Jesus, 
which  was  brought  about  by  an  extraordinary  edict  of  the  Roman  empe- 
ror, in  consequence  of  which  the  mother  and  reputed  father  of  Jesus  were 
obliged  to  sojourn  at  Bethlehem  at  the  precise  period  of  his  birth.  The 
history  tells  us  that  Herod  conceived  the  plan  of  murdering  the  infant,  and 
for  this  purpose  insidiously  requested  the  magi  to  let  him  know  the  house 
that  contained  the  stranger,  under  the  pretence  of  desiring  to  worship  him. 
Having  been  frustrated  in  this  design,  he  became  more  enraged,  and,  that 
he  might  make  sure  of  destroying  his  supposed  rival,  sent  and  slew  all  the 
young  children  that  could  be  found  in  Bethlehem  and  its  vicinity.  We 
are  further  told  that,  by  a  divine  intimation,  Jesus  was  preserved  from  this 
danger,  being  conducted  by  night  into  Egypt,  where  he  remained  till  the 
death  of  Herod — that  Joseph  then  returned  as  directed  into  the  land  of 
Israel,  but,  hearing  that  Archelaus  reigned  in  the  stead  of  Herod,  he  was 
afraid,  and  eventually  turned  northward  toward  Galilee,  and  dwelt  in 
Nazareth. 

Now,  not  to  mention  the  minute  agreement  of  the  above  facts  with  the 
prophetic  writings  received  and  preserved  by  the  enemies  of  Christianity, 
I  only  insist  that  they  are  placed  above  suspicion  of  falsehood  by  the  pub- 
lic nature  of  the  facts  themselves,  and  the  clear  and  explicit  manner  in 
which  the  time  and  other  circumstances  are  pointed  out ;  for,  if  they  had 
been  false,  how  could  such  statements  obtain  currency  when  every  one 
must  have  possessed  the  means  of  confuting  them  ?  And  how  can  we 
account  for  the  fact  that  those  who  thought  it  their  interest  to  prevent  the 
belief  of  Christianity  in  its  first  promulgation  never  pretended  to  deny 
them? 

But  the  facts  which  I  have  recited  from  the  evangelical  history  are  still 
further  corroborated  by  their  conformity  with  profane  and  independent  his- 
tory. For  example,  the  respective  characters  of  Herod  and  of  Archelaus 
are  not  described  by  the  evangelists.  They  give  merely  a  simple  narra- 
tive of  facts  ;  yet  these  facts  are  such  as  to  imply  that  the  character  of  the 
men  to  whom  they  referred  must  have  been  exactly  such  as  it  is  now 
known  to  have  been.  It  is  very  evident,  from  Josephus,  that  the  transac- 
tions which  are  mentioned  respecting  Hei'od  were  in  perfect  accordance 
with  his  character.  He  was  always  in  fear  for  the  stability  of  his  throne, 
and  anxious  to  pry  into  futurity,  that  he  might  discover  whether  it  was 

*  That  a  mighty  deliverer  was  at  this  period  very  generally  expected  is  a  fact  which  is  well  attest- 
ed ;  even  Volney  admits  it  in  reference  to  the  Jews,  and  builds  his  hypothesis  upon  it.  But  bow  is 
diis  fact  to  be  accounted  for  except  on  the  ground  of  prophetic  intimation  ? 


400  LECTURE    XXIII. 

likely  to  endure.  While  Herod  was  yet  a  boy,  we  are  told  by  Josephus, 
Manahem,  an  Essene,  had  foretold  that  he  was  destined  to  be  a  king. 
"  When  he  was  actually  advanced  to  that  dignity,  and  in  the  plenitude  of 
his  power,  he  sent  for  Manahem,  and  inquired  of  him  how  long  he  should 
reign.  Manahem  did  not  tell  him  the  precise  period  ;  whereupon  he 
questioned  him  further,  whether  he  should  reign  ten  years  or  not.  He  re- 
plied, '  Yes,  twenty — nay,  thirty  years  ;'  but  he  did  not  assign  a  limit  to 
the  continuance  of  his  empire.  Herod  was  satisfied  with  these  answers  ; 
and,  giving  Manahem  his  hand,  dismissed  him,  and  from  that  time  never 
ceased  to  honor  all  the  Essenes."* 

With  respect  to  Archelaus,  we  are  only  told  by  the  evangelist  that  when 
Joseph  "  heard  that  Archelaus  did  reign  in  Judea,  in  the  room  of  his  fa- 
ther Herod,  he  was  afraid  to  go  thither."  But,  if  Archelaus  had  not  been 
notorious  for  his  cruelty  very  soon  indeed  after  his  accession  to  the  throne, 
the  precipitate  conduct  of  Joseph  to  avoid  him  is  altogether  unaccounta- 
ble. The  fact  is,  that  at  the  very  first  passover  after  Herod's  death,  even 
before  Archelaus  had  yet  time  to  set  out  for  Rome  to  obtain  the  ratifica- 
tion of  his  authority  from  the  emperor,  he  was  guilty  of  on  act  of  outrage 
and  bloodshed  under  circumstances  above  all  others  fitted  to  make  it  gen- 
erally and  immediately  known.  One  of  the  last  deeds  of  his  father  Herod 
had  been  to  put  to  death  Judas  and  Matthias,  two  persons  who  had  insti- 
gated some  young  men  to  pull  down  a  golden  eagle  which  Herod  had 
fixed  over  the  gate  of  the  temple,  contrary,  as  they  conceived,  to  the  law 
of  Moses.  The  hapless  fate  of  these  martyrs  to  the  law  excited  great 
commiseration  at  the  passover  which  ensued.  The  parties,  however,  who 
uttered  their  lamentations  aloud  were  silenced  by  Archelaus,  the  new  king, 
in  the  following  manner  :  "  He  sent  out  all  the  troops  against  them,  and 
ordered  the  horsemen  to  prevent  those  who  had  their  tents  outside  the 
temple  from  rendering  assistance  to  those  who  were  within  it,  and  to  put 
to  death  such  as  might  escape  from  the  foot.  Three  thousand  men  did 
these  cavalry  slay  ;  the  rest  betook  themselves  for  safety  to  the  neighbor- 
ing mountains.  Then  Archelaus  commanded  proclamation  to  be  made 
that  they  should  all  retire  to  their  own  homes.  So  they  went  away,  and 
left  the  festival,  out  of  fear  lest  somewhat  worse  should  ensue."t  Mr. 
Blunt,  in  his  "  Veracity  of  the  P^vangelists,"  commenting  on  this  Aict,  ob- 
serves :  "  We  must  bear  in  mind  that,  at  the  passover,  Jews  from  all  parts 
of  the  world  were  assembled,  so  that  any  event  which  occurred  at  Jerusa- 
lem, during  that  great  feast,  would  be  speedily  reported  on  their  return  to 
the  countries  where  they  dwelt.  Such  a  massacre,  therefore,  at  such  a 
season,  would  at  once  stamp  the  character  of  Archelaus.  The  fear  of  him 
would  naturally  enough  spread  itself  wherever  a  Jew  was  to  be  found  ; 
and,  in  fact,  so  well  remembered  was  this  his  first  essay  at  governing  the 
people,  that  several  years  afterward  it  was  brought  against  him  with  great 
efiect,  on  his  appearance  before  Cesar  at  Home.  It  is  the  more  probable 
that  this  act  of  cruelty  inspired  Joseph  with  his  dread  of  Archelaus,  be- 
cause that  prince  could  not  have  been  much  known  before  he  came  to  the 
throne,  never  having  had  any  public  eini)l()yment,  or  indeed  future  desti' 
nation,  like  his  half-brother  Antipater,  whereby  he  might  have  discovered 
himself  to  the  nation  at  large." 

To  the  evidence  arising  from  this  conformity  (which  I  consider  of  no 

*  Antiq.,  XV.  10,  $  0.  t  Antiq.,  xvii.  9,  $  3. 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  401 

small  weight)  we  may  add  testimonies  of  a  more  direct  nature.     It  is  well 
known  that  the  early  apologists  for  Christianity,  in  their  disputes  with  the 
Gentiles,  were  accustomed  to  appeal  to  the  "Acts  of  Pilate,"  which  were 
then  accessible,  for  the  truth  of  the  principal  facts  respecting  the  life  and 
death  of  Christ.     Thus  Justin  Martyr,  in  his  first  apology  for  the  Chris- 
tians, which  was  presented  to  the  emperor  Antoninus  Pius  and  the  senate 
otKome  about  the  year  140,  having  mentioned  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  some   of  its  attendant  circumstances,  adds,  "  And  that  these 
things  were   so  done  you  may  know  from  the  acts   made   in  the  time  of 
Pontius  Pilate."     Tertullian,  in   his  Apology  for  Christianity,  about  the 
year  200,  after  speakmg  of  our  Savior's  crucifixion  and  resurrection,  his 
appearances  to  the  disciples,  and  his  ascension  into  heaven  in  the  si<-ht  of 
the  same  disciples,  who  were  ordained  by  him  to  publish  the  gospel  over 
the  world,  thus  proceeds  :  "  Of  all  these  things  relating  to  Christ,  Pilate 
himself,  in  his  conscience  already  a  Christian,  sent  an  account  to  Tiberius 
then  emperor."     In  the  same  apology  he  thus  relates  the  proceedings  of 
1  iberius  on  receiving  the  information  :   "  There  was  an   ancient  decree 
that  no  one  should  be  received  for  a  deity  unless  he  was  first  approved  by 
the  senate.     Tiberius,  in  whose  time  the  Christian  name  [or  religionl  had 
Its  rise,  having  received  from  Palestine  in  Syria  an  account  of  such  things 
as  manifested  the  truth  of  his  [Christ's]  divinity,  proposed  to  the  senate 
that  he  should  be  enrolled  among  the  Roman  gods,  and  gave  his  own  pre- 
rogative vote  in  favor  of  the  motion.     But  the  senate,"  without  whose  con- 
sem  no  deification  could  take   place,  "rejected  it,  because  the  emperor 
himself  had  declined  the  same  honor.     Nevertheless,  the  emperor  persist- 
ed m  his  opinion,  and  threatened  punishment  to  the  accusers  of  the  Chris- 
TTu     If       ^°"'"  °'^'"  commentaries  (or  public  writings) :  you  will  there 
hnd  that  Nero  was  the  first  who  raged  with  the  imperial  sword  against  this 
sect,  when  rising  most  at  Rome."     These  testimonies  of  Justin  and  Ter- 
tullian are  taken  from  public  apologies  for  the  Christian   religion,  which 
were  presented  either  to  the  emperor  and  senate  of  Rome  or  to  magis- 
trates of  public  authority  and  great  distinction  in  the  Roman  empire;  and 
It  IS  surely  incredible  that  such  writers  would  have  made  such  appeals,  es- 
pecially to  the  very  persons  in  whose  custody  these  monuments  were,  had 
they  not  been  fully  satisfied  of  their  existence  and  contents. 

Heathen  writers  whose  works  have  been  preserved  afford  many  pas- 
sages in  corroboration  of  the  leading  facts  of  the  gospel  history.  Tacitus, 
without  intending  to  serve  the  cause  of  Christianity,  attests  the  existence 
ot  Jesus  Ciirist,  his  public  execution  under  the  administration  of  Pontiu« 
1  Hate,  the  temporary  check  which  this  gave  to  the  progress  of  his  rehgion^ 
Its  revival  a  short  time  after  his  death,  and  rapid  progiess  over  the  land  of 
Judea  and  in  the  metropolis  of  the  Roman  empire.'^* 

Celsiis,  who  wrote  in  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century,  and  was  one 
ot  the  bitterest  opponents  of  Christianity,  speaks  of  the  founder  of  the 
nZr  i  °'°"  ^'  ^'J'"S  ^'^^^  ^"^  ^  ^"'y  ^e^^  years  before  his  time,  and 
Zhr  1 '  T'?V^  ^^'''  ""^  '^^"  Sospel  history  relative  to  Jesus  Christ, 
aeciaring  that  he  had  copied  the  account  from  the  writings  of  the  evange- 

rnmn.  ^\'^"';^'''r  '?  ^°°^'  audmakcs  extracts  from  them,  as  being 
3wK  ^  the  disciples  and  companions  of  Jesus,  and  under  the  name? 
Which  they  now  bear.     He  takes  notice  particularly  of  his  being  born  of 

*  Tacit.  Ann.,  lib.  xv.,  c.  44 

26 


402  LECTURE    XXIII. 

a  virgin,  his  being  worshipped  by  the  magi,  his  flight  into  Egypt  and  the 
slaughter  of  the  infants,  iiis  baptism  by  John,  his  being  accounted  a 
prophet  by  his  disciples,  and  his  foretelling  wiio  should  betray  him,  as 
well  as  the  circumstances  of  his  death  and  resurrection.  He  allows  that 
Christ  was  considered  by  his  disciples  as  a  divine  person,  and  notices  all 
the  circumstances  attending  his  crucifixion  and  his  appearing  to  his  disci- 
ples afterward.  He  acknowledges  the  miracles  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ, 
by  which  he  engaged  great  multitudes  to  adhere  to  him  as  the  Messiah. 
That  these  miracles  were  really  performed  he  never  disputes  or  denies,  but 
ascribes  them  to  the  magic  art,  which,  he  says,  Christ  learned  in  Egypt. 

To  these  might  be  added  numerous  other  testimonies.  Indeed  it  has 
been  well  observed  that  "  it  is  not  an  extravagant  assertion  that,  if  the  New 
Testament  and  all  other  Christian  writings  could  be  blotted  out  of  exist- 
ence, we  have,  in  the  unquestionably  authentic  writings  of  ancient  heathens 
and  Jews — decided  enemies  to  the  Christian  religion — documents  suffi- 
cient to  establish  all  the  jirlmary  fads  on  which  that  religion  rests  :  name- 
ly, the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  at  the  precise  period  which  the  gospels  as- 
sert, the  extensive  propagation  of  his  religion  at  the  time  and  in  the  coun- 
tries which  are  stated  in  the  New  Testament,  its  reception  by  immense 
multitudes  of  persons  who  had  the  complete  means  of  ascertaining  wheth- 
er the  sensible  facts  on  which  it  was  founded  had  actually  taken  place  or 
not,  the  moral  excellence  of  their  characters,  and  the  sacrifices  of  property, 
liberty,  earthly  happiness,  and  life  itself,  by  which  they  proved  the  sin- 
cerity o{  their  belief  in  those,  not  opiniotis  and  ideas,  but  broad  facts,  of 
which  men's  eyes  and  ears  were  the  witnesses.  From  the  same  source, 
also,  we  deduce  the  fullest  evidence  that  the  earliest  enemies  to  Christiani- 
ty, with  power,  money,  learning,  influence,  and  every  other  advantage  ex- 
cept truth  on  their  side,  never  attempted  to  deny  the  existence  of  Jesus,  or 
the  leading  circumstances  of  his  history,  and  they  even  admitted  the  reality 
of  his  miracles."* 

I  must  also  be  permitted  to  observe  what  a  striking  instance  of  divine 
providence  is  legible  in  this — 1  might  call  it  a  wonderful  event — that  the 
subjugation  of  the  Jews  should  entwine  national  histories  together,  so  that 
the  history  of  Jesus  and  that  of  the  Herods — nay,  of  the  Roman  empire — 
should  coalesce,  and  thus  bring  into  our  possession  a  species  of  testimony 
attainable  by  no  other  means.  We  may  indeed  safely  assert  that  no  me- 
morials which  were  ever  preserved  of  any  past  events  have  a  thousandth 
part  of  the  same  title  to  be  trusted  as  those  in  the  history  of  Jesus  ;  and 
our  skeptics  must  demolish  this  foundation,  resting  on  Roman  as  well  as 
Jewish  records,  before  they  can  advance  to  bIo^^^  the  trumpet  of  victory, 
or  destroy  our  hopes  of  that  "  life  and  immortality  brought  to  light  by  the 
gospel." 

It  may  be  objected  that  no  certain  conclusion  can  be  drawn  in  Aivor  of 
Christianity  from  the  statements  of  the  preceding  pages,  because  much  of 
u  fabulous  character  may  be  engrafted  upon  a  few  leading  facts  of  history, 
and  that  this  has  been  often  done.  Let  us  examine  this  point.  It  is  ad- 
mitted that  the  truth  may,  under  some  circumstances,  be  so  corrupted  by 
admixture  with  tradition  and  falsehood  as  to  involve  the  inquirer  in  per- 
plexity. By  a  long  series  of  innovations  the  primitive  religion  of  Noah 
degenerated  into  universal  polytheism.     By  the  operation  of  similar  causes 

•  Dr.  J,  P   Smith's  Answer  to  the  Manifesto  of  the  Christian  Evidence  Society. 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  403 

the  religion  of  Moses  became  corrupted,  while  the  external  rites  (the  shell 
of  truth)  were  retained.  Thus  also  the  Christian  rehgion,  as  patronized 
by  Constantine,  degenerated  into  the  present  corrupt  system  of  the  Romish 
church.  But  the  religion  of  Christ,  as  seen  in  the  writings  of  the  evan- 
gelists, is  above  suspicion  of  admixture.  If  these  writers  had  been  in- 
clined.to  add  anything  to  the  plain  facts  which  came  under  their  own  no- 
tice, and  to  indulge  an  inventive  faculty,  a  fair  opportunity  presented  it- 
self while  Jesus  was  domiciUated  at  Nazareth.  Here  in  this  secluded  spot 
no  observers,  no  listeners,  were  near.  Secure  against  contradiction,  the 
space  of  twenty-five  or  twenty-six  years  might  have  been  filled  up  with  the 
marvellous  ;  but  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  even  the  truth  in  reference  to 
that  space  of  time  is  not  given.  The  history  of  the  evangelists  is  altogeth- 
er of  a  public  character.  Whatever  Jesus  said  or  did  in  the  secret  cham- 
ber or  the  recesses  of  Galilee  is  to  be  left  out  of  his  narrative  ;  but  if  during 
that  twenty-five  years  Jesus  goes  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  surprises  the  doc- 
tors of  the  temple  by  his  wisdom,  this  event,  which  was  capable  of  public 
corroboration,  is  to  be  historized,  with  all  its  attendant  circumstances. 
During  that  long  period  nothing  else  is  recorded  of  him  but  that  he  was 
subject  to  his  mother  and  reputed  father,  and  that  he  increased  in  wisdom 
and  in  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man. 

After  passing  over,  in  almost  total  silence,  the  events  of  twenty-six 
years,  the  gospel  history  is  resumed  to  introduce  the  preaching  of  John 
the  Baptist.  His  early  history  was  contemporary  with  that  of  Jesus,  to 
whom  he  was  related.  He  also,  as  well  as  Jesus,  passed  his  early  life  in 
seclusion.  It  is  only  said  of  him  that  "  the  child  grew  and  waxed  strong 
in  spirit,  and  was  in  the  desert  until  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel." 
There,  apart  from  the  world,  and  under  the  tuition  of  Heaven,  he  was  ini- 
tiated into  the  principles  of  divine  wisdom,  and  prepared  for  his  future 
course  of  self-denying  labor.  Here,  as  in  the  former  case,  the  veil  of  pri- 
vacy is  thrown  over  his  early  history.  But  the  moment  John  commences 
a  course  of  public  action,  open  to  universal  observation,  the  history  of  the 
gospel  is  resumed,  and  the  events  are  recorded  with  all  the  needful  circum- 
stances of  time,  place,  matter,  and  manner,  the  effects  and  consequences. 
In  short,  the  true  rules  of  testimony  are  here  strictly  regarded.  This  is 
laying  a  proper  foundation,  and  has  more  meaning  than  the  mere  pomp  of 
words  ;  and  indeed  many  true  histories  are  injured  for  want  of  proper 
data ;  but  here  the  record  begins  :  "  Now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign 
of  Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea,  and  Herod 
being  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  and  his  brother  Philip  tetrarch  of  Iturea,  and 
Lysanias  tetrarch  of  Abilene,  Annas  and  Caiaphas  being  the  high-priests, 
the  word  of  God  come  unto  John  the  son  of  Zacharias  in  the  wilderness  : 
and  he  came  into  all  the  country  about  Jordan,  preaching  the  baptism  of 
repentance,  as  declared  by  the  prophet  Esaias,  and  great  multitudes 
came  to  his  baptism."  Here  is  a  multitude  of  witnesses.  John's 
preaching  was  of  the  nervous  kind,  perfectly  free  from  flattery  and  even 
somewhat  severe ;  but  he  was  a  "  burning  and  a  shining  light,"  and 
he  afterward  fell  a  victim  to  his  faithfulness.  A  corrupt  court  and  a 
faithful  minister  of  religion  seldom  long  agree  together:  if  faithful  doctrine 
does  not  reform  the  court,  the  court  will  sacrifice  the  preacher  of  righteous- 
ness. We  find,  however,  by  the  history,  that  his  preaching  created  a  very 
strong  sensation  in  the  public  mind.     John  had  great  multitudes  of  hearers, 


404  LECTURE    XXIII. 

and  was  regarded  as  a  prophet;  Herod  received  him  as  such,  "heard  him 
gladly,"  and  "  did  many  things"  enjoined  by  him.  The  Baptist's  fame 
reached  Jerusalem ;  the  Jews  there  sent  an  embassy  to  him  to  know  the 
import  of  his  mission.  Now  I  say  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  an 
evangelist  to  tell  this  story  in  the  face  of  the  Jewish  nation  and  the  court 
of  Herod  if  it  had  not  been  true  ;  but,  to  confirm  the  truth  of  the  history, 
many  of  the  priests  and  Levites  came  to  his  baptism.  About  this  time 
Jesus  himself  came  from  Nazareth  to  be  baptized  of  John  ;  and  here  Je- 
sus and  John  recognise  and  acknowledge  each  other.  Jesus  receives 
baptism  at  the  hands  of  John,  and  John  points  out  Jesus  as  the  true  Mes- 
siah, to  whom  he  was  but  a  servant  and  forerunner.  "  Behold,"  he  says, 
"the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world!"  John  i. 
29.  "  I  preach  repentance  ;  he  takes  away  the  sins  repented  of."  And 
very  soon  after  this  Jesus  assumed  his  own  ministry. 

This  was  a  very  remarkable  era,  and  stands  so  connected  with  the  then 
state  of  the  Jewish  nation  that  it  is  necessary  to  notice  what  this  state  was. 

However  uneasy  the  condition  of  the  Jewish  people  had  been  under 
Herod  the  Great,  it  became  infinitely  worse  after  his  death.  The  tyranny 
of  Archelaus  had  provoked  such  ferments  and  petty  rebellions  in  the  na- 
tion, that,  to  terminate  these  disorders,  the  Roman  emperor  determined  to 
put  an  end  to  the  existing  government  that  had  long  been  held  over  the 
country,  and  to  govern  the  nation  unc^er  the  form  of  Roman  provinces,  to 
the  still  greater  grief  and  disquietude  of  the  Jews.  This  measure,  which 
was  carried  into  execution,  appears  to  have  originated,  not  in  any  premed- 
itated design  of  the  Roman  emperor,  but  in  the  necessity  of  the  case. 
The  cruelties  of  Archelaus,  and  the  unparalleled  disturbances  that  prevailed 
in  every  civil  department  of  Judea,  rendered  the  presence  of  a  Roman 
governor  and  Roman  military  needful.  In  Josephus  we  everywhere  meet 
with  accounts  of  open  acts  of  violence  or  secret  workings  of  plots,  con- 
spiracies, and  frauds — the  laws  ineffectual  or  veiy  partially  observed,  and 
very  wretchedly  administered — oppression  on  the  part  of  the  rulers,  among 
the  people  faction,  discontent,  sedition,  tumult — robbers  infesting  the  very 
streets  and  most  public  places  of  resort,  wandering  about  in  arms,  thirsting 
for  blood  no  less  than  spoil,  assembling  in  troops  to  the  dismay  of  more 
peaceable  citizens,  and  with  difficulty  put  down  by  military  force. 

Such  is  our  view  of  the  condition  of  Judea  as  collected  from  Josephus. 
The  language  of  the  New  Testament  agrees  with  it,  though  in  an  oblique 
manner,  for  the  evangelists  were  not,  strictly  speaking,  historians  of  die 
times.  Hence  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan — of  a  man  going  down 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  and  falling  among  thieves  (Luke  x.  30) — of 
husbandmen  murdering  the  messengers  of  a  landowner — of  an  unjust 
judge — of  a  steward  that  made  free  with  his  master's  property — of  the 
Son  of  man  coining  as  a  thief  in  the  night — of  a  kingdom,  &:c.,  divided 
against  itself — of  the  folly  of  laying  by  treasure,  as  the  thieves  might  take 
it,  &c.  And,  when  it  is  considered  that  all  our  Lord's  language  had  refer- 
ence to  passing  occurrences,  we  see,  upon  the  whole,  what  was  the  state 
of  the  Jews  about  the  time  of  our  Lord's  ministry,  by  which  we  form  a 
chain  of  circumstances  to  prove  the  credibility  of  the  gosi)el  history. 

The  national  pride  of  the  Jews  was  wounded  to  the  quick  by  the  new 
species  of  control  now  exercised  over  them,  and  they  were  disposed  to 
catch  at  a  shadow,  if  it  looked  like  a  deliverer  from  ihe  Roman  yoke. 


GROUNDS    OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  .  405 

We  now  arrive  at  the  conflict  between  Jesus  and  the  Jews  as  to  the  truth 
of  his  Messiahship,  whether  he  really  was  one  of  the  ordinary  race  of  man- 
kind or  the  Son  of  God.  This  conflict  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the 
first  three  gospels,  but  is  most  prominent  in  that  of  John,  where  the  dis- 
putations are  recorded  at  considerable  length.  To  a  superficial  reader 
these  frequent  collisions  may  seem  of  small  importance,  but  they  are  ca- 
pable of  affording  most  essential  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel ;  they 
form  part  of  those  circumstances  upon  which  the  evidence  of  Christianity 
rests.  The  Jews  knew  that  the  time  had  come  as  prophesied  by  Jacob 
and  Daniel :  Gen.  xlix.  10 ;  Dan.  ix.  24.  A  Messiah,  therefore,  to  meet 
their  wishes,  having  but  power  enough,  and  whom  they  dared  to  follow, 
would  have  been  hailed  with  acclamation  ;  nor  would  they  have  examined 
very  scrupulously  his  other  qualifications,  or  his  very  exact  correspondence 
with  their  notion  of  the  prophecies.  So  far  everything  was  favorable  for 
the  reception  of  the  Messiah,  had  he  been  quite  of  their  mind.  John's 
ministry  had  raised  such  admiration  that  the  people  mused  in  their  hearts 
whether  he  was  not  the  identical  personage:  Luke  iii.  15.  There  were 
also  the  devout  few  of  retired  habits  "  waiting  for  the  Consolation  of  Is- 
rael," as  Simeon,  Anna,  &c. ;  so  that  every  ear  and  every  eye  was  open 
to  hear  and  see  the  great  Deliverer,  and  John  positively  declared  that  Je- 
sus was  he.  John,  whom  everybody  heard  and  everybody  received,  and 
in  "  whose  light  they  rejoiced,"  identified  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  even  when 
he  might  have  retained  every  degree  of  popularity  to  himself. 

It  must  be  further  considered  that,  although  there  were  such  general  ex- 
pectations, yet  the  particular  views  of  the  expectants  difiered  materially. 
The  humble  and  the  pious  looked  for  a  spiritual  deliverer,  agreeably  to  early 
announcement  that  he  should  "  save  his  people  from  their  sins."  Some 
of  these  again  had  a  mixed  notion  upon  the  subject,  that  the  Messiah's 
character  was  both  spiritual  and  temporal.  Such  opinion  the  twelve  dis- 
ciples long  entertained.  But  the  Jewish  sanhedrim,  and  that  part  of  the 
population  that  was  under  their  influence,  could  not  be  satisfied  with  any- 
thing less  than  a  hero  of  revolution ;  and  a  hero  indeed  must  he  be  that 
could  overthrow  the  Roman  power  in  the  zenidi  of  its  glory.  The  Jews 
were  well  enough  inclined  to  examine  the  prophecies  for  such  a  character, 
and  to  follow  any  leader  who  had  but  the  shadow  of  a  pretension  to  identify 
himself  with  their  notions  of  prophecy.  Perhaps  they  would  have  ex- 
cused the  mean  birth  of  Jesus  if  they  could  have  hoped  that  his  sun  would 
arise  into  brightness,  if  such  improvement  had  been  discovered  as  would 
have  allowed  them  rationally  to  flock  to  his  standard,  and  blow  the  trum- 
pet of  war  ;  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  they  were  by  no  means  a  das- 
tardly pusillanimous  people  ;  they  were  ready  enough  to  "  buckle  the 
shield  and  handle  the  spear."  But  how  great  was  their  disappointment  in 
Jesus!  He  was  totally  of  a  wrong  make  and  character,  and  could  only 
be  recognised  at  all  as  the  Messiah  by  a  very  difierent  class  of  prophecies 
from  those  which  the  Jewish  rulers  were  fondly  accustomed  to  read.  Be- 
ing aware  of  this  situation  of  things,  he  met  their  objections  in  the  very 
opening  of  his  ministry,  by  identifying  himself  with  a  prophecy  of  Isaiah; 
Luke  iv.  18  :  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor,"  &c.  His  conduct  cor- 
responded with  this  spiritual  character.  He  selected  for  his  followers  the 
poor  fisherman  of  Gedilee.     He  pronounced  blessings,  not  upon  warriors, 


406  LECTURE    XXIII. 

nor  upon  the  rich  and  the  noble,  but  upon  the  humble  and  meek.  He  did 
not,  in  any  instance,  wait  upon  any  of  the  higher  classes  of  society,  nor 
attempt  to  explain  the  apparent  discrepancy.  This  was  in  the  eyes  of  the 
ruling  party  a  very  galling  offence,  and  they  were  even  now  ready  to  say, 
as  they  afterward  did,  "Away  with  such  a  fellow  from  the  earth  !"  Here 
we  see  the  popular  notion  running  in  one  direction,  and  the  Savior's  heav- 
enly intentions  in  another.  Meet  they  could  not.  If  this  people  could 
have  been  brought  to  seek  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness  in 
the  first  place,  instead  of  the  recovery  of  their  ancient  glory,  all  would 
have  been  right;  but,  as  things  were,  a  reconciliation  of  views  was  impos- 
sible. 

Now  did  such  a  state  of  things  and  of  public  opinion  correspond  with 
such  a  character  as  Jesus,  when  he  began  his  ministry?  Not  in  the  least; 
and  it  is  by  this  very  circumstance  that  the  New  Testament  stands  clear 
of  the  charge  of  originating  in  human  invention  :  for  had  the  New  Testa- 
ment related  a  course  of  events  all  running  in  one  channel,  wherein 
there  was  no  eye  of  jealousy  to  suspect,  or  hand  of  opposition  raised,  the 
men  of  this  age  might  have  had  some  plausible  ground  for  incredulity, 
though  it  might  be  true  notwithstanding  such  amicable  accordances;  but 
as  things  stood  at  that  time  no  such  plausible  ground  is  left  them.  The 
Jews  in  their  disappointed  rage  quarrelled  even  with  the  benevolence  of 
Jesus,  and  the  benefits  he  conferred  upon  the  sick,  the  lame,  and  the 
blind.  They  treated  rudely  and  impudently  the  most  demonstrative  proofs 
of  his  divinity  and  most  convincing  arguments  that  he  was  the  Messiah, 
and  threw  dirt  on  all  his  works  and  character:  "He  hath  a  devil,  why  do 
you  hear  him?"  while  every  accession  of  popularity  which  his  miracles 
and  doctrines  gained  to  him,  brought  a  more  than  equal  accession  of  ma- 
lignity in  the  rulers,  which  grew  to  such  a  pitch  that  Nicodemus,  a  noble 
example  of  a  better  disposition,  dared  not  consult  with  Jesus  respecting 
his  mission  but  under  the  veil  of  ni<rht. 

It  has  often  been  remarked  that  the  cause  of  truth  always  obtains 
strength  by  opposition,  and  it  is  to  mark  that  opposition  that  1  so  much 
insist  upon  this  part  of  the  history.  The  common  people  in  the  country, 
it  appears,  were  so  enamored  with  Jesus  that  they  resolved  to  make  him 
king,  which  of  course  was  resisted;  and  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  Jerusalem  his  popularity  became  so  great,  by  the  resurrection  of  Laz- 
arus, that  the  sanhedrim  were  assembled  to  deliberate  upon  it.  Some- 
thing, say  they,  must  immediately  be  done.  "What  do  we?"  or  what 
shall  we  do?  "for  this  man  docs  many  miracles"  to  confirm  his  doctrines 
and  increase  his  adherents;  and  though  he  docs  not  appear  to  possess 
power  enough  to  save  us  from  the  Romans,  or  inclination  prompt  enough 
to  attempt  our  deliverance,  yet  his  popularity  and  influence  are  quite 
enouirh  to  provoke  them  to  greater  hostility.  "If  we  let  him  alone,"  it  is 
not  inij)robabl(>  that  we  may  be  banished  to  some  remote  region,  for  the 
Romans  may  be  induced  to  "take  away  both  our  place  and  nation."  Un- 
der these  apprehensions  they  meditated  the  death  of  Jesus,  but  dared  not 
attempt  it;  "for  they  feared  the  people,"  a  fidl  proof  of  the  turbulent 
state  of  the  times:  they  were  rulers  in  name  only. 

One  would  think  that  these  wise  men,  seeing  the  proofs  of  a  heavenly 
mission  daily  disclosing  themselves  in  the  character  and  person  of  Jesus, 
might  have  given  the  subject  of  his  Messiahship  a  closer  examination ;  but 


GROUNDS  OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  407 

they  were  entangled  in  their  own  counsels,  and  they  wanted  what  it  was 
impossible  to  obtain — a  Messiah  to  their  own  mind.  Jesus  did  noticing 
for  them,  as  they  thought,  but  rather  diminished  than  increased  their  popu- 
larity with  the  people.  Their  authority  seemed  to  totter  and  shake  to  the 
very  foundation  ;  and  they  were  in  danger  of  being  brought  into  conternot. 
Tliey  had  ecclesiastical  power  still  in  their  hands,  though  the  Romans  had 
the  civil ;  but  the  doctrines  of  Jesus  tended  to  subvert  even  this  residue. 
These  pointed  to  a  spiritual  rather  than  a  worldly  or  carnal  economy,  and 
tended  to  superinduce  a  new  order  of  things  over  that  of  Moses,  by  which 
they  held  all  their  honors  and  all  their  authority.* 

We  have  seen  that  the  person  and  character  of  Jesus  form  part  of  a 
regular  history,  having  time,  place,  and  circumstances,  to  substantiate 
everything,  that  this  history  is  not  purely  Jewish,  but  that  it  is  interwoven 
with  more  general  historical  and  well-known  facts,  in  all  which  imposture 
was  impossible.  We  have  seen  that  John  the  Baptist,  a  man  universally 
acknowledged,  bears  testimony  to  Christ  as  the  Messiah,  and  that,  although 
Jesus  was  rejected  in  that  character  by  the  higher  classes  of  the  Jews,  yet 
his  miracles  and  doctrines  were  too  conspicuous  for  privacy  and  conceal- 
ment, and  his  popularity  increased — that  he  assumed  to  himself  the  char- 
acter of  the  Savior  of  the  world — and,  what  is  very  material,  that  every 
point  he  asserted  was  strongly  opposed  and  severely  canvassed  and  scruti- 
nized, but  not  subverted.  This  is  all  that  we  are  solicitous  about ;  for  here  it 
is  demonstratively  proved  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  was  not  a  forgery.  It 
was  established  in  the  face  of  a  mighty  opposition.  It  was  not  like  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Koran,  which  was  prepared  in  privacy,  and  then  propagated 
publicly  and  by  the  sword,  but  bore  a  near  resemblance  to  the  religion  of 
Moses,  which  grew  out  of  the  circumstances  and  historical  facts  of  the 
Israelilish  people,  was  conducted  through  the  opposition  of  enemies,  and 
ended  ii\  the  final  triumph  over  them. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  remark  that  in  passing  over  the  various  incidents  of 
New-Testament  history,  we  can  not  but  see  the  utmost  impartiality  of  rep- 
resentation and  faithfulness  of  record.  The  evangehsts  relate  their  facts 
with  the  simplicity  of  children,  and  appear  not  to  suspect  that  they  could, 
or  would,  in  future  ages,  be  discredited.  All  the  weaknesses  and  faults 
of  the  disciples  are  set  down  in  full  dimensions,  as  well  as  the  faults  of 
their  adversaries.  Thouo^h  the  different  evano;elists  take  different  views 
of  things,  yet  in  no  instance  does  the  account  of  one  of  them  contradict 
that  of  the  other;  but,  on  the  contrary,  when  closely  examined  and  put 
together,  they  afford  mutual  corroboration.  In  delineation  of  character, 
how  exacdy  true  to  nature !  That  of  the  Jews — their  inveterate  preju- 
dices, their  superstitions,  their  unbelief  of  well-authenticated  truth,  and 
tlieir  extraordinary  creduhty  of  the  most  silly  stories  and  traditions.  This 
representation  remains  true  of  that  people  to  the  present  day :  the  high 
spirit  of  their  character  is  indeed  broken  down  by  their  overthrow,  but  in 
all  the  particulars  just  named,  any  person  can  ascertain  the  close  resem- 
blance of  their  present  character  with  that  which  the  evangelists  have 
drawn.     Nay,  the  general  character  of  human  nature  itself,  in  all  its  divert 

"  The  Jews  could  not  much  mistake  Christ's  words.  The  subversion  of  the  Mosaic  institutions 
was  pretty  plainly  intimated  in  the  sentence,  "  The  law  and  the  prophets  prophesied  nntil  Jokri; 
since  that  time  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached."  This  was  a  bold  declaration.  It  was  sayings,  in 
effect,  "  You  have  obeyed  the  ceremonies  of  the  law,  and  you  have  honored  the  admonitiona  of  tha 
prophets  for  1500  years ;  henceforth  a  new  authority  is  to  be  paramount." 


408  LECTURE    XXIII. 

sified  feelings,  and  in  persons  of  all  ranks,  can  not  be  more  correctly  de- 
scribed. Here  we  see  how  prejudices  are  sometimes  subdued  by  afflic- 
tion, in  a  ruler  of  a  sinagogue  supplicating  our  Lord's  compassion  in  favor 
of  his  diseased  daughter.  We  see,  on  the  contrary,  that  minds  unsub- 
dued by  affliction,  but  nurtured  in  riches,  are  the  most  inimical  to  the  re- 
c^tion  of  truth,  while  the  poor  and  the  afflicted  humbly  seek  relief.  And 
are  not  the  same  things  manifest  in  the  present  day?  We  see  the  same 
versatility  now  every  day  that  is  marked  in  the  gospels,  in  the  multitude 
hailing  Christ  with  hosannas  one  day,  and  almost  the  next  vociferating 
against  him.  In  the  treachery  and  baseness  of  Judas  we  see  a  picture  of 
the  same  kind,  in  a  man's  enemies  being  too  often  those  of  his  own  house. 
The  like  divisions  in  families  on  religious  accounts,  the  same  jealousies 
and  suspicions  against  any  member  of  a  family  who  is  more  conscientious 
than  the  others,  the  same  unfeeling  behavior  toward  an  erring  brother  as 
the  righteous  Pharisees  had  against  the  sinners,  is  now  found  to  exist. 
The  same  fondness  for  the  chief  seats  in  the  synagogue  which  called  forth 
the  censure  of  our  Lord  is  still  apparent.  The  same  ingratitude  which  we 
find  in  the  ten  restored  lepers,  only  one  of  whom  returned  to  give  thanks, 
now  exists  in  human  nature  toward  God. 

In  the  character  of  Jesus  we  see  what  the  world  never  read  of  before, 
one  that  is  absolutely  perfect.  Imagination  never  formed  the  conception 
of  such  a  character,  and  its  portraiture  is  such  as  could  never  have  been 
exhibited  had  not  the  image  of  perfection  been  before  the  eyes  of  the  wri- 
ters. Benevolence  everywhere  appears  as  the  ruling  principle  of  his  ac- 
tions, truth  and  faithfulness  were  the  law  of  his  lips,  with  whomsoever  he 
came  in  contact,  and  heavenly  wisdom  guided  all  his  decisions.  His  ax- 
ioms of  truth  contain  the  soundest  philosophy;  while  his  penetration  into 
the  secrets  of  the  heart  of  those  that  appeared  before  him  could  not  be 
human. 

We  must  also  notice  the  dignity  and  ease  with  which  Jesus  spoke  on 
the  most  heavenly  and  sublime  things,  how  admirably  he  rendered  them 
familiar  by  inimitable  parables  and  other  forms  of  speech,  his  perfect  com- 
mand of  himself  upon  all  occasions,  and  his  affability  and  condescension; 
so  that  it  was  truly  said  of  him,  "  Never  man  spoke  as  this  man." 

The  particular  line  of  argument  adopted  in  the  foregoing  pages  may  be 
pursued  to  a  considerable  length,  and  is  capable  of  affording  satisfaction 
to  every  unprejudiced  inquirer  respecting  the  origin  of  Christianity;  but  I 
flatter  myself  that  I  shall  perform  a  more  acceptable  service  by  pointing 
out  to  the  student  all  the  separate  points  of  argument  on  which  the  advo- 
cates of  Christianity  have  placed  their  chief  confidence,  adding  only  a  few 
hints,  and  a  reference  to  the  authors  from  whom  further  instruction  is  to 
be  derived. 

I.  In  stating  the  evidence  for  the  truth  of  Christianity,  there  is  nothing 
more  worthy  of  consideration  than  the  authenticity  of  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament.  This  is  the  foundation  on  which  all  other  arguments  rest ; 
and  if  this  be  solid,  the  Christian  rehgion  is  fiiily  established.  The  proofs 
for  the  authenticity  of  the  New  Testament  have  this  peculiar  advantage, 
that  they  are  plain  and  simple,  and  involve  no  metaphysical  subtleties. 
Every  man  who  can  distinguish  truth  from  falsehood  must  see  their  force; 
and  if  there  be  any  so  blinded  by  prejudice,  or  corrupted  by  licentious- 


GROUNDS    OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  409 

ness,  as  to  attempt  by  sophistry  to  elude  them,  their  sophistry  will  be  easily 
detected  by  every  man  of  common  understanding  who  has  read  the  his- 
torical evidence  with  candor  and  attention. 

We  receive  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  as  the  genuine  works  of 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  Paul,  &c.,  for  the  same  reason  that  we  re- 
ceive the  writings  of  Xenophon,  Polybius,  Plutarch,  Caesar,  and  Livy. 
We  have  the  uninterrupted  testimony  of  all  ages,  and  we  have  no  reason 
to  suspect  imposition.  This  argument  is  much  stronger  when  applied  to 
the  books  of  the  New  Testament  than  when  applied  to  any  other  writings ; 
for  they  were  addressed  to  large  societies,  were  often  read  in  their  pres- 
ence, and  were  acknowledged  by  them  to  be  the  writings  of  the  apostles ; 
whereas  the  most  eminent  profane  writings  which  still  remain  were  ad- 
dressed only  to  individuals,  or  to  no  persons  at  all,  and  we  have  no  au- 
thority to  affirm  that  they  were  ever  read  in  public ;  on  the  contrary,  we 
know  that  a  liberal  education  was  uncommon,  books  were  scarce,  and  the 
knowledge   of  them  was  confined  to  a  few  individuals   in  every  nation. 

The  New  Testament  was  read  over  three  quarters  of  the  world,  while 
profane  writers  were  limited  to  one  nation  or  to  one  country.  An  unin- 
terrupted succession  of  writers,  from  the  apostolic  ages  to  the  present  time, 
quote  the  sacred  writings,  or  make  allusions  to  them ;  and  these  quotations 
and  allusions  are  made,  not  only  by  friends,  but  by  enemies.  This  can 
not  be  asserted  of  even  the  best  classic  autlwrs.  And  it  is  highly  probable 
that  the  translations  of  the  New  Testament  were  made  as  early  as  the  sec- 
ond century,  and  in  a  century  or  two  afterward  they  became  very  numer- 
ous. After  this  period  it  was  impossible  to  forge  new  writings,  or  to  cor- 
rupt the  sacred  text,  unless  we  can  suppose  that  men  of  different  nations, 
of  different  sentiments  and  different  languages,  and  often  exceedingly  hos- 
tile to  one  another,  should  all  agree  in  one  forgery.  If  we  deny  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  New  Testament,  we  may,  with  a  thousand  times  more  pro- 
priety, reject  all  the  other  writings  in  the  world ;  we  may  even  throw  aside 
human  testimony  itself.  Those  who  wish  to  see  this  subject  fully  investi- 
gated, must  consult  Taylor's  Process  of  Historical  Proof,  and  the  valuable 
work  of  Michaelis. 

I  may  here  just  observe  that  the  reasons  which  may  induce  a  critic  to 
suspect  the  authenticity  of  a  work  can  not  at  all  apply  to  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 1.  It  can  not  be  shown  that  its  authenticity  was  doubted  in  the 
period  in  which  it  first  appeared.  2.  No  ancient  accounts  are  on  record 
from  which  we  may  conclude  it  to  be  spurious.  3.  No  considerable  period 
elapsed  after  the  death  of  the  apostles  in  which  the  New  Testament  was 
unknown  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  mentioned  by  their  very  contemporaries, 
and  the  accounts  of  it  in  the  second  century  are  exceedingly  numerous. 
4.  No  argument  can  be  brought  in  its  disfavor  from  the  nature  of  the  style, 
it  being  exactly  such  as  might  be  expected  from  the  aposdes — not  At- 
tic but  Jewish  Greek.  5.  No  facts  are  recorded  which  happened  after 
their  death.  6.  No  doctrines  are  maintained  which  contradict  the  known 
tenets  of  the  authors,  since,  besides  the  New  Testament,  no  writings  of  the 
aposdes  exist.  But,  to  the  honor  of  the  New  Testament  be  it  spoken,  it 
contains  numerous  contradictions  to  the  tenets  and  doctrines  of  the  fathers 
in  the  second  and  third  centuries,  whose  morality  was  different  from  that 
of  the  gospel,  which  recommends  fortitude  and  submission  to  unavoidable 
evils,  but  not  that  enthusiastic  ardor  for  martyrdom  for  which  these  centu- 


410  LECTURE    XXIII. 

ries  were  distinguished.  It  also  alludes  to  ceremonies  which  in  the  fol- 
lowing ages  were  cither  in  disuse  or  totally  unknown.  All  these  circum- 
stances infallibly  demonstrate  that  the  New  Testament  is  not  a  production 
of  either  of  those  centuries. 

The  positive  proofs  of  the  authenticity  of  the  New  Testament  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  impossibility  of  forgery,  arising  from  the  nature  of  the  thing  itself. 
This  has  been  considered  in  the  preceding  cbservations  on  the  subject,  in 
which  I  have  shown  that  if  the  writings  of  the  evangelists  had  been  forged 
(and  the  same  will  apply  to  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament),  the  Jews 
could  not  have  failed  to  detect  the  imposture.  I  may  here  ask,  "  Is  there 
a  single  instance  on  record  where  a  few  individuals  have  imposed  a  history 
upon  the  world  against  the  testimony  of  a  whole  nation  ?  Would  the  in- 
habitants of  Palestine  have  received  the  gospels  if  they  had  not  had  sufH- 
cient  evidence  that  Jesus  Christ  really  appeared  among  them,  and  per- 
formed the  miracles  ascribed  to  him  ?  Or  would  the  churches  of  Rome 
or  of  Corinth  have  acknowledged  the  epistles  addressed  to  them  as  the 
genuine  works  of  Paul  if  Paul  had  never  preached  among  them?"  We 
might  as  well  think  to  prove  that  the  history  of  the  reformation  is  the  in- 
vention of  historians,  and  that  no  revolution  happened  in  Great  Britain 
during  the  seventeenth  century. 

2.  The  uninterrupted  chain  of  evidence  arising  from  the  testimo?iy  of 
ancient  writers,  Christians,  Jews,  and  heathens,  fully  establish  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  New  Testament.  The  history  of  the  Christian  church,  cor- 
roborated by  profane  history,  proves  that  the  several  books  of  the  New 
Testament  were  the  genuine  productions  of  the  persons  whose  names  they 
respectively  bear — that  they  were  received,  quoted,  and  enforced,  by  the 
next  age,  and  in  succession  to  every  age  since  that  time — that  copies  of 
these  scriptures  were  taken,  and  translated  into  many  languages,  all  the 
translations  agreeing  in  substance  with  the  original  (for,  however  corrupt 
the  church  of  Rome  became,  their  copy  of  the  Scriptures  essentially  agrees 
with  the  earliest  copies  in  various  languages) — that  the  true  Christian 
character  survived  the  most  terrible  persecutions — that,  in  the  darkest 
parts  of  the  middle  ages,  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses  (see  Jones's 
History  of  the  Christian  Church)  preserved  entire  the  Christian  church 
and  doctrine  till  the  time  of  the  reformation  in  Germany,  England,  &c. 
See  Jones's  new  and  full  Method  of  establishing  the  Canon  of  the  New 
Testament. 

3.  We  may  remark  particularly  the  testimony  of  various  sects  of  heretics 
and  also  ff  cqiostates  from  Christianity,  who  would  certainl}'  have  discov- 
ered the  deception  if  any  had  been  practised,  but  who  never  once  called  in 
question  the  authenticity  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament. 

4.  The  iyitcrnat  evidences  of  authenticity  which  arise  out  of  the  nature 
of  the  style,  and  the  coincidence -of  the  New  Testament  with  the  history 
of  the  times.  See  Paley's  Horae  Paulina?,  and  Blunt's  Credibility  of  the 
Evangelists. 

II.  The  authenticity  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  beinn-  ascer- 
tained, the  evidence  from  miracles  may  be  adduced  as  a  full  and  sufficient 
proof  that  the  doctrines  which  they  were  wrought  to  confirm  came  from 
God,  who  at  first  gave  to  creation  its  laws,  and  who  alone  could  dispense 
with  the  operation  of  those  laws.  So  thought  Moses  when,  in  the  matter 
of  Korah,  he  said  to  the  Israelites,  "  If  these  men  die  the  common  death 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  411 

of  all  men,  then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me."  So  thought  Elijah  when  he 
said,  "  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Israel,  let  it  be  known  this 
day  that  thou  art  God  in  Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  servant;"  and  the  peo- 
ple before  whom  he  spoke  were  of  the  same  opinion  ;  for,  when  the  fire 
of  the  Lord  fell  and  consumed  the  burnt-sacrifice,  they  said,  *'  The  Lord 
he  is  the  God."  So  thought  our  Savior  when  he  said,  "  The  works  that 
I  do  in  my  Father's  name  bear  witness  of  me  ;"  and,  "  If  I  do  not  the 
works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not." 

What  reason  have  we  to  beheve  Jesus  speaking  in  the  gospel,  and  to 
disbelieve  Mohammed  speaking  in  the  Koran  ?  Both  of  them  lay  claim 
to  a  divine  commission  ;  and  yet  we  receive  the  words  of  the  one  as  a  rev- 
elation from  God,  and  we  reject  the  words  of  the  other  as  an  imposture 
of  man.  The  reason  is  evident:  Jesus  established  his  pretensions,  not  by 
alleging  any  secret  communication  with  the  Deity,  but  by  working  numer- 
ous and  indubitable  miracles  in  the  presence  of  thousands,  and  which  the 
most  bitter  and  watchful  of  his  enemies  could  not  disallow  ;  but  Mohammed 
wrought  no  miracles  at  all. 

Now,  though  we  have  not  ourselves  witnessed  the  miracles  which  were 
wrought,  yet  we  know  that  the  gospel  was  at  first  received  u^on  this 
ground,  as  appeals  to  the  senses,*  and  the  apostles  allude  frequently  in 
their  epistles  to  the  gift  of  miracles  which  they  had  communicated  to  the 
Christian  converts  by  the  imposition  of  hands,  in  confirmation  of  the  doc- 
trine delivered  in  their  speeches  and  writings,  and  sometimes  to  miracles 
which  they  themselves  had  performed.  The  case  is  here  entirely  differ- 
ent from  that  of  an  historian  who  relates  extraordinary  events  in  the  course 
of  his  narrative,  since  either  credulity  or  an  actual  intention  to  deceive  may 
induce  him  to  describe  as  true  a  series  of  falsehoods  respecting  a  foreign 
land  or  distant  period.  Even  to  the  evangelists  might  an  adversary  of  the 
Christian  religion  make  this  objection  :  but  to  write  to  persons  with  whom 
we  stand  in  the  nearest  connexion — "  I  have  not  only  performed  miracles 
in  your  presence,  but  have  likewise  communicated  to  you  the  same  extra- 
ordinary endowment" — to  write  in  this  manner  if  nothing  of  the  kind  had 
ever  happened,  would  not  only  require  an  incredible  degree  of  effrontery, 
but  would  necessarily  expose  the  writer  to  the  utmost  ridicule,  and,  by  giv- 
ing his  adversaries  the  fairest  opportunity  to  detect  his  imposture,  would 
ruin  the  cause  which  he  attempted  to  support. 

The  several  epistles  of  Paul  are  addressed  to  different  communities  by 
whom  the  gospel  had  very  recently  been  received.  In  these  epistles  he 
appeals  to  the  miracles  which  he  had  performed,  and  to  the  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  he  had  communicated.  Now  is  it  possible,  without  for- 
feiting all  pretensions  to  common  sense,  to  imagine  that,  in  writing  to  com- 
munities which  had  been  lately  established,  he  could  speak  of  miracles  per- 
formed, and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  communicated,  if  no  member  of  these 
societies  had  seen  the  one  or  received  the  other  ?  To  suppose  that  an  im- 
postor could  write  such  epistles  as  these,  and  yet  maintain  his  authority, 
impHes  ignorance  and  stupidity  hardly  to  be  believed.  Credulous  as  the 
Christians  have  been  in  later  ages,  and  even  so  early  as  the  third  century, 
no  less  severe  were  they  in  their  inquiries,  and  guarded  against  deception, 
at  the  introduction  of  Christianity.  This  character  is  given  them  even  by 
Lucian,  a  writer  of  the  second  century,  who  vented  his  satire,  not  only 

*  Vide  Jortin  on  John  v.  36. 


412  LECTURE    XXIII. 

against  certain  Christians  who  had  supplied  Peregrinus  with  the  means  of 
subsistence,  but  also  against  heathen  oracles  and  pretended  wonders.  He 
relates  of  his  impostor  (Pseudomantis)  that  he  attempted  nothing  supernat- 
ural in  the  presence  of  the  Christians  and  Epicureans. 

In  this  argument,  it  has  been  justly  observed,  it  is  needless  to  waste 
time  in  proving  that  those  miracles,  as  they  are  represented  in  the  writings 
of  the  New  Testament,  were  of  such  a  nature  and  performed  before  so 
many  witnesses  that  no  imposition  could  possibly  be  practised  on  the 
senses  of  those  who  affirm  that  they  were  present.  From  every  page  of 
the  gospels  this  is  so  evident  that  the  philosophical  adversaries  of  the 
Christian  faith  never  suppose  the  apostles  to  have  been  themselves  de- 
ceived, but  boldly  accuse  them  of  bearing  false  witness.  But,  if  this  ac- 
cusation be  well  founded,  their  testimony  itself  is  as  great  a  miracle,  or,  in 
other  words,  as  real  a  deviation  from  the  laws  of  nature,  as  any  which  they 
record  of  themselves  or  of  their  master.  When  they  sat  down  to  fabricate 
their  pretended  revelation,  and  to  contrive  a  series  of  miracles  to  which 
they  were  all  to  appeal  for  its  truth,  it  is  plain,  since  they  proved  success- 
ful in  their  daring  enterprise,  that  they  must  have  clearly  foreseen  every 
possible  circumstance  in  which  they  could  be  placed,  and  have  prepared 
consistent  answers  to  every  question  that  could  be  put  to  them  by  their 
most  inveterate  and  most  enlightened  enemies,  by  the  statesman,  the  law- 
yer, the  philosopher,  and  the  priest.  That  such  foreknowledge  as  this 
would  have  been  miraculous  will  not  surely  be  denied,  since  it  forms  the 
very  attribute  which  we  find  it  most  difficult  to  allow  even  to  God  him- 
self. It  is  not,  however,  the  only  miracle  which  this  supposition  would 
compel  us  to  admit.  The  very  resolution  of  the  apostles  to  propagate  the 
belief  of  false  miracles,  in  support  of  sucli  a  religion  as  that  which  is  taught 
in  the  New  Testament,  would  have  been  as  wide  a  deviation  from  the  laws 
of  nature,  and  therefore  as  great  a  miracle,  as  the  mind  of  man  has  ever 
conceived.  When  they  formed  this  design,  either  they  must  have  hoped 
to  succeed  or  they  must  have  been  convinced  that  they  should  fail  in  their 
undertaking  ;  and  in  either  case  they  chose  evil,  and  what  they  knew  to 
be  unmixed  evil,  for  its  own  sake  !  They  could  not,  if  they  foresaw  that 
they  should  fail,  look  for  anything  but  that  contempt,  disgrace,  and  persecu- 
tion, which  were  then  the  inevitable  consequences  of  an  unsuccessful  en- 
deavor to  overthrow  the  established  religion.  Nor  would  their  prospects 
be  brighter  on  the  supposition  of  their  success.  As  they  knew  themselves 
to  be  false  witnesses,  and  impious  deceivers,  they  could  have  no  hope  be- 
yond the  grave  ;  and,  by  determining  to  oppose  all  the  religious  systems, 
superstitions,  and  prejudices,  of  the  age  in  which  they  lived,  they  wilfully 
exposed  themselves  to  inevitable  misery  in  the  present  life,  to  insult  and 
imprisonment,  to  stripes  and  death.  Nor  can  it  be  alleged  that  tliey  might 
look  forward  to  power  and  affluence  when  diey  should  through  sufferings 
have  converted  their  countrymen  ;  for  so  desirous  were  they  of  obtaining 
nothing  but  misery,  as  the  end  of  their  mission,  that  they  made  their  own 
persecution  a  test  of  the  tnnh  of  their  doctrines.  They  introduced  the 
Master  from  whom  they  professed  to  have  received  those  doctrines  as  tel- 
ling them  that  they  were  sent  forth  "  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves,"  that 
they  should  be  "  delivered  up  to  counrils,  and  scourged  in  synagogues, 
that  they  should  be  haled  of  all  men  for  his  name's  sake,"  that  "  tiie  broth- 
er should  deliver  up  the  brother   to  death  and  the  father  the  child,"  and 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  413 

that  "  he  who  took  not  up  his  cross  and  followed  him  was  not  worthy  of 
him."  The  very  system  of  religion,  therefore,  which  they  invented,  and 
resolved  to  impose  upon  mankind,  was  so  contrived  that  the  worldly  pros- 
perity of  its  first  preachers,  and  even  their  exemption  from  persecution, 
was  incompatible  with  its  success.  Had  these  clear  predictions  of  the  au- 
thor of  that  religion  under  whom  the  apostles  and  evangelists  acted  only 
as  ministers  not  been  verified,  all  mankind  must  have  instantly  perceived 
that  their  claim  to  inspiration  was  groundless,  and  that  Christianity  was  a 
scandalous  and  impudent  imposture.  All  this  the  apostles  could  not  but 
foresee  when  they  formed  their  plan  for  deluding  the  world.  Hence  it 
follows  that,  when  they  resolved  to  support  their  pretended  revelation  by 
an  appeal  to  forged  miracles,  they  wilfully,  and  with  their  eyes  open,  ex- 
posed themselves  to  inevitable  misery,  whether  they  should  succeed  or  fail 
in  their  enterprise,  and  that  they  concerted  their  measures  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  not  to  admit  a  possibility  of  recompense  to  themselves,  either  in 
this  life  or  in  that  which  is  to  come.  But  if  there  be  a  law  of  nature  con- 
cerning the  reality  of  which  we  have  better  evidence  than  we  have  con- 
cerning that  of  others,  it  is  "  that  no  man  can  choose  misery  for  its  own 
sake,"  or  make  the  acquisition  of  it  the  ultimate  end  of  all  his  pursuits. 
The  existence  of  other  laws  of  nature  we  know  by  testimony  and  our  own 
observation  of  the  regularity  of  their  effects.  The  existence  of  this  law  is 
made  known  to  us,  not  only  by  these  means,  but  also  by  the  still  clearer 
and  more  conclusive  evidence  of  every  man's  own  consciousness.  Thus, 
then,  do  miracles  force  themselves  upon  our  assent  in  every  possible  view 
which  we  can  take  of  this  interesting  subject. 

The  independent  testimony  of  Paul,  and  his  extraordinary  conversion 
and  ministry,  have  been  very  ably  exhibited,  as  affording  additional  evi- 
dence, by  Lord  Lyttleton.  If  it  could  be  supposed  that  the  evangelists 
were  confederated  together  for  the  purpose  of  fabricating  the  gospel,  yet 
how  came  Paul,  without  any  communication  with  them,  to  stop,  in  the 
midst  of  his  efforts  for  persecuting  the  Christians,  to  turn  round  and  preach 
the  "  faith  which  once  he  destroyed,"  and  to  imbibe  the  same  spirit,  and 
willingly  expose  himself  to  the  same  sufferings  as  the  other  disciples,  re- 
joicing that  he  was  counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  the  name  of  Christ  ?* 

HI.  The  argument  from  projj/icoj  is  of  great  importance,  and  can  be  fully 
established  on  evidence  distinct  from  the  testimony  of  its  supporters.  Who- 
ever compares  the  language  of  prophecy  in  the  Old  Testament  with  the  events 
recorded  in  the  New,  can  not  but  admit  that  there  is  a  real  correspondence 
between  them  ;  and  this  correspondence  is  so  close  and  circumstantial  that 
some  of  the  disciples  of  infidelity  have  been  driven  to  the  easily-refuted 
assertion  that  the  prophecies  were  written  after  the  events  had  taken  place. 
Had  the  prophetic  writings  of  the  Old  Testament  been  under  the  control 
of  the  Christians,  the  argument  for  their  antiquity  would  not  have  been  so 
completely  satisfactory  as  it  now  is.  The  Jews  have  always  been  influ- 
enced by  feelings  of  the  strongest  hostility  to  Christianity  ;  they  are  galled 
mcessantly  by  the  triumphant  tone  in  which  Christians  appeal  to  their 
prophecies  ;  and  can  it  be  supposed  that,  notwithstanding  all  this,  they 
have  actually  combined  with  Christians  to  fabricate  these  writings  and  to 
palm  them  upon  the  world  ? 

„*^'^®i,\^^.^'?PPlementary  Dissertation  on  the  Miraolcs  of  our  Lord  and  his  Apostles  inserted  by 
Bishop  trleig  in  his  new  edition  of  Stackhouse'a  History  of  the  Bible.  Also  CampbeU  on  Miracles ; 
and  Dr.  Collyer  s  Lectures  on  the  same  subject. 


414  LECTURE    XXIII. 

But  it  is  necessary  to  recur  to  two  or  three  remarkable  predictions  of 
Jesus  Christ  himself,  the  minute  fulfilment  of  which  demonstrates  that  they 
could  only  proceed  from  the  spirit  of  prophecy — the  inspiration  of  the  Al- 
mighty. The  first  which  I  shall  mention  is  the  announcement  or  prophecy 
respecting  himself.  This  is  intimated  figuratively  and  plainly — figuratively 
in  the  parable  of  the  vineyard  and  husbandmen  (Luke  xx.  9,  &c.,  and 
John  xii.  24,  and  also  ver.  32),  plainly  in  Matt.  xvi.  21,  in  Lukexviii.  31, 
&c.  These  plain  expressions,  being  without  the  least  figure,  required  a 
literal  fulfilment  as  to  his  death,  the  manner,  means,  &c.,  and  as  to  his  res- 
urrection at  a  precise  time,  the  third  day,  which  was  to  remove  for  ever 
the  ignominy  of  the  cross.  His  personal  revival  was  in  effect  the  invig- 
orated and  prolific  revival  of  his  cause,  John  xii.  24  ;  Ps.  Ixxii.  16.  If 
the  Jews  had  anything  to  object  against  this  representation,  why  was  it  not 
objected  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  Peter  boldly  declared  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ  and  when  it  was  reiterated  before  the  Jewish  council. 
Acts  iv.  ?  Were  they  not  still  as  a  stone  ?  and  did  not  their  profound  si- 
lence at  such  a  time  demonstrate  the  fact?  The  announcement  of  Jesus, 
that  he,  "  iiaving  ascended  far  above  all  heavens,"  would  send  his  Holy 
Spirit  upon  his  disciples  soon  after  his  death  (John  xvi.  7),  is  another  pre- 
diction which  was  fulfilled  in  a  remarkable  manner  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost. This  effusion  of  the  Spirit  was  witnessed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Je- 
rusalem, and  those  devout  Jews  who  assembled  at  the  feast.  Acts  vi.  13. 
Here  was  surely  publicity  enough. 

If,  however,  these  prescient  intimations  received  such  evident  demon- 
stration of  their  truth  before  friends,  strangers,  and  enemies — the  humble 
and  the  elevated  characters  of  the  Jewish  nation — we  shall  refer  with  equal 
confidence  to  the  announcement  of  Jesus  Christ  respecting  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem.  'J'his  is  covertly  hinted  at  by  Jesus  in  his  conversation 
with  the  woman  of  Samaria,  Johif  iv.  21:  "  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour 
Cometh  when  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusalem,  shall  you  wor- 
ship die  Father."  In  another  place  it  is  declared  in  a  manner  which  can 
not  be  mistaken  :  "  As  Jesus  went  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  disciples 
saith  unto  him.  Master,  see  what  manner  of  stones  and  what  buildings  are 
here.  And  Jesus  answering  said,  Seest  thou  these  great  buildings  ? 
There  shall  not  be  one  stone  left  upon  another  that  shall  not  be  cast  down," 
Mark  xiii.  2.  But  in  another  passage  it  takes  the  form  of  a  solemn  pre- 
diction of  the  judgment  of  heaven  upon  the  city  :  "  And,  when  he  (Jesus) 
had  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city  and  wept  over  it,  saying.  If  tiiou  hadst 
known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  d)y  day,  the  things  which  belong  to  thy 
peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid  fiom  thy  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come 
that  thy  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round, 
and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side,  and  shall  lay  thee  even  with  the  ground 
and  thy  children  within  thee  ;  and  they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone 
upon  another,  because  thou  knewest  not  the  day  of  thy  visitation,"  Luke 
xix.  41,  &c.  Now  we  know,  from  Josephus,  tliat  about  forty  years  after- 
ward Jerusalem  was  destroyed  under  circumstances  unusually  calamitous 
— that  the  temple,  in  particular,  was  overthrown,  in  spite  of  the  endeavors 
of  the  conqueror  iiimself  to  preserve  it  standing — and  that  the  Christians 
were  preserved  from  the  general  calamity  in  consequence  of  their  comj)Iy- 
ing  with  the  directions  of  Christ  which  referred  to  this  event:  Matt.  xxiv. 
15-18.      But  nothing  could  well  appear  more  improbable  than  the  fulfil- 


GROUNDS    OF    AN    ACTION    OR    EXPRESSION.  416 

ment  of  this  prophecy  at  the  time  when  it  was  uttered.  The  Jews  were 
at  this  time  resolved  to  avoid  an  open  rebelhon,  well  knowing  the  great- 
ness of  their  danger,  and  submitted  to  the  oppressions  of  their  governors 
in  the  hope  of  obtaining  redress  from  the  court  of  Rome.  The  threatened 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  opposed  to  all  their  national  prejudices. 
They  confidently  relied  upon  divine  protection.  The  idea  of  being  de- 
serted by  that  care,  and  seeing  their  city  in  the  hands  of  foreigners,  was 
not  more  shocking  to  their  pride  than  contradictory  to  their  faith.  Such 
an  event  was  treated  by  their  writers,  not  as  a  danger,  or  a  disgrace,  or  a 
calamity,  but  as  an  abominatio7i  (Dan.  xi.  31;  Matt.  xxiv.  15)  ;  and  we 
know  from  history  that  when  the  catastrophe  really  happened  they  obsti- 
nately shut  their  eyes  to  the  nearness  and  extent  of  the  danger  ;  they  would 
not  believe  that  Gentile  hands  would  ever  be  suffered  to  pollute  the  sanc- 
tuary which  they  so  highly  revered,  and  expected  to  the  last  that  a  divine 
interposition  would  preserve  their  temple,  at  the  least,  from  the  general 
overthrow.  The  circumstance  which  eventually  gave  birth  to  their  mis- 
fortunes was  so  trivial  in  itself,  that,  independently  of  its  consequences,  it 
would  not  have  deserved  to  be  recorded.  In  the  narrow  entrance  to  a 
synagogue  in  Caesarea  some  person  had  made  an  offering  of  birds,  merely 
with  a  view  to  irritate  the  Jews.  The  insult  excited  their  indignation  and 
occasioned  the  shedding  of  blood.  This  seemingly  trivial  circumstance, 
ordained  by  Him  without  whose  permission  a  sparrow  can  not  fall  to  the 
ground,  gave  rise  to  a  bloody  war,  which  ended  in  the  fulfilment  of  our 
Savior's  prophecy,  by  the  total  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  dreadful 
massacre  of  its  inhabitants.  Florus,  who  was  then  procurator  of  Judea, 
converted  this  private  quarrel  into  public  hostilities,  and  compelled  the 
Jewish  nation  to  rebel,  contrary  to  its  wish  and  resolution,  to  avoid  what 
the  Jews  had  threatened,  an  impeachment  before  the  Roman  emperor  for 
his  excessive  crueldes.  But,  even  after  this  rebellion  had  broken  out,  the 
destruction  of  the  temple  was  a  very  improbable  event.  It  was  not  the 
practice  of  the  Romans  to  destroy  the  magnificent  edifices  of  the  nations 
which  they  subdued  ;  and,  of  all  the  Roman  generals,  none  was  more 
unlikely  to  demolish  so  ancientand  august  a  building  than  Titus  Vespasian. 
Many  prophecies  have  been  fulfilled  in  more  recent  times,  and  some  are 
even  ^ow  fulfilling,  in  the  present  spread  of  the  gospel  among  heathen 
nations.  Others  remain  yet  to  be  fulfilled ;  so  that  in  the  evidence  of 
prophecy  we  have  a  rising  barrier,  which  may  receive  from  time  to  time  a 
new  accumulation  to  the  materials  which  form  it.* 

IV.  The  acknowledged  excellency  of  the  morals  inculcated  in  the  gospel, 
together  with  its  peculiar  adaptation  to  the  condition  of  man,  and  its  actual 
efficiency  in  forming  the  character  and  disposition  of  those  who  receive  it, 
furnish  another  branch  of  evidence  which  must  satisfy  every  unprejudiced 
inquirer  conversant  with  the  defective  character  and  absolute  insufficiency 
of  every  system  which  human  philosophy  has  devised  that  Christianity  is 
a  revelation  from  God.  It  is  only  necessary  for  friend  or  enemy  to  see 
this  adaptation  of  Christianity  to  its  professed  design  in  order  to  be  satisfied 
that  "  this  is  the  true  grace  of  God  in  which  we  stand."  And  what  is  our 
gospel?  What  does  it  teach?  It  assumes  and  teaches  the  universal  ruin 
of  all  mankind  by  the  fall,  und  provides  for  the  restoration  of  all  that  re- 
See  Sherlock  on  the  Use  and  Intent  of  Prophecy — Bishop  Newton  on  the  Prophecies — Maclaa- 
ria  on  the  Prophecies  respecting  tlie  Messiah— and  Paley's  Evidences,  pai-t  ii. 


416  LECTURE    XXIII. 

ceive  its  testimony  in  a  manner  that  does  complete  honor  to  all  the  divine 
attributes  and  perfections,  by  a  Mediator  at  once  divine  and  human,  by  his 
finishing  transgression,  making  an  end  of  sin,  and  bringing  in  an  everlast- 
ing righteousness,  by  placing  the  applicatory  part  of  salvation  in  the  hands 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  renew  the  heart,  to  cleanse  from  sin,  to  sanctify  the 
life,  to  enlighten  the  understanding,  to  gain  the  will,  to  engage  the  affec- 
tions, to  implant  all  virtues  in  the  heart,  to  excite  to  every  good  work ;  so 
that  grace  may  reign  through  righteousness,  unto  eternal  life. 

It  may  excite  our  astonishment  that  a  scheme  so  honorable  to  Jehovah 
and  so  safe  and  complete  for  man  did  not  immediately  obtain  the  assent  of 
at  least  all  the  intelligent  portion  of  those  to  whom  it  was  made  known, 
and  that  notwithstanding  the  mighty  signs  and  wonders,  and  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  with  which  it  was  accompanied  in  its  early  career,  Christian- 
ity still  met  with  the  most  determined  opposition,  that  it  had  to  attest  its 
authority  in  the  blood  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  martyrs,  to  work  its 
way  in  the  hearts  of  men  as  the  leaven  works  in  the  meal,  or  by  way  of 
moral  influence,  and  to  prove  itself  true  by  its  purifying  nature  and  mighty 
energy  pulling  down  strongholds,  overcoming  principalities  and  powers, 
eradicating  deep-rooted  prejudices  and  false  principles,  and  bringing  every 
thought  into  subjection  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.  It  may  also  excite  our 
astonishment  that  a  scheme  so  divine,  and  which  has  been  in  operation 
more  than  eighteen  hundred  years,  should  yet  be  understood  and  savingly 
received  by  so  few,  and  that  hostility  should  exist  even  to  the  present  day. 
But  such  astonishment  is  improper,  and  shows  that  even  we  know  die 
Scriptures  only  in  part.  Our  dear  Lord  marked  with  divine  precision  the 
success  which  should  attend  his  gospel ;  he  foretold  that  it  would  be  met 
by  persecution,  and  that  it  would  be  the  innocent  cause  of  painful  divisions 
in  communities  and  families  ;  he  also  foretold  the  abuses  that  would  be  in- 
troduced, the  corruptions  that  would  grow  up  in  his  church,  the  daring  in- 
novators who  should  arise  to  sow  tares  in  his  field ;  he  declared  that  the 
effects  of  gospel  doctrines  would  be  various  in  various  characters,  as  ex- 
emplified by  die  parable  of  the  sower  (Matt,  xiii.),  that  seasons  of  perse- 
cution would  induce  the  ajiostacy  of  many  and  that  times  of  prosperity 
would  produce  hypocrites,  that  the  love  of  many,  even  of  his  own  people 
would  wax  cold,  that  some  would  slumber  and  others  sleep,  while  others 
would  shine  as  the  light  in  his  spiritual  kingdom.  He  gave  the  most  seri- 
ous cautions  upon  these  points,  and  the  most  exact  premonitions  of  what 
should  happen  in  futurity.  But  with  the  intimation  of  these  things  he 
blended  some  other  things  of  a  more  agreeable  nature,  that  he  would  be 
with  his  people  "  to  the  end  of  the  world,"  that,  notwithstanding  the  ex- 
pected opposition,  his  gospel  should  be  jircached  and  spread  throughout 
all  nations,  and  that  the  gates  of  hell  should  not  be  able  to  prevail  against 
his  cause  and  kingdom.  ]f  we  carefidly  observe  these  representations  we 
must  perceive  that  liiey  jierfectly  concur  with  what  we  daily  see  ;  so  diat 
this  very  state  of  things  (the  most  unfavorable  and  discouraging,  viewing 
the  painful  side  of  the  statement,  and  which  no  human  imagination  couUl 
have  considered  to  result  from  a  system  of  religion  so  excellent  in  itself), 
so  far  from  shaking  our  faith  in  the  gcjspel,  affords  an  accession  of  evidence 
beyond  what  would  have  been  given  under  another  order  of  things.  If 
the  gospel  had  prevailed  more  easily  over  the  constitution  of  corrupt  na- 
ture, we  might  be  led  to  conclude  either  that  human  nature  was  not  so  per- 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  417 

verse  as  it  is  represented  or  that  the  prophecies  of  Jesus  had  not  been 
realized.  But  now  everything  occurs  as  expected  :  the  conflict  between 
li"-ht  and  darkness  still  exists  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  this  conflict  we  see,  hv 
means  of  the  excellency  of  the  gospel,  a  character  arise  to  view  before 
but  imperfectly  known  to  the  world — a  character  formed  after  the  pattern 
of  Christ,  by  purity  of  heart,  humility  in  the  life,  a  constant  reverence  of 
the  divine  Being,  and  submission  to  his  will — a  character  emptied  and 
purged  from  selfishness,  and  full  of  love  to  all  mankind,  under  injuries  re- 
turning good  for  evil,  having  a  mind  irradiated  with  truth,  affections  set  on 
heavenly  things,  counting  time  by  its  possibilities  for  usefulness,  estimating 
happiness  by  the  power  possessed  to  diffuse  it,  breathing,  thirsting  for  im- 
mortality, yet  unwilling  to  leave  anything  undone  here  behind  him.  What- 
ever charities  can  grow  upon  human  nature,  they  are  cherished  ;  whatever 
talents  Heaven  imparts  they  are  exercised.  On  this  part  of  the  subject  I 
make  no  apology  for  quoting  the  concession  of  a  celebrated  infidel,  J.  J. 
Rousseau,  whose  immoralities  accorded  with  his  principles,  but  who  had 
not  entirely  extinguished  in  his  bosom  every  spark  of  truth  and  justice  : — 

"  The  gospel  [by  which  term  he  intends  the  whole  narrative  of  the  ac- 
tions and  discourses  of  Jesus,  as  comprised  in  the  writings  of  the  four 
evangelists],  that  divine  book,  the  only  one  necessary  to  a  Christian,  and 
the  most  useful  of  all  to  the  man  who  may  not  be  one,  only  requires  re- 
flection upon  it  to  impress  the  mind  with  love  for  its  author  and  resolution 
to  fulfil  his  precepts.  Virtue  never  spoke  in  gentler  terms  ;  the  profound- 
est  wisdom  was  never  uttered  with  greater  energy  or  more  simplicity.  It 
is  impossible  to  rise  from  the  reading  of  it  without  a  feeling  of  moral  im- 
provement. Look  at  the  books  of  the  philosophers  :  with  all  their  pomp, 
how  little  they  are  compared  with  this  ! — Shall  we  say  that  the  history  of 
the  gospel  is  a  pure  fiction  ?  This  is  not  the  style  of  fiction  ;  and  the 
history  of  Socrates,  which  nobody  doubts,  rests  upon  less  evidence  than 
that  of  Jesus  Christ.  And,  after  all,  this  is  but  shifting  the  difficulty,  not 
answering  it.  The  supposition  that  several  persons  had  united  to  fabri- 
cate this  book  is  more  inconceivable  than  that  one  person  should  have 
supplied  the  subject  of  it.  The  spirit  which  it  breathes,  the  morality 
which  it  inculcates,  could  never  have  been  the  invention  of  Jewish  au- 
thors ;  and  the  gospel  possesses  characters  of  truth  so  striking,  so  perfectly 
inimitable,  that  the  inventor  would  be  a  more  astonishing  object  than  the 
hero." 

Where,  then,  and  what,  is  the  contempt  of  infidels,  the  scorn  of  the 
proud,  and  the  neglect  of  a  cold  and  unfeeling  world?  Where  will  such 
characters  hide  their  shame  ?  What  shall  cover  the  confusion  that  will 
burst  upon  them  in  the  day  of  discovery  ?  Talk  of  reason,  the  elevation 
of  philosophy,  the  knowledge  of  the  world  !  these  are  but  the  fancied 
dreams  of  a  distempered. mind,  which,  "  Hke  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision," 
shall  but  mock  the  return  of  light  and  the  reflection  of  the  morning  ;  but 
"  the  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shall  shine  more  and  more 
unto  the  perfect  day."* 

V.  The  Jews  of  the  present  day  are  also  a  living  evidence  of  the  truth 
of  the  Christian  religion.  Our  religion  is  founded  on  the  abrogation  of 
theirs  (Rom.  xi.  20)  ;  and,  though  the  Jews  could  be  supposed  right  and  « 

*  See  Hill's  Lectures  on  the  Internal  Evidences  of  Christianity  ;  and  Erskine's  Essay  on  the  same 
subject. 

27 


41S  LECTURE    XXIII. 

the  Christians  wrong,  yet  the  fact  remains  the  same ;  the  origin  of  Chris- 
tianity stands  undisputed.     The  Jews  never  denied  the  facts  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  tliey  only  denied  the  true  Messiahship  of  Jesus.     Very  lately  a  re- 
spectable and  sensible  Jew  addressed  the  then  secretary  of  state  (Mr.  Peel) 
to  ask  for  the  removal  of  their  disabilities.     He  pleads  that  they  have  the 
same  belief  of  Moses  and  the  prophets  that  Jesus  professed,  that  he  was 
their  brother,  but  that  they  put  him  to  death  for  attempting  to  found  a  new 
religion- 
Having  thus  briefly  adverted  to  the  several  branches  of  evidence  which 
I  consider  legitimate  and  conclusive,  I  take  my  leave  of  the  subject  in  the 
words  of  Dr^  Chalmers,  in  his  admirable  work  on  the  Evidence  and  Au- 
thority of  the  Christian  Revelation  :  "  The  great  strength  of  the  Christian 
argument  lies  in  the  historical  evidence  for  the  truth  of  the  gospel  narra- 
tive.    In  discussing  the  light  of  this  evidence,  we  walk  by  the  light  of  ex- 
perience.    We  assign  the  degree  of  weight  that  is  due  to  the  testimony 
of  the  first  Christians  upon  the  observed  principles  of  human  nature.      We 
do  not  step  beyond  the  cautious  procedure  of  Lord  Bacon's  philosophy. 
We  keep  within  the  safe  and  certain   limits  of  experimental  truth.      We 
believe  the  testimony  of  the  apostles,  because,  from  what  we  know  of  the 
human  character,  it  is  impossible   that  men  in  their  circumstances  could 
have  persevered  as  they  did  in  the  assertion  of  a  falsehood ;  it  is  impossi- 
ble that  they  could  have  imposed  this  falsehood  upon  such  a  multitude  of 
followers;   it  is  impossible  that  they  could  have  escaped  detection,  sur- 
rounded as  they  were  by  a  host  of  enemies,  so  eager  and  so  determined 
in  their  resentments.     On  this  kind  of  argument  we   are  quite  at  home. 
There  is  no  theory,  no  assumption.     We  feel  every  inch  of  the  ground 
we  are  treading  upon.     The  degree  of  credit  that  should  be  annexed  to 
the  testimony  of  the  apostles  is  altogether  a  question  of  experience.     Ev- 
ery principle  which  we  apply  toward  the  decision  of  tins  question  is  found- 
ed upon  materials  which  lie  before  us,  and  are  every  day  within  the  reach 
of  observation.     Our  belief  in   the   testimony  of  the   apostles  is  founded 
upon  our  experience  of  human  nature   and  human  afliurs.     In  the  whole 
process  of  the  inquiry  we  never  wander  from  that  sure  thougii  humble  path 
which  has  been  pointed  out  to  us  by  die  great  master  of  philosoj)hizing. 
We  never  cast  off  the  authority  of  those  maxims  which  have  been  found  in 
every  other  department  of  knowledge  to  be   sound   and  infallible.      We 
never  suffer  assumption  to  take  the  precedency  of  observation,  or  abandon 
that  safe  and  certain  mode  of  investigation  which  is  the  only  one  suited  to 
the  real  mediocrity  of  our  powers. 

"  It  appears  to  us  that  the  disciples  of  the  infidel  philosophy  have  re- 
versed this  process.  They  take  a  loftier  flight.  You  seldom  find  them 
upon  the  ground  of  the  historical  evidence.  It  is  not,  in  general,  upon 
the  weight  or  the  nature  of  human  testimony  that  they  venture  to  pro- 
nounce on  the  credibility  of  tiie  Clnistiau  revelation.  It  is  on  the  charac- 
ter of  that  revelation  itself.  It  is  on  what  they  conceive  to  be  the  absurd- 
ity of  its  doctrines.  It  is  because  they  sec  something  in  the  nature  or  dis- 
pensation of  Christianity  which  they  think  disparaging  to  the  attributes  of 
God,  and  not  agreeable  to  that  line  of  proceeding  wiiich  the  Almighty 
should  observe  in  the  government  of  his  creatures.  Rousseau  expresses 
[as  we  have  seen]  his  astonishment  at  the  strength  of  the  historical  testi- 
mony, which  was  so  strong  that  the  inventor  of  the  narrative  appeared  to  him 


GROUNDS  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  EXPRESSION.  419 

to  be  more  miraculous  than  the  hero.  But  the  absurdities  of  this  said  rev- 
elation are  sufficient,  in  his  mind,  to  bear  down  the  whole  weight  of  its 
direct  and  external  evidences.  There  was  something  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  New  Testament  repulsive  to  the  taste  and  the  imagination,  and  per- 
haps even  to  the  convictions,  of  this  interesting  enthusiast.  He  could  not 
reconcile  them  with  his  pre-established  conceptions  of  the  divine  character 
and  mode  of  operation.  To  submit  to  these  doctrines,  he  behooved  to 
surrender  diat  theism  which  the  powers  of  his  ardent  mind  had  wrought 
up  into  a  most  beautiful  and  delicious  speculation.  Such  a  sacrifice  was 
not  to  be  made.  It  was  too  painful.  It  would  have  taken  away  from  him 
what  every  mind  of  genius  and  sensibility  esteems  to  be  the  highest  of  all 
luxuries.  It  would  have  destroyed  a  system  which  had  all  that  is  fair  and 
magnificent  to  recommend  it,  and  marred  the  gracefulness  of  that  fine  in- 
tellectual picture  on  which  this  wonderful  man  had  bestowed  all  the  em- 
bellishments of  feeling,  and  fancy,  and  eloquence. 

"  In  as  far,  then,  as  we  can  judge  of  the  conduct  of  man  in  given  cir- 
cumstances, we  must  pass  a  favorable  sentence  upon  the  testimony  of  the 
apostles.  '  But,'  says  the  deist,  '  I  judge  of  the  conduct  of  God  ;  and 
what  the  aposdes  tell  me  of  him  is  so  opposite  to  that  judgment  that  I  dis- 
credit their  testimony.'  The  question  at  issue  between  us  is.  Shall  we  ad- 
mit the  testimony  of  the  apostles  upon  the  applicadon  of  principles  found- 
ed on  observation  and  as  certain  as  is  our  experience  of  human  affairs  ? 
Or  shall  we  reject  that  testimony  upon  the  application  of  principles  that 
are  altogether  beyond  the  range  of  observation,  and  as  doubtful  and  im- 
perfect in  their  nature  as  is  our  experience  of  the  counsels  of  Heaven  ?  In 
the  first  argument  there  is  no  assumption.  We  are  competent  to  judge  of 
the  behavior  of  man  in  given  circumstances.  This  is  a  subject  completely 
accessible  to  observation.  The  second  argument  is  founded  upon  as- 
sumption entirely.  We  are  not  competent  to  judge  of  the  conduct 
of  the  Almighty  in  given  circumstances.  Here  we  are  precluded,  by 
the  nature  of  the  subject,  from  the  benefit  of  observation.  There  is  no 
antecedent  experience  to  guide  or  to  enlighten  us.  It  is  not  for  man  to 
assume  what  it  is  right,  or  proper,  or  natural,  for  the  Almighty  to  do.  It  is 
not  in  the  mere  spirit  of  piety  that  we  say  so  ;  it  is  in  the  spirit  of  the 
soundest  experimental  philosophy.  The  argument  of  the  Christian  is  pre- 
cisely what  the  maxims  of  Lord  Bacon  would  dispose  us  to  acquiesce  in. 
The  argument  of  the  infidel  is  precisely  that  argument  which  the  same 
maxims  would  dispose  us  to  reject;  and,  when  put  by  the  side  of  the 
Christian  argument,  it  appears  as  crude  and  unphilosophical  as  do  the 
ingenious  speculations  of  the  schoolmen  when  set  in  opposition  to  the 
rigor,  and  evidence,  and  precision,  which  reign  in  every  department  of 
modern  science. 

"  The  application  of  Lord  Bacon's  philosophy  to  the  study  of  external 
nature  was  a  happy  epoch  in  the  history  of  physical  science.  It  is  not 
long  since  this  application  has  been  extended  to  the  study  of  moral  and 
intellectual  phenomena.  All  that  we  contend  for  is  that  our  subject  should 
have  the  benefit  of  the  same  application  ;  and  we  count  it  hard,  while  in 
every  other  department  of  inquiry  a  respect  for  truth  is  found  sufficient  to 
repress  the  appetite  for  system-building,  that  theology,  the  loftiest  and  most 
inaccessible  of  all  the  sciences,  should  still  remain  infected  with  a  spirit  so 
exploded  and  so  unphilosophical,  and  that  the  fancy,  and  theory,  and  un- 


420  LECTURE    XXIV. 

supported  speculation,  so  current  among  the  deists  and  demi-infidels  of 
the  day,  should  be  held  paramount  to  the  authority  of  facts  which  have 
come  down  to  us  with  a  weight  of  evidence  and  testimony  that  is  quite 
unexampled  in  the  history  of  ancient  times." 


LECTURE  XXIV. 
TOPIC  XX. 

REMARK  THE  GOOD  AND  BAD  IN  EXPRESSIONS  AND  ACTIONS. 

"This  Topic,"  Mons.  Claude  observes,  "is  of  very  great  use  in  ex- 
plaining the  histories  recorded  in  the  gospel,  where  you  will  frequently  find 
actions  and  words  which  may  be  called  mixed,  because,  in  general,  they  pro- 
ceed from  some  good  principles,  and  in  particular,  they  have  a  good  deal  of 
weakness  and  infirmity  in  them.  If  you  would  explain  Matt.  xvi.  22, 
'  Then  Peter  took  him  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying.  Be  it  far  from 
thee.  Lord;  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee,'  you  may  observe  what  there  is 
good,  and  what  bad,  in  this  expression  of  St.  Peter.  1.  You  see  herein 
his  love  to  his  master;  for  his  not  being  able  to  bear  the  discourse  of  Jesus 
Christ  concerning  his  sufferings  at  Jerusalem,  could  only  proceed  from 
his  ardent  affection  to  him.  2.  Herein  appears,  not  that  cold  and  luke- 
warm regard  which  most  men  have  for  one  another,  but  a  most  liv el ij  affec- 
tion, interesting  him  for  his  master,  an  affection  full  of  tenderness,  which 
could  not  even  bear  to  hear  a  word,  or  entertain  a  thought,  about  the  death 
of  Jesus  Christ.  3.  You  may  observe  an  honest,  freedom,  which  put  him 
upon  freely  addressing  Jesus  Christ  himself,  using  that  familiar  access 
which  his  condescension  allowed  his  disciples,  without  a  mixture  of  mean 
and  despicable  timidity.  4.  You  see,  in  fine,  a  strong  faith  in  his  mas- 
ter's power,  as  by  addressing  him  he  seems  persuaded  that  it  depended 
only  on  himself  to  suffer  or  not  to  suffer:  'Lord,  be  it  far  from  thee;  this 
shall  not  be  unto  thee.'  Now  all  these  are  good  dispositions.  Here  fol- 
low the  had  ones.  1.  Peter  discovers  gross  ignorance  of  the  ways  of 
divine  wisdom  in  sending  Jesus  Christ  into  the  world,  for  he  does  not 
seem  yet  to  know  that  Jesus  Christ  must  needs  suffer ;  and  with  this  igno- 
rance the  Lord  reproaches  him  in  the  next  verse:  'Thou  savorest  not  the 
things  which  are  of  God,  but  those  which  are  of  men.'  2.  His  love  to 
his  master  had  something  merely  human  and  carnal  in  it,  since  he  only 
considered  the  preservation  of  his  temporal  life,  and  concerned  himself 
only  about  his  body,  instead  of  elevating  his  mind  to  that  superior  glory 
of  Jesus  Christ  which  was  to  follow  his  sufferings,  or  considering  the 
great  work  of  man's  salvation,  to  perform  which  he  came  into  the  world. 
3.  You  may  also  remark  a  troublesome  and  criminal  boldness.  He  means 
to  be  wiser  than  Jesus  Christ.  'Peter  took  him,'  says  the  evangelist,  'and 
began  to  rebuke  him,  saying.  Be  it  far  from  thee.'  Rash  attempt!  as  if 
Peter  were  called  into  the  council  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  to 
give*  his  opinion  concerning  this  grand  afRiir.  4.  It  even  seems  as  if  Pe- 
ter, hearing  Christ  speak  of  his  sufferings,  imagined  this  discourse  pro- 


GOOD   AND    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  421 

ceeded  only  from  his  fear  of  death,  and  from  a  mean  timidity;  for  he  aims 
to  encourage  and  comfort  him  as  we  do  persons  whose  fears  exceed  the 
bounds  of  reason;  'Lord,'  says  he,  'be  it  far  from  thee;  this  shall  not  be 
unto  thee,'  as  if  he  had  said.  Do  not  afflict  yourself;  your  apprehensions 
of  death  are  groundless ;  nothing  of  this  kind  is  likely  to  happen  to  you." 

The  excellences  and  failings  which  may  be  mixed  in  human  character, 
and  the  compound  of  truth  and  error  in  human  sentiment,  open  to  us  a 
wide  field  of  profitable  observation  and  of  comment;  and  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  language  of  scripture  furnishes  numerous  opportunities  of 
adverting  to  this  Topic.  Happy  indeed  is  it  for  us  that  one  great  example 
of  unmingled  excellence  is  set  before  us  in  the  character  of  our  Lord.  In 
him  we  have  a  full  exhibition  of  perfection  in  our  nature,  so  that  looking 
to  him  we  may  see  clearly  what  we  ought  to  aim  at  under  every  variety  of 
situation  in  which  we  may  be  placed.  Through  grace  received  from  him, 
many  have  gone  far  in  imitating  his  blessed  example.  The  very  record 
of  their  faihngs  is  a  direct  proof  that  they  were  in  general  irreproachable 
in  character  and  eminent  in  holiness ;  for  their  imperfections  are  noticed 
as  exceptions  to  their  general  character. 

A  few  individuals  are  introduced  in  the  Scriptures,  to  whom  no  fault 
stands  charged,  as  Enoch,  Joseph,  Caleb,  Joshua,  Samuel,  Isaiah,  &c. 
In  the  wisdom  of  God  it  did  not  appear  necessary  to  produce  the  whole 
of  their  respective  characters,  but  only  such  parts  as  stood  connected  with 
the  general  history,  or  were  most  fitted  to  benefit  succeeding  generations. 
Commonly,  however,  the  unlovely  as  well  as  the  brighter  part  of  the  char- 
acter of  God's  servants  is  fuliy  portrayed;  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
their  recorded  faults  are  frequently  such  as  might  least  have  been  expected 
from  them.  Over  their  very  virtues  Satan  was  permitted  a  temporary  tri- 
umph. The  intemperance  of  Noah,  the  sinful  timidity  of  Abraham  and  of 
Isaac,  Jacob's  dissimulation  and  falsehood,  Job's  impatience,  the  intem- 
perate anger  of  Moses,  David's  flagrant  transgressions,  Solomon's  back- 
sliding, Asa's  wrath  against  the  Lord's  prophet,  Elijah's  uncharitableness, 
Jehoshaphat's  improper  league  with  Ahab,  Josiah's  rashness,  Hezekiah's 
vanity,  and  Peter's  denial  of  Christ — these  are  spots  upon  the  garments 
of  holy  men  which  are  not  concealed  from  posterity,  but  undisguisedly 
exposed  for  our  admonition  and  better  caution. 

At  the  same  time  it  must  be  observed  that  in  scripture  equal  justice  is 
done  to  characters  decidedly  bad ;  their  occasional  good  acts  had  the  re- 
ward of  an  honorable  narrative  so  far  as  they  deserved  it.  Preachers  will 
follow  this  example,  and  speak  well  of  characters  as  far  as  truth  will  per- 
mit and  true  candor  demands:  see  1  Cor.  xiii.  No  character  is  so  en- 
tirely bad  as  to  be  destitute  of  every  worthy  quality.  God  does  not  per- 
mit men  to  become  wholly  devils  on  this  fair  spot  of  his  creation ;  and 
what  he  does  permit  he  overrules  for  good.  But  the  principal  province 
of  a  preacher's  investigation  in  reference  to  this  Topic  will  be  the  char- 
acter of  good  men,  and  the  intermixture  of  qualiues  found  in  them. 

And  here  I  observe  that  the  Scriptures  give  us  the  very  philosophy  of 
the  subject  as  well  as  its  historical  material.  The  two  principles  in  every 
good  man  are  clearly  pointed  out,  and  called  the  flesh  and  the  spirit,  the 
old  and  the  new  man.  Our  Lord  opens  this  mystery.  Matt.  xxvi.  41 : 
*'The  spirit  is  wiUing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  Between  these  two  princi- 
ples there  is  in  every  good  man  a  continual  conflict.  Gal.  v.  17 :  "  The 


422  LECTURE    XXIV. 

flesh  lusteth  against  the  spirit,  and  the  spirit  against  the  flesh;  and  these 
are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other,  so  that  we  can  not  do  the  thing  that  we 
would."  This  conflict  and  this  commixture,  these  contrarieties  and  par- 
adoxes, are  particularly  laid  open  in  Paul's  seventh  chapter  to  the  Ro- 
mans.* Here  we  have  the  motions  of  sin  and  the  excitements  of  divine 
grace,  the  flesh  provoking  to  sin,  in  which  the  spirit  gives  neither  consent 
nor  concurrence.  We  have  captivities  and  dehverance,  bitter  complaints 
and  joyful  thanksgivings.  We  read  of  no  such  conflicts  in  the  mind  of 
Jehu  or  Herod;  their  history  discloses  different  states  of  mind  and  feeling, 
but  no  conflict  with  sin  appears.  The  good  and  the  bad  are  so  mentioned 
in  history  as  to  leave  no  one  in  doubt  of  their  real  character.  Of  Jehu  it 
is  said  that  he  completely  and  zealously  fulfilled  Jehovah's  purposes  on 
the  whole  house  and  wicked  religious  economy  of  Ahab ;  so  that  he  might 
well  say,  "Come,  see  my  zeal  for  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Yet  this  was  the 
subsequent  record  concerning  him  :  "Howbeit,  from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam, 
the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin,  Jehu  departed  not  from  follow- 
ing after  them."  Thus  we  conclude  that  his  general  character  was  radi- 
cally bad.  Herod  became  a  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist,  took  him  into 
his  court,  "heard  him  gladly,  did  many  things,"  but  he  discovered  the  rot- 
tenness of  his  principles  in  his  subsequently  yielding  up  John  to  the  wicked 
revenge  of  his  unlawful  wife;  so  that  accidental  circumstances  threw  a 
mantle  of  .religion  over  him,  but  as  it  did  not  fit  him  closely,  the  first  puff 
of  wind  blew  it  off  again.  Similar  observations  might  be  made  on  the 
first  three  classes  of  hearers  noticed  in  our  Lord's  parable  of  the  sower. 
A  religion  they  had,  but  one  that  did  not  cover  them,  or  did  not  fit  them. 
Is  it  possible  that  a  preacher  can  be  more  useful  than  when  he  is  judi- 
ciously engaged  in  separating  the  precious  from  the  vile,  and  showing  to 
each  of  his  hearers  "his  form  and  feature"?  And  by  all  means  let  the 
preacher  examine  himself  by  the  same  rule.  Even  our  motives  in  preach- 
ing may  have  some  bad  taint,  though  sound  upon  the  whole;  and  we  have 
reason  to  pray,  in  the  language  of  the  f^nglish  liturgy,  "Cleanse  thou  the 
thoughts  of  our  hearts  by  the  inspiration  of  thy  Holy  Spirit,"  that  all  our 
words  and  intentions  maybe  pleasing  in  God's  sight.  We  must  also  rec- 
ollect that  the  only  object  which  must  be  had  in  view  in  these  retrospects 
of  character  is  purely  the  edification,  comfort,  or  caution  of  the  people,  to 
hold  up  (as  St.  Paul  did,  1  Cor.  x.,  and  Heb.  ii.  3,  &c.)  a  glass  to  the 
present  age,  and  not  to  gratify  a  foolish  passion  for  passing  judgments.    . 

This  Topic  is  capable  of  affording  a  very  agreeable  variety  in  division  ; 
and  wherever  the  text  includes  anything  of  the  mixed  character  which  has 
been  described,  it  would  be  improper  to  overlook  it.  The  following  ex- 
amples will  however  best  illustrate  its  use. 

Jay's  Sermon  on  Job  xxix.  18:   "Then  I  said,  I  shall  die  in  my  nest." 

I.  In  these  words  we  see  something  good  ;  even  in  his  greatest  prosperity  Job  had 
thoughts  of  dying. 

II.  Sijiuetliiiig  desirable — the  continuance  of  providential  mercies.  Our  error  in 
desiring  temporal  things  consists — 

1.  In  desiring  tluiii  uncondiltonally. 

2.  In  desiring  them  supremely. 

III.  Something  very  common ;  it  is  adluence  and  ease  cherishing  confidence  and 
presumption. 

ly.  Something   false  and  vain  :  "  I  shall   die  in  my  nest."     While  Job  was  thus 
giving  security  to  his  soul,  the  storm  was  rising  whicli  soon  shook  down  his  nest  and 
"  See  Dr.  Stafford's  Sermons  on  the  whole  of  this  chapter. 


GOOD    AND    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  423 

lodged  its  contents  upon  the  dunghill.     Children,  wife,  property,  reputation,  may  all 
be  removed  in  a  day  ;  therefore  his  gratulations  were  premature :  Prov.  xxvii.  1. 

Burder's  Village  Sermons,  on  Acts  xvi.  30,  31 :  "  What  shall  I  do  to 
be  saved?" 

I.  There  are  some  excellent  tokens  of  character  in  the  jailer. 

1.  His  deep  sense  of  the  value  of  his  soul. 

2.  His  views  of  sin,  which  he  saw  endangered  his  soul. 

3.  His  presentiment  that  Paul  and  Silas  could  give  him  counsel  on  the  subject. 
II.  There  was  also  much  that  was  wrong. 

1.  A  strong  leaning  to  creatures'  help. 

2.  Much  legal  fear,  which  brings  on  a  bondage  state.  Gal.  iv.  24. 

3.  Great  ignorance,  though  a  happy  sensibility  of  it. 

Simeon  on  1  Sam.  xiii.  11—13. 

I.  Show  how  far  the  conduct  of  Saul  was  good  and  commendable. 

1.  He  dared  not  encounter  his  adversary  till  he  had  sought  God. 

2.  He  sought  after  an  appointed  manner,  viz.,  by  sacrifice. 

II.  In  what  respects  he  was  reprehensible.  Samuel's  speech  does  not  imply  a 
charge  that  Saul  had  usurped  the  priest's  office.  Indeed,  ever  since  the  Israelites 
came  out  of  the  wilderness,  there  had  been  by  sufferance  very  great  irregularity  in 
the  sacrificial  offering ;  but — 

1.  His  unbelieving  precipitancy  in  curtailing  the  appointed  time. 

2.  His  unwarrantable  dependence  on  a  merely  ritual  observance. 

The  same  author  on  Mark  xiv.  31  :  "  But  he  spoke  the  more  vehe- 
mently, If  I  should  die  with  thee  I  will  not  deny  thee  in  any  wise.  Like- 
wise also  said  they  all."     Consider — 

I.  The  wisdom  of  the  resolution  as  worthy  of  the  Christian  character. 

1.  Our  Savior  deserves  it  at  our  hands. 

2.  At  our  hands  he  requires  it. 

II.  The  folly  of  the  resolution  as  announced  in  his  own  strength. 

John  Howe,  on  John  xi.  16  :  "  Let  us  also  go  that  we  may  die  with 
him." 

"Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  There  was  no  doubt 
an  abounding  fulness  of  sense  in  this  good  man's  soul,  whence  these  words  did  pro- 
ceed :  and  it  might  be  two-fold,  either  good  and  commendable,  fit  for  our  imitation, 
or  faulty  and  reprehensible. 

I.  There  was  much  in  this  language  that  was  commendable.     It  evinced — 

1.  A  firm  belief  of  a  future  state. 

2.  A  mind  loose  and  disengaged  from  the  present  world. 

3.  Easy,  placid  thoughts  of  dying. 

4.  A  distinguishing  judgment  of  the  states  of  men  hereafter,  that  they  will  corres- 
pond with  the  characters  they  bear  on  earth. 

5.  A  rational  and  charitable  opinion  and  estimate  that  he  was  sincerely  good  and 
happy  with  whom  he  wished  to  be  united  in  death. 

6.  A  most  ardent  and  generous  love  to  such  excellent  characters,  expressed  by  a 
desire  to  die  with  them. 

7.  A  lively  apprehension  of  the  large  abounding  diffusion  of  the  divine  fulness, 
sufficiently  able  to  replenish  all  that  shall  be  prepared  to  partake  in  it. 

8.  Preference  of  the  society  with  holy  beings  in  the  heavenly  state  above  any  to 
be  enjoyed  on  earth. 

II.  There  might  be  an  intermixture  in  the  temper  of  this  good  man,  somewhat  of 
a  faulty  character  ;  as — 

1.  There  might  be  too  little  consideration  of  the  dignity  and  value  of  human  life, 
and  which  God  so  graciously  sustains. 

2.  The  words  seem  not  to  savor  enough  of  that  deference  which  is  due  to  the  God 
of  our  lives,  whose  prerogative  it  is  "  to  kill  and  make  alive." 

3.  They  indicate  too  little  gratitude  for  the  mercies  of  life,  or  impatience  under  its 
difficulties,  somewhat  like  that  of  Jonah. 

4.  Too  little  regard  to  the  busmess  of  life,  especially  the  great  affair  of  the  apos- 
tieship.  Matt.  X.  1,  &c.  >     i-  J         b 

5.  Not  a  sufficient  apprehension  how  awful  a  thing  it  was  to  die,  to  change  states, 
to  pass  into  eternity. 


424  LECTURE    XXIV. 

6.  Too  much  displaccncy  at  the  providence  of  God  in  taking  away  such  a  man  at 
such  a  time,  &c. 

These  thoughts  will,  upon  examination,  be  found  great  and  weighty, 
and  the  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  them,  and  especially  from  the  last 
subdivision,  would  be  peculiarly  suited  for  instruction  and  admonition  un- 
der the  feelings  naturally  entertained  on  the  demise  of  so  great  a  man  as 
Dr.  Bates,  whose  death  occasioned  the  discourse.* 

Henry's  Exposition  on  Micah  vi.  6-8 :  "  Wherewith  shall  I  come  be- 
fore the  Lord,"  &c.  He  observes  tliat  "  the  inquiry  of  Israel  was  very 
good  and  right,  and  what  we  are  all  concerned  to  make,  but  their  proposals 
betray  their  ignorance,  though  they  show  their  zeal." 

I.  They  bid  high.     They  offer— 

1.  That  which  is  very  rich  and  costly — "  thousands  of  rams."  God  required  one 
ram  for  a  sin-offerkig:  they  proffer  fiocks  of  iheni,  tlieir  whole  stock,  will  be  content 
to  make  themselves  beggars,  so  that  they  may  but  be  at  peace  with  God.  They 
will  bring  the  best  they  have — the  rams,  and  the  most  of  them,  till  it  comes  to 
thousands. 

2.  That  which  is  very  dear  to  them,  and  wliicli  they  would  be  most  loath  to  part 
with.  They  could  be  content  to  part  with  their  "  firstborn  for  their  transgressions," 
if  that  would  be  accepted  as  an  atonement,  and  "  the  fruit  ol  their  body  for  the  sin 
of  their  soul." 

II.  Yet  they  do  not  bid  right.  It  is  true  some  of  these  things  were  instituted  by 
the  ceremonial  law,  as  the  bringing  of  burnt-offerings  to  God's  altar  and  calves  of  a 
year  old,  rams  for  sin-offerings,  and  oil  for  the  meat-offerings;  but  these  alone  would 
not  recommend  them  to  God.  God  had  often  declared  that  "  to  obey  is  better  than 
sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams,"  that  "  sacrifice  and  offering"  he 
"  would  not ;"  the  legal  sacrifices  had  their  virtue  and  value  from  their  institution 
and  the  reference  they  had  to  Christ  the  great  propitiation ;  but  otherwise,  of  them- 
selves, it  Avas  "  impossible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  should  take  away  sin. 
And,  as  to  the  other  things  here  mentioned — 

1.  Some  of  them  are  impracticable  things,  as  "rivers  of  oil,"  which  nature  has 
not  provided  to  feed  men's  luxury,  but  rivers  of  water  to  supply  men's  necessity. 
All  the  proposals  of  peace  but  those  that  are  according  to  the  gospel  are  absurd. 
One  stream  of  the  blood  of  Christ  is  worth  ten  thousand  "  rivers  of  oil." 

2.  Some  of  them  are  wicked  things,  as  to  give  our  "  firstborn"  and  "  the  fruit  of 
our  body"  to  death,  which  would  but  add  to  the  "  transgression"  and  the  "  sin  of  the 
soul."  He  that  hates  robbery  for  burnt-offering  much  more  hates  murder,  such  mur- 
der. What  riijht  have  we  to  our  "  firstborn"  and  "  the  fruit  of  our  body  ?"  Do  they 
not  belong  to  God  ?  Are  they  not  his  already  and  born  to  him  ?  Are  they  not  sin- 
ners by  nature  and  their  lives  forfeited  upon  their  OAvn  account  ?  How  then  can 
they  be  a  ransom  for  ours  ? 

3.  They  are  all  external  things,  parts  of  that  "  bodily  exercise"  which  "  profiteth 
little,"  and  which  "could  not  make  the  corners  thereunto  perfect." 

4.  They  are  all  insignificant,  and  insufficient  to  attain  the  end  proposed  ;  they 
could  not  answer  the  demands  of  divine  justice,  nor  satisfy  the  wning  done  to  God  in 
his  honor  by  sin,  nor  would  they  serve  in  lieu  of  the  sanctification  of  the  heart  and 
the  reformation  of  the  life.  Men  will  part  with  anything  rather  than  their  sins:  but 
they  part  with  nothing  to  God's  acceptance  unless  they  part  with  them. 

I  beg  leave  to  add  a  specimen  of  a  somewhat  different  kind  from  the 
same  author  on  Zech.  vii.  3-7. 

I.  The  case  proposed  concerning  fasting,  ver.  3 :  "  Speak  unto  the  priests  who 
were  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  to  the  prophets,  saying.  Should  I  weep 
in  the  fifth  month,  separating  myself,  as  I  have  done  these  so  many  years  1"  Ob- 
serve— 

1.  "What  had  been  their  past  practice,  not  only  durincr  the  seventy  vears  of  the 
captivity,  but  to  this  time.  Tlu-y  kept  up  solemn  stated  fasts  for  humiliation  and 
prayer,  which  they  rrlicriously  observed  in  their  closets,  fatnilics,  or  such  assemblies 
for  worship  as  they  had.  Now  it  was  very  commrndable  in  them  to  keep  those 
fasts,  thus  to  humble  tln'msclvcs  under  those  liunibling  providences  by  which  God 
called  them  to  weeping  and  mourning,  kc. 

•  It  IB  inserted  in  Dr.  IJatcs's  Worka 


GOOD    AND    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  425 

2.  What  was  their  present  doubt — whether  they  should  continue  these  fasts  or  no. 

1.)  Something  is  to  be  said  for  the  continuance  of  these  fasts.  Fasting  and  pray- 
ing are  good  work  at  any  time.  We  have  always  both  cause  enough  and  need 
enough  to  humble  ourselves  before  God.  To  throw  off  these  fasts  would  be  an  evi- 
dence of  their  being  too  secure  and  a  cause  of  their  being  more  so.  They  were  slill 
in  distress  and  under  the  tokens  of  God's  displeasure :  and  it  is  unwise  for  the  pa- 
tient to  break  off  his  course  of  physic  while  he  is  sensible  of  such  remains  of  his  dis- 

2.)  There  is  something  to  be  said  for  the  letting  fall  of  these  fasts.  God  had 
changed  the  method  of  his  providences  concerning  them  and  returned  in  ways  of 
mercy  to  them  ;  and  ought  not  they  then  to  change  the  meihod  of  their  duties  ?  Now 
that  "  the  bridegroom"  has  returned,  why  should  "  the  children  of  the  bridechamber" 
fast  ?  Everything  is  beautiful  in  its  season.  And,  as  to  the  fast  of  the  "  fifth  month," 
that,  being  kept  in  remembrance  of  the  burning  of  the  temple,  might  seem  to  be 
superseded  rather  than  any  of  the  others,  because  the  temple  was  now  in  a  firm  way 
of  being  rebuilt.  But,  having  long  kept  up  this  fast,  they  would  not  leave  it  off  Avith- 
out  advice  and  without  asking  and  knowing  God's  mind  in  the  case. 

II.  The  answer  given  to  this  case.  It  should  seem  that  though  the  question  looked 
plausible  enough,  those  who  proposed  it  were  more  concerned  about  the  ceremony 
than  about  the  substance.  And  therefore  the  first  answer  to  their  inquiry  is  a  very- 
sharp  reproof  of  their  hypocrisy. 

1.  What  they  did  that  was  good  was  not  done  aright,  ver.  5,  6. 

1.)  They  had  not  an  eye  to  God  in  their  fasting:  "Did  you  at  all  fast  unto  me, 
even  to  me  ?" 

2.)  They  had  the  same  eye  to  themselves  m  their  fasting  that  they  had  in  their 
eating  and  drinking. 

2.  The  principal  good  thing  they  should  have  done  was  left  undone :  "  Should  you 
not  hear  the  words  which  the  Lord  has  cried  by  the  former  prophets." 

The  following  example,  on  imperfect  goodness,  may  be  considered  as 
within  the  limits  of  our  Topic.  It  is  the  production  of  Saurin,  fotmded 
on  Hos.  vi.  4  :   "  O  Ephraim!   what  shall  I  do  unto  thee  ?"  &c. 

This  fickle,  inconstant  religion,  is  bad  enough;  but  it  is  not  hypocrisy,  against 
which  the  fire  of  divine  anger  will  certainly  fall.  Nor  is  it  the  feeble  piety  of  a  tot- 
tering Christian ;  for,  however  imperfect  his  piety  may  be,  it  is  real,  and  it  would  be 
too  severe  to  say  of  this  piety,  "  It  is  like  the  early  dew,  and  goeth  away :"  but  it  is 
between  these  two  dispositions.  It  does  not  go  so  far  as  the  latter,  but  it  goes  fur- 
ther than  the  former.  It  is  sincere,  so  it  is  superior  to  hypocrisy  ;  but  it  is  fruitless, 
and  so  it  is  inferior  to  weak  piety.  It  is  sufficient  to  discover  sin,  but  not  sufficieiit 
to  correct  it.  It  can  promise  sincerely,  but  it  does  not  perform.  It  weeps,  but  it 
does  not  break  off  bad  habits.  It  is  a  certain  religion  of  times,  circumstances,  &c., 
and  owes  its  birth  frequently  to  public  calamities,  to  solemn  fasts,  or  to  the  approach 
of  death,  or  the  apprehensions  of  such  an  event ;  but  it  frequently  vanishes  with  the 
causes  which  produced  it,  &c.  All  the  images  which  Jehovah  uses  in  the  Scriptures 
to  make  himself  known  to  us — those  which  are  taken  from  our  infirmities,  our  pas- 
sions, our  love,  and  our  hatred — are  insufficient  to  represent  a  Being  too  far  elevated 
above  men  to  be  represented  by  anything  human.  Yet  all  these  images  have  a 
reality  which  agrees  to  the  Supreme  Being  in  an  eminent  manner,  in  a  manner  pro- 
portioned to  his  dignity.  Jehovah  represents  himself  as  a  prince  who  has  formed  a 
close  connexion  with  his  subject;  this  subject  appears  sensible  of  the  honor  done 
him.  The  prince  signalizes  his  esteem  by  a  profusion  of  benefits ;  the  subject  abuses 
them.  The  prince  reproaches  him  ;  he  is  hardened.  To  reproaches  have  been 
added  threatenings ;  threatenings  have  been  followed  by  suspension  of  favors:  the 
subject  is  touched,  affected,  reanimated.  The  prince  receives  the  penitent  with  open 
arms,  and  crowns  his  return  with  redoubled  acts  of  kindness.  The  ungrateful  sub- 
ject abuses  them  again.  The  prince  again  reproaches  him,  again  threatens  him,  and 
again  suspends  the  tokens  of  his  love.  To  remove  the  same  misery  the  subject  uses 
the  same  means,  and  avails  himself  of  the  liberty  of  returning  which  the  goodness  of 
the  prince  allows  him,  and  again  he  returns.  The  prince  yet  pities,  and  again  par- 
dons his  relenting  ingrate:  but  this  perfidious  subject,  slighting  the  tenderness  of  his 
master,  falls  so  often  into  this  ungrateful  behavior  that  the  prince  becomes  a  prey  to 
a  thousand  opposite  thoughts ;  he  feels  himself  divided  between  the  fear  of  reward- 
ing ingratitude  and  punishing  fidelity.  This  image  is  most  certainly  infinitely  be- 
neath the  Supreme  Being ;  however,  it  is  that  image  which  he  has  chosen  to  employ. 


426  LECTURE    XXIV. 

"  What  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Ephraim  ?"  Ephraim,  Judah,  why  do  you  rend  my  heart 
alternately  by  your  vices  and  virtues?  Why  do  you  not  suffer-me  either  wholly  to 
give  myself  to  you  or  wholly  to  detach  my  affections  from  you?  Why  do  you  not 
let  me  give  a  free  course  either  to  my  justice  or  my  love  ?  Either  let  me  glorify  my- 
self by  your  return  or  by  your  ruin.  Your  devotions  tie  my  hands ;  your  crimes  in- 
flame my  wrath.  Shall  I  destroy  a  people  who  have  recourse  to  my  clemency? 
Shall  I  preserve  a  people  who  violate  my  laws?  "What  shall  I  do  to  thee, 
Ephraim  ?  what  shall  I  do  to  thee,  Judah  ?  for  thy  goodness  is  as  a  morning  cloud, 
and  like  the  early  dew  it  goeth  away  ?" 

Here  is  indeed  a  very  fine  balancing  of  the  account,  of  the  good  and 
bad  ;  and  it  seems  clear  that  the  preponderance  is  on  the  side  of  the  latter, 
and  nothing  but  sovereign  and  free  grace  could  save  the  guilty  subject. 
He  must  go,  unless  the  prince  cries,  "  Save  him  from  going  down  into 
the  pit,  for  I  have  found  a  ransom." 

I  have  reserved  Dr.  Blair's  example  of  the  good  and  the  bad  as  the 
subject  of  extended  remark,  not  indeed  that  the  nature  of  the  Topic  may 
be  better  understood,  but  to  give  the  subject  upon  which  he  treats  a  fair 
examination,  because  the  just  reputation  of  the  Christian  ministry  depends 
on  a  proper  issue  of  the  great  question,  whether  the  desire  of  human  ap- 
plause should  live  or  become  extinct  for  ever.  It  is  a  question  of  life  or 
death  as  to  this  fascinating,  bewitching,  imaginary  being,  and  therefore  I 
pray  thee  to  hear  me  patiently. 

The  authority  of  Dr.  Blair,  supported  as  he  is  by  a  host  of  Christian 
moralists  of  very  high  name,  and  the  general  concurrent  opinion  running 
in  the  same  channel,  seem  at  least  to  prejudice  the  question,  and  to  throw 
difficulties  in  the  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  the  statement  of  the  case 
and  the  arguments  to  be  adduced ;  and  when  it  is  further  considered  that 
the  prevalent  opinion  has,  for  a  great  length  of  time,  drawn  the  practice 
after  it,  and  that  even  now  that  practice  is  as  general  as  ever,  it  is  con- 
fessed that  something  very  solid  and  substantial  will  be  required  even  to 
bring  the  matter  to  a  state  of  suspense,  and  something  more  weighty  still 
to  subvert  the  plausibilities  advanced  in  its  favor. 

But,  if  I  do  not  succeed  generally  in  representing  what  I  consider  to  be 
the  truth,  at  least  I  hope  that  the  yet  unprejudiced  student,  who  desires  to 
go  into  the  work  of  his  Master  unembarrassed  and  unfettered  by  popular 
notions,  will  come  to  a  fair  opinion  on  the  subject.  The  text  of  Dr. 
Blair's  discourse  is  John  xii.  43 :  "  P^or  they  loved  the  praise  of  men 
more  than  the  praise  of  God."  His  position  seems  to  be  this — that,  kept 
under  proper  restraints,  the  praise  of  men  may  be  called  in  aid  of  great 
and  wordiy  exertions :  this  is  met  by  a  contrary  assertion  derived  from  the 
gospel,  that  no  such  passion  should  be  tolerated,  that  it  is  uncalled  for, 
mischievous,  and  sinful,  and  that  the  public  good  has  other  aids  sufficiently 
powerful  without  it. 

"  Let  us,"  says  the  doctor,  "  consider  how  far  it  [the  love  of  praise]  is 
an  aUoivahlc  principle  of  action,  when  it  begins  to  be  criminal,  and  upon 
what  accounts  we  ought  to  guard  against  its  acquiring  the  entire  ascen- 
dant." 

It  seems  that  the  love  of  praise  is  not  much  like  the  principles  of  action, 
which  the  New  Testament  prescribes,  since  it  must  not  be  allowed  its  full 
operation,  but  placed  under  strict  limitations,  like  a  horse  which  must  be 
held  in  with  bit  and  bridle.  We  may  ride  the  high-mettled  animal,  but 
he  must  carry  us  no  faster  than  is  allowable.  But  let  us  see  how  fast  and 
how  far  he  may  go. 


GOOD    AND    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  427 

We  are  intended  by  Providence  to  be  connected  with  one  another  in  society.  Sin- 
gle unassisted  individuals  could  make  small  advances  toward  any  valuable  improve- 
ment. By  means  of  society  our  wants  are  supplied  and  our  lives  rendered  comforta- 
ble, our  capacities  are  enlarged  and  our  virtuous  affections  called  forth  into  proper 
exercise.  In  order  to  confirm  our  mutual  connexion,  it  was  necessary  that  some  at- 
tracting power  which  had  the  effect  of  drawing  men  together,  and  strengthening  the 
social  ties,  should  pervade  the  human  system.  Nothing  could  more  happily  fulfil 
this  purpose  than  our  being  so  formed  as  to  desire  the  esteem  and  to  delight  in  the 
good  opinion  of  each  other.  Had  such  a  propensity  been  wanting,  and  selfish  prin- 
ciples been  left  to  occupy  its  place,  society  must  have  proved  an  unharmonious  and 
discordant  state.  Instead  of  mutual  attraction,  a  repulsive  power  would  have  pre- 
vailed. Among  men  who  had  no  regard  to  the  approbation  of  one  another,  all  inter- 
course would  have  been  jarring  and  offensive.  For  the  wisest  ends,  therefore,  the 
desire  of  praise  was  made  an  original  and  powerful  principle  in  the  human  breast. 

To  a  variety  of  good  purposes  it  is  subservient,  and  on  many  occasions  it  co-oper- 
ates with  the  principle  of  virtue.  It  awakens  us  from  sloth,  invigorates  activity,  and 
stimulates  our  efforts  to  excel.  It  has  given  rise  to  most  of  the  splendid  and  to  many 
of  the  useful  enterprises  of  men.  It  has  animated  the  patriot  and  fired  the  hero. 
Magnanimity,  generosity,  and  fortitude,  are  what  all  mankind  admire.  Hence  such 
as  were  actuated  by  the  desire  of  extensive  fame  have  been  prompted  to  deeds  which 
either  participated  of  the  spirit,  or  at  least  carried  the  appearance,  of  distinguished 
virtue.  The  desire  of  praise  is  generally  connected  with  all  the  Jiner  sensibilities 
of  human  nature  [not  of  grace].  It  affords  a  ground  on  which  exhortation,  counsel, 
and  reproof,  can  work  a  proper  effect.  "Whereas,  to  be  entirely  destitute  of  this  pas- 
sion betokens  an  ignoble  mind,  on  which  no  moral  impression  is  easily  made.  Where 
there  is  no  desire  of  praise  there  will  be  also  no  sense  of  reproach ;  and,  if  that  be 
extinguished,  one  of  the  principal  guards  of  virtue  is  removed,  and  the  path  opened 
to  many  opprobrious  pursuits.  He  whose  countenance  never  glowed  with  shame, 
and  whose  heart  never  beat  at  the  sound  of  praise,  is  not  destined  for  any  honorable 
distinction  ;  he  is  likely  to  grovel  in  the  sordid  quest  of  gain,  or  to  slumber  life  away 
in  the  indolence  of  selfish  pleasures. 

Abstracted  from  the  sentiments  which  are  connected  with  the  love  of  praise  as  a 
principle  of  action,  the  esteem  of  our  fellow-creatures  is  an  object  which,  on  ac- 
count of  the  advantages  it  brings,  may  be  laivfuUy  pursued.  It  is  necessary  to  our 
success  in  every  fair  and  honest  imdertaking.  Not  only  our  private  interest,  but  our 
public  usefulness,  depends  in  a  great  measure  upon  it.  The  sphere  of  our  influence 
is  contracted  or  enlarged  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which  we  enjoy  the  good 
opinion  of  the  public.  Men  listen  with  an  unwilling  ear  to  one  whom  they  do  not 
honor ;  while  a  respected  character  adds  weight  to  example  and  authority  to  coun- 
sel. To  desire  the  esteem  of  others  for  the  sake  of  its  effects  is  not  only  allowable, 
but  in  many  cases  our  duty  ;  and  to  be  totally  indifferent  to  praise  or  censure  is  so  far 
from  being  a  virtue  that  it  is  a  real  defect  of  character. 

Such  is  Dr.  Blair's  statement  of  the  value  of  this  popular  applause,  and, 
being  quite  willing  to  give  every  advantage  to  the  cause,  I  add  the  follow- 
ing remarks  of  an  eloquent  and  truly  valuable  Christian  author.* 

It  is  a  principle,  the  extinction  of  which  would  be  like  the  annihilation,  in  the  ma- 
terial world,  of  the  principle  of  motion  ;  without  it,  all  were  torpid,  and  cold,  and 
comfortless.  Admitting  what  maybe  blameable  in  it,  yet,  when  turned  into  the  right 
direction,  it  prompts  to  every  dignified  and  generous  enterprise.  It  is  erudition  in  the 
portico,  skill  in  the  lyceum,  eloquence  in  the  senate  and  in  the  pulpit,  victory  in  the 
field.  When  once  the  soul  is  warmed  by  its  generous  ardor  no  difficulties  deter,  no 
danger  terrifies,  no  labor  tires.  It  is  this  which,  giving  to  what  is  virtuous  and  hon- 
orable its  just  superiority  over  the  gifts  of  birth  and  fortune,  rescues  the  rich  from  a 
base  subjection  to  the  pleasures  of  sense,  and  makes  them  prefer  a  course  of  trial  and 
hardship  to  a  life  of  indolence  and  ease.  It  prevents  the  man  of  rank  from  acquies- 
cing in  his  hereditary  greatness,  and  spurs  him  forward  in  pursuit  of  personal  dis- 
tinction and  of  a  nobility  which  he  may  justly  term  his  own.  It  moderates  and  qual- 
ifies the  over-great  inequality  of  human  conditions ;  and  reaching  to  those  who  are 
above  the  sphere  of  laws,  and  extending  to  cases  which  fall  not  within  their  province, 
it  limits  and  circumscribes  the  power  of  the  tyrant  on  his  throne,  and  gives  gentleness 
to  war,  and  to  pride  humility. 

Nor  is  its  influence  confined  to  public  life  ;  to  it  is  to  be  ascribed  a  large  portion  of 

*  Wilberforce  on  Practical  Christianity. 


428  LECTURE    XXIV. 

that  courtesy  and  disposition  to  please  which,  naturally  producing  a  mutual  appear- 
ance of  good-will  and  a  reciprocation  of  good  offices,  constitutes  much  of  the  comfort 
of  private  life  and  gives  their  choicest  sweets  to  social  and  domestic  intercourse  ;  and 
though  it  may  sometimes  bear  a  doubtful  character,  and  were  it  no  more  than  a 
splendid  error,  yet,  considering  that  it  works  so  often  in  the  right  direction,  it  were 
enough  to  urge  in  its  behalf  that  it  is  a  principle  of  real  action  and  approved  energy  ; 
it  acts  by  motives  and  considerations  suited  to  our  condition,  and  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary in  our  present  infirm  state  as  an  habitual  aid,  and  even  present  support,  to  the 
feebleness  of  virtue.  Reject  not,  therefore,  a  principle  so  universal  in  its  influence, 
thus  valuable  in  its  effect ;  but  let  us  be  grateful  for  such  a  boon  to  mankind. 

We  must  now  proceed  to  consider  the  doctor's  arguments  for  the  just 
limitation  of  this  principle  ;  and  these  I  think  are  sufficiently  cogent  to 
lead  us  to  conclude  that  it  has  a  much  closer  alliance  to  vice  than  virtue, 
and  ought  to  he  abandoned.  Extinction,  however,  is  not  contemplated  by 
the  doctor.  His  design  is  to  preserve  the  magical  power  of  praise,  though 
at  some  sacrifice.     He  observes — 

While  the  love  of  praise  is  admitted  to  be  a  natural  and  in  so  many  respects  a  use- 
ful principle  of  action,  it  is  entitled  to  no  more  than  our  secondary  regard.  It  has 
its  boundary  set,  by  transgressing  which  it  is  at  once  transformed  from  an  innocent 
into  a  most  dangerous  passion.  More  sacred  and  venerable  principles  claim  the 
chief  direction  of  human  conduct.  All  the  good  effects  which  we  have  ascribed  to 
the  desire  of  praise  are  produced  by  it  when  remaining  in  a  subordinate  station.  But 
when,  passing  its  natural  line,  it  becomes  the  ruling  spring  of  conduct,  when  the 
regard  which  we  pay  to  the  opinions  of  men  encroaches  on  that  reverence  which  we 
owe  to  the  voice  of  conscience  and  the  sense  of  duty,  the  love  of  praise,  having  then 
gone  out  of  its  proper  place,  instead  of  improving  corrupts,  and  instead  of  elevating 
debases  our  nature.  The  proportion  which  this  passion  holds  to  other  principles  of 
action  is  what  renders  it  either  innocent  or  criminal.  The  crime  with  which  the 
Jewish  rulers  are  charged  in  the  text  was  not  that  they  loved  the  praise  of  men,  but 
that  they  loved  it  more  than  the  praise  of  God.  What  a  wise  and  good  man  ought 
to  study  is  to  preserve  his  mind  free  from  any  such  solicitude  concerning  praise  as 
may  be  in  hazard  of  overcoming  his  sense  of  duty.  The  approbation  of  men  he  may 
wish  to  obtain,  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  the  approbation  of  God.  But,  when  both 
can  not  be  enjoyed  together,  there  ought  to  be  no  suspense.  He  is  to  retire  contented 
with  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience,  and  to  show,  by  the  firmness  of  his  be- 
havior, that  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  virtue  he  is  superior  to  all  opinion. 

1.  The  praise  of  men  is  not  an  object  of  such  value  in  itself  as  to  be  entitled  to  be- 
come the  leading  principle  of  conduct.  We  degrade  our  character  when  we  alloAV 
it  more  than  subordinate  regard.  Like  other  worldly  goods,  it  is  apt  to  dazzle  us  with 
a  false  lustre  ;  but,  if  we  would  ascertain  its  true  worth,  let  us  reflect  both  on  whom 
it  is  bestowed  and  from  whom  it  proceeds.  Were  the  applause  of  the  world  always 
the  reward  of  merit,  were  it  appropriated  to  such  alone  as  by  real  abilities  or  by 
worthy  actions  are  entitled  to  rise  above  the  crowd,  we  might  jusily  be  flattered  by 
possessing  a  rare  and  valuable  distinction.  But  how  far  is  this  from  being  the  case 
in  fact !  How  often  have  the  despicable  and  the  vile,  by  dexterously  catching  the 
favor  of  the  multitude,  soared  upon  the  Avings  of  popular  applause,  while  the  virtu- 
ous and  the  deserving  have  been  either  buried  in  obscurity  or  obliged  to  encounter 
the  attacks  of  unjust  reproach  !  Let  the  man  who  is  vain  of  public  favor  be  humbled 
by  the  reflection  that,  in  the  midst  of  his  success,  he  is  mingled  with  a  crowd  of  im- 
postors and  deceivers,  of  hypocrites  and  enthusiasts,  of  ignorant  pretenders  and  su- 
perficial reasoners,  who,  by  various  arts,  have  obtained  as  liigh  a  rank  as  himself  in 
temporary  fame. 

We  may  easily  be  satisfied  that  applause  will  be  often  shared  by  the  undeserving 
if  we  allow  ourselves  to  consider  from  whom  it  proceeds:  a  mixed  multitude  of 
men,  who  in  their  whole  conduct  are  guided  l)y  humor  and  caprice  far  more  than  by 
reason,  who  admire  false  appearances  and  pursue  false  gods,  who  inquire  superfi- 
cially and  judge  rashly,  whose  sentiments  arc  for  the  most  part  erroneous,  always 
changeable,  and  often  inconsistent.  And  is  it  to  such  judges  as  these  that  you  sub- 
mit the  supreme  direction  of  your  conduct  ?  Do  you  stoop  to  court  their  favor  as 
your  chief  distinction  when  an  object  of  so  much  juster  and  higher  ambition  is  pre- 
sented to  you  in  the  praise  of  God  ?  God  is  the  only  unerring  judge  of  what  is  ex- 
cellent    His  approbation  alone  is  the  substance,  all  other  praise  is  but  the  shadow, 


GOOD    AND    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  429 

of  honor.  The  character  which  you  bear  in  his  sight  is  your  only  real  one.  How- 
contemptible  does  it  render  you  to  be  indifferent  with  respect  to  this,  and  to  be  soli- 
citous about  a  name  only,  a  fictitious  imaginary  character,  which  has  no  existence  ex- 
cept in  the  opinions  of  a  few  Aveak  and  credulous  men  around  you  ! 

Consider,  further,  how  narrow  and  circumscribed  in  its  limits  that  fame  is  which 
the  vain-glorious  man  so  eagerly  pursues.  In  order  to  show  him  this,  I  shall  not  bid 
him  reflect  that  it  is  confined  to'a  small  district  of  the  earth  ;  I  shall  not  desire  him 
to  consider  that,  in  the  gulf  of  oblivion,  where  all  human  materials  are  swallowed 
up,  his  name  and  fame  must  soon  be  inevitably  lost  ;  but  let  him  calmly  reflect  that 
within  the  narrow  boundaries  of  that  country  to  which  he  belongs,  and  during  that 
small  portion  of  time  which  his  life  fills  up,  his  reputation,  great  as  he  may  fancy  it 
to  be,  occupies  no  more  than  an  inconsiderable  corner.  Multitudes  of  those  among 
whom  he  dwells  are  totally  ignorant  of  his  name  and  character  ;  many  imagine 
themselves  too  important  to  regard  him  ;  and,  where  his  reputation  is  in  any  degree 
spread,  it  has  often  been  attacked,  and  rivals  are  daily  rising  to  abate  it. 

From  all  these  considerations  it  clearly  appears  that  though  the  esteem  of  our  fel- 
low-creatures be  pleasing,  and  the  pursuit  of  it,  in  a  moderate  degree,  be  fair  and 
lawful,  yet  it  affords  no  such  object  to  desire  as  entitles  it  to  be  a  rulmg  principle. 

2.  An  excessive  love  of  praise  never  fails  to  undermine  the  regard  due  to  conscience 
and  to  corrupt  the  heart.  It  turns  off  the  eye  of  the  mind  from  the  ends  which  it 
ought  chiefly  to  keep  in  view,  and  sets  up  a  false  light  for  its  guide.  Its  influence 
is  the  more  dangerous  as  the  color  which  it  assumes  is  often  fair,  and  its  garb  and 
appearance  are  nearly  allied  to  that  of  virtue.  The  love  of  glory,  I  before  admitted, 
may  give  birth  to  actions  which  are  both  splendid  and  useful.  But  constancy  and 
steadiness  are  to  be  looked  for  from  him  only  whose  conduct  is  regulated  by  a  sense 
of  what  is  right,  whose  praise  is  not  of  men.,  but  of  God,  whose  motive  to  discharge 
his  duty  is  always  the  same.  Change,  as  much  as  you  please,  the  situation  of  such 
a  man  ;  let  applause  or  let  censure  be  his  lot ;  let  the  public  voice,  which  this  day 
has  extolled  him,  to-morrow  as  loudly  decry  him  ;  on  the  tenor  of  his  behavior  these 
changes  produce  no  effect.  Whereas,  the  apparent  virtues  of  that  man  whose  eye  is 
fixed  on  the  world  are  precarious  and  temporary.  Supported  only  by  circumstances, 
occasions,  and  particular  regards,  they  fluctuate  and  fall  with  these. 

3.  This  passion,  when  it  becomes  predominant,  most  commonly  defeats  its  own 
end,  and  deprives  men  of  the  honor  which  they  are  so  eager  to  gain.  Without  pre- 
serving liberty  and  independence,  we  can  never  command  respect.  That  servility 
of  spirit  which  subjects  us  to  the  opinions  of  others,  and  renders  us  tributaries  to  the 
world  for  the  sake  of  applause,  is  what  all  mankind  despise.  They  look  up  with 
reverence  to  one  who,  unawed  by  their  censures,  acts  according  to  his  own  sense  of 
things  and  follows  the  free  impulse  of  an  honorable  mind.  But  him  who  hangs 
totally  on  their  judgment  they  consider  as  their  vassal.  They  even  enjoy  a  malig- 
nant pleasure  in  humbling  his  vanity  and  withholding  that  praise  which  he  is  seen 
to  court. 

4.  As  an  immoderate  passion  for  human  praise  is  dangerous  to  virtue  and  unfavor- 
able to  true  honor,  so  it  is  destructive  of  self-enjoyment  and  inward  peace.  Walking 
uprightly  we  walk  surely,  because  we  tread  an  even  and  open  path.  But  he  who 
turns  aside  from  the  straight  road  of  duty  in  order  to  gain  applause,  involves  himself 
in  an  intricate  labyrinth.  His  mind  will  be  always  on  the  stretch.  He  will  be 
obliged  to  listen  with  anxious  attention  to  every  whisper  of  the  popular  voice.  The 
demands  of  those  masters  whom  he  has  submitted  to  serve  will  prove  frequently  con- 
tradictory and  inconsistent.  He  has  prepared  a  yoke  for  his  neck  which  he  must 
resolve  to  bear,  how  much  soever  it  may  gall  him.  Conscience  will,  from  time  to 
time,  remind  him  of  the  improper  sacrifices  which  he  has  made,  and  of  the  forfeiture 
which  he  has  incurred  of  the  praise  of  God,  for  the  sake  of  praise  from  men.  Sup- 
pose him  to  receive  all  the  rewards  Avhich  the  mistaken  opinion  of  the  world  can  be- 
stow, its  loudest  applause  will  often  be  unable  to  drown  the  upbraidings  of  an  inward 
voice  ;  and,  if  a  man  is  reduced  to  be  ashamed  of  himself,  what  avails  it  to  him  to 
be  caressed  by  others  ?  But,  in  truth,  the  reward  toward  which  he  looks  who  pro- 
poses human  praise  as  his  ultimate  object,  will  be  always  flying  like  a  shadow  before 
him.  So  capricious  and  uncertain,  so  fickle  and  mutable,  is  the  favor  of  the  multi- 
tude, that  it  proves  the  most  unsatisfactory  of  all  pursuits  in  which  men  can  be  en- 
gaged. He  who  sets  his  heart  on  it  is  preparing  for  himself  perpetual  mortifications. 
If  the  greatest  and  best  can  seldom  retain  it  long,  we  may  easily  believe  that  from 
the  vain  and  undeserving  it  will  suddenly  escape. 

5.  The  advantages  which  redound  from  the  praise  of  men  are  not  such  as  can  bear 
to  be  put  in  competition  with  those  which  flow  from  the  praise  of  God.     The  former 


430  LECTURE    XXIV. 

are  necessarily  confined  within  the  verge  of  our  present  existence  ;  the  latter  follow 
us  beyond  the  grave,  and  extend  through  all  eternity.  Not  only  is  the  praise  of  men 
limited  in  its  effects  to  this  life,  but  also  to  particular  situations  of  it.  In  the  days  of 
health  and  ease  it  may  brighten  the  sunshine  of  prosperity ;  it  may  then  soothe  the 
ear  with  pleasing  accents  and  gratify  the  imagination  with  fancied  triumphs.  But, 
when  the  distressful  seasons  of  life  arrive,  it  will  be  found  altogether  hollow  and  un- 
substantial ;  and  surely  the  value  of  any  possession  is  to  be  chiefly  estimated  by  the 
relief  which  it  can  bring  us  in  the  time  of  our  greatest  need. 

These  arguments  clearly  show  the  importance  of  preserving  the  love  of  praise  un- 
der proper  subordination  to  the  principle  of  duty.  In  itself  it  is  a  useful  motive  to 
action  ;  but,  when  allowed  to  extend  its  influence  too  far,  it  corrupts  the  whole  char- 
acter, and  produces  guilt,  disgrace,  and  misery.  To  be  entirely  destitute  of  it  is  a 
defect ;  to  be  governed  by  it  is  depravity.  The  proper  adjustment  of  the  several 
principles  of  action  in  human  nature  is  a  matter  that  deserves  our  highest  attention  ; 
for,  when  any  one  of  them  becomes  either  too  weak  or  too  strong,  it  endangers  both 
our  virtue  and  our  happiness. 

Such  are  the  arguments  of  Dr.  Blair  against  the  immoderate  love  of 
praise,  yet  he  yields  not  to  the  force  of  his  own  arguments  ;  he  retracts  not 
from  his  first  position,  that,  under  proper  limits,  it  is  an  allowable  principle 
on  the  ground  of  that  good  which  it  may  produce.  He  admits  that  it 
may  weaken  virtue — that  it  may  associate  with  vice  and  criminality  ;  yet 
he  will  not  abandon  it.  That  this  good  may  be  done  he  would  hazard  the 
individual  who  is  to  effect  it;  the  good  must  be  done  whatever  it  costs. 
The  adventurer  is  to  be  armed  at  all  points,  but  go  he  must.  Never  was 
there  such  a  trial  to  the  principles  of  a  public  man,  to  his  real  honor  and 
his  everlasting  safety.  Could  we  summon  the  spectres  of  some  unhappy 
beings  from  another  world,  who  on  earth  pursued  the  phantom  of  popular 
applause,  and  could  we  hear  them  tell  the  history  of  their  error,  and  all  the 
fatal  consequences  bound  up  in  it,  we  should  be  appalled  at  the  thought 
of  still  following  the  delusion  by  which  they  were  ruined.  Or  could  we 
call  from  heaven  some  pardoned  spirit,  that  had  been  caught  in  the  snare 
of  popular  applause,  would  he  not  say,  "O  venture  not  upon  tliat  intoxi- 
cating draught.  I  had  nearly  been  destroyed  by  it.  At  the  first  it  ap- 
peared an  innocent  joy,  but  by  degrees  it  insinuated  itself,  and  by  slow 
progress  grew  till  it  nearly  obtained  the  mastery  of  all  my  principles.  My 
spirit  swelled  in  its  own  iiuportance  ;  I  looked  on  the  multitudes  of  those 
who  praised  me  on  both  sides  the  Adantic ;  nay,  wherever  my  fame  reached, 
wonder  followed.  It  is  true  my  ministry  was  blessed  above  the  common 
rank  of  favorites,  but  withal  at  dreadful  discount  of  my  Christian  charac- 
ter !"* 

It  must,  I  think,  be  apparent  to  every  Christian  mind  that  the  good  in 
human  applause  is  lost  in  the  volumes  of  smoke  and  mischief  attending  it; 
but  if  the  thing  itself  were  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  warranted  by  the 
gospel,  all  that  could  be  accumulated  together  against  it  should  not  prevent 
our  resorting  to  it  as  an  arm  of  power.  If  the  splendid  account  of  its 
brilliant  acts  were  supported  by  one  unequivocal  direction,  or  one  pure 
example  of  the  gospel,  it  would  merit  aUcntion  ;  but  in  the  gospel  nothing 
of  the  kind  is  to  be  found.  On  the  contrary,  when  the  op})ortunity  so 
fairly  presented  itself  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  appears  by  Dr.  Blair's 
text,  to  place  this  affair  on  its  true  basis — to  give  to  hiunan  praise  its  exact 
value,  to  direct  the  judgment  of  his  followers  concerning  it,  as  to  what  de- 
gree of  influence  it  ought  to  possess  over  our  actions  and  with  what  lim- 
itations we  might  indulge  it — not  a  word  is  uttered  in  its  favor,  not  the 

*  See  Bickeratelb,  p.  1C9,  and  Oweu's  Works,  vol.  vii.,  p.  Hi,  and  Palpit,  vol.  i.,  p.  516. 


GOOD    OR    BAD    IN    EXPRESSIONS    AND    ACTIONS.  431 

most  distant  intimation  is  given  that  it  possesses  any  value  whatever.  He 
did  not  say  that  the  praise  of  men  was  an  excellent  incentive  to  action  and 
commendable  when  properly  restrained  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  ordered  a 
record  to  be  made  of  the  solemn  fact  that  the  lovers  of  praise  were  among 
his  enemies.  But  there  was  another  opportunity  in  our  Lord's  life  that 
determines  the  matter.  When  Peter  and  John  desired  pre-eminence  they 
were  rebuked ;  he  declared  that  he  would  allow  of  no  pre-eminence,  that 
if  any  one  seized  it  he  should  be  abased,  and  that  except  our  humility  re- 
sembled that  of  a  little  child  we  should  in  nowise  belong  to  his  kingdom. 
It  is  clear  from  the  testimony  of  the  gospel  that  the  extinction  of  this  spirit 
of  self-importance  is  to  be  effected,  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  God's 
presence ;  and,  though  the  passions  are  not  to  be  extirpated,  yet  they  are 
to  be  turned  completely  into  a  new  direction. 

But  it  may  be  said  that  "  religion  does  accommodate  itself,  in  some 
measure,  to  circumstances  ;  and,  where  the  cause  of  the  gospel  may  be 
promoted  by  a  litde  popularity,  it  is  quite  necessary  to  desire  it."  Is  then 
religion  seeking  an  alliance  of  a  really  discreditable  character?  Has 
Christ  left  his  church  so  destitute  of  powers  and  energies  that  a  merely 
carnal  passion  can  help  it,  must  help  it,  if  upheld  in  its  due  station  ?  This 
were  truly  deplorable,  and,  by  accepting  such  dubious  aid,  we  should  be 
like  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  who  sought  alliance  among  the  heathen 
nations,  and  found  that  they  were  leaning  upon  a  broken  spear,  which 
pierced  the  hand  that  rested  upon  it.  But  has  Christ  left  his  church  des- 
titute of  energies  ?  If  he  had,  he  would  have  left  his  people  comfortless  ; 
but  he  says,  "  I  will  not  leave  you  comfordess  ;" — "  my  power  and  my 
presence  shall  be  with  you."  And  what  are  the  true  energies  of  the  gos- 
pel? are  they  not  holy  love  and  burning  zeal  for  the  glory  of  the  gospel 
and  the  good  of  mankind  ?  Did  these  ever  fail  when  duly  sought,  when 
duly  exerted  ?  Did  not  these  principles  bring  the  Savior  from  heaven  ? 
Did  not  the  love  of  Christ  constrain,  urge,  push  forward  with  an  irresisti- 
ble impetus,  the  aposde  Paul?  Did  he  not  by  this  plant  the  standard  of 
the  cross  throughout  the  Roman  empire?  Was  he  not  at  the  same  time 
and  throughout  his  life  one  of  the  most  humble  characters  that  ever  adorned 
the  Christian  church?  Fame  he  did  indeed  acquire  ;  but  how  did  this 
come  about  ?  It  followed  his  exertions,  but  did  not  lead  the  way  :  it  was 
an  ordained  consequence  that  blessed  his  memory.  He  sought  not  pop- 
ular applause  ;  and,  when  he  had  found  the  result,  he  was  not  elated,  but 
said,  "  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  that  was  with  me."  And,  generally, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  more  gifts,  the  more  popularity,  the  more  effect 
produced,  the  more  humility  will  be  produced  when  the  soul  is  in  a  per- 
fectly healthy  state.  As  our  exaltation  in  heaven  will  no  doubt  be  the 
cause  of  increased  humility,  so  here,  on  earth,  it  is  only  the  corruptions  of 
nature  that  prevent  this  effect. 

"  The  more  thy  glories  strike  my  eyes 
The  humbler  I  shall  lie." 

Paul  did  not  despise  his  reputation  in  the  churches,  but  neither  did  he 
desire  human  applause.  Feeling  the  power  of  his  influence,  he  made  it 
subserve  the  glory  of  his  Master.  It  was  a  treasure  that  fell  into  his 
hands,  and  he  devoted  it  to  the  service  of  the  gospel. 

If  applause  should  never  follow  our  exertions  in  the  same  or  in  any 


432  LECTURE    XXI\'. 

degree,  yet  we  must  "  commit  ourselves  in  well-doing  to  him  that  judgeth 
righteously."  We  must  live  above  the  exj>ectancy  of  applause  ;  nay,  we 
must  suppose  that  an  unjust  world  will  withhold  it — power  may  suppress 
it — envy  may  stifle  it ;  and  we  must  even  wait  the  discoveries  of  the  great 
day  of  final  account  to  receive  that  praise  which  comes  from  God.  "  Even 
now  we  must  rise  on  the  wings  of  contemplation  until  the  praises  and  cen- 
sures of  men  die  away  upon  our  ear,  and  the  still  small  voice  of  con- 
science is  no  longer  drowned  by  the  din  of  this  nether  world.  Here  the 
sight  is  apt  to  be  occupied  with  earthly  objects,  and  tlie  hearing  to  be  en- 
grossed with  earthly  sounds  ;  but  there  we  shall  come  whhin  the  view  of 
that  resplendent  and  incorruptible  crown  which  is  held  forth  to  our  accep- 
tance in  the  realms  of  light,  and  our  ear  shall  be  regaled  with  heavenly 
melody.  Here  we  dwell  in  a  variable  atmosphere  :  the  prospect  is  at  one 
time  darkened  by  the  gloom  of  disgrace  and  at  another  the  eye  is  dazzled 
by  the  gleamings  of  glory  ;  but,  ascended  above  this  inconstant  region,  no 
storms  agitate,  no  clouds  obscure  the  air ;  the  lightnings  ])lay  and  the  thun- 
ders roll  beneath." 

If  I  should  be  so  happy  in  this  representation  of  the  apparent  good  in 
human  applause,  together  with  its  emulating  flirting  qualities  on  the  one 
hand,  and  on  the  other  the  overwhelming  dead  weight  of  the  bad,  as  to 
determine  any  wavering  mind  to  seek  the  extirpation  for  ever  of  such  a 
destructive  principle  from  his  heart,  and  to  pursue  the  only  right  path  to 
honor,  to  be  watchful  and  vigilant  against  the  risings  of  corrupt  nature, 
from  which  all  desire  of  praise  springs  up — if  such  should  be  the  result, 
I  shall  think  myself  fully  rewarded,  and  my  joy  will  be  great. 

Energies  or  impetus  I  know  the  preacher  must  have;  but,  since  the 
choice  lies  before  us  to  take  the  power  from  heathen  or  evangelical  store, 
we  can  not  hesitate  how  to  determine.  If  any  real  revival  is  to  be  wit- 
nessed, of  which  we  hear  so  much,  it  must  be  efl^ected  by  evangelical 
means.  "  The  weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through 
God,  to  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds,  casting  down  imaginations  and 
every  high  thing  that  cxalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ :"  2  Cor. 
X.  4,  5. 

I  have  taken  no  notice  whatever  of  what  Dr.  Blair  or  any  other  says  as 
to  the  value  of  praise  in  cementing  liuman  societies  together,  because  this 
part  of  the  subject  is  foreign  from  my  purpose;  but,  if  it  were  necessary 
to  attach  any  importance  to  it,  I  should  only  observe  that  Christian  love  is 
a  fnr  belter  cement  of  society  than  a  mere  ambition  to  please.  Surely  Dr. 
Blair  had  forgotten  the  diirteenth  chapter  of  the  first  of  Corinthians  :  here 
the  whole  matter  is  settled  for  ever,  as  to  all  that  is  necessary  to  produce 
universal  harmony  among  mankind  ;  and  the  New  Testament,  generally, 
contains  all  the  truest  elements  of  the  social  compact  and  all  the  safest 
means  of  securing  it  that  ever  the  world  knew. 

I  can  not  close  this  Topic  respecting  the  good  and  the  had,  wiUiout  re- 
questing that  the  good  found  in  this  work  may  be  accepted  and  the  bad 
forgiven. 


SUPPOSE    THINGS.  433 


LECTURE  XXV. 

TOPIC  XXL 
SUPPOSE  THINGS. 

Suppositions  are  somewhat  like  mushrooms  :  they  spring  up  sudden- 
ly, and  suddenly  perish.  However,  it  must  be  admitted  that  when  judi- 
ciously selected  and  prepared  they  may  sometimes  serve  a  valuable  pur- 
pose, by  enabling  us  to  place  our  subjects  and  arguments  in  a  strong  and 
improved  light.  We  must  always  take  care  that  our  suppositions  are  dic- 
tated by  good  sense  ;  for,  of  all  the  silly  things  in  the  world,  a  silly  suppo- 
sition is  one  of  the  most  contemptible  imaginable.*  Mons.  Claude  con- 
siders this  Topic  as  being  principally  used  in  controversy,  and  gives  the 
following  example  :  "  When  you  are  speaking  of  the  merit  of  good  works, 
you  may  take  this  way  of  supposition,  and  say,  Let  us  suppose  that  Je- 
sus Christ  and  his  apostles  held  the  doctrines  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and 
that  they  believe  men  merited  eternal  life  by  their  good  works.  Let  us 
suppose  that  they  intended  to  teach  us  this  doctrine  in  the  gospels  and 
epistles.  Tell  me,  I  beseech  you,  if  upon  this  supposition  (which  is  pre- 
cisely what  our  adversaries  pretend)  they  ought  to  have  affirmed  what  they 
have  affirmed.  Tell  me,  pray,  do  you  believe  yourself  well  and  sufficient- 
ly instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  merit  of  good  works  when  you  are  told, 
*  When  you  have  done  all  these  things,  say,  We  are  unprofitable  servants  ?' 
Again,  when  the  example  of  a  miserable  publican  is  proposed  to  you,  who 
prays,  '  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner !'  who  smites  his  breast,  and  dares 
not  lift  his  eyes  to  heaven,  when  he  is  placed  in  opposition  to  a  Pharisee 
glorying  in  his  works,  and  when  you  are  informed  that  the  first  '  went 
down  to  his  house  justified  rather  than  the  other' — when  you  are  told, 
'  If  it  be  by  grace,  it  is  no  more  of  works,  otherwise  grace  is  no  more 
grace,  and,  if  it  be  by  works,  it  is  no  more  grace,  otherwise  work  is  no 
more  work' — when  you  are  told,  '  You  are  saved  by  grace,  through  faith, 
and  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God' — when  you  are  assured 
that  you  are  'justified  freely  by  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus,  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast' — when  you  hear 
that  '  to  him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth  the  un- 
godly, his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness' — when  you  are  taught  to  be- 
lieve that  '  the  wages  of  sin  is  death,  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life' — 
tell  me,  I  once  more  entreat  you,  can  you  persuade  yourself  that  Jesus 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  by  all  these  means,  intended  to  teach  you  that  man 
acquires  justification,  and  a  right  to  eternal  life,  by  the  merit  of  his  works  ? 

"  You  may  also  make  such  suppositions  in  morality  as  well  as  in  con- 
troversy, in  order  to  give  greater  weight  to  your  exhortations." 

W  ith  regard  to  subjects  of  controversy,  suppositions  are  raised  to  throw 
the  opponent  into  a  dilemma,  and  to  show  that  his  conclusions  respecting 
the  thing  on  hand  are  irreconcilable  with  evidences  of  truth  which  he  can 
not  but  admit,  or  that  they  are  contrary  to  common  sense ;  and  here  it  lies 

*  Poetical  fictions  are  snppositions  ;  and  so  are  parables,  allegories,  and  all  works  of  the  imagina- 
tion :  these  are  to  be  tried  by  the  rules  of  truth  and  good  sense  ;  and  in  these  suppositions,  if  good, 
lies  great  utility. 

28 


434  LECTURE    XXV. 

with  the  opponent  himself  to  reconcile  the  inconsistencies,  if  he  can,  be- 
fore his  conclusions  can  be  admitted. 

Ao-ain  :  if  an  opponent  maintain  the  literal  sense  of  a  passage  of  scripture 
where  a  metaphorical  sense  is  intended,  a  supposition  may  be  so  framed 
as  to  show  that  it  is  contrary  to  common  sense  ;  for  instance,  Gen.  iii.  15  : 
"  The  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  [the  serpent] 
shalt  bruise  his  heel." 

If  we  suppose  our  first  parents  to  understand  these  words  literally,  and  that  God 
meant  them  so  to  be  understood,  this  passage  must  appear  absolutely  ridiculous.  Do 
but  imagine  that  you  see  God  coming  to  judge  the  offenders,  Adam  and  Eve,  who 
stand  before  him  in  the  utmost  distress,  that  you  hear  God  inflicting  pains,  and  sor- 
rows, and  misery,  and  death,  upon  the  first  of  the  human  race,  and  that,  in  the  midst 
of  all  this  scene  of  wo  and  great  calamity,  you  hear  God  foretelling,  with  great  so- 
lemnity, a  very  trivial  accident  that  should  sometimes  happen  in  the  world — that 
serpents  would  be  apt  to  bite  men  by  the  heels,  and  that  men  would  be  apt  to  revenge 
themselves  by  striking  them  on  the  head  !  In  the  name  of  common  sense,  what  has 
this  trifle  to  do  with  the  loss  of  mankmd,  with  the  corruption  of  the  natural  and 
moral  world,  and  the  ruin  of  all  the  glory  and  happiness  of  the  creation  ?  Great 
comfort  it  was  to  Adam,  doubtless,  after  telling  him  that  his  days  should  be  short 
and  full  of  misery,  and  his  end  without  hope,  to  let  him  know  that  he  should  now  and 
then  knock  a  snake  on  the  head,  but  not  even  that  without  paying  dearly  for  his  poor 
victory,  for  the  snake  should  often  bite  him  by  the  heel !  Adam  surely  could  not  un- 
derstand the  prophecy  in  this  sense,  though  some  of  his  sons  have  so  understood  it,  a 
plain  indication  how  much  more  some  men  are  concerned  to  maintain  a  literal  mter- 
pretation  of  scripture  than  they  are  to^make  it  speak  common  sense.* 

The  following  suppositions  are  founded  by  Simeon  on  Genesis  xviii. 
24-32 :— 

Suppose  God  had  said,  Find  me  fifty  righteous,  or  thirty,  or  twenty,  or  only  ten, 
and  for  their  sakes  I  will  pardon  and  save  all  the  rest,  we  must  have  perished,  be- 
cause among  the  whole  human  race  there  is  not  one  righteous,  no,  not  one. 

Suppose,  instead  of  this,  he  had  said,  I  will  give  my  Son  to  die  for  your  past 
offences,  and  bring  you  back  to  a  state  of  probation  whereby  if  you  fall  not  again 
from  your  righteousness  you  shall  be  saved  ;  the  offer  would  have  been  kind,  but  it 
would  have  been  useless  to  us. 

Still,  suppose  God  had  said,  I  foresee  that  a  renewal  of  your  former  covenant 
would  be  to  no  purpose,  and  therefore  my  Son  shall  work  out  a  righteousness  for  you, 
and  I  require  nothing  of  you  but  to  add  to  that  a  righteousness  of  your  own,  that  the 
two  righteousnesses  together  may  form  a  joint  ground  of  acceptance  with  me  ;  alas  ! 
we  should  have  been  in  as  deplorable  a  state  as  before. 

But  suppose  God  yet  further  so  lowered  his  demands  as  to  say,  I  will  give  you  a 
complete  salvation  through  the  blood  and  righteousness  of  my  dear  Son,  and  I  will 
require  nothing  of  you,  but  only  to  render  yourselves  worthy  of  it;  still  our  case 
would  have  been  altogether  helpless. 

This  was  well  known  to  God,  therefore  he  proposed  none  of  these  things  ;  he  re- 
quired only  that  we  should  believe  in  his  Son  and  accept  freely  what  he  freely  offers. 
It  is  true  that  if  even  this  depended  on  ourselves  we  should  perish,  because  without 
help  we  should  not  even  believe ;  still  this  is  the  conditioii  which  alone  is  suited  to 
our  helpless  state,  because  it  implies  a  total  renunciation  of  all  merit  and  strength  in 
ourselves,  and  leads  to  Christ  that  we  may  find  our  all  in  liim. 

A  few  examples  of  division  on  this  Topic  shall  now  be  adduced. 

Lavington,  volume  i.,  page  25,  on  Hcb.  xi.  4  :  "  He,  being  dead,  yet 
speaketh."  The  text  is  not  strictly  adhered  to,  but  treated  as  a  motto, 
and  the  sermon  is  founded  upon  sundry  suppositions,  as  to  what  the  de- 
ceased would  speak  if  she  were  in  the  place  of  the  preacher.  The  preach- 
er says — 

I  shall  consider  myself  as  her  mouth  to  you.  Hark !  hark !  she  speaks !  she 
says — 

•  Bishop  Sherlock'8  Third  DiBConrse. 


SUPPOSE    THINGS.  436 

I.  Weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves  and  your  children. 
Hark  !  she  speaks  again. 

II.  Seek  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  righteousness  thereof,  in  the  first  place. 
Hark  !  she  speaks  again. 

III.  Whatever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might. 
Yet  again  she  says — 

IV.  I  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  &c. 

On  each  of  these  Topics  he  speaks  eloquently,  and  then  concludes  with 
several  important  reflections.  Here,  then,  you  have  a  sermon  upon  sup- 
positions. Mr.  Simeon  on  the  same  text  represents  Abel  as  addressing 
the  congregation  in  the  following  terms  : — 

Brethren,  though  dead,  I  yet  live ;  and,  though  I  have  been  dead  almost  six  thou- 
sand years,  1  would  speak  to  you  as  though  I  had  died  but  yesterday.  I  am  con- 
cerned that  you  should  profit  by  my  experience.  You  are  assembled  to  serve  and 
worship  your  God  ;  and  you  are  ready  to  conceive  that,  on  that  account,  you  are  all 
rendering  unto  God  an  acceptable  service ;  but  I  must  declare  to  you  that  this  is  far 
from  being  the  case.  Your  outward  forms,  considered  independently  of  the  frame 
of  mind  in  which  you  engage  in  them,  are  of  no  value  in  the  sight  of  God.  Sacri- 
fices are  in  themselves  worthless,  Isa.  Ixvi.  3.  God  looks  not  at  the  act,  but  at  the 
heart ;  and,  if  that  be  not  right  with  him,  your  sacrifices,  how  costly  soever  they 
may  be,  are  only  "  an  abomination  to  him."  Of  all  this  you  may  be  assured  from 
what  is  related  concerning  my  brother  Cain  and  myself  He,  as  you  have  been  told, 
was  not  accepted ;  Avhile  I  was  accepted.  What  is  it  that  made  the  diff'erence  ? 
Why  did  God  look  with  complacency  upon  me  and  with  abhorrence  on  him?  It 
was  because  I  approached  him  as  a  sinner,  whose  hopes  were  founded  solely  on  the 
sacrifice  of  his  Son,  while  my  brother  approached  him  without  any  such  exercise  of 
repentance  and  faith.  And  so  it  is  with  you.  On  those  who  draw  nigh  to  him  with 
a  broken  and  contrite  spirit,  and  with  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  Lamb  of  God  to  take 
away  their  sins,  he  looks  with  delight ;  he  will  even  give  to  them  sweet  tokens  of 
his  acceptance  and  testimonies  of  his  love ;  and,  if  he  should  not  give  the  visible 
demonstrations  to  them  which  he  did  to  me,  he  will  not  leave  them  without  witness, 
even  in  the  minds  of  their  enemies,  for  he  will  so  enrich  their  souls  by  his  grace  as 
to  make  it  evident  that  "  God  is  with  them  of  a  truth."  But  upon  the  proud  self- 
righteous  formalist  God  will  look  with  scorn  and  indignation.  Yes,  to  those  of  you 
who  have  come  up  hither  merely  to  perform  a  duty  that  custom  has  prescribed,  he 
says,  "  You  hypocrites,  in  vain  do  you  worship  me,  seeing  that,  while  you  draw  nigh 
to  me  with  your  mouths,  and  honor  me  with  your  lips,  your  hearts  are  far  from  me," 
Matt.  XV.  7-9.  I  warn  you  then  not  to  deceive  your  own  souls ;  for  assuredly, 
whether  you  will  bplieve  or  not,  God  will  ere  long  make  the  same  distinction  be- 
tween you  that  he  did  between  me  and  Cain  ;  the  contrite  and  believing  worshippers 
shall  have  a  testimony  of  his  approbation  before  the  whole  assembled  universe,  but 
the  impenitent  and  unbelieving  shall  be  marked  out  as  monuments  of  his  everlasting 
displeasure.  As  for  you  who  worship  him  in  faith,  he  may  for  the  present  leave  you 
in  the  hands  of  the  ungodly,  who,  from  envy,  may  be  incensed  against  you ;  he  may 
su2"er  your  "  greatest  enemies  to  be  those  of  your  own  household  ;"  yea,  he  may  even 
leave  you  to  be  put  to  death,  and  to  suffer  martyrdom  for  your  fidelity  to  him  ;  but 
let  not  that  deter  you  from  confessing  him  openly  before  men.  I  have  never  regret- 
ted the  sufferings  I  endured  for  him  ;  nor  will  you  ever  regret  anything  you  may  be 
called  to  sustain.  Even  the  testimony  which  you  shall  now  enjoy  in  your  own  con- 
science shall  be  an  ample  recompense  for  all :  what  then  shall  that  testimony  in  the 
day  of  judgment  be,  when  he  shall  say,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter 
into  the  joy  of  your  Lord  ?"  Go  on,  then,  without  fear,  and  "  hold  fast  the  profession 
of  your  faith  without  wavering."  Be  faithful  unto  death,  and  he  will  give  you  a  crown 
of  life. 

This  passage,  besides  furnishing  an  example  of  supposition,  is  worthy 
of  your  attention  as  an  example  o[ personification,  o(  contrast  (Topic  xviii.), 
and  also  of  paraphrastic  comment. 

Zeph.  iii.  17  :  "  The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is  mighty;  he 
will  save.  He  will  rejoice  over  thee  with  joy  ;  he  will  rest  in  his  love  ;  he 
will  rejoice  over  ihee." 


436  LECTURE    XXV. 

I.  Suppose  the  people  of  God  to  fear,  as  Moses  did,  that  God  would  depart  from 
them,  here  the  divine  presence  is  declared,  as  Matt,  xviii.  20  ;  Josh.  i.  5.  Further, 
the  text  says,  "  He  will  rest  in  his  love." 

II.  Suppose  an  individual  to  fear  his  own  salvation ;  the  text  says,  "  He  will 
save." 

III.  Suppose  they  should  fear  that  their  comforts  would  be  withheld  (as  2  Sam. 
liv.  28),  the  text  says,  "  He  will  rejoice  over  you  with  joy."     See  Isa.  liv.  7-10,  &c. 

The  following  has  been  ascribed  to  the  late  Mr.  Newton  ;  it  is  on  1  Cor. 
X.  13  :  "  There  hath  no  temptation  [trial]  taken  you  but  such  as  is  com- 
mon to  man,"  &c.     The  people  of  the  Lord  are  apt  to  suppose — 

I.  That  their  trial  is  singular.     The  text  says  the  contrary. 

II.  That  though  they  pray  they  shall  not  be  delivered.  The  text  says,  God  "  will 
make  a  way  for  their  escape." 

III.  That  they  shall  not  be  able  to  bear  the  affliction  during  its  continuance.  The, 
text  says  they  shall  "  be  able  to  bear  it." 

An  author,  whose  work  can  not  as  a  whole  be  recommended,  has  the 
following  passage  on  Luke  xvi.  31  :  "  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded  though  one  should  rise  from  the 
dead." 

Rise  from  the  dead !  to  what  purpose  ?  what  could  such  a  messenger  propose  or 
urge  which  had  not  been  proposed  and  urged  already  ?  The  novelty  or  surprise  of 
such  a  visit  is  what  might  awaken  the  attention  of  a  curious  unthinking  people,  who 
spent  their  time  in  nothing  else  but  to  hear  and  tell  of  some  new  thing ;  but,  ere  the 
wonder  was  well  over,  some  new  wonder  would  start  up  in  its  room,  and  then  the 
man  might  return  to  the  dead  whence  he  came,  and  not  a  soul  would  make  one  in- 
quiry about  him. 

This,  I  fear,  would  be  the  conclusion  of  the  affair.  But,  to  bring  this  matter  still 
closer  to  us,  let  us  imagine,  if  there  be  nothing  unworthy  in  it,  that  God  in  compli- 
ance with  a  curious  world — or  from  a  better  motive,  in  compassion  to  a  sinful  one — 
should  vouchsafe  to  send  one  from  the  dead.  Now  bear  with  me,  I  beseech  you,  in 
forming  such  an  address  as  I  suppose  would  be  most  likely  to  gain  our  attention  and 
conciliate  the  heart  to  what  he  had  to  say. 

1.  Suppose  this  messenger  to  urge  our  interest.  He  might  tell  us  (after  giving  the 
most  indisputable  credentials  of  his  mission)  that  he  had  come  as  a  messenger  from 
the  great  God  of  heaven,  with  reiterated  proposals  whereby  much  was  to  be  granted 
us  on  his  side  and  something  to  be  parted  with  on  ours ;  but  that,  not  to  alarm  us,  it 
was  neither  houses  nor  lands,  it  was  not  wives,  nor  children,  nor  brethren,  that  we 
had  to  forsake,  no  one  rational  pleasure  to  be  given  up,  no  natural  endearment  to  be 
torn  from.  In  a  word,  he  would  tell  us  we  had  nothing  to  part  with  but  what  it  was 
not  for  our  interest  to  keep,  and  that  was  our  sins,  which  had  brought  death  and 
misery  to  our  doors.  He  would  go  on  and  prove,  by  a  thousand  arguments,  that  to 
be  temperate,  and  chaste,  and  just,  and  peaceable,  and  charitable,  and  kind  one  to 
another,  was  only  doing  that  for  Christ's  sake  which  was  most  for  our  own,  and  that, 
were  we  in  a  capacity  of  capitulating  with  God  upon  what  terms  we  would  submit 
to  his  government,  he  would  convince  us  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  wit  of  man 
to  frame  any  proposals  more  for  our  present  interest  than  to  lead  an  uncorrupted  life, 
to  do  the  thing  that  was  lawful  and  right,  and  lay  such  restraints  upon  our  appetites 
as  are  for  the  honor  of  human  nature  and  the  refinement  of  human  happiness. 

2.  Suppose  the  spectre  to  address  himself  to  the  other  passions.  In  doing  this  he 
could  but  give  us  the  most  engaging  ideas  of  the  perfections  of  God  ;  nor  could  he 
do  more  than  impress  the  most  awful  ones  of  his  majesty  and  power?  He  might 
remind  us  that  we  are  creatures  but  of  a  day,  hastening  to  the  place  whence  we  shall 
not  return — that  during  our  stay  we  are  accountable  to  this  Being,  who,  though  rich 
in  mercy,  is  yet  terrible  in  judgments — that  he  took  notice  of  all  our  actions,  that  he 
was  about  our  paths,  and  about  our  beds,  and  spied  out  all  our  ways — and  that  he 
was  so  pure  in  his  nature  that  he  would  punish  even  the  wicked  imagination  of  our 
hearts,  and  had  appointed  a  day  wherein  he  would  enter  into  this  inquiry.     He  might 

add but  what,  with  all   the  eloquence  of  an  inspired  tongue,  what  could  he  add 

or  say  to  us  which  has  not  been  said  before  ?  The  experiment  has  been  tried  a  thou- 
sand times  upon  the  hopes  and  fears,  the  reasons  and  passions  of  men,  by  all  the 
powers  of  nature,  the  application  of  which  have  been  so  great,  and  the  variety  of  ad- 


SUPPOSE    THINGS.  437 

dresses  so  unanswerable,  that  there  is  not  a  greater  paradox  in  the  world  than  that 
so  good  a  religion  should  be  no  better  recommended  by  its  professors. 

This  is  a  fine  specimen  of  suppositions,  and  we  are  naturally  led  to  one 
remark  :  If  such  be  the  condition  of  man,  we  may  well  say  that  nothing 
short  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  can  rouse  him  from  the  death  of  sin,  since 
messengers  from  the  dead,  though  they  were  to  exhibit  the  most  impres- 
sive view  of  the  glories  of  heaven  and  the  flames  of  hell,  would  have  no 
more  than  a  temporary  effect  without  this  holy  aid.  We  must,  however, 
endeavor  by  suppositions,  and  any  and  all  other  means,  to  arouse  atten- 
tion, always  looking  to  God  for  a  divine  blessing. 

Beddome  makes  a  good  use  of  this  Topic  in  the  first  part  of  his  ser- 
mon on  Galatians  vi.  7  :  "Be  not  deceived." — *'  We  hope,"  says  he, 
*'  that  all  is  right,  but  sup'pose  we  should  be  mistaken."  He  then  forms 
his  first  principal  head  by  saying,  "  Let  us  consider  some  of  the  instances 
in  which  we  are  liable  to  be  deceived."  These  instances  are  in  fact  sup- 
positions. 

1.  One  can  easily  perceive  that  those  are  deceived  who  think  lightly  of  sin. 

2.  We  think  the  same  of  those  who  affect  or  pretend  that  we  make  too  great  a 
stir  about  sin. 

3.  Some  amuse  themselves  with  thoughts  of  a  death-bed  repentance ;  they  suppose 
that,  as  the  thief  upon  the  cross  found  favor,  so  may  they. 

4.  Some  call  good  evil,  and  vice  versa,  or  think  their  state  to  be  good  while  it  is 
stark  naught. 

The  second  general  head  embraces  the  evil  and  danger  of  self-deception, 
which  are  shown  in  several  particulars. 

The  same  author  takes  up  this  Topic  in  the  second  and  principal  divis- 
ion of  his  discourse  on  Jer.  xiii.  27  :  "  O  Jerusalem  !  wilt  thou  not  be 
made  clean  ?  when  shall  it  once  be  ?" 
I.  Let  us  consider  the  question  itself. 

1.  It  is  of  great  importance  to  be  cleansed  from  the  filth  of  sin. 

2.  Cleansing  is  the  work  of  God. 

3.  He  has  much  at  heart  as  to  this  point. 

4.  Our  unwillingness  greatly  obstructs  it, 

5.  But  even  this  does  not  utterly  prevent  it. 

II.  Let  us  consider  the  various  answers  which  will  be  made  to  the  questions  be- 
fore us:  "  Wilt  thou  not  be  made  clean  ?  when  shall  it  once  be  ?" 

J.  It  can  easily  be  supposed  that  some  of  you  are  willing  to  be  delivered  from  the 
punishment  of  sin,  but  not  from  its  power — you  will  be  justified,  but  not  sanctified. 

2.  It  may  be  imagined,  without  any  breach  of  charity,  that  some  of  you  would  be 
cleansed  outwardly  only. 

3.  It  can  easily  be  conceived  that  some  of  you  would  be  made  partly  clean,  but  not 
wholly  so. 

4.  Others  would  probably  wish  to  be  made  clean,  but  they  do  not  like  God's  way 
of  doing  it,  or  the  means  he  uses. 

5.  Others  would  be  cleansed,  but  not  yet,  as  Austin.* 

6.  May  we  be  allowed  to  suppose  a  case  still  worse,  where  the  determined  in 
wickedness  openly  say,  We  will  not  be  cleansed  at  all  ? 

7.  But  turn  to  the  real  Christian  ;  ■  Ask  him  the  question  ;  a  good  answer  is  ready 
imrnediately ;  he  cries  out  with  the  psalmist  (Ps.  li.  2),  "  Wash  me  thoroughly  from 
my  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin." 

This  outline  furnishes  an  opportunity  for  unravelling  the  secret  wiles  of 
the  human  heart ;  and  our  author  proceeds  to  answer  these  several  suppo- 
sitions in  a  sensible  and  judicious  manner. 

I  add  the  following  from  Davies,  volume  ii.,  page  414,  on  Mark  xii.  6  : 
"  They  will  reverence  ray  son."     Part  of  this  sermon  suits  our  purpose. 

*  It  ia  stated  by  Austin  that  he  so  prayed,  being  desirous  of  retaining  his  besetting  sin  a  little 
longer. 


438  LECTURE    XXV. 

If  we  consider  the  unworthiness  of  our  guilty  world,  and  the  high  character  of  the 
blessed  Jesus,  we  could  have  but  little  reason  to  expect  that  he  would  come  into  our 
world  as  a  Savior  ;  but — 

I.  Suppose  he  should  come;  suppose  he  should  leave  all  his  glory  to  become  a 
messenger  of  grace  ;  suppose,  I  say,  such  a  wonder  as  this  is  to  be  realized,  might  i* 
not  be  reasonably  expected  that  we  should  universally  receive  him  with  open  arms* 

II.  Suppose  he  so  came  for  particular,  specific,  and  all-gracious  purposes,  and  sus- 
tained characters  agreeable  to  the  designs  upon  which  he  came. 

1.  Suppose  he  came  as  our  only  deliverer,  how  grateful  should  we  be ! 

2.  If  he  came  as  our  great  higk-priest,  surely  it  might  be  expected  that  we  shoulff 
place  our  whole  dependence  on  his  atonement ;  and  in  the  same  manner  with  respec> 
to  all  his  redeeming  acts. 

These  examples  are  quite  sufficient  to  show  the  utility  of  the  Topic  in 
division.  But,  I  repeat,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  distinguish  between 
what  is  implied,  agreeably  to  the  fifth  Topic,  and  what  is  only  supposable, 
according  to  this  twenty-first  Topic.  It  requires  also  a  nice  discrimination 
to  determine  when  it  is  proper  to  have  recourse  to  suppositions,  and  espe- 
cially when  to  form  divisions  in  whole  or  in  part  upon  them.  I  should 
think  it  proper  to  give  the  Topic  a  prominent  place  in  discoursing  upon 
such  a  text  as  Jer.  viii.  15  :  "  We  looked  for  peace,  but  no  good  came  ; 
for  a  time  of  health,  and  behold  trouble."  There  must  be  some  supposa- 
ble  considerations  to  reconcile  this  with  the  goodness  of  God,  who  has 
pleasure  in  the  prosperity  of  his  servants;  and,  if  we  refer  to  Jeremiah  xiv. 
19,  20,  we  are  furnished  with  them.  Now  in  such  a  case  as  this,  your 
first  principal  head  might  very  properly  comprise  these  supposable  con- 
siderations. 

There  are  also  several  supposable  truths  connected  in  our  ideas  with 
the  text,  Jer.  viii.  15,  though  there  is  nothing  which  can  properly  be  con- 
sidered as  implied,  and  these  might  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner. 

In  conclusion,  allow  me  to  say  that  we  must  never  bring  our  supposi 
tions  with  us  when  we  come  to  the  Scriptures  for  instruction.  This  is  a 
most  frequent,  but  a  most  pernicious  practice.  Whatever  the  supposition- 
ists  meet  with  in  scripture  that  agrees  with  their  previously-formed  ideas, 
they  praise  to  the  utmost ;  but,  when  they  meet  with  passages  and  doc- 
trines which  contradict  their  previous  notions,  then  we  hear  a  tale  :  "  This 
is  a  mystery,  or  a  strong  figurative  expression  ;  it  can  not  exactly  mean 
what  it  says,  because  God  would  never  require  our  behef  of  a  thing  so  re- 
pugnant to  human  reason,  and  so  contrary  to  other  passages  of  his  word," 
&c. 


TOPIC  XXII. 

GUARD  AGAINST  OBJECTIONS. 

*'  There  are  very  few  texts  of  scripture,"  as  Claude  observes,  "  where 
this  Topic  may  not  be  made  use  of;  and  it  is  needless  to  mention  exam- 
ples :  they  will  occur  to  every  one  without  much  reflection.  It  may,  how- 
ever, be  observed  that  the  objections  referred  to  must  be  natural  and  pop- 
ular, not  far-fetched,  nor  too  philosophical ;  in  a  word,  they  must  be  such 
as  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  notice  and  refute.  They  must  be  proposed 
in  a  clear  and  simple  style,  without  rhetorical  exaggerations,  yet  not  una- 
dorned nor  unaffecting. 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  439 

"  I  think  it  is  never  advisable  to  state  objections  and  defer  the  an- 
swers to  them  till  another  opportunity.  Answer  them  directly,  forcibly, 
and  fully. 

"  Here  it  may  be  asked  whether,  in  stating  objections  to  be  answered, 
it  be  proper  to  propose  them  all  together  at  once  and  then  come  to  the 
answers,  or  whether  they  should  be  proposed  and  answered  one  by  one  ? 
I  suppose  discretional  good  sense  must  serve  for  both  guide  and  law  upon 
this  subject.  If  three  or  four  objections  regard  only  one  part  of  the  text, 
if  each  may  be  proposed  and  answered  in  a  few  words,  it  would  not  be 
amiss  to  propose  these  objections  all  together,  distinguishing  them,  how- 
ever, by  first,  second,  third  ;  this  may  be  done  agreeably.  But  if  these 
objections  regard  different  parts  of  the  text,  or  different  matters,  if  they  re- 
quire to  be  proposed  at  full  length,  and  if  it  would  also  take  some  time  to 
answer  them,  it  would  be  impertinence  to  propose  them  all  together :  in 
such  a  case  they  must  be  proposed  and  answered  apart." 

Mr.  Robinson  says,  in  a  note  on  this  Topic,  "  There  is  as  much  reason 
for  giving  this  advice  to  preachers  as  there  is  for  saying  to  an  architect  go- 
ing to  build,  '  Guard  against  winds  and  storms  :  you  build  in  summer  and 
retire  ;  but  your  building  must  stand  abroad  all  the  winter.'  It  would  be 
folly  to  suppose  that  any  religious  truth,  how  demonstrable  soever,  could 
stand  in  this  world  free  from  objections.  For  all  truths  touch  somebody's 
creed  ;  and,  when  you  touch  their  bone  and  their  flesh,  it  is  well  if  they 
curse  you  not  to  your  face."  I  submit,  however,  that  we  may  be  over- 
tenacious  :  our  business  is  not  always  whh  gainsayers  ;  if  these  contradict, 
let  us  go  on  preaching  the  truth,  living  upon  its  comforts,  and  guiding  our 
course  by  its  light.  Yet  occasions  there  are  to  regard  our  Topic.  Claude 
recommends  us  to  notice  only  such  objections  as  are  of  a  popular  kind, 
leaving  the  cavils  of  very  learned  and  abstruse  opponents  to  other  hands ; 
and,  with  regard  to  such  as  ought  to  be  noticed,  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
violate  the  rules  of  candor,  and  to  refute  them  by  clear  and  sober  argu- 
ments, such  as  the  people  can  understand. 

The  following  discourse  of  Bishop  Sherlock  furnishes  a  complete  ex- 
ample of  guarding  against  objections.  It  is  founded  on  the  objections  of 
infidels  to  the  gospel  of  Christ  as  unnecessary  to  man's  happiness,  which 
they  contend  is  sufficiently  and  better  secured  in  the  general  mercy  of 
God,  such  as  we  must  conceive  of  that  attribute  by  our  natural  apprehen- 
sions. In  this  discourse  the  good  bishop  goes  to  the  very  bottom  of  the 
argument,  and  completely  overturns  the  objections  advanced,  and  at  the 
same  time  establishes  the  truth  in  a  very  edifying  manner.  His  text  is 
John  iii.  16  :  *'  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life." 

In  this  passage  of  scripture,  and  in  many  others,  the  redemption  of  the  world  by 
Jesus  Christ  is  ascribed  to  the  goodness  and  love  of  God  toward  mankind.  What- 
ever other  difficulties  men  may  find  in  the  gospel,  one  would  suppose  that  it  might  be 
admitted  to  be  at  least  a  good  representation  of  the  divine  mercy  toward  mankind,  and 

K-^K^  ^i^pl^y  that  tenderness  and  compassion  to  our  weaknesses  and  infirmities 
which  we  all  hope  for  and  with  some  reason  expect  to  receive  from  our  great 
Creator,  whose  "  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works." 

'^h^/^^se  being  so,  who  would  expect  to  hear  any  objections  against  the  gospel 
derived  from  the  topics  of  divine  mercy  and  goodness  ?  Yet  some  there  are  who 
think  the  mercy  of  the  gospel  to  be  imperfect,  and  that  nature  gives  far  better  hopes 
to  all  her  children.     They  conceive  the  infirmities  of  human  nature  to  be  unavoida- 


440  LECTURE    XXV. 

ble  and  the  mercy  of  God  to  be  infinite ;  and  from  these  considerations  they  raise 
hopes  as  unbounded  as  they  conceive  mercy  to  be.  As  they  derive  these  strong  as- 
surances from  natural  reason,  they  conceive  all  promises  of  mercy  to  be  unnecessary, 
and  therefore  to  be  suspected  ;  and  the  argument  is  worked  up,  not  only  to  be  an  ob- 
jection against  the  gospel  revelation,  but  against  all  revelations  either  past  or  to  come. 

There  is  nothing  of  more  consequence  to  the  credit  and  authority  of  revelation  than 
to  reconcile  it  to  the  natural  notions  and  the  natural  hopes  and  expectations  of  mankind  ; 
and  indeed  the  promises  of  the  gospel  and  the  hopes  of  nature  are  founded  on  the 
same  common  principles.  Ask  a  Christian,  Why  did  God  redeem  mankind  by  send- 
ing his  Son  into  the  world  ?  He  mu^t  answer,  Because  men  were  sinners,  weak  and 
miserable,  and  unable  to  rescue  themselves  from  their  wretched  condition.  Ask 
what  moved  God  to  express  so  much  concern  for  such  worthless  objects  ?  He  must 
resolve  it  into  the  goodness,  and  tenderness,  and  paternal  affection  of  God,  with 
which  he  embraces  all  the  sons  of  men. 

Ask  the  deist  upon  what  grounds  he  has  hope  and  confidence  toward  God  ? 
He  will  reply  that  he  conceives  it  impossible  for  a  beneficent  being  to  be  rigorous 
and  severe  toward  the  crimes  and  follies  of  such  Aveak,  foolish,  and  impotent  crea- 
tures as  men  ;  that  their  iniquities,  though  against  the  light  of  nature,  yet  flow  from 
a  defect  in  the  powers  of  nature,  since  'tis  no  man's  fault  that  he  is  not  stronger,  or 
wiser,  or  better,  than  he  was  made  to  be,  and  therefore,  though  the  light  of  reason 
renders  him  accountable  for  his  actions,  yet  his  want  of  power  to  do  what  his  reason 
approves  will  make  his  defects  excusable  in  the  sight  of  his  equitable  Judge. 

See  how  nearly  natural  religion  and  the  gospel  are  allied  in  the  foundation  of  their 
hopes  and  expectations.  'Tis  a  pity  such  near  friends,  who  have  one  common  in- 
terest, should  have  any  disputes.     But  disputes  there  are. 

Far  be  it  from  us  to  weaken  the  hopes  of  nature.  The  gospel  is  no  enemy  to 
these  hopes ;  so  far  otherwise  that  all  the  hopes  and  expectations  of  nature  are  so 
many  preparations  to  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  lead  us  to  embrace  that  mercy  of- 
fered by  Christ  which  nature  so  long  and  so  earnestly  has  sought  after.  But  the 
question  is  whether  these  natural  hopes  can  give  us  such  security  of  pardon,  and  of 
life  and  immortality,  as  will  justify  us  in  rejecting  the  light  of  revelation.  Now 
whoever  depends  on  the  forgiveness  of  God  admits  himself  to  be  in  a  case  that  wants 
pardon,  that  is,  admits  himself  to  be  a  sinner.  This  being  the  case  of  mankind  in 
general,  let  it  be  considered — 

I.  That  natural  religion  could  not  be  originally  founded  on  the  consideration  of 
man's  being  a  sinner,  and  in  the  expectation  of  pardon. 

It  must  be  allowed  that  the  original  religion  of  nature  was  agreeable  to  the  original 
state  of  nature;  and  consequently,  if  natural  religion  be  founded  in  the  consideration 
of  man's  sin  and  weakness,  it  follows  that  man  was  originally  formed  a  sinner  and 
weak. 

But  further.  Supposing  men  made  originally  to  be  what  we  see  they  are,  upon 
what  grounds  are  we  to  hope  for  an  alteration  for  the  better  ?  For,  if  it  was  consis- 
tent with  God's  goodness  to  put  men  into  this  state  originally,  how  is  it  inconsistent 
with  his  goodness  to  continue  that  state  which  was  at  first  his  own  appointment? 
He  could  no  more  act  inconsistently  with  his  goodness  at  the  beginning  of  the  world 
than  he  can  at  the  end  of  it.  If  reason  therefore  admits  the  present  state  of  the 
world  to  be  of  God's  appointment,  it  must  never  afterward  protend  to  entertain 
hopes  of  being  delivered  from  it,  and  without  such  hopes  all  religion  is  vain  and 
•useless. 

It  may  be  thought,  perhaps,  that  supposing  the  present  state  of  things  to  be  of 
•God's  appointment  we  can  not  be  answerable  for  what  we  do,  for  why  should  he 
blame  us  for  doing  the  work  he  has  appointed  ?  Allow  this  reasoning,  yet  no  religion 
■  can  be  built  upon  it;  for  it  can  go  no  further  than  to  say  that  wo  ought  not  to  be 
•punished  for  our  doings:  it  can  never  sliow  that  wo  have  any  title  lO  be  put  into  a 
'better  state  ;  the  utmost  it  can  pretend  to  prove  is  that  wo  are  absolulolv  unaccount- 
able ;  and,  if  so,  there  is  nothing  we  can  do  to  less  purpose  than  to  trouble  our  heads 
about  religion. 

Further,  if  the  laws  of  nature  are  the  precepts  of  natural  religion,  as  withi^ut  all 
doubt  they  are,  it  follows  that  natural  religion  can  be  nothing  else  but  obedience  to 
the  laws  of  nature,  and  consequently  the  genuine  hopes  of  natural  religion  must  be 
founded  in  obedience.  This  must  necessarily  be  the  case  ;  for  all  laws  are  made  to 
be  obeyed.  No  prince  was  ever  so  absurd  as  to  make  laws  with  this  vioAV,  that  his 
subjects  might  break  them  and  he  show  his  goodness  in  pardoning  their  transsres- 
sions ;  and  yet  this  must  have  been  the  schonie  of  Providence  if  natural  religion  was 
nothing  else  from  the  beginning  but  an  expectation  of  pardon  for  siu. 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  441 

II.  That  the  hopes  which  we  are  able  to  form  in  our  present  circumstances  are 
too  weak  and  imperfect  to  give  us  entire  satisfaction. 

Let  us  take  a  view  of  our  present  state  without  inquiring  whether  any  and  what 
change  has  happened  to  put  us  into  this  condition  ;  and  let  us  consider  what  may  be 
expected  from  our  present  circumstances.  Two  things  may  be  affirmed  wilh  cer- 
tainty of  the  present  condition  of  mankind:  One  is  that  they  have  a  sense  of  their  ob- 
ligation to  obey  the  laws  of  reason  and  nature,  Avhich  is  evident  from  the  force  of 
natural  conscience  ;  the  other  is  that  very  few  do  in  any  tolerable  degree,  and  none 
perfectly,  pay  this  obedience. 

Let  us  examine  then  how  religion  will  stand  upon  these  circumstances.  It  is  im- 
possible to  found  the  hopes  of  religion  on  innocence  and  obedience  ;  for  obedience  is 
not  paid.  On  the  other  hand,  absolute  impunity  can  not  be  claimed  for  all  sins, 
much  less  can  any  degree  of  happiness,  either  present  or  future,  be  claimed  on  be- 
half of  offenders.  The  utmost  ptobability  to  which  human  reason  can  arrive  in  this 
case  is  that — the  goodness  of  God  and  the  weakness  of  man  considered — God  may 
favorably  accept  our  endeavors,  how  imperfect  soever  our  attainments  may  be.  But 
is  this  reasoning  built  on  infallible  principles?  Can  any  certainty  or  security  arise 
out  of  this — any  that  can  give  rest  or  peace  to  the  mind  of  man,  ever  inquisitive  after 
futurity  ?  Will  you  promise  impunity  to  offenders  upon  repentance  1  Impunity, 
mere  impunity,  is  not  the  thing  that  nature  seeks  after ;  she  craves  something  more. 
But  can  the  argument  for  divine  mercy  be  carried  further?  Is  it  not  great  mercy  to 
pardon  sinners?  Can  you  with  decency  desire  a  reward  for  them?  Our  Savior 
tells  us  that,  when  we  have  done  our  best,  "  we  are  but  unprofitable  servants ;"  and 
if  we  reflect  that  all  our  natural  powers  are  the  gift  of  God,  and  consequently  our 
best  services  are  but  a  debt  paid  to  the  donor,  if  we  consider  that  in  all  we  do  there 
is  no  profit  to  the  Most  High,  that  his  power  and  majesty  are  not  exalted  by  our  ser- 
vices nor  lessened  by  our  neglect,  we  shall  find  that  our  own  reason  teaches  the  same 
lesson,  and  that  when  we  confess  ourselves  unprofitable  servants  we  give  greater 
evidence  of  our  understanding  than  of  our  humility.  And,  if  this  be  truly  the  case, 
what  are  the  claims  of  natural  religion  ?  Are  they  not  the  claims  of  unprofitable 
servants — the  claims  of  those  to  whom  nothing  is  due? 

III.  That  the  coming  of  Christ  has  supplied  these  defects,  and  has  perfected  and 
completed  the  hopes  of  nature. 

Let  us  take  a  view  of  the  conditions  and  promises  of  the  gospel,  and  see  if  we 
have  any  reason  to  be  offended  at  them.  As  to  the  laws  which  are  made  the  condi- 
tions of  our  happiness,  they  are  not  new  impositions,  but  as  old  as  reason  itself,  and 
the  very  same  which  natural  religion  stands  bound  to  obey.  Here  there  can  be  no 
complaint,  at  least  no  just  oae.  So  far  then  we  are  quite  safe  that  we  can  be  no 
losers  by  the  gospel,  since  it  lays  no  new  burden  on  us.  In  all  other  respects  our 
case  is  extremely  altered  for  the  better.  We  feel  ourselves  easily  tempted  to  do 
wrong  and  unable  to  pay  the  obedience  we  owe  to  righteousness.  Hopes  therefore 
from  our  innocence  we  have  none,  but  are  forced  to  have  recourse  to  the  mercy  of 
God.  Now  this  mercy  for  which  we  hope  the  gospel  offers  in  the  name  of  God. 
Have  we  any  reason  to  suspect  the  offer,  or  to  reject  that  very  mercy,  when  prom- 
ised by  God,  which  our  own  reason  teaches  us  to  expect  at  his  hands  ? 

If  we  sin,  nature  has  no  refuge  but  in  repentance,  and  how  far  that  will  go  we 
know  not:  nature  has  not  taught,  can  not  teach  us  this  knowledge.  From  the  gospel 
we  learn  that  true  repentance  shall  never  be  in  vain,  shall  not  only  protect  us  from 
punishment,  but  shall  also  set  open  to  us  the  doors  of  immortality.  There  you  may 
view  religion  once  more  restored  to  its  native  hope  of  glory  and  life  for  evermore. 
You  will  be  no  longer  obliged  to  wander  in  the  mazes  and  intricacies  of  human 
rcasoa,  and  to  speculate  upon  the  attributes  of  divine  mercy  and  justice,  the  limits 
and  boundaries  of  which  are  not  to  be  determined  by  the  wit  of  man,  and  the  con- 
templation of  which  abounds  with  terrors  as  well  as  hopes;  but  you  may  see  the 
clear  and  immutable  purpose  of  God  to  give  salvation  to  all  who,  with  penitent 
hearts  and  a  firm  reliance  on  his  word,  seek  after  righteousness. 

One  would  imagine  the  gospel  should  easily  find  credit  with  men,  when  all  its 
promises  do  so  exactly  tally  and  correspond  with  the  hopes  of  nature.  Has  nature 
any  reason  to  complain  of  this?  Is  it  an  objection  to  the  gospel  that  it  has  con- 
firmed all  your  hopes  and  expectations,  that  it  has  given  you  the  security  of  God's 
promise  to  establish  the  very  wishes  of  your  heart  ?  You  trust,  you  say,  that  he  who 
made  you  still  retains  love  ifor  you.  To  convince  you  that  he  does,  he  has  sent  his 
well-beloved  Son  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.  Though  you  offend,  yet  you  hope, 
on  repentance,  to  be  forgiven;  the  gospel  confirms  this  hope;  the  terms  of  it  are 
more  beneficial,  and  convey  to  true  penitents  not  only  hope  but  a  claim  to  pardon. 


442  LECTURE    XXV. 

But  pardon  only  will  not  satisfy.  There  is  still  something  further  that  nature  craves, 
sotnelhiag  which  with  unutterable  groans  she  pants  after,  even  life  and  happiness 
for  evermore.  She  sees  all  her  children  go  down  to  the  grave.  All  beyond  the 
grave  is  to  her  one  wide  waste,  a  land  of  doubt  and  uncertainty :  when  she  looks 
into  it  she  has  her  hopes  and  she  has  her  fears  ;  and,  agitated  by  the  vicissitudes  of 
these  passions,  she  finds  no  ground  whereon  to  rest  her  foot.  How  different  is  the 
scene  which  the  gospel  opens !  There  we  see  the  heavenly  Canaan,  the  new  Jeru- 
salem, in  which  city  of  the  Great  God  there  are  mansions,  many  mansions,  for  re- 
ceiving those  "  who  through  faith  and  patient  continuance  in  well-doing  seek  for 
glory,  honor,  and  immortality."  Our  blessed  Savior  has  abolished  death,  and  re- 
deemed us  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  that  we  may  dwell  in  his 
presence  as  long  as  eternity  itself  shall  last. 

If  we  were  to  form  a  system  of  religion  for  ourselves,  that  should  answer  to  all 
our  wishes  and  desires,  what  more  could  we  ask  for  ourselves  than  what  the  gospel 
has  offered  ?  The  obedience  required  of  us  is  the  same  to  which  we  are  antecedently 
bound,  in  virtue  of  that  reason  and  that  understanding  which  makes  us  to  be  men. 
The  promises  of  the  gospel  extend  to  more  than  nature  could  ever  claim.  They  take 
in  all  her  wishes  and  establish  all  her  hopes,  and  they  are  offered  by  a  hand  that  is 
able  to  make  them  good. 

The  conclusion  of  the  whole  is  this,  that  since  the  religion  of  a  sinner  must  neces- 
sarily be  founded  in  the  hopes  of  mercy,  since  these  hopes  have  at  best  but  an  un- 
certain foundation  in  natural  religion  and  are  liable  to  be  disturbed  and  shaken  by 
frequent  doubts  and  misgivings  of  mind,  we  have  great  reason  to  bless  and  adore  the 
goodness  of  God,  who  has  openly  displayed  before  our  eyes  the  love  that  he  has  to 
5ie  children  of  men,  by  sending  "  his  well-beloved  Son  into  the  world,  that  all  who 
believe  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

Beside  the  purpose  for  which  the  foregoing  extracts  are  here  given, 
they  may  also  be  referred  to  as  furnishing  a  good  specimen  of  jprojposi- 
tioval  preaching. 

When  it  is  not  the  preacher's  intention  to  dwell  upon  the  objections 
which  may  be  made  to  any  statement  or  doctrine  which  he  is  discussing, 
but  merely  to  notice  them  en  passant,  the  proper  place  of  doing  this  will 
generally  be  found  in  the  exordium.  Several  examples  of  this  kind  will 
be  given  in  the  lectures  on  Exordiums  at  the  end  of  this  volume ;  and, 
instead  of  giving  more  examples  of  the  Topic  here,  I  shall  turn  aside  to 
consider  a  species  of  objections  to  which  I  think  it  will  be  important  for 
every  student  to  pay  some  attention,  in  order  that  he  may  be  prepared  to 
manage  them,  viz.,  the  objections  which  many  Christians  advance  against 
themselves,  as  to  their  being  believers  in  Christ.  Our  old  puritan  divines 
were  not  only  careful  to  guard  against  objections  to  their  doctrines,  but  also 
prompt  in  replying  to  the  religious  fears  of  Christians  touching  their  inter- 
est in  such  doctrines,  and  their  acceptance  with  God,  in  the  broad  accep- 
tation of  that  term. 

But  perhaps  it  may  be  objected  that  this  is  a  species  of  writing  and 
preaching  which  leads  into  a  region  of  thought  suited  only  to  weak  minds,* 
that  it  allows  the  inference  that  religion  has  some  real  connexion  with  a 
gloomy  temper — if  not  worse  still,  that  it  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  a  distempered  understanding,  and  that  when  preachers  enter  upon 
these  ideas  the  greater  part  of  the  congregation  are  rather  annoyed  than 
benefited,  not  knowing  what  he  is  about.  The  matter  to  be  ascertained, 
then,  is  this,  whether  it  can  happen  that  a  Christian,  who  has  every  reason 
to  rejoice,  can  fall  into  a  state  of  doubt  as  to  his  final  state,  or  even  of  the 
readiness  of  a  gracious  Providence  to  supply  his  temporary  necessities,  or 
any  other  important  affair  that  may  appear  to  cross  him  in  his  course,  and 

*  Dr.  Owen  says,  "I  know  sotno  there  are  that  dislike  di^coarses  of  thb  natare,  and  look  upon 
them  with  contempt  and  scorn.     But  why  they  do  so  I  know  not" 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  443 

throw  him  into  perplexities?  And  in  what  manner  does  religion  recognise 
such  a  state?  These  points  may  very  soon  be  dismissed  in  a  satisfactory 
manner. 

If  facts  are  to  be  consulted,  we  find  that  the  faith  of  some  Christians  is 
comparatively  weak,  though  genuine,  and  these  evince,  to  our  observation 
and  experience,  that  they  are  doubting  Christians;  they  doubt  in  the  very 
thing  that  other  Christians  unhesitatingly  rely  upon,  and  to  the  great  won- 
der of  others  who  never  felt  such  inconveniences. 

If  again  we  consult  the  philosophy  of  the  human  mind,  it  is  obvious 
that  when  a  thing  offers  itself  to  our  notice  which  it  is  of  infinite  importance 
for  us  to  possess  and  the  loss  of  which  nothing  can  compensate,  if  our  minds 
are  at  all  sensitive,  wakeful,  considerate,  active,  full  of  the  thought  of  this 
infinite  good,  it  is  more  than  likely  that  some  apprehensions  may  interpose 
as  to  the  issue  of  things,  or  whether  we  shall  really  obtain  or  miss  the 
blessing.  There  will  be  certain  vibrations  of  hope  and  fear,  and  the  latter 
may  very  often  preponderate,  to  our  real  disquietude.  In  such  a  case  we 
naturally  look  for  counsel  from  those  of  stronger  mind,  but  who,  at  some 
former  seasons,  have  suffered  from  the  same  cause;  and  such  persons,  if 
they  have  Christian  feelings,  will  address  the  case  with  the  wisdom  they 
have  acquired,  or  with  what  the  nature  of  the  case  will  admit.  Private 
communications  are  perhaps  best  on  such  subjects ;  but  since  the  distress 
may  be  concealed,  and  since  there  may  be  something  common  in  it  to  very 
many  Christians,  it  becomes  necessary  to  introduce  the  subject  in  public. 
No  doubt  this  will  be  all  Arabic  to  many  unawaked  hearers,  who  never 
felt  any  disturbance  upon  the  subject;  yet  the  course  can  not  be  dispensed 
with  to  please  such  persons  as  are  in  a  state  of  tranquillity  and  deathly 
repose. 

There  is  nothing  necessarily  weak  or  visionary  in  a  discourse  of  this 
nature.  Would  it  not  be  thought  strange  if  our  dear  friend's  very  soul 
was  wrapped  up  in  an  only  son,  if  such  a  youth's  hfe  was  supposed  to  be 
in  jeopardy,  and  we  did  not,  to  the  utmost  of  our  power,  endeavor  to  con- 
sole such  friend  with  all  the  rational  hopes  that  the  case  admitted?  The 
anguish  and  the  vibration  of  mind  that  the  patriarch  Jacob  suffered,  on 
parting  with  his  beloved  Benjamin,  are  on  record.  Again:  is  it  strange 
that  the  merchant's  hopes  and  fears  should  be  tremblingly  alive  for  the 
safety  of  the  ship  in  which  his  whole  property  is  embarked,  and  which 
none  either  could  or  would  insure?  Certainly  not.  Thus  the  Christian's 
everlasting  hopes  are  embarked ;  and,  considering  the  imperfection  of  his 
present  state,  it  is  not  strange  that  he  should  be  the  subject  of  intense  anx- 
iety and  often  of  preponderant  fears. 

We  find,  from  scripture,  that  many  good  people,  in  every  age,  have 
been  the  subjects  of  fears,  that  the  prophets,  the  psalmist,  Christ  Jesus 
himself,  and  his  servants  the  apostles,  were  anxious  to  relieve  them  by 
precious  promises  and  holy  reasonings.  Jesus  took  their  persons  under 
his  own  wing;  he  was  "touched  with  the  feeUng  of  their  infirmities,"  Heb. 
iv.  15.  "He  never  breaks  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quenches  the  smoking 
flax,"  Matt.  xii.  20.  He  said,  "Fear  not,  little  flock;  it  is  your  Father's 
good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom,"  Luke  xii.  32.  Nay,  he  very 
tenderly  relieved  their  fears  even  in  providential  matters.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  multiply  citations  from  scripture  on  this  subject;  but,  if  you  will 
condescend  to  hsten,  a  few  examples  shall  be  recited,  drawn  from  experi- 


44:4  LECTURE    XXV. 

mental  preachers  of  high  and  deserved  repute,  who  hved  in  an  age  when 
the  sons  of  consolation  abounded. 

The  usual  fears  and  doubts  of  Christians  generally  settle  upon  what  are 
frequently  denominated  the  evidences  of  a  state  of  grace,  and  which  are 
supposed  to  establish  a  title  to  eternal  life ;  now  though  I  may  hereafter 
very  freely  offer  my  opinion  on  this  point,  yet  my  present  design  is  to  meet 
the  doubts  and  fears  of  believers  on  their  own  ground,  and  to  show  that 
they  are  established  upon  a  weakness  of  judgment  and  unnecessary  sever- 
ity against  themselves.  Or  perhaps  the  quotations  will  do  this  service  for 
me. 

Our  Lord,  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  lays  down  eight  tokens  of  a 
gracious  state;  Matt.  v.  If  they  were  eight  score,  a  timorous  Christian 
would  establish  as  many  doubts  and  fears  upon  them;  yet  such  fears  must 
be  met  by  Christian  compassion.  Now  suppose  Matt.  v.  G,  "Blessed  are 
those  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness,"  be  the  subject  selected, 
Mr.  Watson,  ejected  from  Walbrook,  says: — 

This  text  may  serve  to  comfort  the  liearts  of  those  who  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness ;  I  doubt  not  but  it  is  the  grief  of  many  a  good  man  that  he  can  not  be 
more  holy,  that  he  can  not  serve  God  better.  "  Blessed  are  those  that  hunger." 
Though  thou  hast  not  so  much  righteousness  as  thou  wouldst,  yet  thou  art  blessed, 
because  thou  hungercst  after  it ;  desire  is  the  best  discovery  of  a  Christian.  Actions 
may  be  counterfeited  or  compulsory.  A  man  may  be  forced  to  that  which  is  good, 
but  not  to  will  that  which  is  good  ;  therefore  desire  is  valuable,  and  some  Christians 
have  nothing  to  show  for  themselves  but  desires  ;  see  Neh.  i.  11.  Let  it  be  observed 
that  hun^crings  after  righteousness  proceed  from  love  ;  if  thou  didst  not  love  Christ, 
thou  couldst  not  desire  him. 

Here  follow  the  doubts  and  fears  to  be  guarded  against. 

Objection  :  If  my  hunger  were  of  the  right  kind,  then  I  could  take  the  comfort 
of  it,  but  I  fear  it  is  counterfeit ;  hypocrites  have  desires. 

Answer  :  That  I  may  the  better  settle  a  doubting  Christian,  I  shall  show  the  dif- 
ference between  true  and  false  desires,  spiritual  hunger  and  carnal. 

1.  The  hypocrite  does  not  desire  grace  on  its  own  account ;  he  desires  it  only  as  a 
bridge  to  lead  him  over  to  heaven.  So  Balaam  said,  "Let  me  die  the  death  of  the 
righteous,"  Num.  xxiii.  10.  The  believer  desires  grace  on  its  own  account,  and 
Christ  for  himself  purely.     Not  only  is  heaven  precious  to  him,  but  Christ,  1  Pet.  ii.  7. 

2.  The  hypocrite's  desire  is  conditional  ;  he  desires  heaven  and  his  sins  too;  this 
is  his  conduion.  But  Christ's  conditions  arc  such  as  believers  are  willing  to  accede 
to,  be  they  what  they  may.  The  hypocrite  desires  the  lease,  but  not  the_/?ne  of  self- 
denial. 

3.  The  hypocrite's  desires  are  but  desires  ;  they  are  destitute  of  activity  ;  but  those 
of  the  believer  are  fervent  and  active,  as  Isa.  xxvi.  9.  lie  presseth  his  desires  with 
holy  violence  (Matt.  xi.  12) ;  and,  as  the  eagle  desires  the  prey  (Job  ix.  2G),  so  true 
desires  carry  the  soul  swiftly  to  holy  ordinances. 

4.  The  hypocrite's  desires  are  transient,  or  like  a  hot  fit ;  they  are  soon  over.  They 
commence  under  some  afiliciion  ;  tliis  over,  all  is  over  with  him  ;  but  true  desire  is 
constant.  The  (ireek  word  is  in  the  particijjle  :  "Blessed  are  those  that  are  Ai/ni'fr- 
ing  ;"  though  they  have  righteousness,  yet  tlity  are  hungering  after  more.  The  hypo- 
crite's desire  is  like  the  molion  of  a  watch,  which  soon  runs  down  :  but  that  of  the 
believer  is  like  the  heatinijof  tlic  pulse,  which  lasts  as  long  as  life,  Ps.  cxix.  29.  It 
is  like  the  unextinguished  fire  of  the  temple.  Lev.  vi.  13.  "  There  was,"  says  Cyril, 
"a  mystery  in  it,  to  show  that  we  must  be  ever  burning  in  holy  affections." 

.5.  The  hypocrite's  desires  are  unseasonable,  like  that  of  the  foolish  virgins.  Matt. 
Txv.  11,  &(■•  ;  but  those  of  the  believer  are  timely  and  seasonable;  see  Matt.  vi.  33; 
Ps.  Ixiii.  1.  The  wise  virgins  obtained  the  oil  betimes,  before  the  bridegroom  came. 
Thus  we  see  the  dilTerence  between  a  true  and  false  hunger ;  the  former  arc  blessed, 
and  may  take  the  comfort  of  it. 

OnjECTioN  :  But  my  hunger  after  righteousness  is  so  weak  that  I  fear  it  is  not  of 
the  true  kind. 

Answer  :  Though  the  pulse  beats  but  weakly,  yet,  if  it  does  beat,  it  shows  there 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  445 

is  life.  Weak  desires  are  not  to  be  discouraged  ;  there  is  a  promise  made  to  them, 
Matt,  xii.  20.  A  reed  is  a  weak  thing,  but  especially  when  it  is  bruised ;  yet  the 
bruised  reed  shall  not  be  broken,  but,  like  Aaron's  dry  rod,  it  shall  bud  and  blossom. 
Attain  •  Weak  these  desires  may  be,  yet  the  believer  may  estimate  his  spiritual  state 
bv^his  iudo-ment  as  well  as  by  his  affections.  What  is  that  which  thou  esteemest 
most  in  thy  judgment  ?     Is  it  Christ  and  grace  ?     Thus  Paul  exercised  his  judgment, 

Phil.  iii.  8,  &c.  .  ,       ,.  r      •    .i  •      t  u 

Objection  :  But,  saith  the  believer,  that  which  eclipses  my  comfort  is  this  :  1  have 
not  that  earnest  hunger  that  I  once  had.     "  O  that  it  were  with  me  as  in  months  that 

are  past !"  ,        ,  •  •       v       .i.       u  •* 

Answer  :  It  is  indeed  a  bad  sign  for  a  person  to  lose  his  appetite  ;  but,  though  it 
be  a  si^n  of  the  decav  of  grace  to  lose  the  spiritual  appetite,  yet  it  is  a  sign  of  the 
truth  of  o-race  to  bewail  the  loss.  It  is  sad  "  to  lose  our  first  love,"  but  it  is  happy 
when  we  bemoan  the  loss.  Again:  Though  this  be  the  case,  yet  be  not  too  much 
disPoura"-ed  ;  for  in  the  use  of  means  thy  former  appetite  may  be  recovered.  In  nat- 
ural inst'ances  much  feeding  takes  away  appetite,  but  here  feeding  on  ordinances 
increases  it.  The  text  assures  you  that  if  you  "  hunger''  or  "  thirst  in  any  degree 
(for,  as  the  degree  is  not  in  the  text,  if  the  reality  only  exists  it  carries  the  promise), 
you'shall  be  filled  (Luke  i.  53)  Avith  grace,  peace,  joy. 

Objection  :  I  have  long  had  unfeigned  desires  after  God,  but  yet  am  not  hlled. 

Answer  :  Thou  mayest  have  great  grace,  yet  little  comfort ;  your  patience  must 
be  exercised  ;  you  have  the  promise,  but  not  the  date.  The  feast  is  sure :  Isa.  xxv. 
6-9.  And,  however  it  may  happen  here,  be  assured  you  shall  be  filled  in  heaven  ; 
there  there' will  be  "  bread  enough  and  to  spare  ;"  and  there  "  the  water-pots  will  be 
filled  to  the  brim :"  John  ii.  7. 

The  following  occurs  in  Watson's  sermon  on  Matt.  v.  9  :  "  Blessed  are 
the  peacemakers,"  &c. 

The  children  of  God  receive  manifestations  of  his  love. 

Objection  :  But  God  is  angry  with  me,  and  writes  bitter  things  against  me ;  how 
does  this  stand  with  his  love  ? 

Answer  :  God's  love  and  his  anger  toward  his  children  may  stand  togetfier  ;  "  as 
many  as  I  love  I  rebuke  and  chasten."  We  have  as  much  need  of  affliction  as  of 
ordinances ;  a  bitter  pill  may  be  necessary  to  restore  health.  Aristotle  speaks  of  a 
bird  that  lives  among  thorns,  yet  sings  sweetly.  "  A  fining  pot  is  for  the  silver,  and 
the  furnace  for  the  gold,"  not  for  base  metal ;  so  fiery  trials  make  golden  Christians. 
There  is  nothing  in  affliction,  nor  even  in  apparent  desertion,  that  indicates  the  ab- 
sence of  God's  love.  ,     , ,     ,     ,      i      /•  j 

Objection  :  But  sometimes  God's  children  are  under  the  black  clouds  of  desertion  ; 

is  not  this  far  from  love  ? 

Answer  :  This  is  confessedly  a  sad,  but  not  a  hopeless  case.  When  the  sun  fias 
gone  down,  the  dew  falls  ;  when  the  sun-light  of  God's  countenance  is  removed,  tears 
fall  from  the  eyes  of  the  saints.  Job  said,  "  The  arrows  of  the  Almighty  are  within 
me  ;  the  poison  thereof  drinketh  up  my  spirits,"  Job.  vi.  4.  Yet  the  seed  rfmains 
(1  John  iii.  9),  which  is  the  seed  of  comfort  as  well  as  a  seed  of  purity.  Though 
they  see  not  the  seal  of  the  Spirit,  yet  they  have  the  unction  of  the  Spirit,  1  John  ii. 
27.  Though  they  want  the  sun,  yet  they  have  the  day-star  in  their  hearts.  Like  the 
tree  in  winter,  though  it  loses  its  leaves  and  beauty,  yet  its  sap  remains  in  its  root, 
so  there  is  still  the  sap  of  grace,  which  in  time  will  rise  up  to  clothe  the  soul  again 
with  beauty,  and  God  will  yet  beautify  the  meek  with  salvation.  In  the  nieantime 
it  is  highly  satisfactory  that  there  isa  high  prizing  of  God's  love— a  lamenting  after 
him,  and  willingness  to  forego  anything  for  his  return. 

My  next  instance  is  from  the  same  author,  on  Matt.  xii.  20  :  "A  bruised 
reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench,  till  he  send 
forth  judgment  unto  victory." 

How  shall  I  know  that  I  am  savingly  bruised  ? 

Answer  :  Did  God  ever  bring  thee  upon  thy  knees?  Hath  thy  proud  heart  been 
humbled  ?  Didst  thou  ever  see  thyself  a  sinner  ?  Didst  thou  with  sorrow  look  upon 
Christ  ?  and  did  those  tears  drop  from  the  eye  of  faith  ?  This  is  a  gospel  bruising. 
Canst  thou  say.  Lord,  though  I  can  not  see  thee,  yet  I  love  thee— though  I  am  m  the 
dark,  yet  I  hope  ?     This  is  to  be  a  bruised  reed. 

Then  follow  the  objections  and  answers. 


446  LECTURE    XXV. 

Objection  :  But  I  fear  I  am  not  bruised  enough. 

Answer  :  It  is  hard  to  prescribe  a  just  measure  of  humiliation.  It  is  "in  the  new 
birth  as  in  the  natural  ;  some  experience  more  pain  than  others.  But  would  you 
know  when  you  are  bruised  enough?  It  is  when  your  spirit  is  so  troubled  that  you 
are  willing  to  let  go  those  lusts  which  brought  in  the  greatest  income  of  pleasure  and 
delight.  It  is  when  sin  is  not  only  discarded,  but  also  loathed.  The  physic  is  strong 
enough  when  it  has  purged  out  the  disease. 

Objection  :  I  fear  I  am  not  bruised  as  I  should  be  ;  I  find  my  heart  so  hard. 

1st  Answer:  We  must  distinguish  between  hardness  of  heart  and  a  hard  heart. 
The  best  heart  may  have  some  hardness,  yet  not  be  a  hard  heart.  Denominations 
are  made  from  the  better  part.  If  we  come  into  a  field  that  has  tares  and  wheat  in 
it,  we  do  not  call  it  a  field  of  tares,  but  a  field  of  wheat ;  and  so  in  the  present  case. 

2d  Answer  :  There  is  a  great  difference  between  the  hardness  of  the  godly  and 
that  of  the  wicked  ;  the  one  is  natural,  the  other  accidental ;  one  is  the  hardness  of  a 
stone,  the  other  of  ice,  which  soon  dissolves. 

3d  Answer  :  Dost  thou  grieve  under  this  hardness?  Thou  sighest  for  want  of 
sighs,  and  weepest  for  want  of  tears. 

This  is  a  Christian  paradox  ;  but  strictly  true. 

Objection  :  But  I  am  a  barren  reed,  I  bring  forth  no  fruit ;  therefore  I  fear  I  shall 
be  broken. 

Answer  :  Gracious  hearts  are  apt  to  overlook  the  good  that  is  in  them  ;  they  can 
spy  the  worm  in  the  leaf,  but  not  the  fruit.  Why  dost  thou  say  thou  art  barren  ?  If 
thou  art  a  bruised  reed,  thou  art  not  barren.  The  spiritual  reed  engrafted  into  the 
true  vine  is  fruitful.  There  is  so  much  sap  in  Christ  as  makes  all  who  are  inocu- 
lated into  him  bear  fruit.  Christ  distils  grace,  as  drops  of  dew,  upon  the  soul,  Hos. 
xiii.  5,  6  :  "I  will  be  as  the  dew  upon  Israel  ;  he  shall  grow  as  the  lily,  his  branches 
shall  spread,  and  his  beauty  shall  be  as  the  olive-tree."  That  God  who  made  the 
dry  reed  blossom  will  make  the  dry  reed  flourish. 

The  following  extracts  are  upon  the  second  part  of  the  text — "  the 
smoking  flax." 

Objection  :  But  we  are  told  not  to  quench  the  Spirit  (1  Thess.  v.  19),  which  im- 
plies loss,  and  that  the  smoking  flax  may  be  quenched. 

Answer  :  We  must  distinguish  between  the  common  work  of  the  Spirit  and  the 
sanctifying  work  ;  the  one  may  be  quenched,  not  the  other.  The  former  is  like  a 
picture  drawn  upon  the  ice,  soon  defaced,  the  latter  like  a  carving  in  gold,  which 
endures.  The  gifts  of  the  Spirit  may  be  quenched,  not  the  grace.  The  enlightening 
of  the  Spirit  may  fail,  but  not  his  anointing,  1  John  ii.  27-.  The  hypocrite's  blaze 
goes  out,  not  so  the  sparks  of  grace  ;  the  one  is  the  light  of  the  comet,  which  wastes 
and  evaporates:  the  other  is  the  light  of  a  star,  &c. 

Objection  :  But  I  can  not  see  the  least  light  of  grace  in  myself. 

Answer:  Why  dost  thou  dispute  thus  against  thyself ?  Why  no  grace?  Thou 
hast  more  than  thou  wouldst  be  willing  to  part  with,  even  that  which  thou  valuest 
above  the  gold  of  Ophir.  How  couldst  thou  see  the  lustre  of  this  jewel  if  the  Spirit 
had  not  opened  thy  eyes  ?  Thou  wouldst  fain  believe,  and  mourncst  that  thou  canst 
not ;  are  not  these  indications  or  initials  of  faith  ?  Thou  desirest  Christ,  canst  not 
be  satisfied  without  him  ;  this  beating  of  the  pulse  evidencelh  life.  The  iron  could 
not  move  upward  if  the  loadstone  did  not  draw  it.  Canst  thou  not  say,  "  Lord,  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee  ?"  This  smoking  flax  the  Lord  will  not  quench  ;  it  shall  be 
fanned  into  a  flame  ;  thy  grace  shall  flourish  in  glory. 

The  following,  on  the  same  subject,  is  from  Dr.  Robert  Smith,  preached 
at  Pequca,  Pennsylvania,  1758,  and  inserted  in  the  Evangelical  Preacher, 
vol.  ii.  : — '■ 

I  am,  says  the  author,  to  show  you  some  things  that  are  found  in  the  experience 
of  all  true  believers,  even  the  xceakcsl.  They  experience  a  universal  change  of  heart 
and  life:  "old  things  are  passed  away,"  ^c,  2  Cor.  v.  17;  the  stony  heart  is  re- 
moved, Ezfek.  xxxvi.  If").  The  Holy  Spirit  implants  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  in 
their  scjuIs,  removes  their  impenitent  hardnee-s,  fatal  security,  stupid  blindness,  and 
base  propensities,  their  enmity  against  (xud  and  the  gospel  method  of  salvation,  dis- 
covers divine  things  in  their  attractive  beauties,  and  gives  them  a  prevailing  bias  to 
that  which  is  good.  Hence  they  act  from  new  principles  and  from  new  ends;  the 
love  of  Christ  excites  their  devotions  and  all  their  services.  Upon  this  representa- 
tion some  may  start  the  following  objections: — 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  447 

Objection  :  Alas  !  I  fear  I  have  never  experienced  a  change  of  heart ;  for  self  and 
other  corruptions  not  only  work  in  me,  but  often  prevail  against  me.  .       „    , 

Answer  :  Renewing  grace  makes  an  effectual  but  not  a  perfect  change  m  all  the 
powers  of  the  soul.  There  are  such  evils  in  the  best  saints,  which,  upon  some  sus- 
pension of  the  divine  influences,  work  in  and  may  prevail  for  a  season  ;  yet  the 
promise  of  Christ  secures  them  against  the  dominion  of  sin,  that  is,  its  general  and 
allowed  sway,  Rom.  vi.  14.  How  weak  soever  their  graces  or  strong  their  corrup- 
tions may  sometimes  be,  believers  have  an  habitual  disposedness  of  heart  to  God,  as 
their  only  satisfying  portion;  and  therefore,  when  their  affections  are  at  all  mis- 
placed, they  can  have  no  peace  of  mind  till  they  return  to  and  replace  their  affections 

on  God.  J         J- 

It  is  clear  that  true  believers,  disclaiming  their  own  righteousness,  depending  en- 
tirely  on  the  work  of  Christ,  ought  to  take  comfort;  for  weak  grace  does  not  differ 
from  strong  in  the  nature  of  its  acts,  but  in  the  degree  of  them  ;  and  here  are  the 
proper  evidences  of  a  change  of  heart,  and  that  Chris:  is  the  Savior  of  such  persons. 

Objection  :  Alas  !  I  have  not  a  comfortable  persuasion  of  an  interest  in  Christ  as 
my  Savior  ;  therefore  I  fear  I  have  no  true  faith. 

Answer  :  An  interest  in  Christ  is  one  thing,  and  a  well-grounded  persuasion  of  it 
is  another  ;  the  former  may  be  and  often  is  in  existence  where  the  latter  is  not ;  there- 
fore, you  should  not  conclude  that  you  have  no  interest  in  Christ  from  such  want  of 
full  persuasion.  But,  that  you  may  be  assisted  in  clearing  up  your  interest,  attend  to 
the  following  queries :  Do  you  not  look  upon  yourself  as  the  chief  of  sinners,  and 
see  so  many  defects  in  your  religious  performances  that  you  wonder  God  does  not 
reject  you  for  these  ?  Though  you  are  satisfied  upon  the  above  point,  yet  can  you 
acknowlcdire  him  as  your  Lord,  and  do  you  not  oppose  sin  as  his  enemy  and  yours? 
Do  you  highly  esteem  an  interest  in  Christ?  and  does  your  esteem  of  a  state  of  grace 
flow,  not  merely  from  the  safety  you  suppose  it  affjrds,  but  from  its  excellency,  the 
beauty  of  the  plan  of  redemption  by  which  it  is  obtained  ?  Are  you  so  pleased  with 
this  plan  that  had  you  ten  thousand  souls  you  would  desire  to  venture  them  all  upon 
it  ?  Do  you  see  it  so  worthy  of  the  Majesty  of  heaven  that  you  would  not  choose  any 
other  method  of  salvation  were  it  left  to  your  own  choice  upon  what  terms  you  would 
be  saved  ?  If  this  be  the  case,  you  are  indeed  believers ;  for  to  be  pleased  with  the 
plan  of  salvation  through  Christ  is  to  consent  to  take  him  according  to  that  plan. 
Are  you  weary  of  the  unbelief  of  your  hearts,  and  saying.  Lord,  what  shall  I  do  with 
this  fearful,  this  suspicious  heart?  shall  I  always  dispute  and  stagger  ?  persuade  my 
soul,  good  Lord,  to  rest  in  thee  and  on  thee?  If  so,  the  Lord  Jesus  will  infallibly 
bind  up  your  bruised  reed  and  smoking  flax.  ... 

Objection  :  I  feel  sin  working  in  me,  and  often  bringing  me  into  captivity  to  its 

Answer  :  Believers  obey  the  law  of  sin  with  the  flesh,  but  with  the  mind  the  law 
of  God  (Rom.  vii.  25),  yet  they  do  not  generally  and  avowedly,  nor  can  they  totally 
and  finally,  fall  away  into  sin,  because  "  the  seed  of  Gcd  remains  in  them."  Turn 
the  needle  in  the  compass  to  what  point  you  please,  it  will  not  fix  there,  but  quiver 
till  it  points  to  the  pole  again  ;  so,  though  the  saints  may  be  turned  off  from  God  by 
the  force  of  temptation,  tliey  can  not  be  at  rest  till  they  point  to  him  again,  for  he  is 
the  centre  of  their  affections.  An  army  may  be  foiled,  and  yet  not  totally  routed. 
Though  Satan  may,  for  a  season,  prevail,  yet  he  can  not  destroy  the  saints ;  nor  will 
your  hearts  cheerfully  yield  to  his  commands,  but,  counting  his  service  a  base  drudg- 
ery, you  hate  it,  and  groan  to  be  free  from  his  yoke.  I  appeal  to  your  consciences 
whether,  upon  a  calm  and  deliberative  view  of  the  case,  you  would  not  choose  holi- 
ness for  its  intrinsic  beauties,  though  there  was  no  danger  of  wrath  ?  If  this  be  the 
case,  you  are  indeed  holy,  whatever  weight  of  corruption  you  groan  under  ;  and  there 
will  ever  be  a  pressing  forward  to  perfection  against  all  difficulties. 

Objection  :  Still  it'is  objected  that  sad  declensions  are  felt. 

Answer  :  Though  it  is  in  the  nature  of  grace  to  grow,  yet  its  growth  is  not  mani- 
fest at  all  times.  Thus,  in  the  vegetable  kingdom,  trees  do  not  seeni  to  grow  in 
winter,  yet  they  grow  at  their  roots,  and  obtain  fresh  strength  for  the  coming  spring : 
so  it  is  with  saints  in  their  low  estate  ;  but  then  they  revive  again,  Hos.  xiv.  7.  You 
may  not  experience  the  sensible  exercises  you  once  had,  yet  the  real  habit  of  grace 
and  love  to  God  may  be  more  fixed,  your  humility  may  be  deeper,  and  your  real 
sanctification  more  substantial. 

The  following  extracts  respect  the  burden  of  sin. 

Objection  :  1  am  a  very  great  sinner,  or  I  might  hope. 

*  W  auon  has  the  same  idea,  as  lately  quoted. 


448  LECTURE    XXV. 

Answer:  Whom  else  did  Christ  come  to  save?  Whom  does  Christ  justify  but 
the  ungodly  ? 

Objection:  But  my  sins  are  of  no  ordinary  dye. 

Answer  :  And  is  not  Christ's  blood  of  a  deeper  purple  than  thy  sins  ?  Is  there 
not  more  virtue  in  the  one  than  there  can  be  venom  in  the  other  ?  What  if  the  devil 
doth  magnify  thy  sins,  canst  not  thou  magnify  thy  physician  ?  Can  not  God  drown 
thy  sins  in  the  ocean  of  his  mercy  ? 

Objection  :  But  my  sins  are  of  long  standing. 

Answer  :  Dost  thou  suppose  that  Christ's  blood  is  only  for  new  and  fresh  wounds  ? 
We  read  that  Christ  not  only  raised  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  who  was  but  newly  dead, 
but  Lazarus,  who  had  lain  four  days  in  the  grave  and  began  to  putrefy ;  and  has 
Christ  less  virtue  now  in  heaven  than  he  had  on  earth  ?  Judas's  despair  was  worse 
than  his  treason.  I  would  not  encourage  any  to  go  on  in  sin,  but  in  the  midst  of  gos- 
pel light  and  gospel  promises  there  is  no  room  for  any  to  despair.  God  can  give  an 
old  sinner  a  new  heart ;  he  can  make  springs  in  the  desert.  Have  not  others  been 
set  forth  as  patterns  of  mercy,  who  have  come  in  at  the  twelfth  hour  ?  Therefore, 
break  off  thy  league  with  sin,  throw  thyself  into  Christ's  arms  :  say.  Lord  Jesus,  hast 
not  thou  said  that  those  who  come  to  thee  thou  wilt  in  nowise  cast  out  ? 

There  are  besides  three  great  objections  which  believers  make  against 

themselves,  as — 

Objection  :  Alas  !  I  can  not  tell  whether  I  have  faith  or  no. 

Answer  :  Hast  thou  no  faith  ?  How  didst  thou  come  to  see  thy  need  of  it  ?  Thou 
couldst  not  see  the  lack  of  grace  but  by  the  light  of  grace. 

Objection  :  But  surely  if  I  had  faith  I  should  discern  it. 

Answer  :  Thou  mayest  have  faith  and  not  know  it.  A  man  may  seek  for  that 
which  he  has  in  his  hand.  Mary  was  with  Christ,  nay,  she  spoke  to  him,  yet  she 
knew  not  that  it  was  Christ.  Faith  often  lies  concealed  in  the  heart,  and  we  see  it 
not  for  want  of  search  ;  the  fire  lies  concealed  in  the  embers,  but  blow  aside  the  ashes 
and  it  is  discernible.  Faith  may  be  hidden  under  fears  and  temptations,  but  blow 
the  ashes.     Thy  prizing  faith  and  thy  desire  of  it  imply  the  existence  of  faith  itself. 

Objection  :  But  my  faith  is  weak  ;  my  hand  so  trembles  that  I  fear  it  will  hardly 
lay  hold  on  Christ. 

Answer  1.  A  little  faith  is  faith,  as  a  spark  of  fire  is  fire  ;  though  the  pearl  of 
faith  be  little,  yet,  if  it  be  a  true  pearl,  it  shines  in  God's  eyes.  This  little  grace  is 
the  seed  of  God,  and  it  shall  never  die ;  it  is  a  spark  only,  but  it  shall  live  in  the 
ocean  of  temptation. 

Answer  2.  A  Aveak  faith  will  entitle  us  to  Christ  as  well  as  a  stronger — "  to 
those  that  obtained  like  precious  faith  Avith  us."  Not  but  that  there  are  degrees  of 
faith.  As  all  faith  purifies,  so  all  faith  is  not  alike,  one  is  more  than  another;  this 
respects  sanctificalioii.  But,  as  faith  justifies,  so  faith  is  all  alike  precious  ;  the  weak- 
est faith  justifies  as  well  as  tliat  of  the  most  eminent  saint. 

Answer  3.  The  promise  is  not  made  to  strong  faith,  but  to  true  faith.  The 
promise  does  not  say.  Whoever  has  a  faith  that  can  remove  mountains,  that  can  stop 
the  mouths  of  lions,  shall  be  saved  ;  but.  Whoever  believes,  be  his  faith  ever  so  small. 
What  are  a  grain  of  mustard-seed  and  a  bruised  reed  but  emblems  of  a  weak  faith? 
yet  the  promise  is  made  to  these.  Jerome,  on  the  beatitudes,  remarks.  There  are 
many  of  the  promises  made  to  weak  grace — "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit — that 
mourn — \h?Lt  hunger  and  thirst,"  &:c. 

Answer  4.  A  weak  faith  may  be  fruitful ;  the  Aveakest  things  do  multiply  most. 
The  vine  is  a  weak  tree,  requiring  to  be  borne  up  and  underpropped  or  secured  to  a 
wall  ;  but  it  is  so  fruitful  that  in  scripture  it  is  made  the  emblem  of  fruitfulness. 
Hence  new  converts  do  great  things,  have  strong  affections,  excellent  dispositions; 
they  have  the  dew  of  youth,  the  bloom  of  future  years. 

These  specimens  show  us  how  our  predecessors  endeavored  to  execute 
many  positive  injunctions,  as  Isa.  xl.  1;  1  Thess.  v.  14;  Isa.  xxxv.  3, 
&c.  Weak  Christians  are  ever  on  the  watch,  during  the  delivery  of  a 
discourse,  for  even  a  sentence  suitable  to  their  case:  and  however  excel- 
lent the  discourse  may  be  in  other  respects,  these  weak  ones  are  "sent 
empty  away"  if  this  be  wanting.  The  manner  of  referring  to  such  topics 
need  not  indeed  be  the  same  with  that  of  the  authors  quoted;  every  age 
has  a  language  and  manner  of  its  own,  and  every  preacher  perhaps  will 


GUARD    AGAINST    OBJECTIONS.  449 

have  a  manner  of  his  own.  Still  the  work  must  be  done,  and  I  hope  it 
will  not  be  esteemed  a  task  but  a  pleasure  (something  of  the  same  kind  as 
when  we  relieve  the  temporal  wants  of  the  needy,  where  there  is  more 
pleasure  in  giving  dian  receiving),  much  less  would  I  have  the  preacher 
be  ashamed  of  this  office ;  our  charides  may  be  done  in  secret,  but  let  us 
assist  weak  Christians  openly  as  well  as  privately,  without  the  fear  of  being 
called  canting  preachers. 

I  can  not,  however,  close  this  ardcle  without  observing  that,  although 
the  doubts  and  fears  of  the  godly  have  been  and  are  stdl  common  to  God's 
family,  and  do  to  a  certain  degree  afford  an  evidence  of  their  identity,  and 
prove  that  no  "strange  things  have  happened"  to  the  tempted,  and  although 
it  is  often  proper  to  treat  the  feelings  of  weak  believers  in  the  manner 
above  described,  yet  there  is  a  shorter  way  of  dealing  with  those  weak 
ones  than  the  above  examples  exhibit,  that  is,  to  inculcate  the  propriety 
and  necessity  of  their  looking  off  from  their  frames  and  feelings  to  the 
proper  source  of  all  spiritual  comfort,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Heb.  xii.  2. 
For  looking  to  frames  and  feelings,  or  the  evidences  of  grace,  for  the  hope 
of  eternal  life,  is  at  best  but  the  lowest  kind  of  comfort  that  Christians  can 
have — that  which  is  most  exposed  to  the  temptations  of  the  great  adver- 
sary, and  which  is  subject  to  the  most  frequent  variation ;  like  the  usual 
tokens  of  the  wind  or  the  weather,  it  is  one  hour  propitious,  the  next 
threatening.  But,  casting  all  those  away,  looking  singly  on  Christ,  strictly 
"walking  by  foith  in  him,"  will  in  all  cases  and  under  all  circumstances 
prove  safe  and  effectual;  while  the  power,  grace,  and  veracity  of  Christ, 
will  thereby  be  honored.  The  address  of  Jehoshaphat  to  his  compara- 
tively litde  army,  when  about  to  engage  an  immense  force,  is  quite  to  the 
point.  This  little  army  was  not  to  look  to  the  number  of  the  enemy,  nor 
to  the  fears  with  which  such  numbers  might  invest  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple, but  they  were  to  look  on  high:  "Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God,  so 
shall  you  be  established;  believe  his  prophets,  so  shall  you  prosper."  We 
are  to  look  to  Christ,  who  is  the  author  and  finisher  of  all  that  forms  the  mat- 
ter of  our  confidence;  then  peace  is  sure  to  follow.  The  only  secure  and 
comfort-giving  avenue  for  us,  then,  is  the  broad  door  of  the  broad  promises  r 
"  Whosoever  cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." — "Whosoever 
will,  let  him  come,  and  partake  of  the  water  of  life  freely." — "Come  unto 
me  all  you  that  are  weary  and  heavily  laden,  and  T  will  give  you  rest." 
This  avenue  is  always  free  of  access;  but  the  private  door  of  feelings  and 
evidences  may  for  a  time  seem  to  us  to  be  shut,  or  not  sufficiendy  open  to 
admit  us  by  it,  and  here  we  find  all  Chrisdan  disquietudes  and  per- 
plexities. 

Again:  if  our  faidi  (in  the  name  of  every  other  grace)  be  weak,  ever  so 
weak,  it  is  not  more  consistent  with  our  duty  to  ourselves,  instead  of  ru- 
minadng  over  this  defect,  to  apply  ourselves  to  the  aids  of  the  gospel,  to 
look  up  by  prayer  for  instance,  and  say,  "Lord,  increase  our  faith"  (Luke 
xvii.  5) — "Lord,  I  believe,  help  thou  my  unbelief"  (Mark  ix.  24),  and  is 
it  not  right  to  persevere  in  this  course  condnually,  that  our  faith  may  be 
increased  by  exercise  ?  for,  as  the  strength  of  the  arm  is  increased  by  use, 
without  doubt  every  mental  and  moral  faculty  is  to  be  invigorated  in  the 
same  manner.  Man  is  so  constituted;  and  experience  teaches  us  that  it 
must  be  so.  And,  on  die  contrary,  it  is  by  habit  that  the  Christian's 
doubts  and  fears  are  continually  augmented,  and  become  more  and  more 

29 


450  LECTURE    XXV. 

insupportable.  I  question  much  if  any  man,  since  the  days  of  the  apos- 
tles had  clearer  views  of  this  matter  than  the  late  INIr.  llomaine,  the  highly- 
esteemed  author  of  the  Life  of  Faith,  &c. ;  a  good  deal  of  excellent  ad- 
vice on  this  point  is  concentrated  in  one  of  his  letters  to  a  friend ;  it  is  No. 
104  of  the  seventh  volume  of  edition  1809;  and  I  feel  strongly  inclined 
to  give  an  extract  from  this  letter^  to  confirm  the  observations  I  have  made 
as  to  the  best  course  and  the  shortest  to  bring  weak  believers  into  a  state 
of  rest,  and  which,  in  many  cases  at  least,  is  preferable  to  a  course  of  ar- 
gumentation with  them  on  some  minor  points  of  their  complaint.  A  phy- 
sician may  very  properly  sometimes  attempt  to  abate  the  symptoms  of  a 
complaint,  but  the  cure  must  be  effected  by  striking  at  the  root  of  the  dis- 
ease; for,  when  this  plan  succeeds,  the  symptoms  will  abate  of  themselves. 
But  let  us  hear  Mr.  Romaine : — 

I  received  your  letter  which  contained  the  state  of  your  case  [doubts  and  fears]. 
Scarcely  a  day  happens  but  I  meet  with  some  or  other  in  your  condition,  with  ex- 
actly the  same  complaints,  arising  from  the  same  cause  ;  but  in  fact  there  is  nothing 
in  yours  or  similar  cases  but  what  makes  strongly  for,  and  nothing  against,  the  true 
hope  of  the  gospel.  A  Christian  must  have  such  anxieties,  but  in  the  end,  by  the 
teaching  of  the  Spirit,  they  will  have  a  happy  issue. 

I  observe  what  you  say  of  your  judgment.  You  are  enlightened  to  see  that  Jesus  is 
all  in  all  in  salvation-work.  You  unsay  these  words  in  the  same  breath  in  which  you 
say  them  ;  for  because  you  are  not  always  satisfied  of  your  interest  in  this  salvation, 
or  not  always  alike  comforted  with  it,  you  therefore  doubt  and  reason  about  it  being 
yours.  "  My  judgment  is  clearly  convinced,  and  (you  say)  my  heart  desires  to  be 
cast  wholly  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation  ;  but  in  the  act  of  doing  this  I 
always  fail."  What  reasonmg  is  here  !  how  directly  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel !  for  you  are  looking,  not  at  the  object  of  faith,  at  Jesus,  but  at  your  faith. 
And,  because  your  faith  is  not  quite  perfect,  you  are  as  much  discouraged  as  if  Jesus 
was  not  a  perfect  Savior.  My  dear  friend,  how  sadly  does  the  sly  spirit  of  bondage 
deceive  you!  for  what  is  your  act  of  believing?  Is  it  to  save  you?  Are  you  to 
be  saved  for  believing?  If  so,  then  you  put  acts  and  works  in  the  place  of  the  Sa- 
vior. And  foilh,  as  an  act,  is  in  your  view,  part  of  your  salvation.  The  free  grace 
of  the  gospel  you  turn  into  a  Avork,  and  how  well  that  work  is  done  becomes  the 
ground  of  your  hope.  Whatn  dreadful  mistake  is  this,  since  salvation  is  "not  to 
him  that  worketh,  but  to  him  that  bclicveth  !"  When  you  so  believe  on  the  object 
of  faith  peace  will  follow  (Rom.  v.  1),  not  by  looking  at  your  faith,  but  by  still  view- 
ing the  object.  But,  if  you  persist  in  looking  on  your  faith,  several  evils  will  result. 
You  will  not  find  peace  in  this  way,  for  it  flies  from  you ;  you  will  do  dishonor  to 
the  Savior  by  making  a  savior  of  your  faith.  It  is  clear,  if  you  could  be  satisfied 
with  your  faith,  there  would  be  an  interruption  of  faith  itself  in  its  exercise ;  and 
hence  a  prevention  or  bar  is  put  to  that  peace  which  would  otherwise  necessarily 
follow :  you  lose  in  this  way  Avhat  you  seek,  and  lose  it  in  your  way  of  seeking  ;  you 
want  comfort,  and  you  look  to  your  faith  for  it.  If  faith  could  speak,  it  would  say: 
I  have  none  to  give  you;  look  upon  Jesus;  it  is  all  in  him.  Indeed,  my  friend,  it  is. 
The  Holy  Ghost,  the  Comforter,  will  not  glorify  your  faith.  He  will  not  give  it  the 
honor  of  comforting  you.  He  takes  nothing  to  comfort  you  with  but  the  work  of 
Christ,  John  xvi.  13,  11.  This  lesson  I  think  he  is  teaching  you,  although  you  per- 
vert it.  He  is  bringing  you  ofi"  from  looking  legally  at  your  faith.  He  intends  you 
should  not  regard,  as  you  have  done,  how  you  believe,  but  to  settle  you  in  believing. 
This,  then,  is  liie  manner  of  your  salvation.  The  divine  Father  gives  Christ  to  you  ; 
the  Holy  Spirit  brings  you  to  Christ  and  leads  you  to  trust  in  him.  This  is  all  that 
faith  has  to  do  in  the  matter:  at  best  it  is  but  an  open  empty  hand  stretched  forth  at 
God's  bidding,  but  Christ  so  laid  hold  of  is  your  salvation.  It  is  not  faith,  but 
Christ — it  is  not  my  hand,  but  the  thing  received  into  my  hand,  that  saves  me.  I 
grant  you,  and  I  know  it  well,  that  much  faith  brings  much  comfort  from  Christ,  and 
■carries  much  glory  to  him  ;  but  the  way  to  get  much  faith  is  not  to  look  at  it  as  you 
do,  but  at  the  Savior  himself — not  to  look  at  your  hand  but  at  Jesus,  not  how  you 
hold  him,  but  that  he  is  yours,  and  holds  you  and  your  faith  too,  and  therefore  you 
■"shall  never  perish,  but  shall  have  everlasting  life." 

After  I  had  observed  these  errors  in  your  looking^t  your  act  of  faith,  I  did  not 
wonder  at  the  following  parts  of  your  letter,  such  as  your  not  being  pleased  with 


CHARACTERS    OF    MAJESTY,    ETC  451 

your  faith,  and  therefore  not  pleased  with  your  state,  nor  your  graces,  nor  your  at- 
tainments, nor  your  own  righteousness,  but  you  thought  everything  made  against 
you.  Have  you  nothing  to  look  at  but  Jesus  ?  That  is  right.  Then  look  unto  him 
and  be  saved,  Isa.  xlv.  22.  Can  you  see  nothing  to  rest  in  of  your  own?  Are  you 
forced  to  renounce  the  goodness  of  your  faith  as  an  act  ?  And  do  you  experience 
that  you  can  not  be  saved  for  it?  Very  well  ;  hold  fast  there.  Abide  by  this  ;  no 
grace  as  acted  by  you  can  save.  Follow  this  blessed  teaching,  and  cleave  with  full 
purpose  of  heart  unto  the  Lord  Jesus.  You  must  learn  to  make  him  all  your  salva- 
tion. Know  divine  teaching  by  this  mark — that  whatever  tends  to  humble  you  is 
from  the  glorifier  of  Jesus.* 

It  must  here  be  observed  that  the  case  of  some  Christians  will  require  a 
very  different  mode  of  treatment  from  the  above,  in  order  to  check  the 
growth  of  presumption  and  false  security.  Some  there  are  who,  though 
real  Christians,  have  more  confidence  than  is  consistent  with  holy  fear. 
They  are  constitutionally  fearless  rather  than  graciously  fearless;  these 
will  "rejoice  with  those  that  rejoice,"  but  are  unprepared  to  "weep  with 
those  that  weep."  They  are  less  vigilant  and  conscientious  in  their  gen- 
eral walk,  and  less  fruitful  in  the  minor  acts  of  a  gracious  life,  than  those 
who  are  accounted  weaker  Christians;  they  possess  not  so  much  humble 
love,  or  sympathizing  care;  but  they  will  do  greater  and  bolder  acts  for 
Christ  than  any  other  class  of  Christians.  They  require  more  of  the  curb, 
or  they  will  very  likely  fall  into  great  errors  of  faith  or  practice.  Such 
persons  will  perhaps  enter  with  zeal  and  alacrity  into  any  scheme  for  ex- 
tending the  knowledge  of  Christ,  however  arduous  ;  and  they  will,  proba- 
bly, for  a  time,  prosecute  it  with  vigor,  but  having  never  seriously  counted 
the  cost,  nor  been  conscious  of  their  own  weakness,  they  are  speedily  dis- 
mayed; while  the  more  diffident  Christian  frequently  manifests  more  sta- 
bility and  perseverance,  because  he  has  weighed  the  difficulties  and  is  pre- 
pared to  meet  them. 


LECTURE  XXVI. 

TOPIC  XXIII. 

CONSIDER  CHARACTERS   OF   MAJESTY,  MEANNESS,  INFIRMITY,  NECESSITY, 
UTILITY,  EVIDENCE,  ETC. 

On  this  Topic  Claude  says,  "  Take  an  example  from  John  xiv.  1 : 
♦  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled ;  you  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me.' 
These  words  are  characterized  lay  a  majesty  which  exalts  Jesus  Christ 
above  all  ordinary  pastors,  and  above  all  the  prophets  ;  for  who  besides 
the  Son  of  God  could  say,  '  Believe  also  in  me'?  These  words  equal 
Jesus  Christ  to  the  Eternal  Father,  and  make  him  the  object  of  our  faith 
and  confidence  as  well  as  the  Father,  for  they  imply  that  faithful  souls  may 
repose  an  entire  confidence  in  his  power,  protection,  and  government,  and 
that  the  shadow  of  his  wings  will  dissipate  the  sorrows  of  their  minds,  and 
leave  no  room  for  fear. 

"  You  see  also  a  character  of  tenderness  and  infinite  love  toward  his  dis- 
ciples, which  appears  in  the  assurance  with  which  he  inspires  them,  and 

"  See  Baxter's  Saint's  Rest,  ch.  viii..  to  which  Romaine  seems  to  have  been  indebted. 
See  also  Rawlin  on  Justification,  notes  from  Whitby,  and  Dr.  Goodwin,  for  much  information  on 
this  most  important  point  of  divinity. 


452  LECTURE    XXVI. 

in  the  promise  which  he  tacitly  makes  them  of  always  powerfully  support- 
ing and  never  forsaking  them.  The  same  characters,  or  others  like  them, 
may  be  observed  in  all  this  discourse  of  our  Savior,  which  goes  on  to  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  chapter  ;  as  in  these  words  :  '  I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life ;'  in  these  :  '  He  that  hath  seen  me,  Philip,  hath  seen  the  Fa- 
ther ;'  in  these :  '  Whatsoever  you  ask  in  my  name,  I  will  do  it ;'  and 
again  in  these  :  '  I  will  not  leave  you  orphans  ;  I  will  come  to  you.'  In 
general,  we  see  almost  in  every  verse  majesty,  tenderness,  love  of  holiness, 
confidence  of  victory,  and  other  such  characters,  which  it  is  important  to 
remark. 

"  Meanness  and  infirmity. — You  will  very  often  observe  characters 
o^  meanness  and  infirmity  m  the  words  and  actions  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  as  when  they  asked  him,  '  Wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the 
kingdom  to  Israel  V  Acts  i.  6.  You  see,  even  after  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  Christ,  they  were  full  of  that  low  and  carnal  idea  which  they  had 
entertained  of  a  temporal  Messiah. 

"  You  also  see  a  rash  curiosity  in  their  desiring  to  know  the  times  and 
seasons  of  those  great  events  which  God  thought  fit  to  conceal. 

"  Observe,  again,  Peter's  vision.  A  great  sheet  was  let  down  from 
heaven,  and  filled  with  all  sorts  of  animals  ;  a  voice  said  to  him,  '  Rise, 
Peter,  kill  and  eat ;'  to  which  he  answered,  '  Not  so,  Lord  ;  fOr  I  have 
never  eaten  anything  that  is  common  and  unclean.'  You  see  in  this  an- 
swer an  over-scnqmlous  conscience,  all  embarrassed  with  legal  ceremonies, 
and  a  very  defective  and  imperfect  knowledge  of  gospel  liberty. 

•'  There  is  almost  an  infinite  number  of  texts  in  the  New  Testament 
where  such  infirmities  appear  ;  and  you  must  not  fail  to  remark  them  in  or- 
der to  prove — 1.   That  grace  is  compatible  with  much  human  weakness; 

2.  That  heavenly  light  arises  by  degrees  upon  the  mind,  and  that  it  is 
with  the  new  man  as  with  the  natural  man,  who  is  born  an  infant,  lisps  in 
his  childhood,  and  arrives  at  perfection  insensibly  and   by  little  and  httle  ; 

3.  That  the  strongest  and  furthest  advanced  Christians  ought  to  bear  the 
infirmities  of  the  weak,  since  God  himself  does  not  '  break  the  bruised 
reed,  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax.'  This  he  was  pleased  to  exemplify  in 
the  most  ample  manner  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  was  upon 
earth. 

"Necessity. — In  regard  to  ncccssify,  you  may  very  often  remark  this 
in  explaining  the  doctrines  of  religion  ;  as  when  you  speak  of  the  mission 
of  Jesus  Christ  into  the  world — of  his  familiar  conversation  with  men — of 
his  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  to  heaven,  &c. ;  for  you  may  not 
only  consider  the  fn/th  but  also  the  necessity  of  each,  and  by  this  means 
open  a  mo.st  beautiful  field  of  tlieological  argument  and  elucidation. 

"  The  same  may  be  afhrmed  of  sending  the  Comforter,  that  is,  the 
Holy  Ghost,  into  the  world.  In  explaining  these  words,  '  I  will  pray  the 
Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter'  (John  xiv.  16),  you 
may  very  proj)crly  con.sider  the  necessity  of  this  Comforter,  cither  because 
without  his  light  and  help  we  can  never  release  ourselves  from  the  bond- 
age of  sin  and  Satan,  or  because  without  his  assistance  all  that  Jesus 
Christ  has  done  in  the  economy  of  salvation  would  be  entirely  useless  to 
us.  You  may  also  observe  the  necessity  of  his  eternal  abode  with  us  : 
because  it  is  not  enough  to  be  once  converted  by  his  eflicacious  power ; 
we  need   his  continual   presence   and  efficacy  to  carry  on  and   finish  the 


CHARACTERS    OF    MAJESTY,    ETC  453 

work  of  sanctification,  otherwise  we  should  quickly  relapse  into  our  first 
condition. 

"  Utility. — Where  a  thing  does  not  appear  absolutely  necessary,  you 
may  remark  its  utility  ;  as  in  some  particular  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ,  in 
some  peculiar  afflictions  of  the  faithful,  in  the  manner  in  which  St.  Paul 
was  converted,  and  in  an  infinite  number  of  subjects  which  present  them- 
selves to  a  preacher  to  be  discussed. 

"  Evidence. — Evidence  must  be  particularly  pressed  in  articles  which 
are  disputed,  or  which  are  likely  to  be  controverted.  For  example  : 
Were  you  to  treat  of  the  second  commandment,  in  opposition  to  the  cus- 
tom and  practice  of  worshipping  images  in  the  church  of  Rome,  you  should 
press  the  evidence  of  the  words.  As — 1.  It  has  pleased  God  to  place  this 
command,  not  in  some  obscure  part  of  revelation,  but  in  the  moral  law,  in 
that  law  every  word  of  which  he  caused  to  proceed  from  the  midst  of  the 
flames.  2.  He  uses  not  only  the  term  image,  but  likeness,  and  specifies 
even  the  likenesses  of  all  the  things  in  the  world,  of  those  which  are  in 
heaven  above,  of  those  which  are  in  the  earth  hencalh,  and  of  those  which 
are  under  the  earth.  3.  In  order  to  prevent  all  the  frivolous  objections  of 
the  human  mind,  he  goes  yet  further,  not  only  forbidding  the  worshi-pping 
of  them,  but  also  the  making  use  of  them  in  any  manner  of  way  ;  and,  which 
is  more,  he  even  forbids  the  making  of  them  :  '  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
thyself  to  them.  Thou  shalt  not  serve  them.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto 
thee  any  graven  image,'  &c.  4.  Add  to  all  this  that  the  Lord  subjoined 
the  highest  interests  to  enforce  it.  He  interested  herein  his  majesty,  his 
covenant,  and  his  infinite  power  :  '  For,'  says  he,  '  I  am  Jehovah,  thy 
God.'  He  goes  further,  and  interests  his  jealousy,  that  is,  that  inexorable 
justice  which  avenges  affronts  offered  to  his  love.  Yea,  in  order  to  touch 
us  still  more  sensibly,  he  even  goes  so  far  as  to  interest  our  children,  threat- 
ening us  with  that  terrible  wrath  which  does  not  end  with  the  parents,  but 
passes  down  to  their  posterity.  What  could  the  Lord  say  more  plainly 
and  evidently  to  show  that  he  would  sulfer  no  image  in  his  religious  wor- 
ship ?  After  all  this,  is  it  not  the  most  criminal  presumption  to  undertake 
to  distinguish,  in  order  to  elude  the  force  of  this  commandment '? 

"  You  may,  if  you  choose,  over  and  above  all  this,  add  Moses's  expli- 
cation of  this  command  in  the  fourth  of  Deuteronomy. 

"  You  may  also  use  the  same  character  of  evidence  when  you  explain 
several  passages  which  adversaries  abuse  ;  as  these  words  :  '  This  is  my 
body,  which  is  broken  for  you  ;'  and  these  in  the  sixth  of  John  :  '  Eat  the 
flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood  ;'  and  those  passages  also  in 
St.  James  which  speak  of  justification  by  works  ;  for,  in  treating  these  pas- 
sages in  opposition  to  the  false  senses  which  the  church  of  Rome  gives  of 
them,  you  must  assemble  many  circumstances,  and  place  each  in  its  proper 
light,  so  that  all  together  they  may  diffuse  a  great  brightness  upon  the  text, 
and  clearly  show  its  true  sense." 

To  the  separate  illustration  of  the  several  points  comprehended  in  this 
Topic,  it  does  not  appear  necessary  to  add  anything  to  the  above  remarks. 
Some  general  observations  which  appear  to  be  within  the  spirit  of  the  Topic 
may  not,  however,  be  unacceptable. 

The  design  of  the  Topic  is  to  lead  us  to  discriminate,  and  to  improve 
by  way  of  comment,  or  otherwise,  the  particular  qualities  of  majesty,  &c., 
discoverable  in  any  statement.     This  is  the  philosophy  of  the  textuarian, 


454  LECTURE    XXVI. 

and  must  precede  every  operation  of  a  divisional  nature.  The  fact  or  truth 
of  a  text  is  generally  easily  discovered  by  the  interrogations,  or  by  redu- 
cing the  text  to  its  more  natural  order,  which  answers  the  purpose  of 
Claude's  and  Simeon's  categorical  reductions,  and  which  stands  sufficient- 
ly exemplified  in  our  regular  division.  But  the  qualities  of  a  passage  of 
scripture  form  a  separate  study. 

What  I  have  here  presumed  to  call  qiialiiics  other  authors  call  by  dif- 
ferent names.  Dr.  Watts  calls  them  modes  and  accidents.  Mr.  Simeon, 
more  to  our  purpose,  marks  the  character  and  s-pirit  of  a  passage  ;  I  also 
still  think  it  will  be  allowed  that  the  character  and  spirit  of  any  speech  or 
writing  is  to  be  learned  or  spelled  out  from  the  qualities  discoverable  in 
such  speech  or  writing ;  qualities  first  strike  the  mind  and  determine  the 
name  or  character.  The  qualities  of  a  sentence,  either  expressed  or  con- 
ceived, lead  us  to  the  thought  itself,  the  point,  or,  if  you  please,  the  spirit, 
of  the  text.  If  we  speak  of  character,  it  comes  to  the  same  point,  the 
qualities  either  expressed  or  understood  constitute  the  character  :  thus,  if 
we  would  show  what  the  character  of  wisdom  is  (Isa.  xxxiii.  6),  we  must 
go  into  a  specification  of  its  qualities.*  St.  James  describes  these,  iii.  17. 
Qualities  may  direct  to  an  end,  as  having  certain  tendencies  toward  it ;  as 
luxury,  the  qualities  of  which  tend  to  destroy  the  constitution,  and  waste 
a  man's  fortune.  The  qualities  of  self-denial,  or  of  temperance,  chastity, 
&c.,  naturally  tend  to  the  perfection  of  the  Christian  character,  and  each 
may  be  considered  in  this  view  on  a  suitable  text.  So  that  all  qualities 
are  discriminative  of  the  subject  to  which  they  belong,  or  they  lead  to  the 
subject  itself. 

Another  use  w^hich  we  may  make  of  our  Topic  is  to  find  out,  from  the 
qualities  of  the  subject,  an  appropriate  title  or  heading  of  a  discourse. 
This  may  appear  to  be  a  very  trifling  subject,  not  here  worth  considera- 
tion. I  allow  that  by  the  heading  lines  of  some  sermons  any  one  might  be 
led  to  suppose  that  their  authors  thought  so.  But  the  tide  to  a  sermon  is 
of  great  consequence,  not  indeed  to  set  it  off  to  the  best  advantage,  nor 
merely  as  a  matter  of  accuracy,  but  in  its  practical  results.  If  the  title  be 
judiciously  fixed  upon,  either  written  or  understood,  or  conceived  in  the 
preacher's  mind,  he  feels  himself  thereby  confined  to  consistency;  he  feels 
that  he  must  keep  to  his  title,  which  is  even  a  closer  point  than  his  text, 
while  the  announcement  of  the  title  tends  also  to  keep  the  hearer's  or 
reader's  mind  steady  to  the  point  in  hand. 

The  three  kinds  or  varieties  of  titles  seem  to  me  to  be  these  : — 

First :  The  subject  or  character  of  the  text.  Acts  xx.  26,  27  :  "I  take 
you  to  record  this  day,"  &c.  Here  the  subject  is  Ministerial  Fidelity. 
The  author  shows.  Wherein  it  consists — the  difficulty  of  maintaining  it — 
its  immense  importance.  Here  we  see  how  closely  every  division  connects 
with  the  title. 

Af^ain,  Titus  i.  16  :  "  They  profess  that  they  know  God,  but  in  works 
they  deny  him."  The  character  which  forms  the  subject  and  suggests  the 
title  is  The  False  Professor.  This  is  a  common  character — an  awful 
character — a  pitiable  character. 

Secondly :  The  end  or  object  of  a  text,  and  consequently  of  the  dis- 
course.    1  Tim.  i.  5  :  "  Now  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity." 

•  Perliaps  my  illustrations  of  Doscriptivc  Prcadiing  mijjlit  with  great  propriety  have  been  groand 
t*d  on  this  Topic,  rather  than  on  the  third  Topic,  bat  Quod  scripsi  scripsil. 


CHARACTERS    OF    MAJESTY,    ETC.  455 

The  title  is  The  True  End  of  the  Gospel.  Then  inquire,  What  is  the  true 
scope  of  the  gospel  as  contrasted  with  the  use  too  often  made  of  it? — 
When  may  that  end  he  said  to  be  truly  and  properly  attained  ?  Here  the 
title  might  have  been  formed  on  the  general  subject — Christian  Charity ; 
but  in  this  case  a  different  mode  of  discussion  would  have  been  required. 

Again,  Gal.  i.  4 :  "  Who  gave  himself,"  &c.  Here  the  tide  is,  The 
Great  Object  of  Christ^  Coming. 

Again,  Rom.  vi.  1-4  :  "  What  shall  we  say  then  ?  Shall  we  conUnue 
in  sin  that  grace  may  abound?"  Here  the  title  may  form  a  proposition — 
The  Gospel  secures  Holiness.  Then  the  preacher  might  properly  discuss 
the  subject  under  two  other  propositions,  viz.,  The  supposed  tendency  of 
the  gospel  to  licentiousness  is  not  true — the  security  it  gives  for  the  prac- 
tice of  holiness  is  most  manifest,  for  the  reasons  laid  down  in  the  subse- 
quent part  of  the  text. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  subject,  or  the  end  and  design  of  things,  may  be- 
come the  proper  material  of  tides,  with  all  their  variations  or  forms  of  ex- 
pressions :  but  that  which  I  am  now  anxious  to  enforce  is  that  we  may  be 
greatly  assisted  in  devising  titles  by  considering  qualities,  the  only  proper 
point  of  my  present  lecture.  The  title  must  be  upon  qualities  if  these 
form  the  strongest  points  of  a  discourse ;  for  here  the  preacher's  business 
is  to  treat  of  these  qualities — their  variety,  extent,  mode  of  acting,  benefits 
or  detriments,  with  all  the  sensations  they  excite  of  admiration  or  disgust, 
&c.  Besides,  I  can  not  but  think  that  there  is  something  very  judicious, 
perhaps  even  elegant,  in  such  titles.  Take,  for  example,  1  Tim.  iv.  8,  9  : 
"  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things."  The  tide  is.  The  Advantages 
of  True  Godliness.  Here  profitableness,  in  relation  to  this  life  and  that 
which  is  to  come,  is  singled  out  from  the  numerous  and  excellent  qualides 
of  godliness.  Had  the  tide  assigned  to  the  discourse  been.  On  True  God- 
liness, it  would  have  been  correct,  but  not  judicious ;  for  the  main  point 
of  the  text  turns  on  the  fact  that  true  godhness  is  advantageous ;  and  I 
would  even  sacrifice  elegance  to  precision  in  any  such  case.  It  is  the  prof- 
itable quality  of  godliness  that  I  had  in  my  eye  in  preparing  the  discourse, 
and  it  is  to  this  1  desire  the  chief  attention  of  the  hearer  ;  for  this  espe- 
cially is  favorable  to  the  very  strongest  principles  of  our  common  nature, 
self-interest  and  self-preservation. 

Or  take  Heb.  iv.  12  :  "  The  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful,  and 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder 
of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart."  I  have  quoted  this  text  at  full  length 
to  show  the  many  qualities  of  the  divine  word.  Now  here  there  is  no  un- 
necessary redundancy  of  expression.  Every  quality  is  but  a  just  amplifi- 
cation of  the  subject ;  it  is  quick,  powerful,  sharp,  very  sharp,  piercing  ;  it 
separates  and  divides  all  the  parts  of  the  spiritual  anatomy  of  the  soul ;  it 
discerns  (throws  open)  all  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart. 

The  former  example  had  but  one  quality  named  in  it,  but  this  has  so 
many  that  there  seems  to  be  some  difficulty  in  forming  a  tide  sufficiently 
comprehensive.  Perhaps  we  can  not  do  better  in  such  a  case  than  to 
take  the  leading  quality  as  a  title  :    The  Energy  or  Power  of  God's  Word. 

2  Cor.  xi.  29  :  "  Who  is  weak,  and  I  am  not  weak,"  &c.  The  title 
to  this  may  be  Christian  Sympathy,  because  this  is  the  spirit  that  breathes 
in  the  language  of  the  text. 


466  LECTURE    XXVI. 

In  this  Topic,  besides  the  direct  uses  which  I  have  endeavored  to  point 
out,  we  also  find  the  chief  elements  of  criticism,  or  the  principal  points 
upon  which  the  judgment  is  to  be  exercised  in  order  to  determine  the  de- 
gree of  excellency,  or  otherwise,  attaching  to  any  literary  production  : 
hence  it  has  been  said,  "  He  is  of  a  learned  spirit  that  dives  into  all  quali- 
ties, and  ascertains  all  movements  of  the  mind." 

Unless  we  are  wrapped  in  indolence  or  apathy,  we  can  not  well  read  a 
book  or  hear  a  speech  without  forming  some  opinion  as  to  what  are  its 
qualities.*  As  there  are  certain  personal  qualities  peculiar  to  certain  indi- 
viduals, and  to  describe  these  is  to  charactenze  the  man,  so  there  are  cer- 
tain peculiarities  which  belong  to  expression  or  discourse.  There  are  as 
many  of  these  as  there  are  intelligent  emotions  which  express  themselves  in 
language.  Every  thought  has  its  quality,  and  diligence  must  find  it  out.t 
Besides  such  as  the  title  of  our  Topic  points  out,  they  are  rational  or  ab- 
surd, affectionate  or  malignant,  amiable  or  disgusting,  beautiful  or  deformed, 
clear  or  confused,  argumentative  or  loose  or  in  want  of  connexion  ;  they 
are  full  or  defective,  true  or  false,  important  or  trivial,  diffuse  or  laconic, 
cold  or  fervid,  sublime  or  mean  ;  they  are  suitable  or  misplaced,  profound 
or  frivolous,  benignant  or  severe ;  they  are  haught}'  or  condescending, 
chaste  or  licentious,  good  or  evil.  Everything  that  the  Scripture  approves 
or  condemns,  every  passion,  habit,  or  sense,  has  its  respective  award,  ac- 
cording to  its  use  or  tendency;  everything  in  divinity  and  morals,  everything 
pertaining  to  the  religious  and  social  life,  everything  that  comes  into  the 
province  of  truth,  into  the  offices  and  relations  of  man,  has  its  qualities, 
which  form  its  characteristic.  These  are  the  elements  upon  which  our 
learned  critics  give  the  sentence  of  death  or  life  to  our  multitudinous  pub- 
lications. In  some  cases  it  may  be  the  happiness  of  poor  autliors  to  be 
beneath  their  regard.  In  other  and  more  happy  instances  they  give  the 
authors  the  benefit  of  their  imprima/ur,  and  thus  give  currency  to  works 
of  real  merit.  I  do  not  say  tliat  critics  are  solely  engaged  in  the  consid- 
eration of  qualities.  They  have  to  consider  the  things  themselves  to  which 
qualities  are  only  relative.  They  detect  imposture,  and  bring  to  light  many 
realities  which  are  worthy  of  their  laborious  research.  They  establish  as 
far  as  they  can  the  standard  of  excellency  and  truth  in  reference  to  the 
work  before  them,  and  show  the  quantum  of  merit  that  belongs  to  the  au- 
thor. They  consider  the  claim  that  an  author  has  to  public  favor,  what  of 
novelty  he  produces,  whether  the  subject  be  in  want  of  discussion  or  is 
exhausted  and  threadbare,  whether  he  brings  sotne  old  but  valuable  sub- 
ject into  a  new  or  improved  light,  how  far  the  work  is  adapted  to  the  persons 
had  in  view,  &c.  If  a  work  be  worth  entertaining,  tiiey  will  perhaps  point 
out  what  would  improve  it,  and  especially  if  the  author  is  but  recently  be- 
fore tlie  [)ublic.  liut  the  power  wliich  our  brother  critics  possess  over  the 
public  mind  is  chiefly  ascribable  to  a  just  discovery  of  the  qualities  exhib- 
ited in  an  author.  It  is  therefore  of  considerable  importance  that  this 
Topic  should  be  borne  in  mind  in  the  perusal  of  any  hmnan  performance, 
religious  or  literary  ;  for  the  rules  which  direct  our  public  critics  must  also 
direct  us  in  the  perusal  of  any  work,  that  we  may  be  able  to  form  a  correct 
judgment  respecting  it. 

In  reading  theological  works  we  should  carefully  mark  whether  they 

*  6<!e  Bickcrstetli's  CliaractcrH  of  proal  Autliors. 

t  We  naturally  form  our  conlrasbj  cbiufly  from  qaolitiea 


REMARK    DEGREES.  457 

amplify  the  text  of  scripture,  or  discover  the  connexion  of  its  several  parts, 
or  explain  the  meaning  of  the  Spirit  of  God  where  difficulties  appear,  or 
throw  out  some  hidden  beauties,  &c.  A  work  which  renders  us  these  and 
such  like  services  is  worthy  of  high  regard.  But  some  of  our  great  readers 
will  travel  through  many  bulky  volumes,  and  if  you  ask  them  what  are  the 
excellences,  faults,  or  defects,  which  they  found,  you  will  obtain  only  some 
vague  and  general  answer,  which  demonstrates  that  they  are  book-readers, 
and  that  is  nearly  all ;  but  the  man  who  reads  for  profit  "  marks,  learns, 
and  inwardly  digests,"  what  he  finds.  He  examines  the  particular  view  of 
his  author,  his  arrangement,  and  his  arguments  and  illustrations,  and  par- 
ticularly what  are  the  qualities  predominant  in  his  author.  His  keen  and 
steady  eye  suffers  nothing  to  escape  him;  he  would  rather  read  a  little, 
upon  this  plan,  than  reckon  the  value  of  his  studies  by  the  quantity  of 
pages  he  has  perused.  Like  the  bee,  he  rests  long  enough  upon  each  flower 
to  extract  its  virtues.  He  marks  particular  parts  with  his  pencil,  or  makes 
some  extracts  to  throw  into  his  commonplace  book,  or  notes  in  the  margin 
of  his  Bible  what  book  to  refer  to  on  particular  passages,  the  volume  and 
the  page.  In  the  course  of  time  the  broad  margin  of  his  Bible*  becomes 
a  Uttle  treasury.  This  has  been  my  practice  for  some  years,  and,  on  many 
occasions,  I  have  found  it  a  very  seasonable  assistance  ;  though  perhaps  I 
have  not  been  sufficiently  industrious,  for  I  see  many  leaves  vacant  which 
might  have  been  supplied.  Now  in  general  the  closer  the  student  keeps 
to  the  qualities  of  his  author  the  more  he  will  be  improved.  He  will  be 
furnished  perhaps  with  an  opening  to  his  own  faults  in  preaching,  and  those 
points  of  excellence  which  he  should  endeavor  to  imitate  ;  his  taste  will 
improve,  his  imagination  become  more  vigorous,  his  judgment  more  cor- 
rect. The  student  who  obtains  this  accurate  knowledge  of  books  will 
resemble  a  merchant  on  'change,  who  knows  pretty  nearly  the  value  of 
every  one  on  his  walk.  If  his  library  be  small,  it  will  be  select ;  it  will 
contain  no  literary  rubbish,  or,  if  he  should  have  any  such  commodities, 
they  will  be  known  by  the  dust  that  covers  them  or  by  the  remote  place 
they  occupy. 


LECTURE   XXVII. 

TOPIC  XXIV. 

REMARK  DEGREES. 

"  For  example.  Gal.  i.  8:  'If  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any 
other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him 
be  accursed.'  After  you  have  remarked  the  extreme  force  andsignificancy 
of  the  words,  observe  that  the  apostle  denounces  an  anathema  twice,  even 
denouncing  it  against  himself,  should  he  ever  be  guilty  of  what  he  condemns, 
denouncing  it  even  against  an  angel  from  heaven,  in  the  same  case.  You 
must  observe  that  the  apostle  does  not  always  use  the  same  vehemence 

•  Tbe  Bible  for  this  parpose  should  be  wide  in  the  margin,  or  interleaved. 


458  LECTURE    XXVII. 

when  he  speaks  against  error.  In  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans  he  contents  himself  with  calling  those  "weak  in  the  faith" 
who  eat  only  herhs,  and  exhorts  other  believers  to  bear  with  them.  In  the 
third  chapter  of  the  First  of  Corindiians  he  protests  to  those  who  build 
with  wood,  hay,  and  stubble,  upon  Christ  the  foundation,  that  their  work 
should  be  burned,  but  that  they  should  be  saved,  though  it  should  be  by 
fire.  In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Acts  we  are  told  that  "  Paul's  spirit 
was  stirred"  when  he  saw  the  idolatry  and  superstition  of  the  Athenians. 
Elsewhere  he  says,  "If  any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God 
destroy."  In  all  these  there  is  a  force;  but  nothing  like  what  appears  in 
these  reiterated  words  :  '  Though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any 
other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him 
be  accursed.' — '  As  we  said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  if  any  man  preach 
any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you, 
let  him  be  accursed.'  Why  so  ?  Because  the  apostle  speaks  here  of  an 
essciil'wl  corruption  of  the  gospel,  which  the  false  apostles  aimed  at  in  the 
churclies  of  Galatia  ;  they  were  annihilating  the  grace  of  Christ,  by  asso- 
ciating with  it  the  Mosaic  economy.  They  aimed  at  the  entire  ruin  of  the 
churcli,  by  debasing  the  purity  of  its  doctrines.  In  this  case,  the  con- 
science of  this  good  man  could  contain  no  longer ;  he  stretched  his  zeal 
and  vehemence  as  far  as  possible ;  he  became  inexorable,  and  pronounced 
anathemas.  Nothing  prevented  him  ;  neither  the  authority  of  the  greatest 
men  nor  yet  the  dignity  of  the  glorious  angels  :  '  If  even  an  angel  firom 
heaven  preach  any  other  gospel,  let  him  be  accursed.'  " 

Such  were  Claude's  ideas.  I  admire  Paul's  zeal,  and  I  approve  very 
highly  of  Claude's  observations  upon  it.  Neither  St.  Paul  nor  Claude 
give  any  offence,  because  the  matter  is  now  past ;  but,  if  a  subverter  of 
gospel  truths  or  precepts  were  in  the  present  day  to  be  thus  boldly  at- 
tacked, I  have  no  doubt  but  the  champion  for  truth  would  be  assailed  as 
unchristian,  censorious,  illiberal,  and  narrow-minded,  and  this  by  the  very 
men  who  express  their  approbation  of  Paul's  conduct.  The  Pharisees 
pretended  to  venerate  the  prophets,  and  honored  their  sepulchres  ;  but, 
when  a  prophet  of  infinite  purity  and  divine  authority  reproved  their  un- 
belief and  hypocrisy,  they  assailed  him  with  abusive  epithets,  and  at  length 
took  away  his  life.  In  short,  the  living  reprover  is  sure  to  be  an  offender ; 
while  one  who  reproves  by  his  writings  will  have  his  name  honored. 

"  Degree  is  the  comparative  condition  of  anything,  and  the  study  of  this 
Topic  is  necessary  to  the  obtaining  of  acc;/r«t//  in  theology.  An  accurate 
sermon  is  a  discourse  made  up  of  an  exact  (piantity  of  each  component  part. 
There  is  a  certain  degree  or  quantum  of  truth  ;  diere  is  an  exact  point  of 
light,  or  degree  of  ciichncc,  in  which  this  truth  is  placed  ;  there  is  a  nice 
qudutum  sujJicU  of  imager)!,  coloring  and  cidivening  tiie  evidence  ;  there  is 
a  nice  degree  o^  temper  adjusted  to  all  parts;  the  reasoning  is  vigorous,  the 
narration  cool,  the  suasion  pathetic,  soft,  and  warm,  and  so  on  ;  there  is  a 
sort  o{  style  adapted  to  the  subject,  and  dicre  is  a  degree  of  vehemence  or 
indifference  in  the  very  ivonls  or  letters  that  express  the  whole,  suited  to 
the  importance  or  the  comparative  insignificance  of  each  part.  Tlie  com- 
position of  such  a  sermon  is  a  work  of  great  labor,  and  yet  it  must  not 
appear  to  be  labored  at  all.  And,  altliough  this  may  be  carried  to  such 
excess  that  the  composition  of  sermons  by  these  great  labors  would  nearly 
exclude  other  parts  of  tiie  ministerial  oflice,  yet  some  attention  to  degrees 


REMARK    DEGREES.  459 

is  essential  in  studying  scripture,  in  investigating  and  reasoning  upon  sub- 
jects, in  determining  the  direction  of  promises  and  tlireatenings,  in  re- 
lieving troubled  consciences,  and  so  on.  There  are  degrees  of  punish- 
ment pointed  against  degrees  of  sin,  degrees  of  glory  adapted  to  degrees 
of  virtue,  degrees  of  assurance  proportioned  to  degrees  of  faith,"  &c.* 

Marking  degrees  is  certainly  very  essential  to  an  expositor,  who  should 
have  a  philosophical  as  well  as  a  Christian  mind-.  On  many  occasions  it 
it  is  not  enough  to  mark  the  qualities  of  a  subject,  but  these  must  also  be 
distinguished  according  to  their  different  degrees  ;  for  every  quality  has  its 
degree  as  well  as  its  kind.  There  is  a  good,  better,  best — a  bad,  worse, 
worst,  &c.  There  are  degrees  of  majesty,  meanness,  infirmity,  necessity, 
utility,  &c.  "  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and  another  glory  of  the 
moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  stars  :"  for  these  luminaries  differ  in  the 
degree  of  their  light  and  excellence. 

If  the  eye  be  passed  over  the  last  Lecture,  it  will  appear  how  great  the 
variety  of  qualities  is,  and  by  this  Topic  the  degree  of  such  qualities  will 
necessarily  fall  under  consideration,  whereby  discrimination  is  rendered 
iT^ore  complete,  and  we  are  preserved  from  a  loose  manner  of  address, 
and  enabled  to  give  everything  its  due  weight  and  measure. 

Some  examples  are  given  under  the  second  Topict  which  may  here  be 
referred  to  as  illustrating  the  present  Topic  also,  and  I  shall  only  add  one 
instance  from  Simeon  of  a  somewhat  different  kind.  It  is  on  Rom.  i.  8  : 
"  I  thank  my  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  for  you  all."  The  apostle  had 
received  a  very  favorable  account  of  the  spiritual  state  of  the  church  at 
Rome,  of  the  whole  church  generally,  and  wliich  indeed  stood  confirmed 
by  universal  testimony.  "  We  therefore,"  says  he,  "  give  thanks  to  God 
for  you  all." 

I.  We  give  thanks  for  those  among  you  who  have  begun  to  manifest  a  concern  for 
your  souls.  Truly  this  is  a  just  ground  for  thanksgiving  to  God.  A  most  felicitous 
escape  you  have  had  from  the  society  you  have  left,  the  sins  you  have  begun  to  re- 
nounce, Sec.  God  only  must  have  the  glory.  He  quickened  you  when  dead,  en- 
dowed you  with  new  dispositions,  gave  you  a  new  work,  placed  you  under  new  in- 
fluences, and  gave  you  new  objects. 

II.  But  with  greater  delight  will  we  return  thanks  for  those  who  have  made  some 
progress  in  the  divine  life.  Over  such  of  you  we  rejoice  with  very  exalted  joy  ;  for 
many  who  run  well  for  a  season  leave  off  to  behave  themselves  wisely,  and,  after 
having  known  the  way  of  righteousness,  forsake  it.  It  is  therefore  our  joy  that  you 
stand  fast  in  the  Lord,  and  on  your  account  we  rejoice  in  God  through  Jesus  Christ, 
who  has  secured  your  stability  and  growth  in  grace. 

III.  Most  of  all  must  we  bless  God  for  those  among  you  who  are  walking  worthy 
of  their  high  and  heavenly  calling.  To  such  our  text" more  especially  refers,  because 
the  apostle  states,  as  the  ground  of  his  thanksgiving,  "  that  their  faith  was  spoken 
of  throughout  the  whole  world."     Now  for  such  we  thank  God — 

1.  Because  of  the  glory  which  they  bring  to  God.  They  live  for  God  ;  they  com- 
mend his  religion.  Such  are  in  fact  the  lights  of  the  world,  and  those  who  behold 
them  are  constrained  to  "  glorify  their  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

2.  Because  of  the  good  which  they  do  to  mankind.  These  lead  the  way,  en- 
courage, teach,  and  instruct  others,  commence  plans  of  usefulness  and  carry  them  on. 
Works  of  humanity  might  be  originated  by  others  ;  but  works  of  religion  would  fail 
if  such  Christians  did  not  exert  themselves. 

3.  Because  of  the  blessings  that  await  them  in  a  better  world.  We  thank  God 
for  your  prospects. 

*  Robinson's  Claude,  vol.  iL  t  See  page  170  of  this  work. 


460  LECTURE    XXVII. 


TOPIC  XXV. 
OBSERVE  DIFFERENT  INTERESTS. 

"Thus,"  says  Claude,  "if  you  were  explaining  the  miracle  which 
Jesus  Christ  wrought  in  the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath-day,  when  he  healed 
the  withered  hand  in  the  presence  of  the  Herodians  and  Pharisees,  you 
might  remark  the  different  interests  of  the  spectators  in  that  act  of  our 
Lord;  for,  on  the  one  hand,  Moses  and  his  religion  seemed  interested 
therein  two  ways :  ] .  The  miracle  was  wrought  on  a  day  in  which  Moses 
had  commanded  them  to  do  no  manner  of  work.  And,  2.  This  was  done 
in  a  synagogue  consecrated  to  the  Mosaic  worship :  so  that  it  was,  as  it 
were,  insulting  Moses  in  his  own  house.  Further,  the  Herodians,  who 
were  particularly  attached  to  the  person  of  Herod,  either  for  political  rea- 
sons or  for  some  others  unknown,  were  obliged  to  be  offended;  for  this 
miracle  had  a  tendency  to  prove  Christ's  Messiahship,  and  thereby  (as 
was  commonly  thought)  his  right  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel;  and  conse- 
quently this  must  tend  to  blacken  the  memory  of  a  former  Herod,  wko 
endeavored  to  kill  him  in  his  infancy.  The  Pharisees  were  no  less  inter- 
ested ;  for  they  considered  him  as  their  reprover  and  enemy,  and  could 
not  help  being  very  much  troubled  whenever  they  saw  Jesus  Christ  work 
a  miracle.  Then  observe  the  interest  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  his  con- 
cern was  to  do  good  wherever  he  had  an  opportunity,  and  to  glorify  God 
his  Father  by  confirming  the  word  of  his  gospel  by  acts  of  infinite  power. 
The  poor  afflicted  man  had  a  double  interest  in  it;  the  healing  of  his  body 
and  the  improvement  of  his  mind.  Thus  this  action  of  Jesus  Christ, 
having  divers  relations,  becomes,  as  it  were,  a  point  whence  many  lines 
may  be  drawn,  some  on  this  side,  others  on  that;  and  hence  arise  the  dif- 
ferent remarks  which  may  be  made  upon  it." 

This  article,  like  the  last,  is  of  small  comparative  importance,  yet  the 
accurate  expositor  will  not  despise  its  aid.  However,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  discover  a  single  example  of  any  value  upon  this  Topic,  and  shall 
only  add  what  Mr.  Robinson  su])plled,  and  attached  to  his  original  trans- 
lation of  Claude,  which  will  not  be  quite  without  its  use  to  many  students, 
for  this  work  I  believe  is  out  of  print  and  is  in  but  few  hands. 

Mr.  Robinson  says:  "This  beautiful  Topic  of  illustration  may  serve 
for  a  clue  to  many  passages  of  scripture,  to  almost  all  history,  profane  and 
sacred,  and  to  numberless  affairs  which  are  daily  transacted  before  our 
eyes.  It  proves  that  different  men  have  different  interests,  and  divers  in- 
terests lead  to  different  sentiments.  Suppose  a  man  to  place  all  his  hap- 
piness in  sensual  gratifications;  the  gratifying  of  his  senses  will  become  his 
main  interest,  and  this  disposition  will  beguile  his  reason  and  form  his 
opinions.  8upj)ose  another  to  place  his  glory  in  popular  applause;  this 
passion  for  vulgar  praise  will  make  him  avoid  a  profession,  yea,  an  exam- 
ination of  truth,  lest  it  should  tarnish  iiis  beauty  in  tlie  public  eye.  Sup- 
pose even  a  good  man  under  a  momentary  unworthy  influence;  and  for 
that  moment  he  will  pursue  a  track  contrary  to  his  general  course  of  ac- 
tion, and  do  for  a  moment  what  he  has  hated  for  a  month." 

Interests  and  sentiments  have  different  origins:  some  are  gracious,  some 
natural;  some  spring  from  education,  habit,  passion,  or  prejudice;  and 
many  so  blindly  fall  into  different  interests  that  if  you  were  to  ask  them 


DISTINGUISH,    DEFINE,    DIVIDE.  461 

why  they  have  attached  themselves  in  the  manner  they  have  done,  to  this 
side  or  that,  they  would  think  it  a  very  strange  question.  I  may  add,  as 
different  interests  sometimes  divide  men,  so  at  other  times  they  fall  into 
one  common  interest,  and  unite  them.  The  Pharisees  hated  the  Hero- 
dians,  and  Herod  detested  Pilate;  yet  all  agreed  in  opposing  and  destroy- 
ing Jesus  Christ;  and  in  discoursing  on  such  passages  as  Luke  xxiii.  12, 
and  Matt.  xxii.  16,  this  fact  should  not  be  overlooked. 

The  two  following  examples  of  the  use  of  this  Topic,  by  Massillon,* 
are  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Robinson: — 

Luke  ii.  14:  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,"  &c. 
I.  God's  glory  was  concerned  in  the  birth  of  Christ. 

1.  Idolatry  had  transferred  that  worship  to  itself  which  was  due  only  to  God. 

2.  Formahty  prevailed  among  the  Jews,  and  they  rendered  an  obnoxious  worship 
to  the  God  of  their  forefathers. 

3.  Philosophy  had  conveyed  away  the  glory  of  his  providence  and  eternal  wisdom. 
These  were  three  daring  insults  which  mankind  offered  to  God,  and  which  Christ 

came  to  remove. 

II.  The  peace  of  mankind  was  interested  in  Christ's  birth ;  ibr  they  had  robbed 
one  another  of  peace  by  pride,  by  voluptuousness,  by  revenge.  Christ's  grace  heals 
the  first,  his  doctrine  the  second,  his  example  the  last. 

Matt.  ii.  2  :   "  We  have  seen  his  star,  and  have  come  to  worship  him." 

The  star,  like  the  gospel,  directing  to  Christ,  meets  with  worshippers  in  the  wise 

men,  in  the  priests  dissemblers,  in    Herod  a  persecutor.     So  it  is  with  the  gospel 

now:  a  few  receive  it,  many  disguise  it,  more  still  despise  and  persecute  it.     This 

leads  us  to  treat — 

I.  Of  the  truth  admitted. 

II.  The  truth  disguised. 

III.  The  truth  persecuted,  by  the  practice  of  libertines,  whose  conduct  runs  it 
down,  by  people  of  pleasure,  who  exaggerate  their  own  happiness  and  the  difficulties 
of  Christianity,  or  by  fools  who  mock  and  deride  it. 


TOPIC  XXVI. 

DISTINGUISH,  DEFINE,  DIVIDE. 

Distinguish. — "To  speak  properly,"  says  Claude,  "we  distinguish 
when  we  consider  a  thing  in  different  views.  As  for  example :  "  Faith  is 
considered  either  objectively  or  subjectively.f  In  the  view  of  its  object, 
faith  is  the  work  of  Jesus  Christ;  his  word  and  his  cross  produce  it,  for 
take  away  the  death  of  Christ  Jesus  and  there  is  no  more  faith.  His  res- 
urrection also  is  the  cause  of  it.  "If  Jesus  Christ  be  not  raised,  our 
faith  is  vain;  we  are  yet  in  our  sins."  But,  if  you  consider  faith  in  regard 
to  its  subject,  it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  again,  to  use  the 
same  example,  faith  may  be  considered  with  a  view  to  just ijicat ion  or  with 
a  view  to  sanctijicntion.  In  the  former  view  it  is  opposed  to  works;  in 
die  latter  it  is  the  principle  and  cause  of  good  works.  Thus  man  may  be 
considered  with  reference  to  civil  society,  by  which  he  is  obliged  to  partic- 
ular duties,  and  partakes  of  corresponding  advantages,  or  he  may  be  con- 
sidered with  respect  to  church  fellowshii),  and  so  he  is  subject  to  Christian 
laws  and  enjoys  Christian  privileges." 

*  Massillon  was  a  celebrated  French  bishop,  highly  prized  in  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  one  of 
the  preachers  of  that  day  who  fixed  the  modern  standard  of  preaching. 

t  In  preaching:,  care  should  be  taken  to  state  the  necessary  distinctions  in  a  more  intelligible  way 
than  by  the  terms  object  and  subject :  these  to  the  majority  of  hearers  are  mere  n-ystical  expressions. 


462  LECTURE    XXVII. 

In  theological  debates  nothing  can  be  of  greater  consequence  than  just 
and  necessary  distinctions.  Confusion  of  ideas  and  arguments  only  leads 
to  endless  and  fruitless  debates.  It  would  not  be  difficult  to  select  from 
our  controversial  writers  a  multitude  of  examples  in  which,  in  consequence 
of  not  fairly  distinguishing  or  disentangling  the  point  in  debate,  the  dispu- 
tants have  affirmed  one  thing  and  proved  another,  and  so  demonstrated 
nothing  but  their  own  unfitness  for  controversy.  In  conducting  debates, 
opportunity  will  often  arise  for  showing  that  an  opponent  has  confounded 
together  two  things  which,  though  they  possess  some  properties  in  common, 
are  nevertheless  so  materially  different  in  other  points  as  to  render  his  ar- 
gument inapplicable  to  the  subject  in  hand,  and  whenever  this  can  be  done, 
it  will  give  a  great  advantage. 

Our  pleaders  at  the  bar  often  make  this  use  of  this  Topic  :  "Gentlemen 
of  the  jury,  what  my  learned  brother  has  told  you  is  no  doubt  perfectly 
correct,  according  to  the  cases  which  he  has  cited;  but  these  cases  turned 
upon  a  different  point,  and  have  no  manner  of  relation  to  the  point  you 
are  called  upon  to  decide.  The  circumstances,  also,  of  the  one  and  the 
other  are  quite  different,  and  require  a  very  different  decision."  So  whh 
regard  to  disputed  doctrine.  If  we  take  a  doctrine  only  in  the  view  given 
by  those  who  differ  from  us,  there  may  be  some  truth  in  it,  but  then  the 
representation  may  not  be  a  fair  one;  it  may  proceed  upon  suppositions 
which  we  can  not  allow  ;  it  may  be  intrenched  in  a  set  of  proofs  which 
are  not  applicable  to  it,  and  may  involve  a  state  of  things  quite  the  con- 
trary of  what  our  experience  teaches  us  and  what  scripture  affirms.* 

The  confounding  of  one  subject  with  another,  has,  in  fact,  given  rise  to 
most  of  the  errors  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  Christian  church;  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  church  of  Rome  especially,  w'here  penance  is  confounded 
with  repentance,  and  the  absolution  of  the  priest  with  the  pardon  of 
Heaven,  &c. 

Whenever  we  perceive  a  subject  to  possess  several  qualities  which  differ 
greatly  from  one  another,  it  will  frequently  be  proper  to  distinguish  between 
them  before  we  can  proceed  to  a  judicious  treatment  of  the  subject.t 
Where  one  subject  possesses  properties  which  bear  some  general  resem- 
blance to  those  of  other  subjects,  this  Topic  is  also  required.  You  must 
also  frequently  point  out  with  precision  and  force  the  distinction  between 
a  mere  profession  of  religion  and  true  piety:  too  often  these  are  con- 
founded together,  and  it  is  the  preacher's  duty,  not  only  to  state  that  the 
form  is  valueless  widiout  the  spirit  of  godliness,  but  to  show  what  it  is  that 
constitutes  the  distinction.  The  weak  believer  must  also  be  distinguished 
from  the  mere  professor,  the  designing  hypocrite  from  the  self-deceiving 
phariscc,  &c.  One  of  the  best  means  of  acquiring  that  discriminating 
talent  which  is  necessary  to  enable  you  to  distinguish  with  accuracy,  is  to 
study  the  works  of  very  acute  writers,  who,  without  departing  from  sim- 
plicity of  style,  have  stated  in  a  few  intelligible  sentences  what  odiers  draw 
out  into  a  long  exhibition  of  uuinlelligibles.l 

Lavington  makes  a  very  judicious  distinction  on  the  subject  of  commu- 
nion with  our  own  hearts.  "It  is,"  says  he,  "1.  Direct — when  the  un- 
derstanding and  will  debate  on  the  subject  of  good  and  evil  in  prospect. 

*  See  Robert  Hall's  works,  vol.  vi. 

tSee  Locke'a  Comiuctor  ilio  Utidcrstanding:,  Lect.  xxxi. 

X  It  lias  been  remarked  of  Henry,  iliat,  in  lii.s  commentary,  he  often  makes  some  very  learned  re- 
marks and  juHt  disliiiclioiis  in  a  very  familiar  mauuer,  without  appearing  learned. 


DISTINGUISH,    DEFINE,    DIVIDE.  463 

Here  we  debate  with  our  own  heart  whether  the  thing  be  really  lawful  or 
not.  2.  By  way  o^  reflection.  Here  we  can  commune  with  our  heart  as 
to  the  past,  whether  a  thing  that  has  been  done  is  such  as  conscience  does 
and  ouo-ht  to  approve."  The  author  again  distinguishes  between  ordinary 
and  extraordinarij  occasions  that  call  for  such  strict  scrutiny.  All  this 
representation  is  practical  and  plain.     Farquhar  has  a  similar  example. 

Robinson  has  also  introduced,  from  the  French,  a  very  striking  instance, 
on  Heb.  ii.  14,  15.  Some  persons  are,  "through  fear  of  death,  all  their 
lifetime  subject  to  bondage."  These  persons  must  be  distinguished — 1. 
Some  fear  death  from  a  pure  instinct  of  nature.  2.  Some  from  a  prin- 
ciple of  religion,  having  a  suspicion  of  their  state.  3.  Some  from  a  spirit 
of  infidelity,  mere  want  of  faith.  4.  Some  from  an  attachment  to  this 
world.     And  5.  Others  from  a  mere  weakness  of  the  imagination.* 

The  following  is  an  example  of  observation  on  the  Topic,  by  Jortin, 
on  Rom.  ii.  11 : — 

To  clear  divine  impartiality  from  objections  arising  from  different  capacities  and 
conditions,  we  must  form  a  right  notion  of  what  is  called  ^^  respect  of  persons  ;"  to 
do  this  we  must  distinguish  between  matters  of  favor  and  matters  of  justice. 

The  manner  of  God's  dealings  with  his  creatures  in  giving  them  more  or  less,  in 
placing  them  here  or  there  when  he  calls  them  into  being,  is  matter  of  favor.  No 
account  should  be  asked  or  expected.  What  is  called  respect  of  persons  has  nothing 
to  do  with  it.  But,  in  his  behavior  to  creatures  consequent  on  their  behavior  to  him, 
he  acts  by  the  rules  of  justice  and  equity.  In  this  case  justice  and  equity  will  be  so 
manifestas  to  clear  him  from  the  imputation  of  partiality. 

If  you  examine  the  passages  of  Scripture  where  God  is  said  to  be  "  no  respecter  of 
persons,"  you  will  find  this  character  ascribed  to  him,  not  as  he  is  creator,  but  as  he 
is  ruler  and  judge,  as  he  is  dispenser  of  rewards  and  punishments.  So  men,  when  they 
are  commanded  not  to  respect  persons,  are  to  be  considered  not  as  doing  favor,  but  as 
exercising  authority,  judgment,  and  justice,  in  a  public  or  private  capacity,  &c. 

I  add  a  very  important  distinction  which  it  will  be  advantageous  to  keep 
in  mind  in  the  discussion  of  many  subjects: — 

The  gospel  of  Christ  is  thought  by  many  to  be  a  source  of  evil,  and  certain  it  is 
that  evils  have  not  unfrequently  followed  in  its  train.  But  we  must  distinguish  be- 
tween two  things  which  are  very  often  confounded  ;  namely,  the  cause  of  the  evil  and 
the  occasion  of  it.  There  is  not  any  blessing  that  divine  Providence  has  bestowed 
upon  us  which  may  not  be  an  occasion  of  evil,  if  it  be  not  used  in  the  manner  and  for 
the  ends  for  which  it  was  intended.  Our  corporeal  and  mental  faculties  may  all  be 
abused  for  the  production  of  evil :  and  all  the  fruits  of  the  earth  may  be  made  subser- 
vient to  the  gratification  of  inordinate  desire.  This  has  happened  in  relation  to  the 
gospel.  Even  in  the  primitive  churches,  some,  instead  of  delivering  their  divine  mes- 
sage with  the  simplicity  that  became  them,  made  it,  in  many  instances,  an  occasion 
of  promulgating  their  own  vain  and  superstitious  notions,  thus  administering  to  strife 
and  contention,  where  they  should  have  labored  only  for  the  edification  of  souls  in 
faith  and  love.  St.  Paul,  in  order  to  correct  this,  directed  Timothy  to  protest  against 
it  as  an  abuse  of  the  gospel,  and  to  make  it  appear  that  the  gospel  was  in  no  respect 
to  be  blamed  for  these  evils,  since,  in  its  own  nature,  it  tended  only  to  love.  "  The 
end  of  the  commandment  is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience, 
and  of  faith  unfeigned." 

Simeon  avails  himself  of  this  Topic  in  discoursing  on  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  from  Col.  ii.  9.     Under  his  first  division  he  observes — 

There  are  some  texts  which,  to  a  superficial  observer,  bear  somewhat  of  a  similar 
aspect  with  that  before  us.  For  instance,  it  is  said  in  this  very  epistle,  "  It  liath 
pleased  the  Father  that  in  Christ  should  all  fulness  dwell"  (i.  19) ;  and  out  of  his 
fulness  we  are  said  to  receive,  even  grace  for  grace,  John  i.  16.  There  is  yet  a 
stronger  expression  m  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  wherein  we  are  exhorted  to  con- 
template the  love  of  Christ  till  we  are  "filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God,"  Eph.  iii. 
18,  19.     Nay,  more,  we  are  said  ourselves  to  be  "  the  fulness  of  him  who  fiUeth  all 

*  Bertbeau,  torn,  ii.,  serm.  12. 


464  LECTURE    XXVII. 

in  all."  From  such  scriptures  as  these  it  is  argued,  by  many,  that  the  fulness  spoken 
of  in  my  text  is  only  a  fulness  of  gifts  committed  to  Christ  for  the  use  of  his  church, 
and  that  we  may  as  well  assume  to  ourselves  the  character  of  the  Godhead  as  give 
it  to  him,  since  we,  no  less  than  he,  are  said  to  be  "  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God." 
But,  on  a  closer  inspection,  there  will  be  found  a  wide  diflTorcnce  between  all  the 
foregoing  passages  m  our  text.  The  fulness  spoken  of  in  the  text  is  the  fulness  of 
"  the  Godhead,"  residing  in  Christ,  not  symbolically  and  for  a  season,  as  the  She- 
chinah  did  in  the  tabernacle,  but  corporeally,  substantially,  permanently.  There  is 
no  doubt  a  reference  here  to  the  Shechinah,  which  Avas  a  shadowy  representation  of 
the  Deity.  But  the  reference  is  rather  in  a  way  of  contrast  than  of  comparison ;  for 
in  my  text  it  is  not  God  who  is  spoken  of,  and  who  is  frequently  said  to  dwell  in  his 
people,  but  the  Godhead.  Nor  is  Christ  said  to  "  be  filled  with'"  it,  but  to  have  it 
essentialli/  dwelling  in  him  ;  and  this,  not  m  a  type  or  shadow,  but  really,  vitally, 
necessarily,  immutably;  "  in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  " 

Saurin  on  Eccl.  i.  9 — "  The  thing  that  hath  been,  it  is  that  which  shall 
be,  and  that  which  is  done  is  that  which  shall  be  done,  and  there  is  no 
new  thinn;  under  the  sun" — enters  into  some  distinctions  in  order  to  fix 
the  meaning  of  the  text. 

1.  When  the  wise  man  says  thai  ivhich  hath  hetn  is  that  which  shall  be,  he  doth 
not  mean  to  attribute  a  character  of  firmness  and  consistency  to  such  events  as  con- 
cern us.  No  man  ever  knew  better  than  he  the  transitoriness  of  human  aff'airs ;  but 
it  is  not  necessary  to  our  knowledsfv-^  of  the  subject  to  occupy  a  post  as  eminent  as  that 
which  he  held  :  for  a  superficial  view  of  the  condition  of  public  bodies  and  of  that  of 
individuals  will  be  sufficient  to  open  a  wide  field  to  our  reflections. 

(1.)  The  condition  of  public  bodies  is  usually  founded  on  materials  so  brittle  that 
there  is  no  room  to  be  astonished  at  sudden  and  perpetual  variations.  A  spectator 
young  in  his  observations,  and  distant  from  the  central  point,  is  amazed  at  the  rapid 
changes  which  he  beholds  suddenly  take  place  like  the  creation  of  new  worlds;  he 
supposed  whole  ages  must  pass  in  removing  those  enormous  masses,  public  bodies,, 
and  in  turning  the  current  of  prosperity  and  victory.  But,  should  he  penetrate  into 
the  spring  of  events,  he  would  soon  find  that  a  very  small  and  inconsiderable  point 
gave  motion  to  that  wheel  on  which  turned  public  prosperity  and  public  adversity, 
and  which  gave  a  whole  nation  a  new  and  difi'erent  appearance.  Sometimes  all  the 
wise  counsels,  the  cool  deliberations,  the  well-concerted  plans,  that  constitute  the 
prosperity  of  a  nation,  proceed  from  the  prudence  of  one  single  head.  This  one  head 
represses  the  venality  of  one  and  the  animosity  of  another,  the  ambition  of  this  man 
and  the  avarice  of  that.  Into  tliis  head  one  single  vapor  ascends;  prosperity  relaxes 
it ;  death  strikes  it  off*.  Instantly  a  new  world  arises,  and  then  that  which  was  is  no 
more,  for  with  that  head  well-concerted  measures,  cool  deliberations,  and  wise  coun- 
sels, all  vanished  away.  Sometimes  the  rare  qualities  of  one  single  general  animate  a 
whole  army,  and  assign  to  each  member  of  it  his  proper  work,  to  the  prudent  a  sta- 
tion which  requires  prudence,  to  the  intrepid  a  station  which  requires  courage,  and 
even  to  an  idiot  a  place  where  folly  and  absurdity  have  their  use.  From  these  rare 
qualities  a  state  derives  the  glory  of  rapid  marches,  bold  sieges,  desperate  attacks, 
complete  victories,  and  shouts  of  triumph.  This  general  finishes  his  life  by  his  own 
folly,  or  is  supplanted  by  a  party  cabal,  or  sinks  into  inaction  on  the  soft  down  of  his 
own  panegvrics,  or  a  fatal  bullet,  shot  at  random  and  without  design,  penetrates  the 
heart  of  this  noble  and  generous  man.  Instantly  a  new  world  appears,  and  that 
which  was  is  no  more  ;  for  with  this  general  victory  and  songs  of  triumph  expired. 
Sometimes  the  ability  and  virtue  of  one  single  favorite  enable  him  to  direct  the 
genius  of  a  prince,  to  dissipate  the  enchantments  of  adulation,  to  become  an  antidote 
against  the  poison  of  flattery,  to  teach  him  to  distinguish  sober  applause  from  self- 
interested  encomiums,  and  to  render  him  accessible  to  the  complaints  of  widows  and 
orphans.  This  favorite  sinks  into  disfavor,  and  an  artful  rival  steps  into  his  place. 
Rehoboam  neglected  the  advice  of  prud-'iit  old  counsellors,  and  followed  the  sug- 
gestions of  inconsiderate  youth.  Any  one  of  these  changes  produces  a  thousand  con- 
sequences. 

(2.)  It  would  be  easy  to  repeat  of  individuals  what  we  have  affirmed  of  public 
bodies,  that  is,  that  the  Avorld  is  a  theatre  in  perpetual  motion,  and  always  varying, 
that  every  day,  and  in  a  manner  every  moment,  exhil)its  some  new  scene,  some 
change  of  decoration.  It  is  then  clear  that  the  proposition  in  the  text  ought  to  be 
restrained  to  the  nature  of  the  subject  spoken  of 

2.  But  these  indeterminate  words,  that  which  hath  been  shall  be,  and  there  is  no 


DISTINGUISH,   DEFINE,    DIVIDE.  465 

new  thing  under  the  sun,  must  be  explained  by  the  place  thej  occupy.     Our  chief 
guide  to  determine  the  meaning  of  some  vain  propositions  of  an  author  is  to  examine 
where  he  placed  them,  and  what  precise  idea  he  had  in  his  mind  when  he  Avrote 
them.     By  observing  this  rule  we  find  that  the  same  phrases  are  often  taken  in  dif- 
ferent senses..     Without  quoting  other  examples,  we  observe  that  the  words  under 
consideration  occur  twice  in  this  book,  once  in  the  text  and   again  in  the  fifteenth 
verse  of  the  third  chapter,  Avhere  we  are  told,  that  which  hath  been  is  now,  and  that 
which  is  to  be  hath  already  been.     However,  it  is  certain  that  these  two  sentences  so 
much  alike  in  sound  have  a  very  different  meaning.     The  design  of  Solomon  in  the 
latter  passage  is  to  inform  such  persons  as  tremble  at  the  least  temptation  that  they 
were  mistaken.     We  complain,  say  they,  that  God  exercises  our  virtue  more  than  he 
does  that  of  other  men,  and,  though  he  allows  these  rude  attacks,  yet  he  does  not 
afford  us  strength  sufficient  to  resist  them.     No,  saith  Solomon,  whatever  variety 
there  may  appear  to  be  in  the  conduct  of  God  toward  men,  yet  there  is  always  a 
certain  uniformity  that  characterizes  his  conduct.     Indeed  he  giveth  five  talents  to 
one,  while  he  commits  only  one  talent  to  another,  and  in  this  respect  there  is  a  van- 
ety  ;  but  he  doth  not  require  of  him  to  whom  he  hath  committed  one  talent  an  ac- 
count of  more  than  one  talent,  while  he  calls  him  to  account  for  five  talents  to  whom 
he  committed  five,  and  in  this  respect  there  is  a  perfect  uniformity  in  his  conduct; 
and  so  of  the  rest.     I  kjiow  that  whatsoever  God  doth  (these  are  the  words  of  Solo-' 
mon)-~I  know  that  whatsoever  God  doth,  it  shall  be  for  ever  ;  nothing  can  be  put  to 
tt,  nor  anything  taken  from  it,  and  God  doth  it  that  men  'should  fear  before  him. 
That  tvhich  hath  been  is  now,  and  that  which  is  to  be  hath  already  been,  and  God 
requireth  that  which  is  past. 

But  in  our  text  the  same  words,  the  thing  that  hath  been  is  that  which  shall  be^ 
have  a  different  meaning.     It  is  evident,  by  the  place  in  which  the  wise  man  put 
them,  that  he  intended  to  decry  the  good  things  of  this  life,  to  make  the  vanity  of  them 
appear,  and  to  convince  mankind   that  no  revolutions  can  change  the  character  of 
vanity  essential  to  their  condition.     The  connexion  of  the  words  establishes  the  mcan- 
mg.     From  what  events  do  mankind  expect,  saith  he,  to  procure  to  themselves  a  firm 
and  solid  happiness  in  this  life  ?     What  efforts  can  be  hereafter  made  greater  than 
what  have  been  made  ?     Yet  ivhat  profit  hath  a  man  of  all  his  labor  tvhich  he  taketh 
under  the  sun  ?     One  generation  passeth  away,  and  another  generation  cometh,  but 
the  world  continueth  the  same,  the  sun  ariseth,  and  the  sun  goeth  down,  and  hasteth 
to  his  place  where  he  arose.      The  wind  goeth   toward  the  south,  and  turneth  about 
unto  the  north,  and  the  wind  returneth  again  according  to  his  circuits.     All  rivers 
run  into  the  sea,  and  whence  they  come  thither  they  return  again,  ver.  3-7.     The 
moral  world  exactly  resembles  the  world  of  nature.     It  is  in  vain  to  expect  any  vicis- 
situde that  will  render  the  remaining  part  of  life  more  happy  than  the  former.     The 
eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  ver.  8,  or,  as  it  maybe  translated,  w7A  considering; 
nor  the  ear  filled  with  hearing,  or,  as  the  words  may  be  rendered,  the  ear  never 
ceases  to  listen.     But  this  contention,  which  makes  us  stretch  all  our  faculties  in 
search  of  something  to  fill  the  void,  that  all  past  and  present  enjoyments  have  left  in 
our  hearts,  this  doth  not  change  the  nature  of  things ;  all  will  be  vanity  in  future,  as 
all  have  been  vanity  in  former  times.      The  thing  which  hath  been  is  that  which  shall 
be  ;  and  that  which  is  done  is  that  which  hath  been  done  ;  and  there  is  no  new  thino- 
under  the  sun.  * 

Manton,  in  his  sermon  on  2  Thess.  i.  11,  distinguishes  faith  from  assur- 
ance, and  points  out  the  evil  consequences  of  confounding  them.  He  ob- 
serves : — 

There  is  a  usual  mistake  of  faith  among  Christians,  as  if  it  were  only  a  strong  and 
blind  confidence,  which  admits  no  doubt  in  the  soul  concerning  their  own  salvation : 
but  this  is  a  vain  conceit,  which  both  hardens  the  impenitent  and  discourages  the 
serious.  ° 

It  hardens  the  impenitent.  This  strong  confidence  of  their  own  good  state  may- 
happen  to  be  the  greatest  unbelief  in  the  Avorld  ;  for  in  many  it  is  a  believing  that  to 
be  true  the  flat  contrary  of  which  God  has  revealed  in  his  word.  1  Cor.  vi.  9,  "  Be 
li°^ Tif ^'^l'^ '  ^^°^^  y°"  °°^  ^^^^  ^he  unrighteous  can  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God  {  1  hey  flatter  themselves  with  the  belief  of  the  contrary ;  and  if  they  can  but 
bless  themselves  in  their  own  hearts,  and  get  the  victory  over  their  consciences  and 
fears  of  wrath,  and  cry.  Peace,  peace,  loudly  enough,  thev  think  all  is  well,  and  so 
embrace  an  imagination  and  dream  of  their  o^vn  for  true'faith.  This  confidence  is- 
absolutely  inconsistent  with  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  Christ. 

30 


466  LECTURE    XXVII. 

It  likewise  discourages  the  serious,  who  foolishly  vex  their  OAvn  souls,  and  disquiet 
themselves  in  vain,  thinking  they  have  no  faith  hecause  they  have  not  such  a  peace 
as  excludes  all  doubts  and  fears  about  their  eternal  state  ;  whereas  faith  is  a  receiv- 
ing God's  testimony  concerning  his  Son,  or  such  an  embracing  of  the  doctrine  of  sal- 
vation by  Christ  as  leads  us  to  set  ourselves  about  the  duties  required,  that  we  rnay 
be  capable  of  the  blessings  offered,  even  reconciliation  with  God  and  the  everlasting 
fruition  of  him  in  glory.  This  mistake  of  the  nature  of  faith  leads  Christians  to  most 
of  their  perplexities.  Do  you  receive  the  Avord  as  the  word  of  God  ?  Then  thank- 
fully accept  Christ  as  the  offered  remedy,  and  take  his  prescribed  way  to  come  to 
God  ;  depend  on  his  mercy,  and  continue  in  obedience  to  his  precepts,  and  you  will 
soon  find  that  he  is  the  "  author  of  eternal  salvation  to  all  those  that  obey  him." 
Heb.  V.  9. 

He  then  proceeds  to  explain  what  is  meant  by  the  work  of  faith,  and  in 
doing  this  he  introduces  a  distinction  between  the  internal  and  the  exter- 
nal acts  of  faith.  The  following  is  the  substance  of  this  part  of  his  ser- 
mon : — 

The  work  of  faith,  in  general,  is  all  that  work  and  business  which  belongs  to 
faith. 

More  particularly  let  me  tell  you  that  there  are  two  sorts  of  acts  ascribed  to  faith, 
elicite  and  imperate,  internal  and  external. 

I.  The  internal  acts  of  faith  are — 

1.  Assent  to  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  Christ,  which  has  a  just  title 
to  our  firmest  belief  and  choicest  respect.     1  Tim.  i.  15. 

2.  Consent,  either  to  accept  Christ  for  our  Redeemer  and  Savior  (John  i.  12)  or  to 
receive  the  word,  as  it  is  stated,  in  the  form  of  a  covenant.  Acts  ii.  41  :  "  They 
received  the  word  gladly,"  resolving  to  live  by  the  rule  and  earnestly  to  seek  the 
happiness  of  that  covenant  which  God  has  made  with  the  world  in  Christ. 

H.  Dependence,  or  leaving  the  weight  of  our  souls  and  all  our  eternal  interests  on 
this  foundation-stone  which  God  hath  laid  in  Zion,  or  depending  on  his  promises  and 
looking  for  the  performance  of  them 

II.  The  external  acts  include — 

1.  A  bold  and  open  confession  of  Christ,  and  owTiing  his  ways,  notwithstanding  the 
sharpest  persecutions.  This  is  the  work  of  faith  as  put  into  the  covenant,  Rorn.  x.  9. 
There  the  duty  of  a  Christian  is  made  to  consist  of  two  parts  ;  one  concerns  the  heart, 
the  other  the  mouth.  There  is  believing  with  the  heart,  which  is  the  internal  prin- 
ciple;  and  there  is  open  confession  or  profession,  with  the  mouth,  in  spite  of  all  per- 
secution and  danger;  for  all  Christians  are  saved  cither  as  martyrs  or  as  confessors, 
and  therefore  Christianity  is  called  a  profession,  Heb.  iii.  1.  And,  because  this  ex- 
poses to  danger,  we  must  venture  all  to  make  this  profession  ;  and  this  is  the  reason 
why  the  kingdom  of  God  is  compared  to  a  wise  merchant,  that  sold  all  for  the  pearl 
of  great  price,  Matt.  xiii.  45,  46.  It  is  the  work  of  faith  ;  thercforp  it  is  said  (Ileb. 
iii.  6),  "  Whose  house  we  are,  if  we  hold  fast  the  confidence  and  the  rejoicing  of  hope 
firmly  to  the  end  ;"  the  words  arc,  Tzapi'jriaiav  xai  to  K-avxri'a  Tru  l\it,Sos,  that  is,  if  we 
undaiintedly  continue  our  Christian  profession  and  cheerfulness  in  all  that  beAills 
us  for  Christ's  sake,  knowing  that  we  can  be  no  losers  by  Christ.  Heb.  x.  23  :  "  Let 
us  hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  faith  without  wavering  ;  for  he  is  f\iithful  that  has 
promised."  Here  faith  produces  its  work,  when  we  are  fortified  against  the  terrors 
of  the  world,  and  the  dangers  feared  do  not  make  us  waver  in  the  ways  of  Christ  or 
the  profession  of  his  name.  And  this  is  that  work  of  faith  which  is  accomplished 
with  power,  meaning  the  divine  power,  as  Col.  i.  11.  It  is  the  grace  and  power  of 
God  that  bears  us  up  under  the  alllictions  we  meet  with  in  our  Christian  course.  So 
2  Tim.  i.  8  :  "  Be  thou  partaker  of  the  afflictions  of  the  gospel,  by  the  power  of  God." 
And  here,  "  The  Lord  fulfil  in  you  the  work  of  faith  with  power,"  that  is,  complete 
in  you  all  the  good  fruits  of  faith  and  patience,  or  enable  you  to  bear  whatever  you 
suffer  for  embracing  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 

2.  Ready  obedience  to  the  will  of  God,  forsaking  all  sin,  and  Avalking  in  all  new- 
ness of  life  to  his  praise  and  glory.  Then  is  our  practice  conformable  to  our  faith. 
And  faith  is  said  to  work  by  love  (Gal.  v.  0),  that  is,  to  produce  holiness  and  obedi- 
ence, when  the  drift  and  bent  of  our  lives  is  for  (Jod  and  heaven,  to  please,  glorify, 
and  enjoy  him.  What  we  arc  to  believe  and  do  is  the  sum  of  religion  ;  and  the  one 
is  inferred  out  of  the  other  ;  doing  arises  out  of  believing,  as  the  branch  does  out  of 
the  root,  2  Pet.  i.  5.  And  therefore  our  obedience  is  called  the  obedience  of  faith 
(Rom.  xvi.  26),  because  it  is  animated  and  inspired  by  it. 


DISTINGUISH,    DEFINE,    DIVIDE.  467 

Well,  then,  that  which  the  apostle  intends  here  is  not  the  internal  but  the  exterior 
acts  of  faith.  For  the  drift  of  his  prayer  is  that  God  would  enable  lliem  to  ride  out 
the  storm  of  those  troubles  which  came  upon  them  for  the  gospel's  sake.  And  a 
Christian,  in  judging  his  condition,  will  better  discern  it  in  the  external  acts  than  the 
internal.  For  the  upright  can  not  always  discern  the  interior  acts,  or  the  strength 
of  them  ;  but  the  exterior  are  more  sensibly  and  visibly  brought  forth  in  the  view  of 
conscience.  God  sees  what  is  in  our  hearts,  but  we  see  it  not  till  the  effects  manifest 
it.  The  sap  is  not  seen  when  the  apples  and  fruit  do  visibly  appear.  Like  as  we 
judge  of  the  soundness  of  men's  repentance  by  the  fruits  thereof,  otherwise  men  may 
be  deceived  and  think  there  is  a  change  of  mind  Avhen  there  is  not  (when  John  sus- 
pected the  Pharisees,  Matt.  iii.  8,  he  said.  Bring  forth  fruit  meet  for  repentance  ;  yea, 
the  apostle  exhorted  men  of  better  temper  than  they  to  repent,  and  turn  to  God,  and 
to  do  works  meet  for  repentance,  Acts  xxvi.  20) ;  so  we  judge  of  men's  fear  of  God, 
not  by  the  internal  act  of  reverence,  but  by  a  departing  from  evil  (Prov.  viii.  13),  of 
their  love  by  their  obedience  (John  xiv.  21,  and  1  John  v.  3),  and  of  their  faith  by 
their  holy  and  heavenly  Avalking.  There  is  no  faith  in  those  that  live  an  unsanctified 
life  ;  but  where  men  set  their  faces  heavenward,  make  it  their  business  to  please  God, 
here  is  true  faith  ;  they  have  received  God's  testimony,  and  therefore  upon  the  en- 
couragement of  his  promises  continue  with  patience  in  well-doing. 

Besides,  hypocrites  will  pretend  a  strong  faith,  and  be  ready  to  charge  with  injus- 
tice and  injury  those  who  shall  question  their  belief  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by 
Christ ;  but  they  deny  in  their  practice  what  they  assert  in  their  words.  Every  con- 
siderate man  may  collect  from  their  actions  that  they  have  no  true  sense  of  the  being 
of  God  ;  for  they  are  not  watchful  over  their  own  ways,  and  their  actions  are  so  abso- 
lutely contrary  to  God's  laAvs,  threats  and  promises,  yea,  to  all  that  is  known  of  God, 
that  certainly  they  do  not  believe  there  is  a  God,  or  are  not  in  earnest  when  they 
think  and  speak  so.  It  may  be  their  mouths  are  not  let  loose  to  such  boldness  as 
openly  to  deny  or  question  God's  being  ;  but  their  dealings  are  so  false  and  detestable 
that  a  man  may  certainly  conclude  they  never  expect  to  be  accountable  to  God  for 
what  they  do.  So  for  the  belief  of  Christianity,  many  seem  to  believe  as  Christians, 
but  live  as  infidels  ;  nommally  they  are  Christians,  but  really  they  deny  the  faith,  and 
therefore  the  surest  mark  will  be  holy  conversation  and  godliness. 

Simeon  largely  exemplifies  this  Topic  in  a  skeleton  on  John  iv.  41,  42  : 
"  And  many  more  believed  because  of  his  own  word,"  &c.  He  observes, 
in  his  introduction,  that  many  of  the  Samaritans  entertained  high  thoughts 
of  our  Lord's  character  from  the  testimony  of  the  woman  whom  he  met 
at  Jacob's  well ;  but  afterward,  from  personal  acquaintance  with  him,  they 
were  convinced  that  he  was  the  Savior  of  the  world.  He  then  takes  oc- 
casion to — 

I.  Distinguish  betAvecn  the  kinds  of  faith  here  mentioned. 

The  faith  which  the  Samaritans  first  exercised  was  founded  on  merely  human  re- 
port. The  woman  had  testified  to  them  that  Jesus  had  told  her  all  the  secrets  of  her 
heart,  even  such  as  could  be  known  only  to  the  most  high  God,  and  had  appealed  to 
them  whether  this  was  not  a  convincing  evidence  that  he  was  the  long-expected  Mes- 
siah. Her  argument  was  plain  and  conclusive  ;  and,  as  she  had  no  motive  for  de- 
ceiving them,  they  believed  her  report  of  him,  and  acknowledged  the  justness  of  her 
conclusion.  We  "do  not  mean  to  disparage  this  kind  of  faith  ;  it  was  good  as  far  as 
it  went ;  and  it  Avas  productive  of  solid  benefit  to  the  persons  Avho  possessed  it,  inas- 
much as  it  removed  all  their  prejudices  and  disposed  them  to  form  a  more  accurate 
judgment  for  themselves.  But  still  Ave  can  not  regard  this  faith  in  any  other  light 
than  as  a  speculative  assent,  grounded  upon  human  testimony.  It  seems  to  have  been 
not  unlike  that  Avhich  is  so  common  among  ourselves,  which  arises  from  a  view 
of  the  evidences  of  our  religion.  We  see  that  all  the  ancient  types  and  prophecies 
were  fulfilled  in  Christ,  and  that  most  unquestionable  miracles  were  wrought  by  him 
and  his  apostles  in  confirmation  of  his  Avord  ;  and  therefore  we  say  that  he  is  and 
must  be  the  Messiah.  Yet  those  Avho  are  most  versed  in  this  kind  of  reasoning  are 
not  ahvays  suitably  aff'ected  with  it;  their  knowledge  of  Christianity  is,  in  many 
cases,  merely  speculative,  residing  in  their  heads,  but  never  descending  into  their 
hearts  nor  influencing  their  lives.  We  can  not,  therefore,  consider  this  as  a  saving 
faith.  Being  unproductive  of  good  Avorks,  it  is  dead  ;  and,  if  carried  no  further,  it 
will  leave  the  possessor  of  it  in  the  state  of  those  unhappy  spirits  of  whom  it  is  said, 
*'  they  believe  and  tremble." 


468  LECTURE  xxvn. 

The  faith  to  which  they  afterward  attained  was  founded  on  their  own  experience. 
During  the  two  days  that  our  blessed  Lord  stayed  among  them  they  heard  him  dis- 
course on  the  things  relating  to  his  kingdom.  They  perceived  that  he  "spoke  as 
never  man  spoke  ;"  and  "  his  word  Was  with  power."  As  it  had  before  proved  the 
heart  of  the  woman  at  the  well,  so  it  searched  their  hearts,  and  disclosed  to  them  all 
their  hidden  abominations.  It  showed  them  that  they  themselves  were  lost,  yea, 
that  the  whole  world  also  was  in  a  perishing  condition,  and  that  he  was  sent  of  God 
on  purpose  to  deliver  them.  From  the  correspondence  which  they  saw  between  the 
character  he  sustained  and  the  necessities  they  felt,  they  v/ere  assured  "  that  he  was 
the  Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world  ;"  and  they  determined  to  rely  on  him  as  their 
Savior  and  their  Redeemer.  Now  this  was  saving  faith :  it  brought  them  fully  to 
Christ  for  the  ends  for  which  he  was  sent  into  the  world.  "With  their  hearts  they 
believed  on  him  unto  righteousness,  and  with  their  mouths  they  made  confession 
vinto  salvation."  This  faith  was  very  different  from  that  which  they  first  exercised  ; 
it  was  more  distinct,  more  assured,  more  influential.  They  had  more  full  and  com- 
plete views  of  the  objects  of  Christ's  mission,  they  "  had  within  themselves  a  wit- 
ness" of  the  suitableness  and  sufficiency  of  his  salvation,  and  they  instantly  became 
his  open  and  avowed  disciples,  in  spite  of  all  their  former  prejudices  and  the  preju- 
dices of  all  around  them. 

II.  Notice  the  importance  of  making  this  distinction.  Two  facts  will  serve  to 
illustrate  this : — 

,  1.  For  want  of  distinguishing  aright  many  sincere  persons  are  distressed.  The 
nature  of  saving  faith  has,  as  might  well  be  expected,  been  a  subject  of  controversy 
in  the  Christian  world.  A  full  assurance  of  our  own  personal  acceptance  with  God 
has  been  supposed  by  many  to  be  an  essential  part  of  true  faith ;  and  hence  multi- 
tudes who  have  really  "  fled  to  Christ  for  refuge,  as  to  the  hope  set  before  them,"  are 
disquieted  from  day  to  day  because  they  do  not  feel  in  themselves  that  assurance. 
But  God  does  not  require  us  to  believe  more  than  he  himself  has  revealed  ;  and  where 
has  he  revealed  that  any  particular  individual  among  us  is  in  a  state  of  salvation  ? 
or  where  has  he  said  that  the  belief  of  our  oAvn  personal  interest  in  Christ  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  our  obtaining  an  interest  in  him?  Indeed,  such  a  declaration  would 
be  absurd.  As  for  straining  metaphorical  expressions,  in  order  to  found  doctrines 
upon  them,  it  is  injudicious  in  the  extreme.  It  is  far  better  to  examine  what  that 
faith  was  which  was  exercised  by  the  saints  of  old,  and,  if  we  do  that,  we  shall  al- 
ways find  that  the  faith  by  which  they  were  saved  was  a  faith  of  affiance,  and  not 
that  which  is  generally  (but  improperly)  called  a  faith  of  assurance. 

2.  For  want  of  distinguishing  at  all  many  insincere  persons  are  ruined.  The  gen- 
erality of  persons  seem  to  have  no  idea  of  any  faith  beyond  that  of  a  mere  assent  to 
certain  propositions ;  and,  if  they  have  never  set  themselves  to  oppose  Christianity, 
they  take  for  granted  that  they  are  believers.  They  were  born  in  a  Christian  land, 
and  have  been  educated  in  the  Christian  faith,  and  therefore  they  suppose  that  all  is 
well.  If  they  are  licentious  in  their  conduct,  they  will  allow  perhaps  that  they  are 
deficient  in  their  morals;  yet  they  never  suspect  that  they  are  materially  wrong  in 
their  faith.  Is  it  not  important,  then,  that  they  should  be  told  that  "  he  is  not  a  Jew 
who  is  one  outwardly,  nor  is  that  circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh"? 
Surely,  whatever  such  persons  may  imagine,  if  ever  they  be  brought  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  Christ,  they  will  say,  Now  Ave  believe  in  Christ,  not  because  we  have 
been  told  by  our  parents  that  Christianity  is  true,  hot  because  we  have  heard  him 
ourselves  speaking  to  us  in  his  word,  and  have  felt  that  he  is  exactly  such  a  Savior 
as  our  necessities  require. 

Define. — In  order  to  impart  our  ideas  to  others  with  clearness  and 
force  we  must  not  only  distinguish  them  from  other  ideas  with  which  they 
may  liave  been  confounded,  hut  we  must  proceed  to  define  what  is  thus 
dislingui.shod.  The  neglect  of  this  lias  given  rise  to  mur-li  niisnpprehen- 
sion  and  much  angry  debate.  A  large  portion  of  the  controversies  which 
have  agitated  the  church  would  have  been  avoided,  and  others  long  since 
satisfactorily  adjusted,  had  it  not  been  for  the  strange  difficulty  (for  a  strange 
one  it  certainly  is)  that  men  find  in  understanding  each  otlier's  meaning. 
Hence  the  never-ending  game  of  cross  purposes,  in  which  all  of  us  at 
times  are  so  much  engaged.     A  leading  cause  of  this  will  be  found  in  a 


DISTINGUISH,    DEFINE,    DIVIDE.  469 

negligent  use  of  language.*  The  philosopher,  it  is  true,  whether  meta- 
physical, moral,  or  Christian,  must  generalize  his  ideas  to  compass  the 
views  of  his  inquiring  mind,  but,  in  conveying  the  fruits  of  his  study  and 
reflection  to  others,  he  must  condescend  to  weigh  words,  and  endeavor  by 
a  simplicity  of  definition  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  misapprehension  on 
the  part  of  those  whom  he  instructs.  This,  of  course,  requires  great  care 
and  attention  ;  for,  in  order  to  arrive  at  just  and  adequate  definitions,  we 
must  take  an  exact  view  of  the  idea  to  be  described,  trace  it  to  its  original 
principles,  and  mark  the  several  simple  perceptions  that  enter  into  its  com- 
position ;  we  must  also  consider  the  particular  manner  in  which  these  ele- 
mentary ideas  are  combined,  in  order  to  form  that  precise  conception  for 
which  the  term  we  make  use  of  stands.  Every  definition  should  not  only 
contain  a  distinct  enumeration  of  all  the  original  ideas  out  of  which  the 
complex  one  is  formed,  but  the  order  and  manner  of  combining  them  into 
one  conception  must  also  be  clearly  exhibited.  Where  a  definition  has 
these  requisites,  and  is  at  the  same  time  distinguished  by  brevity  and  sim- 
plicity, nothing  is  wanting  to  its  perfection,  because  every  one  who  hears 
or  reads  it  and  understands  the  terms,  seeing  at  once  what  ideas  he  is  to 
join  together,  and  also  in  what  manner,  can  at  pleasure  form  in  his  own 
mind  the  complex  conception  answering  to  the  term  defined.  The  true 
and  proper  end  of  definition  is  to  present  to  the  hearer  just  and  accurate 
copies  of  our  ideas ;  and  in  defining  anything  we  ought  by  no  means  to 
satisfy  ourselves  with  the  descriptions  derived  from  any  received  system 
of  morals  or  theology,  but  to  think  for  ourselves,  and  transcribe  the  appear- 
ance which  any  subject  makes  to  our  minds. 

With  respect  to  definition,  Claude  merely  observes,  "This  is  sometimes 
used  when  an  act  of  God  is  spoken  of,  as  the  pardon  of  our  sins,  the  jus- 
tification of  our  persons,  &c.,  or  when  a  virtue  or  a  vice  is  in  question,  for 
then  it  may  not  be  improper  to  define." 

I  may  be  permitted  to  add  Dr.  Watts's  rules  for  a  just  definition.  "  1. 
It  must  be  universal  or  adequate.  2.  It  must  be  proper  and  peculiar  to 
the  thing  defined,  and  agree  to  that  alone.  3.  It  must  be  clear  and  plain. 
4.  It  must  be  short,  and  have  no  superfluous  words.  5.  Neither  the  thing 
defined,  nor  a  mere  synonymous  name,  should  make  any  part  of  the 
definition." 

A  beautiful  example  of  definition  is  given  in  1  Cor.  xiii.  The  defini- 
tion there  proceeds  entirely  upon  an  examination  of  those  excellent  quali- 
ties which  are  comprised  in  genuine  charity.  Every  one  of  the  qualities 
mentioned  is  (at  least  in  the  original)  clearly  distinguished  from  the  rest, 
and  all  combine  to  render  the  definition  complete  ;  from  all  the  dictionaries 
in  the  world,  and  all  the  labor  of  a  philosopher  or  a  whole  college  of  phi- 
losophers, a  better  specimen  could  not  be  formed.  We  may  also  mention 
here  the  apostle  James's  definition  of  heavenly  wisdom  :  "  It  is  first  pure, 
then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good 
fruits,  without  partiality,  and  without  hypocrisy."  As  to  learned  definitions, 
they  must  never  be  made  beyond  the  walls  of  a  college  or  an  academy. 
Robinson  has  very  justly  satirized  them  in  his  notes  on  Claude. 

Divide. — Having  distinguished  one  thing  from  another  thing,  or  from 
several  species,  and  having  presented  a  just  definition,  we  proceed  to  di- 

•  See  page  212. 


470  LECTURE    XXVII. 

vide.  The  trial  is  over,  and  nothing  remains  but  to  establish  your  propo- 
sitions, to  divide  them  into  their  respective  parts,  to  pronounce  sentence 
upon  them.  All  that  Claude  has  furnished  on  this  subject  is  the  follow- 
ino-  :  *'  To  divide  regards  either  different  species  of  the  genus  or  different 
parts  of  the  whole,  and  it  may  sometimes  be  used  profitably.  Thus,  in 
speaking  of  God's  providence  in  general,  you  may  consider  the  extent  of 
that  providence,  to  which  are  subject,  1.  Natural  causes;  2.  Contingent; 
3.  Independent ;  4.  Good  and  bad  ;  5.  Small  and  great." 

I  do  not  know  that  I  can  give  a  better  example  than  that  which  is 
already  given  in  Bishop  Sanderson's  discourse  in  this  volume,  p.  383. 
You  will  perceive  that  this  penetrating  author  distinguishes  and  defines  the 
devices  of  man  and  Jehovah's  counsels,  and  then  divides  the  several  con- 
siderations into  a  mode  of  discussion  ;  if  there  be  any  defect  here,  as  an 
example,  it  is  in  the  definitions  being  too  much  mixed  with  the  divisions, 
but  this  defect  need  not  prevent  the  student  from  perceiving  the  distinctive 
use  of  the  different  portions  of  this  Topic. 


TOPIC  XXVII. 
COMPARE  THE  DIFFERENT  PARTS  OF  THE  TEXT  TOGETHER. 

♦'  This,"  says  Claude,  "  is  a  very  useful  Topic,  and  it  will  often  furnish 
very  beautiful  considerations,  if  we  know  how  to  make  a  proper  use  of  it. 
For  example,  in  this  text  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans,  '  There  is  therefore 
now  no  condemnation  to  those  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit,'  you  may  make  a  very  edifying  com- 
parison between  this  last  part,  '  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit,'  with  the  first  part,  '  There  is  no  condemnation  ;'  you  may  remark 
that,  in  the  one,  the  apostle  expresses  what  God  does  in  favor  of  the  faith- 
ful, and  in  the  odior  what  the  faithful  do  for  the  glory  of  God.  God  ab- 
solves them;  and  they  live  holily,  and  devote  themselves  to  good  works. 
God  imposes  holiness  upon  us  in  justification  ;  and  justification  is  the  pa- 
rent of  holiness.  Take  away  justification,  and  there  can  not  possibly  be 
any  good  works;  take  away  good  works,  and  there  is  no  more  justification. 

"  You  may  also  compare  this  last  part  with  the  condition  in  which  the 
believer  is  here  considered,  as  being  iji  Christ  Jesus,  and  remark  that  these 
two  things  perfectly  agree  together,  because  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  cause 
of  our  justification,  and  sanctification  is  the  principal  effect  of  our  com- 
munion with  Jesus  Christ. 

"So,  again,  in  this  beautiful  passage  in  the  second  of  Kphesians — '  God, 
who  is 'rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  ho  loved  us,  even  when 
we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ ;  by  grace 
are  you  saved' — you  may  oppose  and  compare  these  two  subjects  in  the 
text,  (lead  in  sin  and  rich  in  mercy,  as  being  two  extremes — extreme  misery 
and  extreme  mercy,  one  in  us  and  the  oilier  in  God.  The  greatness  of 
our  crimes  manifests  the  riches  of  God's  mercy,  and  the  riches  of  his 
mercy  absorb  the  greatness  of  our  crimes.  Had  our  sins  been  less,  it  must 
indeed  have  been  mercy  to  pardon  our  sins,  but  not  riches  of  mercy.  If 
God  had  been  only  lightly  inclined  to  mercy  he  might  indeed  have  par- 
doned smaller  sins,  but  his  'brgiveness  would  never  have  been  extended 


COMPARE  THE  PARTS  OF  THE  TEXT  TOGETHER.       471 

to  persons  dead  in  their  sins ;    this  belongs    only  to    extraordinary  and 
abounding  mercy." 

It  may  be  added  that  this  method  of  elucidation  may  be  extended  to 
the  comparison  of  one  part  of  a  history  vvidi  another  part  of  the  same  his- 
tory, and  the  utility  of  this  is  shown  by  Robinson  in  his  notes  on  Claude 
in  the  following  among  other  less  appropriate  examples : — 

John  xvi,  13:  "When  the  Spirit  of  truth  shall  come  he  will  guide  you  into  all 
truth."  What !  will  the  Holy  Spirit  answer  all  the  questions  that  we  may  think  proper 
to  ask  ?  Will  he,  for  instance,  acquaint  us  with  the  mode  of  the  divine  existence  ? 
Compare  the  foregoing  words  with  the  following:  "He  shall  not  speak  concerning 
himself;"  he  shall  not  acquaint  you  with  the  mode  of  his  own  existence,  &c. 
"  Whatsoever  he  shall  hear  that  shall  he  speak  ;"  he  shall  fix  your  attention  on  the 
truths  of  revelation  ;  he  shall  affect  your  hearts  with  my  doctrines,  &c. 

In  the  examination  of  an  opponent's  arguments  a  hint  may  likewise  be 
derived  from  this  Topic,  for,  as  we  compare  one  part  of  a  text  with  another 
part  of  the  same  text,  so  we  may  compare  one  part  of  an  essay  or  dis- 
course with  another  part  of  the  same  work,  and  where  there  is  error  we 
shall  commonly  be  able  to  find  inconsistency,  on  which  to  found  an  argu- 
tnentum  ad  hominem,  which,  if  it  be  seldom  found  to  produce  conviction, 
will  at  least  tend  to  silence  an  opponent. 

I  am  not  aware  of  any  good  example  of  sermonizing  in  which  this  Topic 
occupies  a  prominent  place,  but  the  following,  bearing  in  some  degree 
upon  it  and  probably  suggested  by  it,  may  not  be  unacceptable.  It  is  from 
Simeon  on  Ruth  i.  15—17  :  "  She  (Naomi)  said,  Behold,  thy  sister-in-law 
has  gone  back  unto  her  people  and  unto  her  gods  :  return  thou  after  thy 
sister-in-law.     And  Ruth  said.  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,"  &c. 

The  partings  of  friends  and  relatives  are  common ;  and,  inasmuch  as  they  give 
birth  to  a  great  variety  of  emotions  in  the  mind,  they  elicit  the  inward  character 
with  great  fidelity.  Such  is  the  incident  which  we  are  now  about  to  consider,  and 
which  will  reflect  peculiar  light  on  the  dispositions  of  one  who,  though  a  Moabitess 
by  birth,  was  one  of  the  progenitors  of  our  blessed  Lord. 

From  this  farewell  scene,  and  the  distinguished  excellence  of  Ruth's  behavior,  we 
are  led  to  mark  her  character — 

I.  Simply  as  here  depicted.  In  the  circumstances  before  us  she  approves  herself 
a  pattern — 

1.  Of  filial  piety.  Her  mother-in-law,  Naomi,  had  long  endeared  herself  to  her, 
and  now  was  about  to  part  with  her  and  to  return  to  the  land  of  Israel.  Ruth  would 
not  suffer  her  to  depart  alone,  but  determined  to  adhere  to  her  to  the  latest  hour  of 
her  life.  Nothing  could  shake  her  resolution :  she  determined  to  renounce  all  her 
old  relatives,  and  the  prospects  she  might  have  in  her  native  land,  and  to  cleave 
steadfastly  to  Naomi,  even  unto  death ;  and  the  manner  in  which  she  refused  to  ac- 
quiesce in  her  mother's  proposal  was  tender  and  affectionate  in  the  extreme :  "  En- 
treat me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  return  from  following  after  thee."  This,  in  other 
words,  was  as  if  she  had  said,  "You  know  that  any  request  of  thine,  however  dif- 
ficult or  self-denying  it  were,  would  be  obeyed  with  the  utmost  alacrity ;  but  to  ask 
me  to  forsake  thee,  this  is  too  much  ;  it  would  break  my  heart ;  I  could  not  do  it. 
I  pray  you  to  forbear  putting  me  to  so  severe  a  trial.  '  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee  f 
for  the  alternative  of  parting  with  thee  or  disobeying  thy  command  is  as  a  sword  in 
my  bones,  a  wound  which  I  can  not  possibly  endure." 

2.  Of  vital  godliness.  This  was  at  the  root,  and  was  the  true  spring  of  her  deter- 
mined resolution :  "  Thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God."  She 
had  been  instructed  by  her  mother  in  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  ;  and  she  de- 
termined to  consecrate  herself  to  his  service  and  to  take  her  portion  with  his  people. 
This  was  very  particularly  noticed  by  Boaz,  as  no  less  conspicuous  than  her  filial 
piety,  c.  ii.  11,  12.  She  acted  in  conformity  with  the  injunction  that  was  afterward 
given  by  our  Lord,  "Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he 
can  not  be  my  disciple." 

II.  As  compared  with  that  of  Orpah  and  Naomi. 


472  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

1.  Compare  it  with  that  of  Orpah.  Orpah  loved  her  mother-in-law  ;  and,  at  first, 
determined  not  to  separate  from  her.  In  answer  to  the  suggestions  of  Naomi,  she 
joined  with  Ruth  in  saying,  "  Surely  we  will  return  with  thee  unto  thy  people." 
But,  when  a  faithful  representation  was  given  her  respecting  the  sacrifices  she  Avould 
be  called  to  make,  she  repented  of  her  good  intentions,  and,  taking  an  affectionate 
leave  of  her  mother-in-law,  "  returned  to  her  own  people  and  to  her  idol-gods." 
Like  the  rich  youth  in  the  gospel,  she  departed,  reluctantly  indeed,  yet  finally  and 
for  ever.     "  Orpah,"  it  is  said,  "  kissed  her  mother-in-law :  but  Ruth  clave  unto  her." 

2.  Compare  it,  also,  with  that  of  Naomi.  That  Naomi  was  a  pious  character  we 
have  no  doubt;  and  amiable  too,  for  by  her  conduct  she  conciliated  the  regard  of 
both  her  daughters-in-law,  who,  though  Moabitesses  by  birth,  were  through  her  con- 
vinced of  the  superior  excellence  of  the  Jewish  religion  and  the  superior  happiness 
of  those  who  were  imbued  with  it ;  and  we  can  not  but  earnestly  call  the  attention 
of  Christian  parents  to  this  trait  of  Naomi's  character,  for  there  are  too  many  who, 
while  they  profess  godliness,  make  it  odious  to  all  who  come  in  contact  with  them, 
and  especially  to  those  who  are  dependent  on  them.  Their  tempers  are  so  hasty,  so 
imperious,  so  ungoverned,  that  their  very  daughters  are  glad  of  an  occasion  to  get 
from  under  their  roof.  I  must  tell  all  such  professors  that  they  are  a  disgrace  lo 
their  profession,  and  that,  if  religion  do  not  make  us  lovely  and  amiable  in  all  our 
family  relations,  it  does  nothing  for  us,  but  deceives  us  to  our  ruin.  Yet  I  can  not 
think  very  highly  of  Naomi's  character  when  I  see  the  advice  Avhich  she  gave  to  her 
daughters.  She  loved  them,  it  is  true  ;  but  her  love  Avas  of  too  carnal  a  nature,  for 
she  had  more  respect  to  their  temporal  welfare  than  to  the  welfare  of  their  souls. 
Some  would  offer  an  apology  for  her,  by  saying  that  she  only  intended  to  try  the  sin- 
cerity of  their  love.  But  supposing  she  had  done  this  in  the  first  instance,  which 
however  she  had  no  right  to  do,  especially  when  they  had  both  said,  "  Surely  we  will 
return  with  thee  unto  thy  people,"  yet  when  she  saw,  unhappily,  that  she  had  pre- 
vailed with  Orpah,  had  she  any  right  to  urge  Ruth  to  foUov/  her  sad  example? 
Should  she  not  rather  have  rent  her  garments,  yea,  and  torn  the  very  hair  from  her 
head  with  anguish,  at  the  thought  of  having  so  fatally  prevailed  to  ruin  her  daugh- 
ter's soul  ?  Should  she  not  rather  have  striven  to  undo  what  she  had  done  to  Orpah 
than  have  continued  to  exert  the  same  fatal  influence  with  Ruth  1  Should  not  the 
advice  of  Moses  to  Hobab  have  been  hers  to  both  of  them,  "  Come  with  me,  and  God 
will  do  you  good"?  Naomi,  thou  hast  given  us  a  picture  too  often  realized  in  the 
present  day:  in  thee  we  see  a  mother  more  anxious  about  the  providing  of  husbands 
for  their  daughters  than  the  saving  of  their  souls.  Thou  didst  love  thy  daughters,  it 
is  true  ;  but  thy  concern  for  their  temporal  welfare  overpowered  all  other  considera- 
tions, and  not  only  kept  thee  from  leading  their  minds  to  God,  but  actually  induced 
thee  to  exert  thy  influence  in  opposition  to  their  good  desires :  thou  wast  a  tempter 
to  them  when  thou  shouldst  have  done  all  in  thy  power  to  keep  them  from  tempta- 
tion and  have  had  thy  whole  soul  bent  on  securing  their  everlasting  salvation. 


LECTURE  XXVIII. 


THE  EXORDIUM  OR  INTRODUCTION. 


The  proper  management  of  this  part  of  a  discourse  is  in  my  view 
highly  important,  for  an  appropriate  and  judicious  cominencenient  resem- 
bles a  manly  and  graceful  entry  into  a  room,  while  a  blunder  here  is  not 
easily  forgiven  nor  its  effect  easily  counterbalanced.  The  rules  laid  down 
by  Mons.  Claude  are  comprehensive  and  judicious,  and  I  can  not  do  bet- 
ter than  transcribe  the  substance  of  them.  He  observes  that  "the  princi- 
pal use  of  an  exordium  is  to  prepare  the  hearer's  mind  for  the  particular 
matter  you  have  to  discuss,  and  insensibly  to  conduct  him  to  it.  You 
prepare  the  hearer  for  the  matter  when  you  stir  up  in  him  such  disposi- 
tions as  he  ought  to  have  to  hear  well  and  to  profit  nmch.  You  insensibly 
conduct  your  hearer  to  the  matter  when,  by  the  natural  connexion  of  the 


THE    EXORDIUM    OR    INTRODUCTION.  473 

subjects  of  which  you  speak,  you  lead  him  from  one  thing  to  another,  and 
enable  him  to  enter  into  the  doctrine  of  your  sermon. 

"  The  preparation  must  be  determined  by  the  subject  of  which  you  are 
gonig  to  speak.     If  it  be  a  sad  and  afflicting  subject,  in  which  you  aim  to 
excite  the  compassion,  the  grief,  and  the  tears  of  your  audience,  you  must 
commence  accordingly.     If  you  have  to  treat  of  a  profound    and  difficult 
mystery,  aim  to  diffuse  elevation   and  admiration   among  the  hearers.     If 
some  terrible  example  of  God's  justice  be  the  subject,  endeavor  to  stir  up 
fear.     If  some  enormous  crime,  prepare  the  mind  for  horror,  by  a  medi- 
tation on  the  enormity  of  human  corruption.     If  you  have  to  treat  of  re- 
pentance, and  in  an  extraordinary  manner  to  interest  your  hearers  in  it, 
you  must  begin  to  dispose  them  to  it  by  general  ideas  of  God's  wrath 
which  we  have  deserved,  of  the  litde  fruit  we  have  borne  to  his  glory   or 
something  of  a  like  nature.     If,  on  the  contrary,  the  matter  you  have  to 
treat  of  be  common  and  tranquil,  aim  in  your  exordium  to  place  the  mind 
m  its  natural  state,  and  only  endeavor  to  excite  honest  and  Christian  tem- 
pers, which  we  all  ought  always  to  have.     In  a  word,  the  exordium  must 
alvvays  participate  in  the  spirit  of  the  subject  that  you  mean  to  discuss,  in 
order  to  dispose  your  hearers  for  it.     Not  to  speak  in  this  manner  is  to 
lose  all  the  benefit  of  an  exordium;  and  to  use  it  to  an  opposite  purpose 
would  be  to  renounce  common  sense,  and  to  act  like  an  idiot. 

''The  second  use  of  an  introduction  is  to  conduct  the  hearer  gradually 
to  the  subject  of  which  you  are  about  to  treat.  This  (as  I  have  said)  de- 
pends on  the  connexion  between  the  subjects  of  the  exordium  with  each 
other  and  with  the  matter  of  the  discussion.  I  say  first  with  each  other  • 
they  must,  as  it  were,  hold  each  other  by  the  hand,  and  have  a  mutual 
dependence  and  subordination,  othervvise  the  auditor  will  be  surprised  to 
find  himself  suddenly  transported  from  one  topic  to  another.  I  say  also 
with  the  discussion;  for  the  exordium  is  principally  intended  to  introduce 
that. 

"1.   The  first  quality  of  an  exordium  is  brevity.      This,  however,  has  a 
proper  measure;  for  as  an  exordium  ought  not  to  be  excessively  loner,  so 
neither  should  it  be  too  short;  the  middle  way  is  the  best.     The  lono-est 
exordium  may  have  ten  or  twelve  periods,  and  the  shortest  six  or  seven 
provided  the  periods  be  not  too  long.     The  reason  is,  that,  on  the  one 
liand,  proper  time  may  be  given  the  hearer  to  prepare  himself  to  hear  you 
with  attention  and  to  follow  you  in  the  discussion  of  the  matter;  and  on 
the  other,  that  in  giving  time  sufficient  for  that  you  may  prevent  his  wan- 
dering out  of  the  subject,  wearying  himself,  and  becoming  impatient.     If 
the  exordium  be  too  short,  it  will  oblige  the  hearer  to  enter  too  soon  into 
llie  matter  without  preparation  enough;  and  excessive  length  would  weary 
him,  for  It  IS  with  an  auditor  as  with  a  man  who  visits  a  palace— he  does 
not  hke  to  stay  too  long  in  the  court  or  first  avenues;  he  would  only  view 
them  transiently  without  stopping,  and  proceed  as  soon  as  possible  to  grat- 
ify his  principal  curiosity. 

"2.  An  exordium  must  be  clear,  and  consequently  disengaged  from  all 
sorts  of  abstruse  and  metaphysical  thoughts.  It  should  be  expressed  in 
natural  and  popular  terms,  and  not  overcharged  with  matter.  You  must 
avoid  all  that  can  give  pain  to  the  mind,  such  as  physical  questions,  long 
trains  of  reasoning,  and  such  like.  However,  do  not  imagine  that,  under 
pretence  of  great  clearness,  an  exordium  must  have  only  theological  mat- 


474  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

ter,  or  consist  rather  of  words  than  things.  This  would  he  falHng  into  thft 
other  extreme.  An  exordium  must  contain  matter  capahle  of  nourishing 
and  satisfying  the  mind,  to  do  which  it  must  be  clear,  easy  to  comprehend, 
and  expressed  in  a  very  natural  manner. 

"  3.  An  exordium  must  in  general  be  cool  and  grave.*  Consequently 
no  grand  figures  may  be  admitted,  as  apostrophes,  violent  exclamations, 
reiterated  interrogations,  nor,  in  a  word,  anything  that  tends  to  give  vehe- 
ment emotions  to  the  hearers;  for,  as  the  discourse  must  be  accommodated 
to  ihe  state  of  the  hearer,  he  in  the  beginning  being  cool  and  free  from 
agitations,  the  speaker  ought  to  be  so  top.  No  wise  man  will  approve 
exordiums  full  of  poetical  raptures,  of  impetuous  or  angry  emotions,  or 
of  bold  interrogations  or  surprising  paradoxes.  You  must,  in  the  begin- 
ning, speak  gently,  remembering  that  your  auditors  are  not  yet  in  heaven, 
nor  in  the  air,  nor  at  all  elevated  in  their  way  thither,  but  upon  earth,  and 
in  a  place  of  worship. 

"4.  An  exordium,  however,  ought  not  to  be  so  cool  and  grave  as  not 
to  be  at  the  same  time  engaging  and  agreeable.  There  are  three  principal 
ends  which  a  preacher  should  propose,  namely,  to  instruct,  to  please,  and 
to  affect ;t  but,  of  these  three,  that  which  should  reign  in  an  exordium  is 
to  please.  You  should  indeed  also  aim  to  instruct  and  affect,  but  less  to 
instruct  than  to  please,  and  less  still  to  afTect  than  to  instruct.  If  you  can 
judiciously  and  properly  introduce  anything  tender  into  an  exordium  (es- 
pecially on  extraordinary  occasions)  you  may  do  so  to  good  purpose ;  but, 
be  that  as  it  may,  the  agreeable  should  reign  in  this  part.  You  must  care- 
fully exclude  from  the  exordium  all  ill-natured  censures,  terrible  threaten- 
ings,  bitter  reproaches,  and,  in  general,  all  that  savors  of  anger,  contempt, 
hatred,  or  indifference,  and,  in  short,  everything  that  has  the  air  of  quar- 
relling with  the  hearers.  Their  attention  must  not  only  be  excited  (you 
may  sufficiently  do  so  by  censures  and  reproaches),  but  you  must  softly  in- 
sinuate yourself  into  their  esteem,  so  that  they  may  not  only  not  oppose 
what  you  say,  but  be  well  satisfied  that  you  are  an  honest  and  well-mean- 
ing man. J 

"  5.  The  whole  of  the  exordium  must  be  naturally  connected  with  all 
the  matter  of  the  text.  I  say,  first,  the  ivholc  of  the  exordium;  for  great 
care  must  be  taken  to  put  nothing  there  that  is  foreign  to  your  subject. 
The  best  exordiums  are  those  which  are  composed  of  two  propositions, 
the  former  of  which  is  naturally  and  immediately  connected  with  the  lat- 
ter, and  the  latter  naturally  and  immediately  connected  with  the  text. 
Each  of  these  propositions  may  be  either  proved  or  amplified;  but  the 
latter  must  always  conduct  you  with  ease  to  the  subject  in  question,  nor 
must  the  former  be  very  distant.  According  to  this  maxim,  all  exordiums 
must  be  condemned,  which,  instead  of  leading  you  into  the  text,  make 
you,  as  it  were,  tumble  from  a  precipice  into  it,  which  is  intolerable. 

•  This  is  a  rule  which  may  Romctimcs  be  dispensed  with.  Cicero  begins  an  oration  (has : 
"  Q,uousqtin  tandem  abuterc,  Catilina,  paticntia  nostra  ?  duamdiu  ctiam  furor  istc  tuus  nos  illudetT 
Q,uem  ;iii  tiiiom  sesc  cfTrcnata  jactabit  aurlacia  ?"  &,c.  Pcrli:ips  an  exordium  Roinowhat  more  ani- 
mated tliau  uHual  may  be  proper  on  such  subjects  as  Jcr.  ix.  2',i,  24,  and  Ej)!!.  ii.  4-7. 

t  See  Blair'H  Lectures. 

i  Q.uintilian  insists  on  his  orator's  being  a  fr'^od  man.  Tlie  whole  first  chapter  of  Win  twelfth  book 
is  spent  in  proving  the  necessity  of  tliis:  and  if  this  be  so  needful  at  tiie  bar,  bow  much  more  so  is  it 
ID  the  pulpit !  His  conclusion  is  enougli  to  make  a  Chri.sliun  niini.stur  blusii :  "  Mutos  cnim  nasci,  et 
egerc  onmi  ratione  satius  fuisset,  rpiani  I'rovidentia)  niunera  in  niutuam  pernicicm  convertere" — 
Men  had  hitter  be  born  dumb,  and  even  destitute  of  reason,  than  pervert  those  gifts  of  Providence  to 
vernicious  purposes. 


THE    EXORDIUM    OR    INTRODUCTION.  475 

Those  also  are  to  be  condemned  which  conduct  to  the  text  by  many  lono- 
circuits,  that  is,  by  many  propositions  chained  together,  which  is  certainly 
vicious,  and  can  only  flitigue  the  hearer.  I  add,  in  the  second  place,  the 
exordium  must  be  connected  with  the  wliole  matter  of  the  text.  It  ouo-ht 
not  merely  to  relate  to  one  of  its  parts  (or  to  one  view  only,  if  you 
intend  to  consider  it  in  different  views),  but  to  all.  One  of  the  principal 
uses  of  an  exordium  is  to  prepare  the  mind  of  the  hearer  for  the  matter  to 
be  discussed.  If,  therefore,  the  exordium  refer  only  to  one  of  its  parts, 
or  to  one  view  only,  it  will  prepare  the  mind  of  the  hearer  for  that  one 
part,  for  that  one  view  only,  and  not  for  the  rest. 

"6.  An  exordium  must  be  simple.  We  would  not  entirely  banish  fig- 
ures; on  the  contrary,  we  would  always  employ  such  as  may  render  the 
discourse  pleasant  and  agreeable ;  but  pompous  and  magnificent  expres- 
sions must  be  avoided,  as  far  as  the  things  spoken  will  permit.  Do  not 
use  a  style  too  elevated,  bordering  on  bombast,  nor  periods  too  harmonious, 
nor  overstrained  allegories,  nor  even  metaphors  too  common  or  too  bold; 
for  indeed  the  hearer's  mind,  yet  cool  and  in  its  natural  state,  can  bear 
nothing  of  this  kind. 

"7.  An  exordium  must  not  be  common.  As  this  is  a  rule  much 
abused,  it  will  be  needful  to  explain  it.  By  a  common  exordium  I  mean, 
in  the  first  place,  one  taken  from  trivial  things,  and  which  has  been  said 
over  and  over  again:  these  the  people  already  know,  and  your  labor  will 
be  infallibly  thrown  away.  Such  are  exordiums  taken  from  comparisons 
of  the  sun,  of  kings,  of  conquerors,  of  the  ancient  Romans,  &c.,  or  from 
some  histories  of  the  Old  Testament  which  have  been  often  repeated,  or 
from  some  well-known  types,  as  the  Israelites'  passage  through  the  Red 
sea,  &c.  In  the  second  place,  I  mean,  by  a  common  or  general  exor- 
dium, one  which  may  be  alike  applied  to  two  texts  of  diiFerent  matter,  or 
to  two  contrary  interpretations  of  the  same  text.  It  is  in  this  sense  that 
common  exordiums  are  vicious  and  distasteful. 

"8.  Even  in  metaphorical  or  figurative  texts  it  is  quite  puerile  to  make 
an  exordium  join  the  text  by  a  metaphor;  for,  whatever  ingenuity  there 
may  seem  to  be  in  it,  it  is  certain  there  is  no  taste,  no  judgment,  discov- 
ered in  the  practice;  and  however  it  may  pass  in  college  declamations,  it 
would  appear  too  trifling  in  the  pulpit.  The  exordium,  then,  must  be  con- 
nected with  the  text  by  the  matter  itself,  that  is,  not  by  the  figure,  but  by 
the  subject  intended  to  be  conveyed  by  the  figure.  I  would  not,  however, 
forbid  the  joining  of  the  exordium  to  the  text  sometimes  by  the  fi(»-ure, 
provided  it  be  done  in  a  chaste  and  prudent  manner. 

"Let  us  give  one  example:  '  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my 
blood,  hath  eternal  life,"  John  vi.  54.  An  exordium  to  a  sermon  from 
this  text  may  be  taken  from  the  idea  which  holy  scripture  teaches  us  to 
form  of  our  conversion,  as  if  it  were  a  new  birth,  which  begins  a  new  life. 
You  may  observe  that,  for  this  purpose,  it  speaks  of  a  new  man,  a  new 
heaven  which  illuminates,  and  a  new  earth  which  supports  him — that,  at- 
tributing to  this  new  man  the  same  senses  which  nature  has  formed  in  us, 
as  sight,  hearing,  feeling,  smelling,  tasting,  it  attributes  also  to  him  objects 
proportioned  to  each  of  these  mystical  senses,  like  those  which  our  senses 
produce  by  their  natural  operations.  It  tells  us  that  our  eyes  contemplate 
the  celestial  light,  which  illuminates  and  guides  us  in  the  ways  of  right- 
eousness, and  that  our  ears  hear  the  voice  of  God,  who  calls  us,  and  who, 


476  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

by  these  means,  makes  us  obey  our  vocation.  It  tells  us  that  the  gospel 
is  a  savor  of  life,  which  communicates  salvation  to  us.  And  finally,  it  at- 
tributes to  us  a  mouth,  to  eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  the  Son  of 
God,  in  order  to  nourish  us  to  life  eternal.  It  is  this  last  expression  which 
Jesus  Christ  has  made  use  of  in  the  text,  'He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and 
drinketh  my  blood,  hath  eternal  life.' 

"This  exordium  joins  itself  to  the  text  by  the  figure  made  use  of  in  the 
text,  but  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  be  chargeable  with  affectation  or  wit- 
ticism ;  for  it  is  by  a  serious  reflection  on  the  scripture  use  of  the  figure, 
acknowledging  it  to  be  a  figure,  and  preparwg  the  hearer  to  attend  to  the 
explication. 

"  To  these  rules  I  subjoin  a  word  or  two  on  the  vices  of  exordiums : — 

"  1.  There  are  some  preachers  who  imagine  it  a  fine  thing  to  take  exor- 
diums from  the  persons  of  their  hearers,  or  the  circumstances  of  times, 
places,  general  affairs,  or  news  of  the  world;  but  I  believe  this  is  alto- 
gether a  vicious  method,  and  should  never  be  used  but  on  extraordinary 
occasions.  First,  there  is  too  much  affectation  in  it.  Is  it  not  a  vain  pa- 
rade to  begin  a  discourse  with  things  which  have  no  relation  to  the  mat- 
ter? It  is  certainly  contrary  to  the  chastity  and  modesty  of  a  Christian 
pulpit.  Secondly,  exordiums  of  this  sort  are  usually  pulled  in  by  head 
and  shoulders.  How  should  it  be  otherwise,  when  the  articles  of  which 
they  are  composed  have,  if  any,  only  a  very  distant  relation  to  the  text? 
By  such  means  you  defeat  the  principal  design  of  an  exordium.  And 
finally,  it  is  very  difficult  in  such  exordiums  to  avoid  saying  impertinences; 
for  w'hat,  in  a  public  discourse,  can  be  more  indelicate  than  to  speak  of 
yourself,  or  hearers,  or  limes,  or  news?  In  my  opinion,  such  exordiums 
ought  to  be  entirely  rejected. 

"2.  You  must  also,  for  the  most  part,  reject  exordiums  taken  from  pro- 
fane history,  or  what  they  call  the  apophthegms  of  illustrious  men.  This 
method  savors  too  much  of  the  college,  and  is  by  no  means  in  the  taste  of 
pious,  well-bred  men.  Alexander,  Caesar,  Pompey,  all  the  great  names 
of  antiquity,  have  no  business  to  ascend  the  pulpit;  they  are  not  suffered 
now-a-days  either  in  orations  in  the  senate  or  in  pleas  of  the  bar,  much  less 
ought  they  to  be  allowed  in  Christian  sermons.  It  may  not  be  amiss  if 
they  appear  now  and  then  in  the  discussion,  or  in  the  application ;  though 
even  there  we  ought  to  see  them  but  seldom.  But  to  introduce  them  at 
the  beginning  of  a  sermon  is  intolerable.  I  say  much  the  same  of  cita- 
tions from  profane  authors;  they  must  be  forborne,  unless  it  be  of  some- 
thing so  particular,  so  agreeable,  and  so  apt  to  the  text,  as  to  carry  its  own 
recommendation  along  with  it.  Of  this  kind,  I  think,  w^is  the  exordium 
of  a  sermon  on  Ps.  xc.  32:  'So  teach  us  to  number  our  days  that  we  may 
apply  our  hearts  unto  wisdom.'  It  was  taken  from  Plutarch,  who  relates 
that  Alcibiades  called  one  day  to  see  Pericles,  and  was  told  by  his  domes- 
tics that  their  master  was  busy  in  prc])aring  his  accounts  to  lay  before  the 
republic,  to  which  he  immediately  replied:  'Instead  of  laboring  to  make 
up  his  accounts,  it  would  be  incomparably  better  to  render  himself  not  ac- 
countable to  them  at  all.'  It  was  added  that  this  is  the  notion  of  almost 
all  wicked  men,  who  being  ignorant  of  God  their  governor,  and  feeling 
their  consciences  charged  with  a  thousand  crimes,  think  only  of  eluding 
the  judgment  of  God,  and  of  avoiding  that  account  which  they  will  one 
day  be  obliged  to  give  to  the  Master  of  all  creatures — that  if  only  one 


THE    EXORDIUM    OR    INTRODUCTION.  477 

man,  or  two  men,  were  in  question,  the  attempt  of  Alcibiades  might  suc- 
ceed, but,  as  it  was  God  with  whom  they  had  to  do,  it  must  be  worse  than 
foohsh  to  imagine  his  tribunal  could  be  avoided — that  there  was  no  other 
way  to  take  than  to  prepare  to  give  an  account  to  God,  nor  any  advice 
more  reasonable  than  to  labor  continually  to  do  it  well,  and  that,  for  this 
purpose,  even  self-interest  should  oblige  us  to  have  recourse  to  God  to 
assist  us  by  his  grace.  This  is  what  the  church  aims  to  teach  us  in  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  '  So  teach  us  to  number  our  days  that  we  may  apply 
our  hearts  unto  wisdom.' 

"  In  general,  the  best  exordiums  are  taken  from  theology  ;  for  as,  on  the 
one  hand,  they  have  always  more  relation  to  the  matter  of  the  text,  so,  on 
the  other,  they  much  better  prepare  the  hearers'  minds,  being  more  grave, 
and  free  from  the  puerile  pedantries  of  the  college. 

"  In  order  to  compose  an  exordium,  after  you  have  well  considered  the 
senses  of  the  text,  and  observed  what  are  the  principal  matters  which 
ought  to  enter  into  the  discussion,  and  after  you  have  made  the  division, 
endeavor  to  reduce  the  whole  to  one  common  idea,  and  then  choose  some 
other  idea  naturally  connected  with  that  common  idea,  either  immediately 
or  by  means  of  another.  If  it  be  immediately  connected  whh  the  subject, 
endeavor  to  reduce  it  to  one  proposition,  which  may  be  cleared  and  proved 
as  you  go  on ;  or,  if  it  have  parts  which  require  separate  explications  and 
proofs,  it  must  be  managed  so  as  to  include  them;  and,  finally,  by  the 
natural  connexion  of  that  proposition  with  the  discussion,  enter  into  the 
text.  If  the  proposition  be  connected  with  the  text  only  remotely,  then 
establish  the  first,  pass  on  to  the  second,  and  so  proceed  from  the  second 
to  the  text. 

"  Exordiums  may  be  taken  from  almost  all  the  same  topics  as  observa- 
tions, for  there  are  but  kw  good  exordiums  which  might  not  go  into  the 
discussion  under  the  title  of  general  observations.  Of  such  observations, 
that  must  be  chosen  for  an  exordium  which  is  least  essential,  or  least  ne- 
cessary to  the  discussion,  and  which,  besides,  is  clear,  agreeable,  and  enter- 
taining. A  conqmrison  may  sometimes  be  employed  in  an  exordium,  but 
not  often  ;  nor  must  trivial  comparisons  be  used  which  all  the  world  know, 
or  which  are  taken  from  anything  mean  ;  nor  must  they  be  embarrassing, 
taken  from  things  unknown  to  the  people,  as  those  which  are  borrowed  from 
mechanics,  astronomy,  &c.,  of  which  the  people  know  nothing  at  all. 

'•'■  Bible-histoi-y  maybe  used,  but  sparingly;  and  the  application  must 
be  always  just,  agreeable,  and,  in  some  sort,  new  and  remarkable. 

"  Types  may  also  be  employed,  but  with  the  same  precautions,  always 
consulting  good  sense  and  taste. 

"  The  best  method  is  to  compose  several  exordiums  for  the  same  text, 
by  taking  it  in  all  its  different  relations  ;  for  by  such  means  you  may  choose 
the  most  proper.  But  after  all  these  general  precepts,  which  indeed  ought 
to  be  known,  and  by  which  exordiums  must  be  regulated,  it  is  certain  the 
invottion  and  comj)ositio?i  of  an  exoi'dium  can  become  easy  only  by  ^iractice. 
A  young  preacher  ought  not  to  complain  of  trouble,  nor  to  be  any  way 
negligent  in  the  matter  ;  for  he  may  be  sure  of  succeeding  by  attention 
and  application." 

Such  is  Claude's  view  of  the  subject.  I  may  be  permitted  to  add  that 
exordiums  are  frequently  so  constructed  as  to  appear  mere  excrescences, 
having  little  or  no  connexion  with  the  following  pari  of  the  sermon,  and 


478  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

SO  far  from  forming  any  part  of  the  subject  discussed  that  they  would  serve 
equally  well  for  many  different  kinds  of  texts  or  subjects.  It  will  be  use- 
ful to  compare  your  exordium  with  the  running  title  of  the  sermon  ;  and 
if,  instead  of  recognising  each  other,  they  appear  perfect  strangers,  as  is 
too  often  the  case,  you  may  be  sure  that  you  have  entered  upon  a  wrong 
track  of  thought,  and  must  endeavor  to  rectify  the  error. 

While,  however,  it  is  necessary  that  your  exordium  should  agree  with 
the  text,  participating  in  its  very  spirit  as  well  as  in  the  sentiment,  and 
forming  a  constituent  part  of  the  subject,  you  must  at  the  same  time  avoid 
anticipating  what  belongs  to  the  discussion  ;  for  in  this  case  you  would 
either  be  forced  to  employ  rejjetition  or  weaken  your  argument.  On  this 
account  it  is  generally  advisable  to  form  the  sermon  entirely  before  you 
think  of  an  exordium  ;  then  the  whole  matter  lies  before  you  ;  you  not 
only  see  the  character  and  spirit  of  your  subject,  but  also  what  remaining 
idea  will  lead  to  the  whole.  But  there  is  an  exception  to  this  rule  ;  for  if 
the  preacher  designs  to  form  a  narrative,  historical,  or  contextual  exordium, 
he  may  certainly  form  this  in  the  first  instance.  Where  a  text  supplies 
three  or  four  divisions,  the  first  of  which  is  a  character,  &c.,  one  means 
of  preserving  simplicity  is  to  throw  such  first  part  altogether  into  the 
exordium. 

The  examples  now  to  be  produced  will  I  trust  furnish  the  best  illustra- 
tion of  the  foregoing  rules.  These  examples  may  be  arranged  into  four 
classes — the  narrative,  the  explicatory,  the  argumentative,  and  the  obser- 
vational. 

NARRATIVE    EXORDIUMS. 

1  commence  with  those  of  the  narrative  kind,  because  they  are  the  most 
simple,  and,  where  they  can  be  employed  with  propriety,  are  generally 
most  interesting. 

Jay's  sermons,  vol.  ii.,  p.  252,  on  Ezek.  xxix.  17-20. 

Tyre  was  the  great  emporium  of  trade  and  navigalion  of  that  age.  Tyre  became 
rich,  luxurious,  proud,  and  impious.  Nebucliadnezzar  was  the  instrument  in  God's 
hand  to  destroy,  or  at  least  to  subdue,  the  people,  no  doubt  in  mercy,  that  in  their 
affliction  they  might  seek  tlic  Lord.  These  Tyreans  made  such  a  stout  resistance 
that  it  was  thirteen  years  before  Nebuchadnezzar  could  make  a  breach  in  the  walls, 
and  when  entry  was  effected,  the  besiegers  found  an  empty  city  ;  for  the  Tyreans, 
having  had  command  of  the  sea,  transported  all  their  treasures  to  a  neighboring  sta- 
tion. [These  circumstances  introduce  the  words  of  the  text.]  As  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  such  hard  service  for  no  advantage,  God  here  in  the  text  promises  him  a  rich 
and  easy  conquest  of  Egypt. 

The  discourse  which  follows,  an  outline  of  which  is  given  at  p.  103, 
comprises  several  important  observations,  and  this  introduction  is  most  ap- 
propriate to  such  design.  No  other  kind  of  exordium  could  have  suited 
the  occasion  so  well,  and  herein  lies  the  skill  of  the  preacher.  When  the 
introduction  suits  the  subject,  and  the  subject  the  introduction,  they  give 
mutual  aid  and  beauty  to  each  other.  I  have  one  thing  more  to  observe 
with  regard  to  the  above  example.  The  sermon  is  not  merely  introduced 
by  the  narrative,  but  the  narrative  is  introduced  by  a  remark  with  some 
illustration,*  both  of  which  are  approj)riate.  The  remark  is  this  :  "  W^hen 
God  desi""n3  a  work,  lie  has  freqiuMitly  condescended  to  intimate  it  to  his 
chosen  servants,"  Amos  iii.  7.     The  author  then  instances  the  Lord's  dis- 

•  Robiuson  seem?  to  coin  a  new  word  for  such  remarks,  and  calls  them  preEtxordia. 


NARRATIVE    EXORDIUMS.  479 

coveries  to  Ezekiel  respecting  Tyre,  and  thus  the  connexion  of  thought  is 
supported  ;  and  the  same  course  is  taken  in  the  following  example  from 
Blair,  on  the  power  of  conscience.  Gen.  xlii.  21,  22:  "And  they 
said  one  to  another.  We  are  guilty,"  &c.  The  sermon  itself,  like  Jay's, 
is  treated  hy  way  of  observation.  The  following  is  the  substance  of  its 
narrative  introduction. 

The  2»'cvious  remark  is  on  the  interesting  simplicity  of  the  patriarchal 
age. 

The  book  of  Genesis  displays  a  more  singular  and  interesting  scene  than  was  ever 
presented  to  the  world  by  any  other  historical  record.  It  carries  us  back  to  the  be- 
ginning of  time,  and  exhibits  mankind  in  their  infant  and  rising  state.  It  shows  us 
human  manners  in  their  primitive  simplicity,  before  the  arts  of  refinement  had  pol- 
ished the  behavior  or  disguised  the  characters  of  men,  when  they  gave  vent  to  their 
passions  without  dissimulation  and  spoke  their  sentiments  without  reserve.  Few 
great  societies  were,  as  yet,  formed  on  the  earth.  Men  lived  in  scattered  tribes.  The 
transactions  of  families  made  the  chief  materials  of  history  ;  and  they  are  related,  in 
this  book,  with  that  beautiful  simplicity  which  in  the  highest  degree  both  delights  the 
imagination  and  affects  the  heart. 

This  leads  to  the  narrative. 

Of  all  the  patriarchal  histories,  that  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren  is  the  most  remark- 
able for  the  characters  of  the  actors,  the  instructive  nature  of  the  events,  and  the  sur- 
prising revolutions  of  worldly  fortune.  As  far  as  relates  to  the  text,  and  is  necessary 
for  explaining  it,  the  story  is  to  the  following  purport:  Joseph,  the  youngest  except 
one  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  was  distinguished  by  his  father  with  such  marks  of  peculiar 
affection  as  excited  the  envy  of  his  brethren.  Having  related  to  them,  in  the  open- 
ness of  his  heart,  certain  dreams  which  portended  his  future  advancement  above  them, 
their  jealousy  rose  to  such  a  height  that  they  unnaturally  conspired  to  accomplish 
kis  destruction.  Seizing  the  opportunity  of  his  being  at  a  distance  from  home,  they 
first  threw  him  into  a  pit  and  afterward  sold  him  for  a  slave,  imposing  on  their  father 
by  a  false  relation  of  his  death.  When  they  had  thus  gratified  their  resentment,  they 
lost  all  remembrance  of  their  crime.  The  family  of  Jacob  was  rich  and  powerful ; 
and  several  years  passed  away  during  which  they  lived  in  prosperity,  without  being 
touched,  as  far  as  appears,  with  the  least  remorse  for  the  cruel  deed  which  they  had 
committed.  Meanwhile,  Joseph  was  safely  conducted  by  the  hand  of  Providence 
through  a  variety  of  dangers,  until,  from  the  lowest  condition,  he  rose  at  last  to  be 
chief  favorite  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  the  most  powerful  monarch  at  that  time  in  the 
world.  While  he  possessed  this  high  dignity,  a  general  famine  distressed  all  the 
neighboring  countries.  In  Egypt  alone,  by  means  of  his  foresight  and  prudent  ad- 
ministration, plenty  still  reigned.  Compelled  to  have  recourse  to  that  kingdom  for 
a  supply  of  food,  the  brethren  of  Joseph,  upon  this  occasion,  appeared  ni  his  presence, 
and  made  their  humble  application  to  him  for  liberty  to  purchase  corn,  little  sus- 
pecting the  governor  of  the  land,  before  whom  they  bowed  doivn  their  faces  to  the 
earth,  to  be  him  whom  long  ago  they  had  sold  as  a  slave  to  the  Ishmaelites.  But 
Joseph  no  sooner  saw  than  he  knew  his  brethren  ;  and  at  this  unexpected  meeting 
his  heart  melted  within  him.  Fraternal  tenderness  arose  in  all  its  warmth,  and  to- 
tally effaced  from  his  generous  breast  the  impression  of  their  former  cruelty.  Though, 
from  that  moment,  he  began  to  prepare  for  them  a  surprise  of  joy,  yet  he  so  far  re- 
strained himself  as  to  assume  an  appearance  of  great  severity.  By  this  he  intended 
both  to  oblige  them  to  bring  into  Egypt  his  youngest  and  most  beloved  brother,  whose 
presence  he  instantly  required,  and  also  to  awaken  Avithin  them  a  due  sense  of  the 
crimes  Avhich  they  had  formerly  perpetrated.  Accordingly  his  behavior  produced 
the  designed  effect.  For  while  they  were  in  this  situation,  strangers  in  a  foreign 
land,  where  they  had  fallen,  as  they  conceived,  into  extreme  distress — where  they 
were  thrown  into  prison  by  the  governor,  and  treated  Avith  rigor  for  which  they  could 
assign  no  cause,  the  reflection  mentioned  in  the  text  arose  in  their  minds.  Con- 
scieuce  brought  to  remembrance  their  former  sins.  It  recalled,  in  particular,  their 
long-forgotten  cruelty  to  Joseph;  and,  Avithout  hesitation,  they  interpreted  their  pres- 
ent distress  to  be  a  judgment,  for  this  crime,  inflicted  by  Heaven.  They  said  one  to 
anofher,  "We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother,  in  that  Ave  saAV  the  anguish 
of  his  soul  AA'hen  he  besought  us  and  Ave  would  not  hear  ;  therefore  has  this  distress 
come  upon  us.     Behold,  also,  his  blood  is  required." 


480  LECTURE   xxviri. 

This  exordium  prepares  the  way  for  his  observations,  which  are  as  fol- 
lows : — 

I.  That  a  sense  of  right  and  wrong  in  conduct,  or  of  moral  good  and  evil,  belongs 
to  human  nature. 

II.  That  it  produces  an  apprehension  of  merited  punishment  when  we  have  com- 
mitted evil. 

III.  That,  although  this  inward  sentiment  be  stifled  during  the  season  of  prosper- 
ity, yet  in  adversity  it  will  revive. 

IV.  That  when  it  revives  it  determines  us  to  consider  every  distress  which  we 
suffer,  from  what  cause  soever  it  has  arisen,  as  an  actual  infliction  of  punishment 
from  God. 

The  same  author,  on  2  Kings  viii.  12,  13  :  "  And  Hazael  said,  Why 
weepeth  my  lord?  And  he  answered,  Because  T  know  the  evil  that  thou 
wilt  do,"  &c. 

In  the  days  of  Joram,  king  of  Israel,  flourished  the  prophel  Elisha.  His  character 
was  so  eminent,  and  his  fame  so  widely  spread,  that  Benhadad,  the  king  of  Syria, 
though  an  idolater,  sent  to  consult  him  concerning  the  issue  of  a  distemper  which 
threatened  his  life.  The  messenger  employed  on  this  occasion  Avas  Hazael,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  been  one  of  the  princes,  or  chief  men,  of  the  Syrian  court.  Charged 
with  rich  gifts  from  the  king,  he  presented  himself  before  the  prophet,  and  accosted 
him  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect.  During  the  conference  which  they  held  to- 
gether, Elisha  fixed  his  eye  steadfastly  on  the  countenance  of  Hazael,  and  discerning 
by  a  prophetic  spirit,  his  future  tyranny  and  cruelty,  he  could  not  contain  himself 
from  bursting  into  a  flood  of  tears.  When  Hazael,  in  surprise,  inquired  into  the  cause 
of  this  sudden  emotion,  the  prophet  plainly  informed  him  of  the  crimes  and  barbari- 
ties which  he  foresaw  that  hereafter  he  would  commit.  The  soul  of  Hazael  abhor- 
red, at  this  time,  the  thought  of  cruelty.  Uncorrupted,  as  yet,  by  ambition  or  great- 
ness, his  indignation  arose  at  being  thought  capable  of  such  savage  actions  as  the 
prophet  had  mentioned;  and,  Avith  much  warmth,  he  replied,  "But,  what!  is  thy 
servant  a  dog  that  he  should  do  this  great  thing  ?"  Elisha  made  no  reply  but  to 
point  out  a  remarkable  change  which  was  to  take  place  in  his  condition  :  "  The 
Lord  hath  shown  me  that  thou  shalt  be  king  over  Syria."  In  the  course  of  time  all 
that  had  been  predicted  came  to  pass.  Hazael  ascended  the  throne,  and  ambition 
took  possession  of  his  heart.  "  He  smote  the  children  of  Israel  in  all  their  coasts. 
He  oppressed  them  during  all  the  days  of  King  Jchoahaz"  (2  Kings  xiii.  32) ;  and, 
from  what  is  left  on  record  of  his  actions,  he  plainly  appears  to  have  proved,  what 
the  prophet  foresaw  him  to  be,  a  man  of  violence,  cruelty,  and  blood. 

In  this  passage  of  history  an  object  is  presented  which  deserves  our  serious  atten- 
tion. We  behold  a  man  who,  in  one  state  of  life,  could  not  look  upon  certain  crimes 
without  surprise  and  horror,  who  knew  so  little  of  himself  as  to  believe  it  impossible 
for  him  ever  to  be  concerned  in  committing  them  ;  we  see  that  same  man,  by  a 
change  of  condition,  transformed  in  all  his  sentiments,  and,  as  he  rose  in  greatness, 
rising  also  in  guilt,  till  at  last  he  completed  that  Avhole  character  of  iniquity  which 
he  once  detested.     Hence  the  following  observations  naturally  arise : — 

I.  That  to  a  mind  not  entirely  corrupted  sentiments  of  abhorrence  at  guilt  are 
natural. 

II.  That,  notwithstanding  those  sentiments,  the  mind  may  be  bronght  under  the 
dominion  of  the  vices  wliioli  it  had  most  abhorred. 

III.  That  this  unhappy  revolution  is  frequently  owing  to  a  change  of  men's  exter- 
nal circumstances  and  condition  in  the  world. 

Tiicsc  exordiums  I  can  not  but  consider  as  excellent  specimens  of  the 
power  of  fiescriptinn.  The  late  Dr.  Hunter,  in  his  Scripture  Biography, 
very  aldy  adopts  this  style,  and  a  numerous  train  of  followers  have  graced 
the  march  of  Blair  and  Hunter;  but  I  owe  it  to  the  Scri])turcs  to  declare 
that  in  general  the  simple  language  of  scripture  is  far  more  striking  than 
that  of  these  descriptionists  :  tlie  story  of  Joseph  and  his  brediren,  in  par- 
ticular, is  related  by  INIoses  in  a  manner  whicli  quite  excels  Dr.  Blair  ; 
yet  I  wish  young  preachers  to  exercise  tiicmselvcs  in  such  exordiums,  only 
giving  a  hint  to  the  people  that  tiiey  ought  to  read  in  tiie  Scriptures  the 
account  which  they  give  in  other  language. 


EXPOSITORY    EXORDIUMS.  ^gj^ 

Beddome  also  furnishes  an  exordium  of  this  cla=i=!  •  hut  th.f       .    r  i 
narrative  which  he  recites  appears  brouglu  forward  only  o  ma  if '^l  e°^  "",' 
op  bet,vee„  the  journeyings'of  the  Israehtes  and  the  Tp  rit^a  tx  erience' 
of  the  Christian.     H  s  testis  Exod.  xiii  21  •  "  An^  ,hl  I      i   '^M'^ence 
them  by  day  i„  a  pillar  of  cloud,"  &e.  '  ^""^  ™"'  ''''■''' 

denoting  the  .n.;Lil\:7GMt%:^l    l^T'pZ'^^^Z^Ii'' ■^Z'"''  'T' 

gers  and  soiourners  and  acknnwIpr1o-«  tKin^o  '"t' P^t-sent  world.  1  hey  are  stran- 
faces  Zion-ward?    T^ir  next  s'ate^was^^^  ^'  so  as  soon  as  they  turn  their 

strength;  so  that  the  way  to  EthLnf is  tJ.rnnI  R  '  ^  ^""'i^^'  signifies  ;,rou;e55  or 
the  passage  of  the  Red^ea  ^    Rameses  and  Succoth,  not  forgetting 

le^^lZ  and  'S::^^:^l^:!'^!^:;^  f  P-^^^--  ^he  Lord  alone  did 
this  kind  and  necessLy  office  we  afe  fnform  d  nX  .  T  ^'  '°"'^""^^  '^  P^^^^^"^ 
went  before  them  by  day  in  a^ilAr  of  c3  to  Ip.I  T'^^-  ""^ T  '^^''-  "  ^^e  Lord 
ma  pillar  of  fire,  to^give^  them^lg^u,^  t  bVday  fni'r^igh"' '^  "^^^  '^^'  '^  °'^"^^ 

un^^  ^^7  ''^^'^'!  ^^'""Sener^^  remarks  upon  the  text  by  way  of  exolana- 
lon     and    secondly   considers  the  symbolical  meaning  of  the  fiery^Sr 
in  the  wdderness,  and  its  application  to  our  present  circumstances      ^ 

EXPOSITORY    EXORDIUMS. 

What  I  have  denominated  the  expository  exordium  is  very  nronerlv 
prefixed  to  propositional  and  other  discourses  which  are  not  tre  ted^e^ 
tua  ly  Nothing  is  more  necessary  than  to  show  the  true  mean  n.  of  J 
text  before  you  attempt  to  establish  either  doctrines  or  obse  vaSuoon 

p;ar'rt:btf(r' f'""  1  y°-- -asomngs  or  remarks  may  olhenvse  Ap- 
pear doubtfu  .  Frequently,  indeed,  even  when  the  greater  part  of  thp 
sermon  is  to  be  occupied  in  establishing  some  truth,  yo^ur  exposit  on  must 
^Te:::^'''y^7]r''^  ^^"^  ^  not  required!  it  musr^a"  pTc 

Beddome  on  Col.  i.  27  :  «  Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory  " 

mo^f  mi^:i&[  tiU^t^ven  lo  t^  SuTenfe'  'T'  "  "^'^  f^^^^  ^^'o^y"  is  one  of  the 
word   is  so  sweet  J  full  and  VnrLr?  ^nf  '"•  '^^  ^^"^d  Scriptures.     No 

hevers.  Tke  hTpl  ^o}  !""  wrougl  1 7^  hSX  tlfe  Zlv  s'^"  "^''^'^  1  '''  ^^"^  ^- 
ten  to  it  by  the  resurrection  of  Ch  t  LniThe  dead  wL^'^''  T'^  'l''^  ^\^.  ^^^«'- 
they  will  not  part  with  this  ;  they  live    n  hLl  L\  7^^'T'  ^^^\'^'^^  relinquish, 

second"Id7m''i;  a%^1cLnin:'':S  ^i^'"  li7^'h°'  '''''T^  '^'^  ^"^  ^^^^^  The 
and,  as  the  body  without  tpN^nl^T^^^^  hfe  Avherever  his  presence  is  enjoyed; 

All  our  spirituaf  perfoZanre^  and  iu^^^^  '^v  T^  'T^""^'  ^^'''''  ^'  dead  also, 
and,  without  a  viS  anTintin  ^te  unTnnT^^  ^°'  '^^^'  ^'  -°°'^'  ^^«  ^^""^  ^""i; 

not,"  says  the  apostle,  -  t  n  Chris?i  ,n  vn.^  *"'"''  '^'  '\"  ^°  "°^'""^'  "  Know  you 
2  Cor.  xiii.  5.     The  union  bPtwPPn  P.  V'lT  ^'°"  '^^  reprobates  ?"  John  xv.  5; 

thatwhi.h  subsis     betTen   1  rsacrei^  l^  T  ^"'^^^^  ^^^•^""«^'  ^^^0 

compared,  John  xvii   ^i      No'^f -^tV         '-^''^"'^ T^}^^  ^^^^^  ''  ^^  ^"  ^«™e  respects 

and  human  nature  orouV  Lord      Nor  -''^"'i'''"'  '^''''  ^'''^''"  '^'  '^^^^^^ 

like  that  between  God  and  ill   JlZ     ^  "  "'"'""iy  ^•'^  "P^rative  or  influential  union, 

luaveourbeing.''ltTsrlstln      //"-'•  T^"'  '^  ^""^  ^^  ''^^  «"d  "^o^^  and 

and  design.     It  is  al=o  mumal  ufd  r  .    '^'"1""   ""/°";.^  ""^«"  °^  ^^^^^i^"'  "^^erest. 

.1.0  mutual  and  reciprocal ;  he  dwells  in  us  and  we  dwell  in  him  ► 


482  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

he  sups  with  us  and  we  with  him  ;  and  because  he  lives  we  shall  live  also,  John  xiv. 
23  ;  Gal.  ii.  20  ;  Rev.  iii.  20. 

A  similar  introduction  is  furnished  by  the  same  author  on  Acts  xi.  23 : 
"  Who,  when  he  iiad  come,  and  had  seen  the  grace  of  God,  was  glad," 
&c.  The  discourse  is  strictly  observational,  and  a  narrative  introduction 
would  have  been  very  suitable,  but  in  that  case  the  necessary  exposition 
must  have  supplied  the  materials  for  the  first  observation. 

By  "  the  grace  of  God"  in  scripture  is  generally  meant  his  favor  to  the  unAVorthy, 
in  opposition  to  merit  and  desert.  It  supposes  that  God  is  under  no  constraint  in 
exercising  mercy,  and  that  man  has  no  claims  upon  him.  It  is  the  only  source  of 
all  the  great  blessings  we  enjoy  in  this  world  and  of  all  the  blessings  we  shall  enjoy 
in  the  next.  This  grace  is  displayed  in  our  regeneration,  sanctification,  and  preserva- 
tion ;  and,  when  its  subjects  are  completely  glorified,  grace  will  be  fully  satisfied. 
Faith  is  necessary  to  salvation,  but  does  not  lessen  its  freeness  ;  for  that  also  is  mat- 
ter of  free  favor,  as  Eph.  ii.  8,  9. 

The  term  grace  is  however  sometimes  put  for  the  effect  of  God's  free  favor  toward 
us,  and  is  so  to  be  understood  in  our  text.  Considering  the  favor  of  God  as  the 
original  source  of  our  salvation,  it  is  grace  in  the  fountain;  in  its  operations  it  is 
grace  in  the  stream:  or  say  grace  in  the  principle  and  in  the  product.  In  both  re- 
spects it  is  absolutely  free,  without  money  and  without  price.  It  anticipates  our  de- 
serts and  endeavors,  and  far  exceeds  our  highest  hopes. 

It  is  evident  that  where  this  grace  is  it  will  be  seen,  and  that  the  appearance  of  it 
in  others  is  matter  of  joy  to  Christians,  and  especially  to  faithful  ministers. 

Walker  on  2  Cor.  viii.  9  :  "  You  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 

Christ,  &c. 

These  words  contain  an  accurate  description  of  the  grace  or  free  favor  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  which  all  true  believers  are  said  to  knoiv,  that  is,  they  have  not  only 
heard  the  report  of  this  grace,  assented  to  the  truth  of  the  report,  and  are  able  to  give 
some  account  of  it  to  others,  but  they  know  it  experimentally,  have  tasted  its  sweet- 
ness and  felt  its  power  on  their  own  hearts. 

The  discussion  of  this  sermon  being  expository,  Mr.  Walker  very 
properly  formed  his  introductory  sentence  (for  it  is  but  a  single  sentence) 
on  that  part  of  his  text  which  required  least  explanation.  The  sermon  is 
founded  upon  the  several  particulars  mentioned  in  the  text  as  exemplifying 
the  greatness  of  the  Redeemer's  love,  or  grace,  as — 

I.  His  state  previously  to  his  incarnation  :  "  He  was  rich." 

II.  The  poverty  to  which  he  voluntarily  submitted. 

III.  The  condition  of  those  for  whose  sake  he  thus  condescended. 

IV.  The  end  which  he  contemplated :  "  That  we  might  be  rich." 

V.  The  connexion  between  the  poverty  of  Ciirist  and  the  riches  of  his  people. 

Blair  on  Ps.  Ixxvi.  10  :  "  Surely  the  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  thee  ; 

the  remainder  of  wrath  shall  thou  restrain." 

This  psalm  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  written  in  the  reign  of  Hezekiah, 
and  to  refer  to  the  formidable  invasion  of  Judea  by  Sennacherib,  wlien  the  angel  of 
the  Lord,  in  one  night,  discomfited  the  whole  Assyrian  host,  and  smote  them  with 
sudden  destruction.  To  this  interposition  of  the  divine  arm  the  context  may  naturally 
be  applied.  In  the  text  we  have  the  wise  and  religious  reflection  of  the  psalmist 
upon  the  violent  designs  which  iiad  been  carried  on  by  the  enemies  of  his  country, 
and  upon  the  issue  to  which  Providence  brought  ihem :  "Surely  the  wrath  of  man 
shall  praise  thee."  By  "  the  wrath  of  man"  we  are  to  understand  all  tliat  the  im- 
petuosity of  human  passion  can  devise  or  execute;  the  projects  of  ambition  and  re- 
sentment, the  rage  of  persecution,  the  fury  of  war,  the  disorders  wliich  violence  pro- 
duces in  private  life,  and  the  public  commotions  wliich  it  excites  in  the  world — all 
these  shall  praise  God,  not  with  their  intention  and  design,  nor  by  their  native  ten- 
dency, but  by  those  wise  and  good  purposes  which  iiis  prcividence  makes  them  ac- 
■complisb,  from  their  poison  extracting  health,  and  converting  things  which  in  them- 
selves are  pernicious  into  instruments  of  his  glory  and  of  public  benefit,  so  that 
though  "  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  righteousness  of  God,"  it  is  nevertheless 
compelled  to  minister  to  his  praise.     The  psalmist  adds,  "  The  remainder  of  wrath 


EXPOSITORY    EXORDIUMS.  483 

thou  shalt  restrain  ;"  that  is,  God  will  allow  scope  to  the  wrath  of  man  so  far  as  it 
answers  his  good  purposes  and  is  subservient  to  his  praise ;  the  rest  of  it  shall  be 
curbed  and  bound  up.  When  it  would  attempt  to  go  beyond  its  prescribed  limit  he 
says  to  it,  as  to  the  waters  of  the  ocean,  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further  ; 
and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed." 

All  this  shall  be  fully  verified  and  declared  by  the  last  issue  of  things,  when  we 
shall  be  able  more  clearly  to  trace  the  divine  administration  through  its  several  steps, 
by  seeing  the  consummation  of  the  whole.  In  some  cases  it  may  be  reserved  for  this 
period  to  unfold  the  mysterious  wisdom  of  Heaven.  But,  in  general,  as  much  of  the 
divine  conduct  is  at  present  manifest  as  gives  us  just  ground  for  the  assertion  in  the 
text.  In  the  sequel  of  this  discourse  I  shall  endeavor  to  illustrate  and  confirm  it.  I 
shall  show  in  what  manner  the  wrath  of  man  is  made  to  praise  the  power,  the 
wisdom,  the  justice,  and  the  goodness  of  God. 

It  may  here  be  observed  that  the  expository  exordium  is  often  rendered 
more  interesting  by  commencing  with  an  appropriate  but  brief  remark,  in 
a  similar  manner  to  that  of  the  narrative  kind.  The  following  is  a  very 
beautiful  example  of  exposition  thus  introduced  by  Simeon  on  Isaiah  xiv. 
32  :  "  What  shall  one  then  answer  the  messengers  of  the  nation  ?  That 
the  Lord  hath  founded  Zion,"  &c. 

Previous  Remark. — God  is  for  the  most  part  overlooked  in  the  government  of  the 
world  ;  and  hence  arise  an  over-confidence  among  some  and  an  undue  timidity 
among  others.  But  if  we  viewed  God  as  ordering  and  overruling  everything,  evea 
to  the  falling  of  a  sparrow,  we  should  undertake  nothing  ourselves  without  a  direct 
reference  to  him,  nor  fear  what  was  undertaken  by  others  while  we  had  him  for  our 
protector.     This  is  the  great  lesson  which  we  are  taught  in  the  text. 

Then  follows  (he  Exposition. — The  context  contains  a  prophecy  respecting  the  fate 
of  Palestine.  The  Philistines  had  been  invaded  and  conquered,  by  King  Uzziah 
(2  Chron.  xxvi.  6) ;  but  in  the  days  of  Ahaz,  Uzziah's  son,  they  had  regained  their 
cities  and  made  reprisals  on  the  provinces  of  the  Jewish  monarch,  2  Chron.  xxviii. 
18.  At  the  accession  of  Hezekiah  to  the  throne  of  Judah  they  hoped  to  make  yet 
further  inroads  on  the  Jewish  territory ;  and  the  prophet  Isaiah  was  inspired  to 
foretell  that  they  should  not  only  fail  in  their  attempts,  but  be  utterly  vanquished  by 
him  whom  they  so  fondly  thought'  to  subdue  and  subjugate.  Read  the  passage  in 
this  view,  and  the  whole  address  will  appear  extremely  spirited  and  beautiful. 
"Rejoice  not  thou,  whole  Palestina,  because  the  rod  of  him  that  smote  thee  is 
broken"  (that  is,  because  thou  hast  triumphed  over  Uzziah's  son) ;  "  for  out  of  the  ser- 
pent's root  shall  come  forth  a  cockatrice,  or  adder  ;  and  his  fruit  shall  be  a  fiery  flying 
serpent."  Uzziah  bit  thee  only  as  a  common  serpent ;  but  his  grandson  Hezekiah 
shall  inflict  a  wound  as  fatal  as  that  inflicted  by  an  adder,  and  prove  as  irresistible 
as  a  fiery  flying  serpent.  "  And  the  first-born  of  the  poor  [Jews,  whom  thou  hast  so 
oppressed]  shall  feed,  and  the  needy  [whom  thou  hast  so  terrified]  shall  lie  down  in 
safety :  whilst  thy  root  shall  be  destroyed  by  famine  and  thy  remnant  with  the 
sword."  Instead  then  of  rejoicing,  "Howl,  O  gate  !  cry,  0  city !  thou  whole  Pales- 
tina art  dissolved  ;  for  there  shall  come  from  the  north  [Judea]  a  smoke  [and  dust 
of  an  army  in  full  march]  ;  and  none  shall  be  alone  [or  decline  serving  in  this  army] 
at  the  appointed  time."  In  the  meantime,  "what  shall  one  then  answer  the  mes- 
sengers of  the  nation,"*  when  they  come,  full  of  alarm  and  terror,  announcing  thy 
preparations  to  invade  the  land  of  Judah  ?  Answer,  "  That  the  Lord  hath  founded 
Zion,  and  the  poor  of  his  people  shall  trust  in  it,"  and  that  no  weapon  ever  formed 
against  them  shall  prosper. 

The  words,  thus  explained,  we  shall  consider  as  proclaiming — 

I.  An  unquestionable  fact:  "  God  has  founded  Zion." 

II.  An  instructive  lesson :  It  teaches  us  that  our  trust  must  be  on  God  alone,  and 
that  confidence  in  him  shall  never  be  disappointed. 

III.  A  consoling  truth  :  "  The  poor  of  his  people  shall  trust  in  it." 

Beddome,  in  the  introduction  tt)  his  sermon  on  Ps.  cxix.  129,  "  Thy 
testimonies  are  wonderful" — after  a  very  suitable  remark  in  the  style  of 
comment,  explains  and  enlarges  upon  the  word  "  testimonies." 

*  The  sreneral  interpretation,  of  their  beine:  fnrei^n  ambassadors  sent  to  rongratulate  Hezekiah 
enervates  tlie  wliole  force  of  the  passage,  and  is  in  opposition  to  the  text  itself,  which  speaks  of  them 
as  the  messengers  oitlm  nation,  and  not  of  foreign  nations. 


484  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

Previous  Remark. — It  is  amazing  with  what  energy  and  variety  of  expression 
David  in  this  psalm  sets  forth  his  love  to  God's  holy  word  ;  and  it  is  in  consequence 
of  the  closest  inspection  of  its  contents,  and  the  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  its 
properties,  that  he  declares  it  to  be  truly  wonderful.  Other  writings  may  have  their 
excellences,  and  be  entitled  to  high  regard  ;  but  no  human  productions  can  compare 
with  the  records  of  eternal  truth.  These  are  dictated  by  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and 
revelation,  and  written  with  the  finger  of  the  living  God. 

E:i:posilion.— The  word  "  testimony,"  in  the  singular,  is  generally  put  for  the 
whole  of  the  inspired  writings,  as  in  Ps.  xix.  7  :  "The  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure, 
making  wise  the  simple."  The  Scripture  is  a  divine  testimony,  given  by  inspiration 
of  God ;  and  holy  men  of  old  spoke  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  2  Tirn. 
iii.  16.  It  is  a  testimony  concerning  God,  his  perfections  and  operations,  the  way  in 
which  he  is  to  be  worshipped,  and  the  method  of  salvation  which  his  infinite  wisdom 
has  devised.  Though  it  is  not  silent  on  the  mysteries  of  nature  and  of  providence, 
yet  its  principal  object  is  to  make  known  the  counsels  of  divine  grace.  It  is  a  testi- 
mony from  God  to  man ;  it  teaches  what  could  not  otherwise  have  been  known,  and 
places  in  a  much  clearer  light  what  might  possibly  have  been  discovered  by  other 
means. 

The  New  Testament  is  especially  called  the  testimony  of  our  Lord  and  Savior, 
2  Tim.  i.  8.  In  it  the  Father  bears  witness  to  Christ,  and  Christ  bears  witness  of 
him.  It  is  the  record  which  God  has  given  of  his  Son,  and  of  that  eternal  life 
which  he  has  given  to  us  in  him. 

By  "  testimonies,"  in  the  plural  number,  we  are  commonly  to  understand  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  moral  law,  Deut.  iv.  45;  vi.  17.  Hence  the  ark  in  which  the  two  tables 
of  the  law  were  deposited  was  called  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  Exod.  xxx.  6.  God, 
in  giving  the  law  to  the  children  of  Israel,  testified  his  peculiar  favor  toward  them ; 
and,  in  continuing  his  word  among  us,  he  still  testifies  his  loving  kindness  toward 
us.  His  holy  law  is  an  infallible  rule  to  judge  and  walk  by,  an  unerring  standard  to 
which  all  our  sentiments  and  actions  must  be  reduced  ;  what  it  does  not  require  can 
not  be  a  duty;  what  it  forbids  can  not  but  be  a  sin.  It  is  called  "  a  sure  word  of 
prophecy,  whereunto  we  do  well  to  take  heed,  as  to  a  light  that  shines  in  a  dark 
place,"  2  Pet.  i.  19.  David  also  considered  it  as  a  lamp  unto  his  feet  and  a  light 
unto  his  path,  Ps.  cxix.  105.  It  is  to  the  believer  like  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire 
which  went  before  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  directing  their  marches  and  en- 
campments. 

The  following  is  from  the  same  author,  vol.  vii.,  p.  14,  on  2  Cor.  xi.  2  : 
"  I  am  jealous  over  you  with  godly  jealousy." 

Previous  Remark. — Pious  and  faithful  ministers  have  much  at  heart  the  true  in- 
terest of  their  people.  Paul,  therefore,  Avell  knowing  the  state  of  the  Corinthian 
church,  expresses  the  most  painful  apprehensions  on  their  account ;  he  is  "jealous 
over  them  with  godly  jealousy." 

Exposition. — The  term  "jealousy"  is  sometimes  expressive  of  wrath  and  indigna- 
tion, and  in  this  sense  it  is  ascribed  to  the  Supreme  Being.  God  is  jealous,  and  the 
Lord  revengeth  ;  the  Lord  revengeth,  and  is  furious ;  the  Lord  will  take  vengeance 
on  his  adversaries,  and  he  reserveth  wrath  for  his  enemies,  Exod.  xx.  5  ;  Nah.  i.  2 ; 
1  Cor.  X.  22.  The  term  is  more  frequently  applied  to  those  suspicions  which  arise 
out  of  the  conjugal  state,  which,  though  they  may  have  their  origin  in  the  extrava- 
gance of  love,  often  produce  the  same  effects  as  mortal  hatred.  Jealousy  in  this 
respect  is  cruel  as  the  grave.  Num.  v.  14,  29  ;  Cant.  viii.  6. 

In  the  passage  under  consideration  the  word  is  expressive  of  a  tender  and  anxious 
concern  fur  the  Avelfare  of  others,  attended  with  some  doubtfulness  concerning  them, 
Includinc  a  mixture  of  hope  and  fear.  Thus  Job  was  jealous  over  his  children,  lest 
they  had  sinned  against  God,  chap.  i.  5.  Professors  of  religion  ouirht  in  this  way  to  be 
jealous  over  themselves  and  over  one  another;  for  it  is  no  breach  of  charity  to  sus- 
pect ill  when  we  intend  well.  The  greater  our  love  to  others  the  more  anxious  will 
be  our  care  concerning  them  lest  they  should  be  mistaken  now  and  should  miscarry 
at  last.  Evil  surmisings  are  highly  culpable,  but  godly  jealousies  are  commendable. 
"I  fear,"  says  the  apostle  in  another  place,  "lest  I  have  bestowed  upon  you  labor  in 
vain,"  Gal.  iv.  11. 

Our  author  then  proceeds  to  consider — 

I.  The  grounds  and  reasons  of  the  apostle's  jealousy. 

II.  The  peculiar  properties  of  it;  "  godly  jealousy." 


ARGUMENTATIVE    EXORDIUMS.  485 


ARGUMENTATIVE    EXORDIUMS. 

Sometimes  it  may  be  proper  to  enter  somewhat  at  large  into  the  proof 
of  one  or  more  propositions  closely  connected  with  the  doctrine  of  the 
text,  in  order  to  the  more  full  and  luminous  elucidation  of  the  text  itself, 
particularly  where  such  doctrines  have  been  strongly  opposed,  and  where 
the  passage  under  consideration  has  been  wrested  from  its  proper  meaning 
to  serve  the  purposes  of  a  party. 

Some  examples  of  this  kind  will  be  given  in  the  Topical  Exordiums, 
particularly  under  the  twenty-second  Topic.  The  following  will  therefore 
be  sufficient  in  this  place  : — 

Simeon  on  Matt.  xii.  36,  37:  "I  say  unto  you,  that  every  idle  word 
that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof,  &c. 

There  is  not  any  plainer  or  more  acknowledged  truth,  in  relation  to  natural  things, 
than  that  "  a  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit."  In  morals  the  same  would  be  equally  ob- 
vious if  we  were  equally  unbiased  in  our  judgment  respecting  it.  But,  if  we  speak 
of  morals,  we  must  not  confine  our  attention  to  actions  only ;  we  must  take  also  the 
words  of  men  into  the  account,  since  by  them  the  heart  betrays  itself  no  less  than  by 
overt  acts.  The  communications  which  proceed  from  the  heart  will,  of  necessity, 
correspond  with  the  treasures  which  abound  in  it,  even  as  a  stream  will  manifest  the 
quality  of  the  fountain  from  which  it  flows.  Our  blessed  Lord  has  determined  this 
point,  and  grounded  on  it  a  most  solemn  declaration,  which  is  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance to  every  child  of  man  :  "A  good  man,  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart, 
bringeth  forth  good  things  ;  and  an  evil  man,  out  of  the  evil  treasure,  bringelh  forth 
evil  things.  But  I  say  unto  you  that  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall 
give  account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment." 

I.  Explain  this  declaration. 

II.  Point  out  the  proper  use  to  be  made  of  it. 

The  same  author,  on  Matt.  xxvi.  24  :  "  It  would  have  been  good  for 
that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born." 

"  Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  But  the 
foreordination  of  God  does  not  in  any  degree  affect  the  responsibility  of  man.  Man 
is  altogether  a  free  agent  in  everything  that  he  does,  whether  it  be  good  or  evih 
The  Spirit  of  God  may  move  him,  or  Satan  may  tempt  him ;  but  he  does  nothing 
without  the  concurrence  of  his  own  will.  Hence,  when  Peter  tells  the  Jews  that  our 
blessed  Lord  was  "delivered  up  to  death  by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowl- 
edge of  God,"  he  still  fixed  the  guih  of  his  death  on  them,  saying,  "  Him  you  have 
taken,  and  with  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain,"  Acts  ii.  23.  So,  in  the  pas- 
sage before  us,  our  blessed  Lord  speaks  to  the  same  effect.  It  had  been  written  of 
him,  "  My  own  familiar  friend,  whom  I  trusted,  who  did  eat  of  my  bread,  hath  lifted 
up  his  heel  against  me  ;"  compare  verse  23  with  Ps.  xli.  9.  And,  in  reference  to  this 
prediction,  our  Lord  says,  "  The  Son  of  man  goeth  as  it  is  written  of  him ;  but  wo 
unto  that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  !  It  would  have  been  good  for 
that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born." 

OBSERVATIONAL    EXORDIUMS. 

Observational  exordiums,  or  those  which  are  formed  on  some  general  ' 
remark  with  its  illustration,  are  by  far  the  most  numerous.  Such  remark 
may  be  theological  or  critical,  historical  or  philosophical,  practical  or  ex- 
perimental ;  in  short,  of  any  kind  whatever  that  suits  the  purpose  of  the 
preacher,  and  is  sufficiently  connected  with  the  subject  he  is  about  to  dis- 
cuss. Even  when  the  context  requires  to  be  noticed,  which  indeed  was 
the  general  practice  of  our  old  writers,  and  also  when  the  design  of  the 
preacher  leads  him  to  adopt  an  expository  exordium,  an  introductory  re- 
mark may,  as  we  have  seen,  be  employed  with  advantage.  But  in  other 
cases  the  observation  may  be  more  fully  brought  out  and  illustrated.    Such 


486  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

observation  should  of  course  be  sensible  and  judicious,  and  admit  of  an 
easy  transition  to  the  text.  The  preacher  must  also  be  careful  not  to  use 
the  same  observation  too  frequently  :  I  have  noticed  this  fault  even  in 
Blair. 

Two  or  three  examples  of  a  general  character  shall  close  this  Lecture. 

Blair  on  1  Cor.  xiii.  5  :   "  Charity  thinketh  no  evil." 

Observation. — Religion  and  government  are  the  two  great  foundations  of  order  and 
comforl  among  mankind. 

Illustration. — Government  restrains  the  outrages  and  crimes  which  would  be  sub- 
versive of  society,  secures  the  property  and  defends  the  lives  of  its  subjects.  Human 
laws,  however,  can  extend  no  further  than  to  the  actions  of  men.  Though  they  pro- 
tect us  from  external  violence,  they  leave  us  open  on  different  sides  to  be  wounded. 
By  the  vices  which  prevail  in  society  our  tranquillity  maybe  disturbed,  and  our  lives 
in  various  ways  embittered,  while  government  can  give  us  no  redress.  Religion  goes 
a  step  further,  and  strikes  at  the  root  of  those  disorders  which  occasion  so  much  mis- 
ery in  the  world.  Its  professed  scope  is  to  regulate,  not  actions  alone,  but  the  temper 
and  inclinations.  By  this  means  it  ascends  to  the  sources  of  conduct ;  and  very  inef- 
fectual would  the  wisest  system  of  legislation  prove  for  the  happiness  of  mankind  if 
it  did  not  derive  aid  from  religion,  in  softening  the  dispositions  of  men,  and  checking 
many  of  those  evil  passions  to  which  the  influence  of  law  can  not  possibly  reach. 

Transition.  —Hence  in  the  description  which  the  apostle  gives  of  charity,  that  great 
principle  in  the  Christian  system,  he  explains  its  operation,  not  by  the  actions  to 
which  it  gives  rise,  but  by  tlie  disposition  which  it  produces  in  the  heart.  He  justly 
supposes  that,  if  the  temper  be  duly  regulated,  propriety  of  action  will  follow,  and 
good  order  will  take  place  in  external  behavior.  Of  those  characters  of  charity,  I 
have  chosen  one  for  the  subject  of  this  discourse,  which  leads  to  the  consideration  of 
a  virtue  highly  important  to  us,  both  as  Christians  and  as  members  of  society. 

In  the  following  example  the  observation  is  not  illustrated  except  by 
those  circumstances  which  form  the  proper  transition  to  the  subject.  It  is 
on  Matt.  xxvi.  47  :  "  The  spirit  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak." 

Observation. — The  instructions  of  our  Lord  commonly  arose  out  of  circumstances, 
and  these  were  managed  with  consummate  wisdom. 

Illustration  and  Transition. — At  the  time  to  which  our  text  refers,  he  pointed  out 
to  his  disciples  that  their  present  circumstances  imperiously  called  upon  them  for 
watchfulness  and  prayer.  As  renewed  persons  they  had  no  disinclination  to  this; 
nay,  had  a  strong  desire  to  be  found  in  it ;  yet  our  Lord  found  them  in  a  state  of 
great  inaptitude,  even  in  compliance  with  his  request  or  injunction,  and  at  a  time 
when  they  must  have  known  that  their  Master  was  under  some  very  uncommon 
trouble.  The  infirmities  of  the  flesh  prevailed  against  their  better  judgment,  and 
they  fell  asleep  ;  yet,  instead  of  severe  rebuke,  the  Savior  finds  that  kind  and  tender 
apology  for  them  of  which  the  Avords  of  the  text  consist:  "  The  spirit  is  willing,  but 
the  flesh  is  weak." 

Atterbury,  vol.  i.,  p.  203,  on  Eccles.  vii.  2:  "It  is  better  to  go  to  the 
house  of  mourning,"  &c. 

Observation. — The  first  step  toward  happiness  is  to  correct  our  false  opinions  con- 
cerning it. 

Illustration. — We  shall  thus  learn  to  esteem  everything  properly,  that  is,  not  ac- 
cording to  that  rate  and  value  Avhich  the  world,  or  our  mistaken  imaginations,  may 
liave  placed  upon  it,  l)ut  according  to  that  which  in  itself  and  in  the  account  of  right 
reason  and  scripture,  it  really  bears. 

The  preacher,  therefore,  has,  in  this  chapter,  laid  together  a  set  of  religious  para- 
doxes, which,  however  they  may  startle  us  or  shock  us  upon  the  first  hearing,  yet, 
when  closely  examined,  will  appear  to  be  clear  and  unquestionable  truths,  by  which 
the  whole  of  our  lives  ought  to  be  regulated. 

The  author  then  names  a  few  of  those  paradoxes,  and  thus  makes  a 
transition  to  the  text. 

Jay  on  Ps.  cxviii.  15 :  "  The  voice  of  rejoicing  is  in  the  tabernacle  of 
the  righteous." 


APPLICATORY    EXORDIUMS.  487 

Observation.— loathing  can  more  usefully  engage  our  attention  than  human  naturp 
and  human  life.  n-iutc 

Illustration.— The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man.  His  origin  and  his  end  the 
structure  of  his  body  and  the  powers  of  his  mind,  his  situation,  and  his  connexions 
are  all  capable  of  yielding  us  boundless  and  edifying  instruction.  ' 

In  observing  mankind,  the  private  and  familiar  views  of  their  character  are  bv  far 
the  most  curious,  interesting,  and  profitable.  The  greater  part  of  our  history  is  com- 
posed  of  minute  and  common  incidents,  and  little  and  ordhiary  things  serve  more  to 
discover  a  man,  and  conduce  more  to  render  him  useful,  than  splendid  and  rare  oc- 
currences. Abroad  a  man  appears  cautious ;  at  home  he  is  unreserved.  Abroad  he 
is  artificial ;  at  home  he  is  real.  Abroad  he  is  useful ;  at  home  he  is  necessary 
And  ot  this  we  may  rest  assured,  that  a  man  is  in  truth  what  he  is  in  his  own  family 
whether  vicious  or  virtuous,  tyrannical  or  mild,  miserable  or  happy. 

Transition.— My -brethren  we  are  going  to  enter  one  of  those  houses  of  which 
Uavid  speaks— a  tabernacle  filled  with  the  voice  of  rejoicmg.  Domestic  felicitv  is 
our  present  subject.  ^ 

These  examples  are  in  the  true  style  of  observation  and  illustration,  and 
they  very  happily  join  with  their  respective  texts.  To  such  exordiums 
the  commendation  of  Blair  applies:  "It  is  a  great  beauty  in  an  introduc- 
tion when  It  can  be  made  to  turn  on  some  thought  fully  brought  out  and 
illustrated,  especially  if  that  thought  has  a  close  connexion  with  the  dis- 
course following,  and  at  the  same  time  does  not  anticipate  anything  that  is 
afterward  to  be  introduced  in  a  more  proper  place." 

Beside  the  four  kinds  of  exordium  already  noticed,  I  may  also  mention 
a  fifth  kmd  which  is  sometimes  adopted,  namely : — ^ 

APPLICATORY    EXORDIUM. 

It  may  appear  somewhat  out  of  order  to  apply  a  subject  before  it  is  ex- 
plained and  illustrated ;  nevertheless,  If  used  sparingly,  it  is  admissible, 
and,  if  well  managed,  such  exordiums  are  calculated  to  arouse  the  attention 
of  the  people,  and  prepare  them  for  the  remaining  parts  of  the  discourse. 
It  IS  said  of  Massillon,  that  when  he  ascended  the  pulpit  for  the  first  time,* 
he  felt  for  a  moment  somewhat  depressed,  in  consequence  of  the  listless 
and  inattentive  appearance  which  his  audience  presented;  but,  calhng  to 
mind  the  supreme  Importance  of  his  commission,  he  addressed  them  in 
his  exordium  in  so  striking  a  manner  as  at  once  to  arouse  and  rivet  their 
attention.  "If,"  said  he,  "a  cause  the  most  important  that  could  be  con- 
ceived were  to  be  tried  at  the  bar  before  qualified  judges— if  this  cause  in- 
terested yourselves  In  particular— If  the  eyes  of  the  whole  kingdom  were 
fixed  upon  the  event— If  the  most  eminent  counsel  were  employed  on 
both  sides— and  if  you  had  heard  from  your  infancy  of  this  yet  undeter- 
mined trial- would  you  not  all  hsten  with  breathless  attention  and  hl<rh 
expectation  to  the  pleadings  on  each  side?  Would  not  all  your  hopes 
and  fears  be  hinged  on  the  final  decision?  And  yet,  let  me  tell  you, 
you  have  at  this  moment  a  cause  of  much  greater  Importance  before 

you— a  cause  in  which  not  one  nation,  but  all  the  world,  are  spectators 

a  cause  tried  not  before  a  fallible  tribunal,  but  before  the  awful  throne  of 
heaven— a  cause  In  which,  not  your  temporal  and  transitory  Interests  are 
the  subjects  of  debate,  but  your  eternal  happiness  or  misery.  That  cause 
IS  still  undetermined,  though  It  Is  possible  that  the  very  moment  in  which 
I  am  speaking  may  fix  for  ever  the  Irrevocable  decision." 

Our  own  writers  furnish  specimens  of  appeal,  which,  if  less  striking,  are 
perhaps  equally  well  adapted  to  arouse  attention  and  interest  the  audience: 


488  LECTURE    XXVIII. 

in  the  subject  of  discussion.     The  following  will  be  sufficient  for  the  pur- 
pose of  illustration  : — 

Simeon  on  Tim.  i.  16 :  "I  obtained  mercy,"  &c. 

The  first  question  that  should  occur  to  our  minds  is  this,  Have  I  obtained  mercy  ? 
If  a  favorable  answer  can  be  returned  to  that,  we  should  inquire  in  what  manner, 
and  for  what  ends,  mercy  has  been  shown  us  ?  There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that,  if 
persons  who  are  converted  to  God  would  frequently  look  back  upon  the  state  in 
which  they  were  previously  to  their  conversion,  they  would  find  the  retrospect  at- 
tended with  the  most  beneficial  consequences.  Their  recollection  would  furnish 
them  with  innumerable  facts  which  would  tend  to  humble  them  in  the  dust,  and  to 
excite  adoring  thoughts  of  that  grace  which  has  so  distinguished  them.  St.  Paul 
appears  to  have  taken  peculiar  pleasure  in  this  exercise  of  mind,  &:c.,  from  which 
we  shall  consider — 

I.  The  circumstances  under  which  he  obtained  mercy. 

II.  The  ends  for  which  mercy  was  granted  to  him. 

Jay  on  1  Kings,  xviii.  12:  "I  fear  the  Lord  from  my  youth."  After 
announcing  his  intention  to  exhibit  Obadiah  as  an  example  for  imitation, 
but  before  entering  on  the  divisions  of  his  discourse,  our  author  thus  pro- 
ceeds in  a  way  of  direct  address  to  young  people : — 

In  your  imitation  of  him  many  are  concerned,  though  none  are  so  deeply  interested 
as  yourselves.  The  preacher  who  addresses  you  is  concerned.  He  longs  "  after  you 
all  in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ."  Indeed,  if  ministers  desire  to  be  useful,  they  can 
not  be  indiff'erent  to  you.  You  would  prove  their  best  helpers ;  you  would  rouse  the 
careless ;  you  would  reproach  those  of  riper  years  ;  you  would  decide  the  wavering 
young.  It  is  in  your  power  to  build  up  our  churches  and  to  change  the  moral  face 
of  our  neighborhood.  "  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad"  for  you, 
"and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

Behold,  standing  near  your  preacher,  your  friends,  your  relations,  your  parents, 
hearing  for  you  with  trembling,  and  prayers,  and  tears.  Thy  father  is  saying,  "  My 
sor\,  if  thou  be  wise,  my  heart  shall  rejoice,  even  mine."  The  woman  who  bore  thee 
is  saying,  "  What,  my  son,  and  what  the  son  of  my  womb,  and  what  the  son  of  my 
vows !" 

Behold,  too,  your  fellow-citizens,  your  countrymen.  Imagine  all  those  assembled 
here  this  evening  with  whom  you  are  to  have  any  future  connexions  by  friendship, 
by  alliance,  by  business,  whose  kindred  you  are  to  espouse,  whose  offices  you  are  to 
fill.  These  I  ask,  is  it  a  matter  of  indifference  Avhether  the  rising  generation  be  in- 
fidel and  immoral  or  influenced  by  conscience  and  governed  by  scripture  ?  Where 
is  the  person  who  has  any  regard  for  the  welfare  of  the  nation,  for  social  order,  for 
relative  life,  for  personal  happiness,  who  would  not  immediately  exclaim,  "  Rid  me 
and  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  strange  children,  whose  mouth  speaketh  vanity,  and 
their  right  hand  is  a  right  hand  of  falsehood,  that  our  sons  may  be  as,plants  grown 
up  in  their  youth  and  that  our  daughters  may  be  as  corner-stones  polished  after  the 
similitudeoi"  a  palace." 

Behold  the  blessed  God  looking  down  from  heaven,  blending  his  claims  with  your 
welfare,  and  urging  the  language  of  command  and  of  promise :  "  Remember  thy 
Creator  in  the  days  of  youth :"  "  those  that  seek  me  early  sliall  find  me." 

Transition. — These  are  parties  concerned  in  the  success  of  this  endeavor.  But, 
my  young  friends,  there  are  characters  here  more  deeply  interested  than  all  these — 
they  are  yourselves. 

To  be  pious  in  early  years  is  to  be  "  wise  for  yourselves  ;"  it  is  your  privilege,  shall 
I  say,  more  than  your  duty  ?  Yes,  the  gain  will  be  principally  your  own.  How 
shall  I  convince  you  of  this  ?  How  shall  I  make  you  feel  the  importance  of  it  ?  We 
Bhall  take  three  views  of  the  subject.     We  shall — 

I.  Consider  youth  as  the  most  favorable  season  in  which  to  commence  a  religious 
course. 

II.  Show  the  beneficial  influence  of  early  piety  over  your  future  life. 

III.  Examine,  in  this  awful  concern,  the  consequences  of  procrastination. 

From  these  examples  it  will  be  obvious  that  all  the  different  parts  of  a 
discourse  will  admit  of  an  interchange  one  with  another.  Exposition,  for 
instance,  commonly  takes  place  in  the  body  of  the  discourse,  but,  as  we 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  489 

have  seen,  it  may  lead  in  the  exordium.  Many  sermons  are  composed  of 
observations;  but  observation  also  lends  its  assistance  to  introduce  any 
subject  treated  textually;  for  in  such  sermons  we  want  not  exposition  upon 
exposition,  or  very  rarely.  The  body  of  a  sermon  is  the  most  natural 
place  for  argument,  and  yet  we  see  that  sometimes  this  may  be  transferred 
to  the  exordium. 

In  fact,  there  are  certain  essential  parts  in  every  sermon ;  they  admit  a 
vast  variety  of  interchange  one  with  another;  but  each  and  every  part 
must  appear  somewhere,  and  the  interchanges  here  admitted  will  not 
offend  the  understanding  of  the  hearer,  provided  the  judgment  of  the 
preacher  properly  leads  the  way. 


LECTURE  XXIX. 


TOPICAL  EXORDIUMS,  ETC. 


Having  endeavored,  in  the  preceding  lecture,  to  illustrate  the  different 
kinds  of  exordium,  it  will  now  be  my  business  to  point  out  some  of  those 
materials  of  which  the  young  preacher  may  properly  avail  himself  in  the 
construction  of  this  part  of  his  discourses.  And  here  the  first  place  will 
be  given  to  examples  formed  on  Claude's  Topics,  in  order  to  show  their 
applicability  to  this  particular  service  ;  and,  after  presenting  these  in  their 
order,  I  shall  add  a  few  supplementary  Topics  which  appear  to  be  pecu- 
liarly suited  to  exordiums.  It  may  be  proper  to  observe  that  these  Topics 
may  furnish  the  chief  materials,  whatever  A:i?id  of  exordium  you  may  think 
proper  to  adopt.  Some  of  them,  for  instance,  appear  more  especially  adapt- 
ed to  the  narrative,  as  iierson,  time,  iiLace,  Sec,  others  to  the  explicatory, 
a.s  p-inciples,  eiid  proposed,  distinguish  and  define,  &c.,  others  to  the  argu- 
mentative, as  consider  grounds,  refute  objections,  &c.,  while  almost  all  of 
them  may,  in  some  way  or  other,  find  a  place  in  the  observational.  But 
the  examples  will,  I  doubt  not,  afford  the  best  illustration  of  this  matter  ; 
and  therefore  I  hasten  to  lay  these  before  you. 

I.     RISE     FROM    SPECIES    TO    GENUS. 

Thus  Beddome,  on  Rom.  ii.  15,  "  Their  consciences  also  bearing  wit- 
ness," takes  occasion  from  a  particular  kind  of  witnessing  to  discuss,  in  his 
introduction,  the  more  general  idea.     The  author  says — 

At  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses,  it  is  said,  shall  every  word  be  established. 
Thus  the  record  which  God  has  given  of  his  Son  is  confirmed  by  "  three  that*  bear 
witness  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit ;"  and  "  by  three  on 
earth,  the  Spirit,  the  water,  and  the  blood."  Thus  also  there  will  be  three  credible 
and  authentic  witnesses  against  the  sinner  in  the  great  day  :  God  himself,  who  knows 
our  secret  thoughts,  is  an  eye  and  ear  witness  of  all  we  do  and  say.  Also  the  divine 
word,  especially  the  holy  and  righteous  law  of  God  ;  "  for,"  says  our  Lord  to  the 
Jews,  "  there  is  one  that  accuseth,  even  Moses,  in  whom  you  trust."  The  word  ac- 
cases  the  penitent  sinner  to  himself,  and  the  impenitent  sinner  to  God.  Conscience 
also,  which  will  then  be  freed  from  every  corrupt  bias,  and  roused  from  its  present 
state  of  stupefaction.  There  are  times,  even  in  this  world,  when  conscience  is  aroused 
to  do  its  office,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the  sinner  tremble.  The  apostle  is 
speaking  of  the  heathen  world  when  he  says,  "  Their  consciences  also  bearing  them 
witness ;"  but  it  may  be  applied  to  all  mankind. 


490  LECTURE    XXIX. 

He  then  returns  to  the  particular  subject  of  the  text.  The  language  is 
rough,  but  it  suits  a  searching  subject. 

Simeon  on  Mark  x.  49,  50.  The  text  specifies  how  our  Lord  acted 
on  a  'particular  occasion;  and  our  author  enters  in  his  introduction  into  the 
conduct  which  he  uniformly  manifested  on  all  occasions. 

Our  Lord,  like  the  sun  in  the  firmament,  prosecuted  without  intermission  the  great 
ends  of  his  ministry,  diffusing  innumerable  blessings  wheresoever  he  bent  his  course. 

By  this  remark  he  connects  the  single  fact  before  him  with  the  charac- 
ter and  conduct  of  Christ.  There  is  a  noble  abruptness  in  this  exordium 
that  is  calculated  to  arrest  attention  :  Claude  indeed  condemns  the  practice 
of  introducing  a  sermon  by  a  metaphor  or  a  simile,  yet  he  also  mentions 
an  exception  ;  and  I  can  not  but  think  this  instance  of  Mr.  Simeon's  not 
only  allowable,  but  also  very  beautiful. 

In  the  following  example  the  text  furnishes  an  instance  of  the  fidelity 
of  scripture  history,  from  which  the  preacher  takes  occasion  to  mark  the 
fidelity  of  scripture  history  in  general. 

Simeon  on  Gen.  xx.  9  :  "  Then  Abimelech  said  unto  Abraham,  What 
hast  thou  done  unto  us  ?"  &c. 

We  admire  the  fidelity  of  scripture  history.  There  is  not  a  saint,  however  emi- 
nent, but  his  faults  are  reported  as  faithfully  as  his  virtues.  And  we  are  constrained 
to  acknowledge  that  the  best  of  men,  when  they  come  into  temptation,  are  weak  and 
fallible  as  others  if  they  be  not  succored  from  above.  We  are  habituated  to  behold 
Abraham  as  a  burning  and  shining  light,  but  now  we  are  called  to  view  him  under 
an  eclipse.  We  see  the  father  of  the  faithful  drawing  upon  himself  a  just  rebuke, 
and  that,  too,  not  for  some  slight  defect  in  his  obedience,  but  for  a  great  and  heinous 
transgression. 

The  same  author  on  1  Peter  i.  6,  7  :  "  Wherein  you  greatly  rejoice," 
&c.  Peter  here  writes  in  order  to  console  the  people  of  God.  This 
suggests  the  more  general  idea  that  it  is  the  duty  of  ministers  to  comfort 
them  ;  and  this  again  suggests  a  remark  on  the  general  duties  of  the  min- 
istry.    Thus  : — 

The  enlightening  and  converting  of  souls  are  the  first  objects  of  a  minister's  atten- 
tion. 

Nevertheless  the  comforting  of  God's  people  is  also  an  essential  part  of  his  duty,  as 
Isa.  xl.  I. 

Peter  is  a  striking  pattern  of  a  sympathizing  and  affectionate  pastor.  He  writes  to 
the  scattered  people  of  God,  who  needed  consolation,  &c. 

The  same  author  on  Luke  vi.  47-49  :  "  Whosoever  cometh  to  me," 
&c.  From  the  description  here  given  of  different  characters  our  author 
passes  into  the  importance  of  ministerial  discrimination  generally. 

It  is  of  great  importance,  in  preaching  the  gospel,  to  discriminate  between  the  dif- 
ferent characters  to  whom  we  deliver  our  message,  and  to  separate  the  precious  from 
the  vile.  If  this  be  neglected,  the  wicked  will  hold  last  their  delusions  and  the  righ- 
teous continue  in  bondage  to  their  fears;  but,  if  we  be  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  this 
part  of  our  duty,  those  among  whom  we  minister  will  be  led  to  a  knowledge  of  their 
own  character  and  condition.  Our  blessed  Lord,  at  the  conclusion  of  his  sermon  on 
the  mount,  shows  us  how  we  should  apply  our  subjects  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  our  hearers. 

Jay  on  2  Pet.  i.  11  :  "  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  administered,"  &c. 
The  text  contains  the  particular  argument  employed  by  the  apostle  to  urge 
Christians  to  such  a  course  of  conduct  as  tended  to  make  their  calling  and 
election  sure.  Our  author  takes  occasion  in  his  exordium  to  speak  of  that 
class  of  motives  to  which  the  apostle's  argument  belongs. 

My  brethren,  among  the  various  motives  with  which  revelation  abounds,  there  are 
none  more  solemn  and  impressive  than  those  which  are  derived  from  death.     Hence 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  491 

the  sacred  writers  often  refer  to  it.  They  remind  us  of  the  suddenness  of  its  arrival ; 
they  forewarn  us  of  the  nearness  of  its  approach  ;  they  also  intimate  the  importance 
of  its  consequences,  as  terminating  this  state  of  trial,  sealing  up  our  characters,  and 
transmitting  them  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  to  be  opened  and  published  be- 
fore an  assembled  world. 

The  apostle  urges  the  manner  of  our  dying  ;  he  would  have  us  die  well — not  only 
in  a  state  of  salvation,  but  in  peace  and  triumph,  so  that  "  an  entrance  may  be  ad- 
ministofed  abundantly,"  &c. 

Simeon  on  Isa.  vi.  5-7  :  "  Then  said  I,  Wo  is  me  !"  &c.  The  par- 
ticular vision  of  the  prophet,  during  which  these  words  were  uttered,  leads 
to  a  remark  upon  the  subject  of  dreams  and  visions  in  general,  &c. 

Prior  to  the  full  revelation  of  himself  in  the  gospel,  God  was  pleased  to  communi- 
cate his  mind  and  will  to  men  by  dreams  and  visions,  which  since  the  completion  of 
the  sacred  canon  are  no  longer  to  be  expected.  But  we  must  not  therefore  imagine 
that  the  revelations  so  made  are  less  interesting  to  us  than  those  which  proceeded 
more  immediately  from  the  enlightening  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  same 
importance  must  be  attached  to  everything  which  God  has  spoken,  so  far,  at  least, 
as  the  instruction  which  is  intended  to  be  conveyed  is  itself  important.  For  instance, 
the  vision  of  Isaiah  seems  to  have  been  a  peculiar  favor  vouchsafed  to  him  ;  but  still 
it  contains  many  instructive  lessons  for  us :  and  in  this  twofold  view  we  will  con- 
sider it. 

In  looking  back  to  the  preceding  lecture,  you  will  perceive  that  many 
of  the  examples  there  given  are  formed  on  this  Topic,  and  a  very  numer- 
ous train  of  similar  examples  might  be  added.  It  is  in  fact  the  most  suit- 
able of  all  the  Topics  for  an  exordium,  for  one  of  the  first  operations  of  a 
cultivated  mind  upon  any  subject  is  that  which  connects  such  subject  with 
the  class  to  which  it  may  belong.  If  we  are  about  to  discourse  on  the  sub- 
ject of  drunkenness,  or  covetousness,  or  any  particular  act  of  wickedness, 
nothing  can  be  more  natural  than  to  commence  with  some  remark  upon 
the  depravity  of  the  human  heart,  or  upon  sin  in  general ;  if  our  text  con- 
tains a  statement  or  a  threatening  of  any  particular  judgment,  the  mind  im- 
mediately reverts  to  the  justice  of  God,  to  his  judgments  in  general,  &c.  ; 
if  any  blessing,  promised  or  conferred,  forms  the  subject  of  discourse,  then 
we  are  led  to  some  remark  upon  the  benevolence  or  the  mercy  of  Jeho- 
vah, or  upon  the  variety,  importance,  or  excellence,  of  those  blessings 
which  are  promised  in  his  word,  &c. 

.       II.     DESCEND    FROM    GENUS    TO    SPECIES. 

This  Topic  is  certainly  more  adapted  to  suggest  a  mode  of  discussion, 
or  thoughts  for  illustration,  than  to  afford  any  hints  for  an  exordium  ;  yet 
an  occasional  reference  to  it  may  serve  to  promote  that  variety  which  it  is 
desirable  to  preserve.  Thus,  for  instance,  suppose  you  had  been  preach- 
ing a  sermon,  or  a  course  of  sermons,  on  the  attributes  of  God,  which  you 
designed  to  improve  by  a  discourse  on  Matt.  v.  48  ;  "  Be  you  therefore 
perfect,  even  as  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  is  perfect" — it  might  be 
very  proper  in  your  exordium  to  descend  from  the  general  truth — divine 
perfection — and  to  recapitulate  the  particular  attributes  on  which  you  had 
previously  discoursed  at  large,  &c. 

III.     DIFFERENT    CHARACTERS    OF    A    VIRTUE    OR    VICE. 

This  Topic  may  occasionally  occupy  the  exordium,  although,  like  the 
last,  it  is  more  suited  to  the  body  of  a  discourse.  In  such  case  your  de- 
scription must  of  course  be  very  brief;  and  if  you  have  previously  preached 


492  LECTURE    XXIX. 

upon  the  virtue  or  vice  under  consideration,  the  principal  points  of  your 
sermon  may  be  thrown  together  in  a  concise  manner  for  an  exordium. 

Blair  has  an  exordium  of  this  kind  prefixed  to  his  sermon  on  Gal.  vi. 
9  :  "  Let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing,"  &c.  He  gives  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  the  properties  of  discontent,  and  makes  this  the  foundation  of  an 
observational  discourse,  the  last  head  of  which  is  not,  however,  put  in  the 
form  of  an  observation,  but  stands  forth  in  awkward  incongruity  with  the 
rest. 

Discontent  is  the  most  general  of  all  the  evils  which  trouble  the  life  of  man.  It  is 
a  disease  which  everywhere  finds  materials  to  feed  itself:  if  real  distresses  be  want- 
ing, it  substitutes  such  as  are  imaginary  in  their  place.  It  converts  even  the  good 
things  of  the  world,  when  they  have  been  long  enjoyed,  into  occasions  of  disgust.  In 
the  midst  of  prosperity  it  disposes  us  to  complain,  and  renders  tranquillity  tiresome 
only  because  it  is  uniform.  There  is  no  wonder  that  this  spirit  of  restlessness  and 
dissatisfaction,  which  corrupts  every  terrestrial  enjoyment,  should  have  sometimes 
penetrated  into  the  region  of  virtue.  Good  men  are  not  without  their  frailties  ;  and 
the  perverseness  incident  to  human  nature  too  readily  leads  those  who  become  weary 
of  all  other  things  to  be  weary  also  in  well-doing.  The  pleasure  expected  in  devo- 
tion sometimes  fails,  and  the  injustice  of  the  world  often  sours  and  frets  them. 
Friends  prove  ungrateful ;  enemies  misrepresent,  rivals  supplant  them  :  and  part,  at 
least,  of  the  mortifications  which  they  suffer  they  begin  to  ascribe  to  virtue.  Is  this 
all  the  reward  of  serving  God,  and  renouncing  the  pleasures  of  sin?  "Verily,  in 
vain  I  have  cleansed  my  heart,  and  washed  my  hands  in  innocency.  Behold,  the  un- 
godly prosper  in  the  world,  and  have  more  than  heart  can  wish  ;  while  all  the  day 
long  I  am  plagued,  and  chastened  every  morning."  To  such  persons  as  these, 
and  to  all  who  are  in  hazard  of  being  infected  with  their  spirit,  I  now  address  myself. 
In  reply  to  their  complaints,  I  purpose  to  mention  some  considerations  from  which  I 
hope  to  make  it  appear  that  there  is  no  suflicient  reason  for  our  being  weary  in  well- 
doing, and  that,  taking  human  life  upon  the  whole,  virtue  is  far  the  most  eligible 
portion  of  man. 

I.  Uneasiness  and  disappointment  are  inseparable,  in  some  degree,  from  every 
state  on  earth. 

II.  The  uneasiness  belonging  to  a  sinful  course  is  far  greater  than  that  which  at- 
tends a  course  of  well-doing. 

III.  The  resources  of  virtue  are  much  greater  than  those  of  the  world,  the  compen- 
sations which  it  makes  for  our  distresses  far  more  valuable. 

IV.  The  assured  hope  Avhich  good  men  enjoy  of  a  full  reward  at  last. 

Simeon  on  Matt.  x.  8  :   "  Freely  you  have  received,  freely  give." 

Compassion  for  the  wants  and  miseries  of  men  is  a  very  distinguished  feature  of 
the  Christian  character.  It  is  a  lovely  grace,  even  when  it  has  respect  only  to  the 
temporal  necessities  of  mankind  ;  *  *  *  *  but  it  is  of  a  far  higher  stamp  when  it  is 
called  forth  by  a  view  of  their  spiritual  Avants,  and  seeks  to  administer  to  their  eter- 
nal welfare.  *  *  *  *  Such  was  the  feeling  which  our  blessed  Lord  and  Savior 
chiefly  manifested  on  the  occasion  before  us,  and  sought  to  diffuse  among  those  who 
were  to  be  his  more  immediate  followers  and  servants:  "When  he  saw  the  multi- 
tudes," we  are  told,  "he  Avas  moved  with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted, 
and  were  scattered  abroad  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd." 

*„*  The  asterisks  mark  the  opcningn  where  the  description  might  very  properly  be  extended  by 
this  Topic. 

IV.  THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  TO  ANOTHER. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  i.,  p.  134,  on  rhil.  iii.  12  :  "  Not  as  though  I  had 
already  attained,  cither  were  already  perfect,"  &c. 

There  is  an  intimate  connexion  (or  relation)  l)etween  justification  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  and  sanclificalion  by  the  Holy  Spirit;  for  in  the  same  breath  in  which 
the  apostle  prays  for  the  one,  he  also  prays  for  the  other. 

Some  who  are  advocates  for  free  justification  deny  both  the  doctrine  of  sanctifica- 
tion  and  progressive  holiness  ;  but  iiere  they  are  united. 

Three  things  arc  taught  us  in  the  text ;  namely,  the  origin,  the  progress,  and  the 
end  of  true  religion. 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  493 

South  on  Ps.  xxxix.  9  :  *'  I  was  dumb,  I  opened  not  my  mouth,  because 
thou  didst  it."  Here  the  subject  is  submission,  and  our  author  takes  oc- 
casion to  remark  on  the  graces  of  faith,  &c.,  and  to  mark  their  mutual  de- 
pendence and  relation. 

If  we  would  give  one  general  account  of  all  the  duties  that  are  incumbent  upon  & 
Christian,  we  shall  find  them  reducible  to  these  three,  faith,  obedience,  and  patience  , 
and  the  vital  principle  that  animates  and  runs  through  them  all  is  submission,  faith 
being  a  submission  of  our  understanding  to  what  God  commands  us  to  believe,  obe- 
dience being  a  submission  of  our  will  to  what  God  commands  us  to  do,  and,  lastly 
patience  being  a  submission  of  the  whole  man  to  what  God  commands  us  to  sutfer. 

It  is  one  of  the  arts  of  patience  still  to  be  beforehand  with  an  affliction,  and  to  ex- 
pect that  at  all  times  which  a  man  may  endure  at  any  ;  and,  since  the  healthiest 
of  men  may  be  sick,  it  is  but  prudence,  while  they  are  well,  to  have  a  remedy  about 
them. 

In  the  text  we  have  these  two  general  parts : — 

I.  David's  submissive  deportment  under  a  sharp  affliction  :  "  I  was  dumb,  I  opened 
not  my  mouth." 

II.  The  ground  and  reason  of  such  his  deportment,  which  was  the  procedure  of 
that  affliction  from  God  :  "  I  opened  not  my  mouth  because  thou  didst  it." 

Blair  on  Acts  x.  38 — "  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  went  about  doing  good" 
— avails  himself  of  this  Topic,  by  considering  the  character  of  Christ  un- 
der an  aspect  different  from  that  which  the  text  presents,  but  still  related 
to  it.     He  observes  : — 

There  are  two  great  aspects  under  which  we  may  contemplate  the  appearance  of 
our  blessed  Lord  on  the  earth :  one  is  his  coming  into  the  world  in  order  to  make  ex- 
piation to  divine  justice,  by  his  sufferings  and  death  for  the  guilt  of  the  human  race  ; 
the  other  is  his  coming  to  act  as  the  enlightener  and  reformer  of  the  world  by  his 
doctrine  and  his  life.  The  former  of  these  views  is  the  most  sublime,  as  on  the 
atonement  which  he  made  for  us  depend  all  our  hopes  of  the  pardon  of  sin  and  of 
life  eternal.  In  the  other  view  it  is  also  of  high  importance  that  all  Christians  should 
frequently  consider  him,  in  order  to  the  proper  regulation  of  their  conduct:  the  ob- 
servance of  his  example  is  no  less  necessary  for  this  purpose  than  attention  to  his 
doctrine  ;  for,  as  by  his  doctrine  he  taught  us  what  we  are  bound  to  do,  so  in  his  ex- 
ample he  showed  us  what  we  ought  to  be. 

V.     THINGS    IMPLIED. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  v.,  p.  291,  contains  an  example  quite  in  point,  on 
Matt.  xii.  30  :  "  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me,  and  he  that  gather- 
eth  not  with  me  scattereth  abroad." 

Several  things  are  implied  in  this  language  ; — 

1.  That  Christ  is  engaged  in  an  important  contest,  and  calls  upon  us  to  take  a  part 
with  him.  The  cause  which  he  has  undertaken  is  the  cause  of  truth,  of  righteous- 
ness, and  of  God,  against  the  interests  of  falsehood,  of  sin,  and  of  Satan.  The  great 
majority  of  mankind  are  on  the  side  of  the  latter  ;  Christ  calls  on  us  to  come  off,  and 
take  sides  with  him. 

2.  That  to  be  with  Christ,  in  this  contest,  is  to  embrace  the  gospel,  to  obey  its  pre- 
cepts, and  openly  to  profess  our  adherence  to  the  Savior.  And  he  that  will  be  his 
disciple  must  take  up  his  cross,  deny  himself,  and  follow  him. 

3.  That  there  is  a  description  of  characters  who  are  not  with  Christ,  and  yet  would 
not  wish  to  be  thought  his  enemies  ;  and  to  these  the  words  of  the  text  principally 
refer.  Who,  then,  are  they?  Not  the  openly  profane,  or  avowed  unbeliever,  but 
the  undecided  and  half-hearted,  who  appear  to  be  between  Christ  and  the  world,  who 
inhabit  the  confuies  of  religion  and  irreligion,  and  are  occasionally  on  one  side  and 
then  on  the  other.  This  state  of  indecision  in  religious  matters  is  here  construed 
into  direct  and  positive  enmity  ;  for  "  he  that  is  not  with  me,"  saith  Christ,  "  is 
against  me." 

This  is  rather  too  stiff  for  the  present  day  ;  but  the  same  thoughts  might 
be  presented  in  a  more  continuous  and  agreeable  manner,  and  would  thus 
form  a  very  suitable  introduction  to  the  general  divisions,  which  are — 


494  LECTURE    XXIX. 

I.  Endeavor  to  point  out  a  few  of  those  characters  which  may  be  considered  as 
undecided. 

II.  Consider  the  equity  and  propriety  of  the  construction  put  upon  such  indecision, 
or  what  grounds  there  are  for  its  being  accounted  enmity. 

VI.    PERSON    SPEAKING  OR   ACTING. 

This  is  a  Topic  quite  suited  to  exordiums.  Some  preachers  are  how- 
ever accustomed  to  recur  to  it  by  far  too  often ;  it  is  of  very  easy  applica- 
tion, and  always  has  some  connexion  with  the  subject,  and  it  is  therefore 
necessary  to  guard  against  its  too  frequent  occurrence.  The  following 
examples  are  appropriate : — 

Simeon  on  Isa.  i.  2,  3:  "Hear,  O  heavens!  and  give  ear,  O  earth!  for 
the  Lord  hath  spoken,"  &c. 

It  is  the  Lord  God  Almighty  that  now  speaks  respecting  us.  Let  every  ear  at- 
tend ;  let  every  heart  be  humbled  in  the  dust  before  him.  He  has  a  controversy  with 
us  and  a  complaint  against  us;  and  he  summons  both  heaven  and  earth  to  attend  the 
truth  of  his  charge  and  the  equity  of  his  judgment.  Though  he  is  a  Sovereign,  and 
amenable  to  none,  yet  he  does  frequently  make  his  appeals  to  the  whole  creation, 
and  constitute  creatures  judges  between  himself  and  us,  Mic.  vi.  2.  In  this  charge 
we  behold — 

I.  The  evil  we  have  committed. 

II.  The  extent  of  our  criminality. 

Blair,  on  Job  x.  1:  "My  soul  is  weary  of  my  life." 

Job,  in  the  first  part  of  his  days,  was  the  greatest  of  all  the  men  in  the  East.  His 
possessions  were  large;  his  family  was  numerous  and  flourishing;  his  own  character 
was  fair  and  blameless.  Yet  this  man  it  pleased  God  to  visit  with  extraordinary  re- 
verses of  fortune.  He  was  robbed  of  his  whole  substance.  His  sons  and  daughters 
all  perished  ;  and  he  himself,  fallen  from  his  high  estate,  childless,  and  reduced  to 
poverty,  was  smitten  with  a  sore  disease.  His  friends  came  about  him,  seemingly 
with  the  purpose  of  administering  comfort.  But,  from  a  harsh  and  ill-founded  con- 
struction of  the  intention  of  Providence  in  his  disasters,  they  only  added  to  his  sorrows 
by  unjust  upbraiding.  Hence  those  many  pathetic  lamentations  with  which  his  book 
abounds,  poured  forth  in  the  most  beautiful  and  touching  strain  of  oriental  poetry. 
In  one  of  those  hours  of  lamentation  the  sentiment  in  the  text  was  uttered  :  "  My  soul 
is  weary  of  my  life,"  a  sentiment  which  surely,  if  any  situation  can  justify  it,  was  al- 
lowable in  the  case  of  Job. 

In  situations  very  diff'erent  from  that  of  Job,  under  calamities  far  less  severe,  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  find  such  a  sentiment  Avorking  in  the  heart,  and  sometimes  break- 
ing forth  from  the  lips  of  men.  Many,  very  many,  there  are,  who,  on  one  occasion  or 
other,  have  experienced  this  weariness  of  life,  and  been  tempted  to  wish  tliat  it  would 
come  to  a  close.  Let  us  now  examine  in  what  circumstances  this  feeling  may  be 
deemed  excusable,  in  what  it  is  to  be  held  sinful,  and  under  what  restrictions  we 
may,  on  any  occasion,  be  permitted  to  say,  "  My  soul  is  weary  of  my  life." 

Walker  makes  a  judicious  use  of  this  Topic,  in  the  exordium  of  his 
sermon  on  Ps.  xxxix.  12:  "For  I  am  a  stranger  with  thee,  and  a  sojour- 
ner, as  all  my  fathers  were." 

Had  these  words  been  spoken  by  one  of  the  Rcchabites,  who  were  commanded  by 
their  father  Jonadab  "  that  they  should  drink  no  wine,  neither  build  houses,  nor  sow 
seed,  nor  plant  vineyards,  nor  have  any,  but  that  they  should  dwell  in  tents  all  their 
days,"  we  might  perhaps  have  considered  them  as  pointing  merely  at  the  'peculiari- 
ties of  that  sequestered  tribe,  by  which  they  were  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  man- 
kind ;  but  as  they  are  tlie  words  of  David,  Avho  himself  was  a  king,  one  of  the  lords 
of  this  earth,  who  had  every  inducement  to  ma<rnify  his  office  and  to  make  his  im- 
portance appear  in  its  utmost  extent,  they  can  lie  under  no  suspicion  of  partiality,  and 
therefore  challenge  the  greatest  regard. 

It  is  true  that  he  wrote  this  psalm  under  the  heavy  pressure  of  affliction  ;  but  we 
find  him  using  the  same  language  in  tlie  height  of  his  prosperity:  "We  are  stran- 
gers," said  he,  "before  thee,  and  sojourners,  as  were  all  our  fathers:  our  days  on 
earth  are  as  a  shadow,  and  there  is  no  abiding,"  1  Chron.  xxix.  15.  Never  did  the 
Jewish  nation  appear  to  be  more  at  home  than  at  that  time.     As  for  David,  his  hap- 


i 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  495 

piness  was  so  complete  that,  instead  of  asking  any  additional  favors,  he  could  hardly 
find  words  to  express  his  gratitude  for  those  he  had  already  received.  Yet  amidst  all 
his  affluence,  when  he  possessed  every  outward  comfort  his  heart  could  wish,  still  he 
called  himself  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner  before  God.  We  must  therefore  consider 
the  words  of  my  text  as  expressing  the  fixed  and  habitual  sentiments  of  David's  heart. 
In  his  most  prosperous  condition  he  did  not  look  upon  this  earth  as  his  home,  but  ex- 
tended his  views  to  the  heavenly  world,  that  glorious  and  permanent  inheritance  of 
the  saints,  which  is  "  incorruptible  and  undefiled,  and  which  fadeth  not  away." 

Among  the  various  objects  of  inquiry  that  might  readily  occur  to  us  upon  reading 
this  passage,  the  two  following  appear  to  me  the  most  interesting  and  profitable  : — ■ 

I.  Whence  is  it  that  holy  men  consider  themselves  as  strangers  and  sojourners 
upon  earth  ? 

II.  What  manner  of  life  is  most  expressive  of  this  character,  and  best  suited  to  the 
condition  of  strangers  and  sojourners? 

The  same  author  on  Josh,  xxiii.  11:  "Take  good  heed  therefore  unto 
yourselves,  that  you  love  the  Lord  your  God." 

These  are  the  words  of  a  soldier  and  a  saint — a  soldier  equally  brave  and  success- 
ful, a  saint  distinguished  by  the  testimony  of  God  himself.  They  are  the  words  of 
Joshua,  the  victorious  leader  of  God's  ancient  people,  and  make  a  part  of  that  solemn 
valedictory  speech  which  he  pronounced  in  a  national  assembly  of  his  countrymen  a 
little  before  his  death.  The  same  happy  union  of  fortitude  and  piety  which  had  ren- 
dered his  active  life  so  glorious  still  shone  forth,  with  undiminished  strength,  to  adorn 
the  concluding  scene. 

Never  did  the  magnanimity  of  the  soldier,  never  did  the  piety  of  the  saint,  never 
did  the  generous  zeal  of  the  patriot,  appear  with  more  becoming  grace  and  dignity 
than  when  this  great  and  good  man  rose  up  in  the  presence  of  all  his  brethren,  and 
thus  addressed  the  tribes  of  Israel :  "  I  am  old  and  stricken  in  age ;  and  you  have 
seen  all  that  the  Lord  your  God  hath  done  unto  all  these  nations,  because  of  you  ;  for 
the  Lord  your  God  is  he  that  hath  fought  for  you,"  &:c.  An  address  more  Avorthy  of 
the  speaker,  or  better  adapted  to  those  who  heard  it,  can  not  be  devised  than  that 
which  these  verses  present  to  our  view.  Long  had  he  been  dead  to  pride  and  self- 
interest.  He  sought  not  his  own  praise,  but  the  honor  of  his  God  and  the  prosperity 
of  his  brethren.  He  reminds  them,  indeed,  that  he  had  often  led  them  to  victory 
and  triumph  ;  but  Avith  the  same  breath  he  reminds  them,  also,  "  that  it  was  the  Lord 
their  God  that  fought  for  them."  To  him,  therefore,  the  sole  tribute  of  praise  was 
due.  This  was  the  important  truth  which  Joshua  chiefly  recommended  to  the  atten- 
tion of  his  hearers.  And  now,  knowing  that  the  time  of  his  departure  was  at  hand, 
as  the  last  and  strongest  proof  of  his  aff'ection  and  care,  with  the  authority  of  a  gov- 
ernor he  commands,  with  the  bowels  of  a  father  he  entreats,  and,  with  all  the  seri- 
ousness of  a  dying  saint,  he  obtests  them  "  to  love  the  Lord  their  God." 

VII.    STATE    OF    PERSON    SPEAKING,    ETC. 

Blair  has  a  very  beautiful  exordium  on  this  Topic.  The  text  is  Esther 
V.  13:  "Yet  all  this  availeth  me  nothing,  so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the 
Jew  sitting  at  the  king's  gate." 

These  are  the  words  of  one  who,  though  high  in  station  and  in  power,  confessed 
himself  to  be  miserable.  Haman,  an  Araalekite,  who  inherited  all  the  ancient  en- 
mity of  his  race  to  the  Jewish  nation,  had  been  advanced  by  Ahasuerus  to  the  chief 
dignity  in  his  kingdom.  He  appears,  from  Avhat  is  recorded  of  him,  to  have  been  a 
very  wicked  minister.  Raised  to  greatness  without  merit,  he  employed  his  poAver 
solely  for  the  gratification  of  his  passions.  As  the  honors  Avhich  he  possessed  were 
next  to  royal,  his  pride  Avas  every  day  fed  Avith  that  servile  homage  Avhich  is  peculiar 
to  Asiatic  courts,  and  all  the  servants  of  the  king  prostrated  themselves  before  him. 
In  the  midst  of  this  general  adulation,  one  person  only  stooped  not  to  Haman.  This 
was  Mordecai  the  JeAV,  Avho,  knoAving  this  Amalekite  to  be  an  enemy  to  the  people 
of  God,  and,  Avith  virtuous  indignation  despising  that  insolence  of  prosperity  with 
which  he  saAV  him  lifted  up,  "  bowed  not,  nor  did  him  reverence."  On  this  appear- 
ance of  disrespect  from  Mordecai,  Haman  Avas  full  of  Avrath,  "but  he  thought  scorn 
to  lay  hands  on  Mordecai  alone."  Personal  revenge  was  not  sufficient  to  satisfy 
him.  So  violent  and  black  Avere  his  passions  that  he  resolved  to  exterminate  the 
Avhole  nation  to  Avhich  Mordecai  belonged.  Abusing,  for  this  cruel  purpose,  the  favor 
of  his  credulous  sovereign,  he  obtained  a  decree  to  be  sent  forth,  that,  against  a  cer- 


496  LECTURE    XXIX. 

tain  day,  all  the  Jews  throughout  the  Persiaa  dominions  should  be  put  to  the  sword. 
Meanwhile,  confident  of  success,  and  blind  to  approaching  ruin,  he  continued  exult- 
ino-  in  his  prosperity.  Invited  by  Ahasuerus  to  a  royal  banquet,  which  Esther  the 
qu'een  had  prepared,  "  he  went  forth  that  day  joyful,  and  with  a  glad  heart."  But 
behold  how  slight  an  incident  was  sufficient  to  poison  his  joy  !  As  he  went  forth, 
he  saw  Mordeclii  in  the  king's  gate,  and  observed  that  he  still  refused  to  do  hiro 
homage :  "  He  stood  not  up,  nor  was  moved  for  him,"  although  he  well  knew  the 
formidable  designs  which  Haman  was  preparing  to  execute.  • 

One  private  man,  who  despised  his  greatness  and  disdained  submission,  while  a 
whole  kingdom  trembled  before  him— one  spirit,  which  the  utmost  stretch  of  his 
power  could  neither  subdue  nor  humble— blasted  his  triumphs.  His  whole  soul  was 
shaken  with  a  storm  of  passion.  Wrath,  pride,  and  a  desire  of  revenge,  rose  into 
fury.  With  difficulty  he  restrained  himself  in  public  ;  but,  as  soon  as  he  came  to  his 
own  house,  he  was  forced  to  disclose  the  agony  of  his  mind.  He  gathered  together 
his  friends  and  family,  wath  Zeresh  his  wife.  "He  told  them  of  the  glory  of  his 
riches,  and  the  multitude  of  his  children,  and  all  the  things  wherein  the  king  had 
promoted  him,  and  how  he  had  advanced  him  above  the  princes  and  servants  of  the 
king.  He  said,  moreover,  Yea,  Esther  the  queen  did  let  no  man  come  in  with  the 
kin"-  unto  the  banquet  that  she  had  prepared  but  myself;  and  to-morrow,  also,  I  am 
invi'ted  unto  her  with  the  king."  After  this  preamble,  what  is  the  conclusion  ?  "Yet 
all  this  availeth  me  nothing  so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the  Jew  sitting  at  the  king's 
gate." 

This  illustration  of  the  state  and  character  of  Haman,  admirably  pre- 
pares for  the  following  observations,  which  form  the  subject  of  the  dis- 


course 


I.  How  miserable  is  vice  when  one  guilty  passion  creates  so  much  torment ! 

li.  How  unavailing  is  prosperity,  when,  in  the  height  of  it,  a  single  disappoint- 
ment can  destroy  the^relish  of  alfits  pleasures!  ,    .      , 

HI.  How  Aveak  is  human  nature,  which,  in  the  absence  ot  real,  is  thus  prone  to 
form  to  itself  imaginary  woes ! 

The  same  author  on  Ecclcs.  vii.  2-4:  "It  is  better  to  go  to  the  house 
of  mourning  than  to  go  to  the  house  of  feasting,"  &c. 

Many  of  the  maxims  contained  in  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  will  appear  strange  say- 
ings to  the  men  of  the  world.  But,  when  they  reflect  on  the  state  and  character  of 
him  who  delivers  them,  they  can  not  but  admit  that  his  tenets  deserve  a  serious  and 
attentive  examination.  For  they  are  not  the  doctrines  of  a  pedant,  who,  from  an  ob- 
scure retirement,  declaims  against  pleasures  which  he  never  knew.  They  are  not 
the  invectives  of  a  disappointed  man,  who  takes  revenge  upon  the  world  by  satirizing 
those  enjoyments  which  he  sought  in  vain  to  obtain.  They  are  ihe  conclusions  of  a 
great  and  prosperous  prince,  Avho  had  once  given  full  scope  to  his  desires,  who  was 
thoroucrhly  acquainted  with  life  in  its  most  flattering  scenes,  and  Avho  now,  review- 
ing alfthat  he  had  enjoyed,  delivers  to  us  the  result  of  long  experience  and  tried  wis- 
dom.  None  of  his  principles  seem,  at  first  view,  more  dubious  and  exceptionable 
than  those  which  the  text  presents.  To  assert  that  sorrow  is  preferable  to  mirlh,  and 
the  house  of  mourning  to  the  house  of  feasting— to  advise  men  to  choose  mortification 
and  sadness  when  it  is  in  their  power  to  indulge  in  joy— may  appear  harsh  and  un- 
reasonable doctrines.  Those  may  perhaps  be  accounted  enemies  to  the  innocent  en- 
ioyment  of  life  who  give  countenance  to  so  severe  a  system  and  thereby  increase  the 
gloom  which  already  sits  sufficiently  heavy  on  the  condition  of  man.  But  let  this 
censure  be  suspended,  until  we  examine  with  care  into  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the 
sentiments  here  delivered. 

The  same  author,  with  some  slight  alterations,  on  Matt.  xxvi.  29 :  "I 
will  not  drink  henceforth,"  &c. 

Jesus  was  now  descending  to  the  lowest  state  of  sufi'ering.  He  had  for  three  years 
of  his  public  ministry  been  watched  with  a  jealous  eye  bv  his  enemies ;  and  the  time 
had  come  when  they  were  to  prevail  against  him.  A  few  friends  he  had  from  the 
beffinnin'^  selected,  who,  in  every  vicissitude  to  the  present  time,  remained  faithfully 
attached^'to  him.  With  these  friends  he  was  now  meeting  for  the  last  time,  on  the 
very  evenino-  in  which  he  was  betrayed  and  seized.     He  perfectly  knew  all  that  was 

o  befall  him  ;  he  knew  that  he  now  sat  down  for  the  last  time  with  those  who  had 
^en  the  companions  of  his  labors,  the  confidants  of  all  his  griefs.     He  knew  that 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  497 

within  a  few  hours  he  was  to  be  torn  from  this  loved  society  by  a  band  of  ruffians, 
and  by  to-morrow  was  to  be  publicly  arraigned  as  a  malefactor  ;  and  with  a  heart 
full  of  tenderness  he  said,  "With  desire  I  have  desired  to  eat  this  passover  before  I 
suffer,"  &c. 

When  it  is  considered  that  Blair  had  no  design  to  touch  upon  this  topic 
in  the  discussion  of  his  subject,  which  was  "a  preparation  for  death," 
there  was  great  propriety  in  thus  treating  in  his  exordium  of  the  state  of 
the  speaker  when  the  words  were  uttered ;  and  there  was  also  great  judg- 
ment in  it,  as  there  was  the  easiest  transition  possible  from  the  exordium 
to  the  subject,  as  well  as  the  most  natural  affinity  between  both.  With 
the  sentiments  expressed  by  the  doctor  in  this  sermon,  I  have  at  present 
no  business. 

VIII.    OBSERVE     TIME. 

Horsley  has  an  exordium  on  this  Topic,  vol.  i.,  p.  260.  John  xiii.  34  r 
**A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,"  &c. 

In  that  memorable  night  when  divine  love  and  infernal  malice  had  each  its  perfect 
work,  the  night  when  Jesus  Avas  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  those  who  thirsted  for 
his  blood  and  the  mysterious  scheme  of  man's  redemption  was  brought  to  its  accom- 
plishment, Jesus,  having  finished  the  paschal  supper,  and  instituted  those  holy  mys- 
teries by  which  the  thankful  remembrance  of  his  oblation  of  himself  is  continued  in 
the  church  until  his  second  coming — when  all  this  was  finished,  and  nothing  now 
remained  of  his  great  and  painful  undertaking  but  the  last  trying  part  of  it,  to  be  led 
like  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter — in  that  trying  hour,  just  before  he  retired  to  the  gar- 
den where  the  power  of  darkness  Avas  to  be  permitted  to  display  on  him  its  last  and 
utmost  effort,  Jesus  gave  it  solemnly  in  charge  to  the  eleven  apostles,  whose  loyalty 
remained  as  yet  unshaken,  "  to  love  one  another  as  he  had  loved  them." 

Jay  makes  a  good  use  of  this  Topic  in  his  Morning  Exercises,  vol.  L 
Exod.  xl.  2 :  "On  the  first  day  of  the  first  month  thou  shalt  set  up  the 
tabernacle." 

And  why  was  this  period  chosen  for  the  erection  ?  God  has  always  reasons  for 
his  conduct ;  but  he  does  not  always  "  give  account  of  his  matters."  For,  first,  things 
that  are  the  same  to  God  are  not  the  same  to  us.  Our  goodness  extends  not  to  him. 
Religion  regards  the  exigencies  of  man.  All  places  as  well  as  times  are  alike  to 
God,  yet  we  never  feel  in  a  common  dwelling  the  solemnity  that  seizes  us  in  the 
sanctuary.  The  first  day  of  the  year  was  no  more  to  God  than  any  other,  but  it 
would  render  the  service  more  memorable  and  impressive  to  the  people ;  therefore 
"  on  the  first  day,"  &c. 

It  is  well  to  begin  a  new  year  with  some  good  work,  and  to  commence  serving 
God  after  a  new  manner.  And  have  we  no  tabernacle  to  erect  on  this  first  day  of 
this  first  month  ?     No  Ebenezer  to  raise  ? 

The  Preacher,  vol.  i.,  on  Ps.  xxiii.  5:  "Thou  preparest  a  table  before 
me  in  the  presence  of  my  enemies,"  &c. 

This  psalm  was  probably  written  when  David  was  quietly  seated  on  his  throne, 
after  the  Lord  had  delivered  him  from  all  his  enemies  round  about.  It  is  full  of 
holy  exultation.  In  the  former  part  he  dwells  on  the  character  of  Jehovah  as  his 
Shepherd  :  and,  having  been  in  that  capacity  himself,  he  fully  understood  its  import. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  psalm  he  changes  the  figure,  and  celebrates  the  mercy  and 
goodness  of  God  as  a  Father. 

The  gratulations  in  the  text  would  very  well  suit  such  a  time  as  that  of  David's 
bringing  up  the  ark  from  the  house  of  Obed-Edom  to  the  city  of  David  with  gladness 
of  heart,  when  he  made  a  great  feast  to  all  the  people  (2  Sam.  vi.  15-19),  or  when 
the  promise  of  establishing  his  kingdom  was  delivered  to  him  by  Nathan  the  prophet, 
ver.  16.  And,  as  it  was  common  at  feast  to  anoint  the  head  with  ointment,  so  this 
circumstance  is  referred  to  in  the  text,  as  well  as  the  abundant  provisions  which 
were  prepared  on  such  occasions :  "  Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil,  my  cup  run- 
neth over." 

32 


498  LECTURE    XXIX. 

Simeon  on  Luke  xix.  37,  3S:  "And  when  he  had  come  nigh,  even 
now  at  the  descent  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  whole  multitude  of  the 
disciples  began  to  rejoice,"  &c. 

During  the  greater  part  of  our  Lord's  ministry  upon  earth  he  abstained,  for  the 
most  part,  from  an  avowal  of  his  Messiahship.  Now,  however,  the  time  having 
come  for  him  to  return  to  his  Father,  he  openly  acknowledged  himself  to  be  that 
king  of  whom  the  prophet  Zechariah  had  spoken,  saying,  "Rejoice  greatly,  0 
daughter  of  Zion  !  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  !  behold  thy  king  cometh  unto 
thee :  he  is  just,  and  having  salvation,  lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a 
colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass." 

IX.    PLACE. 

Mr.  T.  Scott,  of  Aston  Sandford,  on  Phil.  i.  27:  "Only  let  your  con- 
versation be  as  it  becometh  the  gospel  of  Christ." 

St.  Paul  wrote  this  epistle,  as  well  as  some  others,  from  his  prison  at  Rome  :  and 
it  is  manifest  that  the  Lord  was  with  him,  as  he  had  been  with  Joseph  in  similar 
circumstances,  which  rendered  his  place  of  confinement  unspeakably  more  pleasant 
than  a  splendid  palace  with  a  guilty  conscience  and  ungovernable  passions.  Instead 
of  dejection,  murmurs,  or  resentment,  we  find  the  apostle  uniformly  employing  the 
language  of  cheerfulness,  confidence,  and  exultation.  He  declares  that  "  to  him  to 
live  was  Christ,  and  to  die  gain."  All  his  credit,  interest,  business,  and  pleasure,  m 
life,  consisted  in  communion  with  Christ,  and  earnest  endeavors  to  glorify  him  and 
promote  his  cause ;  and  he  was  sure  that  death,  in  whatever  form  it  should  arrest 
him,  would  prove  his  richest  advantage. 

But  though  the  apostle  had  a  longing  "  desire  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ  as  far 
better,"  yet  he  was  willing  to  continue  on  earth  "  for  the  furtherance  and  joy  of 
faith"  of  his  beloved  people.  As  if  a  pardoned  rebel  should  voluntarily  submit  to  the 
inconveniences  and  sufferings  of  a  dungeon,  in  order  to  recommend  the  clemency  of 
his  prince  to  other  criminals,  or  be  helpful  to  those  who,  having  likewise  received 
mercy,  were  for  some  reasons  retained  a  while  longer  in  confinement. 

Hence  he  took  occasion  to  exhort  the  Philippians  in  the  following  words,  "  Only 
let  your  conversation  be  as  it  becometh  the  gospel  of  Christ,  that  whether  I  come 
and  see  you,  or  whether  I  be  absent,  I  may  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  you  stand  fast 
in  one  spirit,  with  one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  and  in 
nothing  terrified  by  your  adversaries." 

From  the  part  of  this  exhortation  contained  in  our  text  I  shall  endeavor — 

I.  To  give  a  compendious  view  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

IL  To  show  that  this  gospel,  when  rightly  understood  and  truly  believed,  will 
produce  a  corresponding  conduct  and  conversation. 

HL  To  mention  some  leading  particulars  in  which  "  a  conversation  becoming  the 
gospel"  more  especially  consists. 

IV.  To  make  some  remarks  on  the  emphatic  word  "  only." 

Davies,  vol.  iii.,  p.  22,  on  Acts  xvii.  30:  "The  times  of  this  ignorance 
God  winked  at,"  &c. 

We  here  find  Paul  in  as  learned  an  assembly  as  perhaps  he  ever  appeared  in. 
We  find  him  at  Athens,  a  city  of  Greece,  famous  all  over  the  world  for  learning,  a 
city  where  Socrates,  Plato,  and  the  most  illustrious  philosophers  of  antiquity,  lived 
and  taught.  We  find  him  in  the  famous  court  of  Areopagus,  the  most  honorable  place 
of  that  city,  &c. 

Our  author,  with  great  propriety,  allotted  this  Topic  to  the  beginning 
of  his  discourse;  anywhere  else  it  would  have  interrupted  his  design.  In 
the  beginning  he  turned  it  to  account,  by  taking  occasion  to  observe  that 
repentance  concerned  the  most  celebrated  philosophers,  as  well  as  any 
other  class  of  persons,  and  he  used  this  observation  as  a  link  to  unite  his 
exordium  with  the  subject  itself. 

It  may  be  here  observed,  once  for  all,  that  it  is  by  no  means  necessary 
to  confine  your  remarks  in  an  exordium  to  the  thoughts  suggested  by  one 
Topic :  on  the  contrary  one  Topic  may  frequently  usher  in  another  that 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  499 

is  intended  to  occupy  a  more  prominent  part.  In  the  example  from  Scott, 
though  the  place  seems  to  have  suggested  the  principal  thoughts,  and  the 
simile  in  the  second  paragraph  is  taken  from  the  same  consideration,  yet 
there  is  a  transition  from  this  Topic,  and  a  very  proper  one,  to  the  state  of 
the  speaker.  The  following  is  an  example  in  which  the  author  makes  a 
very  easy  and  natural  transition  from  the  Topic  time  to  that  of  place. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  vi.,  on  Psalm  Ixviii.  15-17  :  "  The  hill  of  God  is 
as  the  hill  of  Bashan,  a  high  hill  as  the  hill  of  Bashan,"  &c. 

Probably  these  verses  were  sung  at  the  time  of  carrying  up  the  ark  of  God  to 
Mount  Zion,  to  the  tabernacle  which  David  had  prepared  for  it.  While  ascending 
the  holy  mount,  the  hill  of  Bashan,  a  very  lofty  and  fertile  mountain  in  Canaan, 
would  be  in  view.  In  poetic  language,  Bashan  looks  down  from  its  towering  heights 
upon  Zion  with  contempt;  nevertheless  it  was  the  hill  where  God  would  dwell,  and 
where  the  ark  should  rest ;  and  therefore  it  was  far  superior  to  the  hill  of  Bashan. 
It  was  the  seat  of  holy  worship  and  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Most  High.  It  also 
became  the  city  of  the  Great  King,  where  stood  his  palace,  the  temple  of  Jerusalem, 
and  where  he  fixed  his  imperial  throne,  Ps.  xlviii. 

Mount  Zion  of  old  was  a  figure  of  the  church  of  God,  which  is  his  spiritual  em- 
pire ;  and,  as  nations  usually  strive  for  pre-eminence,  so  the  heathen  and  idolatrous 
kingdoms  which  surrounded  Israel  endeavored  to  gain  the  ascendency  over  the  hill 
of  God.  They  boasted  of  their  strength  and  numbers,  of  their  retinue  and  splendor. 
Rabshakeh  boasted  of  the  kingdom  of  Assyria  that  it  had  conquered  all  the  sur- 
rounding countries,  and  would  be  the  ruin  of  Israel,  Isai.  xxxvii.  10,  After  this, 
Babylon  "  leaped  as  a  high  hill,"  and  looked  down  upon  Israel  with  contempt.  But 
Assyria  and  Babylon  must  fall,  and  all  other  kingdoms  be  destroyed ;  and  Christ's 
kingdom  must  stand  when  they  are  broken  in  pieces,  and  shall  become  a  great  moun- 
tain and  fill  the  whole  earth  ;  Dan.  ii.  35. 

The  figurative  language  of  the  text  teaches  us  to  consider — 

I.  The  superior  dignity  and  glory  of  the  church  of  God  over  all  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world. 

II.  That  it  is  much  more  honorable  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  God  than  to  be 
exalted  to  the  highest  state  of  worldly  glory. 

X.    PERSONS    ADDRESSED. 

The  examples  of  exordiums  on  this  Topic  are  so  numerous  as  to  ren- 
der the  task  of  selection  somewhat  difficult.  The  following  are  offered  as 
furnishing  a  suitable  variety  in  the  application  of  the  Topic  : — 

Blair  on  Titus  ii.  6  :  "  Young  men  likewise  exhort  to  be  sober-minded." 
His  exordium  turns  on  the  peculiar  applicabihty  of  this  exhortation  to 
young  persons. 

Sobriety  of  mind  is  one  of  those  virtues  which  the  present  condition  of  human  life 
strongly  inculcates.  The  uncertainty  of  its  enjoyments  checks  presumption;  the 
multiplicity  of  its  dangers  demands  perpetual  caution.  Moderation,  vigilance,  and 
self-government,  are  duties  incumbent  on  all,  hut  especially  on  such  as  are  beginning 
the  journey  of  life.  To  them,  therefore,  the  admonition  in  the  text  is,  with  great 
propriety,  directed,  though  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  by  them  it  is  in  hazard  of 
bemg  least  regarded.  Experience  enforces  the  admonition  on  the  most  giddy  after 
they  have  advanced  in  years.  But  the  whole  state  of  youthful  views  and  passions  is 
adverse  to  sobriety  of  mind.  The  scenes  which  present  themselves,  at  our  entering 
upon  the  world,  are  uncommonly  flattering.  Whatever  they  be  in  themselves,  the 
lively  spirits  of  the  young  gild  every  opening  prospect.  The  field  of  hope  appears 
to  stretch  widely  before  them.  Pleasure  seems  to  put  forth  its  blossoms  on  every 
side.  Impelled  by  desire,  forward  they  rush  with  inconsiderate  ardor,  prompt  to  de- 
cide and  to  choose,  averse  to  hesitate  or  to  inquire,  credulous  because  untaught  by 
experience,  rash  because  unacquainted  with  danger,  headstrong  because  unsubdued 
by  disappointment.  Hence  arise  the  perils  of  which  it  is  my  design  at  present  to 
warn  them. 

Though  the  words  of  the  text  are  directly  addressed  to  young  men,  yet,  as  the 
same  admonition  is  given  in  a  preceding  verse  to  the  other  sex,  the  instructions 


500  LECTURE    XXIX. 

which  arise  from  the  text  are  to  be  considered  as  common  to  both.  I  intend,  first, 
to  show  them  the  importance  of  beginning  early  to  give  serious  attention  to  their 
conduct ;  and,  next,  to  point  out  those  virtues  which  they  ought  chiefly  to  cultivate. 

Walker  on  Phil.  i.  27  :  "  Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  it  becometh 
the  gospel  of  Christ." 

It  will  be  to  little  purpose  to  inquire  what  kind  of  conversation  becomes  the  gospel 
of  Christ  till  we  be  satisfied,  in  the  first  place,  that  this  charge,  which  was  originally 
addressed  to  the  Philippians,  may,  with  equal  propriety,  be  addressed  to  us.  The 
qualifying  particle  only,  with  which  the  apostle  introduces  the  exhortation,  plainly 
denotes  that,  in  his  own  judgment,  the  demand  he  made  was  no  less  moderate  than 
it  was  just.  To  this  conclusion  he  was  naturally  led  from  a  consideration  of  the 
persons  to  whom  he  wrote.  His  epistle  was  inscribed,  not  to  unbelieving  Jews  or 
Gentiles,  but  to  saints  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  men  who  had  been  converted  to  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  as  we  learn  from  the  foregoing  part  of  the  chapter.  And  it  is  material  to 
observe  that  as  Christianity  had  been  treated  with  peculiar  indignity  at  Philippi, 
where,  by  order  of  the  magistrates,  Paul  and  his  companion  Silas  were  publicly 
scourged  and  cast  into  prison,  therefore  the  profession  of  the  gospel,  in  such  a  place, 
was  justly  entitled  to  the  most  favorable  construction  ;  for  nothing  less  than  a  deep 
conviction  of  its  truth  and  excellence  could  be  supposed  to  have  induced  any  inhabi- 
tant of  that  city  to  profess  a  religion  that  inevitably  exposed  him  to  those  contemptu- 
ous as  well  as  painful  suff'erings  which  a  generous  and  feeling  mind  would  of  all 
others  most  anxiously  wish  to  avoid. 

It  is  true,  and  it  ought  to  be  gratefully  acknowledged,  that  our  present  situation  in 
these  lands  is  very  difi*erent  from  that  of  the  ancient  Philippians.  Christianity,  as 
reformed  Irom  the  corruptions  of  popery,  is  the  established  religion  of  our  country  ; 
so  that  if  a  man  believe  the  gospel  of  Christ  he  may,  with  the  most  perfect  safety  to 
nis  person  and  property,  make  as  public  a  confession  of  his  faith  as  he  inclines. 
But  it  is  equally  true  that  no  man  is  compelled  by  the  terrors  of  persecution  to  pro- 
fess Christianity  if  he  do  not  believe  it.  If  then  we  believe  not  the  gospel,  why  do 
we  profess  it?  But,  if  we  do  believe  what  we  profess,  what  an  odious  as  well  as 
disgraceful  appearance  must  we  make  when  our  conversation  is  such  as  does  not  be- 
come the  gospel  of  Christ !  Our  practical  regard  to  this  demand  of  the  apostle  is, 
in  fact,  absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  the  peace  and  purity  of  our  own  hearts,  and 
to  support  that  character  which  the  most  profligate  reverence  and  which  all  who 
can  discern  real  beauty  and  excellence  will  covet  to  possess — I  mean  the  venerable 
character  of  an  upright  man. 

Having  thus  prepared  the  way,  by  showing  that  the  same  charge  which  was  pri- 
marily addressed  to  the  Philippians  may,  with  strict  justice  and  propriety,  be  ex- 
tended to  us,  let  us  now  proceed  to  examine,  with  attention  and  candor,  the  standard 
to  which  our  conformity  is  enjoined  ;  in  other  words,  let  us  inquire  into  that  gospel 
of  Christ  to  which  our  conversation,  that  is,  the  whole  of  our  external  conduct,  as 
expressing  the  inward  temper  of  our  hearts,  ought  to  be  suited. 

The  same  author  on  Job  xxxvi.  21:  "Take  heed,  regard  not  iniquity; 
for  this  hast  thou  chosen  rather  than  affliction."  Here  the  exordium  com- 
mences with  our  Topic — then  passes  into  the  seventh  Topic  (person 
speaking),  which  leads  naturally  to  a  summary  of  Elihu's  address — after 
which  the  present  Topic  is  resumed. 

These  words  were  addressed  to  Job,  who,  from  the  height  of  prosperity,  was  sud- 
denly plunged  into  the  deepest  and  most  complicated  distress.  They  are  the  words 
of  Elihu,  the  youngest,  but  by  far  the  wisest  and  most  candid,  of  all  Job's  friends. 
Moved  with  zi^al  for  the  honor  of  God,  and  with  compassion  to  his  friend,  he  unfolds 
the  mysteries  of  divine  Providence,  asserts  and  proves  that  affliction  is  designed  for 
the  trial  of  the  good  as  well  as  for  the  punishment  of  the  bad,  directs  Job  to  the  right 
improvement  of  his  present  distress,  and  comforts  him  with  the  prospect  of  a  happy 
deliverance  from  it,  as  soon  as  his  heart  should  be  thoroughly  moulded  into  a  ineek 
and  patient  submission  to  the  will  of  his  God.  The  latter  part  of  the  text  contains  a 
heavy  censure,  for  which  some  of  Job's  impatient  wishes  for  relief  had  no  doubt 
given  too  just  occasion.  But  these  expressions,  uttered  in  his  haste,  he  afterward 
retracted,  and  finally  came  out  from  the  furnace  of  affliction,  like  gold  tried  and  re- 
fined by  the  fire. 


TOPICAL  EXORDIUMS.  501 

XI.  STATE  OF  PERSONS  ADDRESSED. 

Blair  on  Isa.  v.  12:  "They  regard  not  the  work  of  the  Lord,  neither 
consider  the  operation  of  his  hands." 

It  appears  from  many  passages  in  the  writings  of  this  prophet  that  in  his  days 
great  corruption  of  manners  had  begun  to  take  place  among  the  people  of  Israeli! 
?fri?^K  ^K  ^fb^'^,^"'^,^  '•^ligious  nation,  accustomed  to  a  simple  and  pastoral  life 
after  they  had  enlarged  their  territories  by  conquest,  and  acquired  wealth  by  com 
merce  they  graduay  contracted  habits  of  luxury,  and  luxu?y  soon  introduced  hs 

manlrrLf  h"'"''r^  7^^"  .  ^l  '^'  ^''''\'^'  ^"  ^^^^^^^^  '^'  '^^^  circulatfon  of 
manners  has  been  found ;  and  the  age  m  which  we  live  resembles,  in  this  respect 
the  ages  which  have  gone  before  it.  Forms  of  iniquity  may  vary ;  but  the  corrunt 
propensities  of  men  remain  at  all  times  much  the  same.     The  revolutions  from  nrTm 

stage  ot  the  world.  I  he  reproof  directed  m  the  text  to  the  Jews  of  that  ancient  a^e 
will  be  found  equally  applicable  to  the  manners  of  many  in  modern  times  ^ 

The  Preacher,  vol.  i.,  on  Lam.  iii.  22:  "It  is  of  the  Lord's  mercies 
that  we  are  not  consumed,  because  his  compassions  fail  not."  Here  the 
eighth  Topic  is  associated  with  the  eleventh,  though  the  latter  is  princi- 
pally concerned.  ^ 

The  prophet,  and  the  people  whom  he  represents,  were  at  this  time  in  great  dis- 
re  s,  and  the  lamentations  of  the  church  in  captivity  are  very  tenderly  defcrfbed  m 
this  chapter.  But,  though  in  deep  affliction,  this  was  the  time  to  reflect'on  the  S 
goodness  and  when  it  could  be  done  to  the  greatest  advantage.  Bad  as  was  their 
present  state,  and  great  as  was  the  occasion  of  their  sorrow^it  might  nevertheless 
milht  W  T''  Zf^'^'""-  ^""T^^  f  ."^^^"^  '^ffl'^^^d,  and  s'ent  int?  cap  ^vhy,  hey 
rJnn^tK-  /ViT""^^  consumed  ;  and  it  is  ascribed  to  the  Lord's  mercies  tha  they 
had  not  their  full  desert.     Such  is  the  tendency  of  sanctified  affliction.  ^ 

Walker  commences  his  exordium  on  Rev.  iii.  18:  "I  counsel  thee  to 
buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,"  &c.,  by  stating  his  intention  to  ffive 
some  account  of  the  person  who  gave  the  advice,  and  also  of  those  to 
whom  It  was  addressed,  before  he  entered  upon  the  consideration  of  the 
counsel  itself,  which  was  to  form  the  subject  of  discourse.  After  com- 
menting at  some  length  on  the  former  of  these  Topics  (the  6th)  he  makes 
dressed  —"^  ^PP^oP^i^te   remarks   upon   the   state   of   the  persons   ad- 

The  persons  to  whom  this  advice  or  counsel  was  addressed  were  members  of 
Christ's  visible  church,  and  inhabitants  of  the  ancient  city  of  Laodicea  ft^pnears 
also,  from  the  description  given  of  them,  that,  with  respect  to  theirspiritualcon^er^ 
they  were  in  a  very  degenerate  and  wretched  condition!^    The  first  thSftaken  no  S 

lrlZ^XTl.T.r'^i'^'f''Tr'  temper  which  is  peculiafly  loathsom: 
and  ottensive  to  Christ,  and  therefore  he  threatens  to  "  spew  them  out  of  his  month  » 
hat  IS,  to  testify  his  displeasure  against  them  by  some  very  aw?ul  and  remZable 
judgments.  Their  state  is  more  fully  represented  in  the  verse  nrecedinl^hptpvt 
where  the  Faithful  and  True  Wimess  tells' them  that  they%Ze  Sd  and  '^^^^^^ 
ab  e  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked  ;  and,  which  prodigioUy  aggravated  both  thr" 
guilt  and  misery,  they  knew  it  not-they  were  insensible  of  it  T  thou ^h  theTmiVht 
have  known  it,  yet  they  would  not.     Such  was  their  woful  indifferenci  that  th^  did 

th  y'w^Trlh  Tnd'-n""'^  'T'^T'  '^!I^  '''^  [^  ^°^  ^^^^^d'  and  boasted  of  it  'hit 
m7br^thrpn   wif  tJ  '""^^'^^  ^"^^  ^^^^s,  and  had  need  of  nothing.     And  now  judge, 

hoTd  then  ^n/n/^-  f^  ^^'^  '"•'"^''^  "^'^^^  ^  '"PP°«^  ^o"  ^''^  readily  allow.  Be- 
fhe  w  ckedness  ^^"^^'^^the  amazmg  grace  and  condescension  of  our  Lord.  Though 
enceS  aloud  fnr±^°^'''^"''  ^Sgr^l^ted  hy  their  pride  and  loathsome  mdiffer- 
TcoS  them  as  a  frSr'''  '"'  "°'^"^  ^"^  "^"^^^"•^^'  y^^'  ^"^ '  ^'  ^°"^^^^^^« 

XII.    PRINCIPLES. 

Jay's  Morning  Exercises,  on  John  i.  38  :  "  Where  dwellest  thou  ?" 


502  LECTURE    XXIX. 

If  we  examine  the  principle  of  this  inquiry  we  shall  find  that  it  was  not  curiosity, 
but  regard  ;  it  was  as  much  as  to  say,  We  wish  to  he  hetter  acquainted.  John  had 
spoken  of  him  highly,  and  they  had  just  seen  him ;  but  this,  instead  of  satisfying 
them,  drew  forth  their  desire  after  further  intimacy.  Now  this  is  common  to  all  the 
subjects  of  divine  grace,  and  arises  from  their  love  to  him.  For  love  longs  to  be  near 
the  object  of  attachment ;  separation  is  painful ;  distance  is  intolerable  ;  while  inter- 
course yields  a  pleasure  words  can  no  more  describe  than  paint  can  describe  light  and 
heat,  &c. 

Blair  on  Jer.  xlix.  11 — "Leave  thy  fatherless  children,  I  will  preserve 
them,"  &c. — commences  by  some  remarks  on  the  divine  goodness,  the 
principle  which  prompted  the  language  of  the  text,  which  might  possibly 
be  suggested  either  by  this  twelfth  Topic  or  by  the  first  Topic. 

No  subject  is  more  open  to  general  observation,  or  more  confirmed  by  manifold  ex- 
perience, than  the  goodness  of  God.  The  contemplation  of  the  universe  in  which 
we  dwell  presents  it  perpetually  to  our  view.  Amidst  the  vast  extent  of  creation  we 
discover  no  instance  of  mere  pomp,  or  useless  grandeur,  but  behold  everything  con- 
tributing to  the  general  good,  and  rendered  subservient  to  the  welfare  of  the  rational 
or  sensible  world.  In  the  administration  of  Providence  the  same  principle  of  benefi- 
cence is  conspicuous.  The  seasons  are  made  regularly  to  return,  and  the  earth  to 
flourish  ;  supply  is  bountifully  provided  for  the  wants  of  all  creatures ;  and  number- 
less comforts  are  prepared  to  sweeten  human  life.  Most  justly  is  he  who  hath  es- 
tablished and  who  upholds  this  admirable  order  of  things  to  be  esteemed  the  Father 
of  mercies  ;  and,  accordingly,  in  this  view  he  is  often  celebrated  in  scripture  ;  "  The 
earth  is  full  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord." — "  His  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his 
works." — "  His  mercy  is  great  unto  the  heavens,  and  it  endureth  for  ever." 

It  appears  worthy  of  particular  observation  that  there  is  one  light  in  which,  more 
frequently  than  in  any  other,  the  goodness  of  God  is  presented  to  us  in  the  sacred 
writings,  namely,  the  light  of  compassion  to  the  distresses  of  mankind. 

The  words  which  I  have  chosen  for  the  text  aff'ord  a  very  amiable  view  of  that 
compassion  which  scripture  so  often  ascribes  to  the  Supreme  Being:  "Leave  thy 
fatherless  children,  I  will  preserve  them  alive  ;  and  let  thy  Avidows  trust  in  me."  It 
will  be  worthy  of  our  attention  at  present  to  mquire  into  the  reasons  why  the  Al- 
mighty is  pleased  to  represent  himself  so  often  to  us  under  this  view,  not  only  as  the 
iust  and  good  ruler  of  the  universe,  which  is  the  leading  idea  we  naturally  form  of 
him,  but  as  the  patron  and  friend  of  the  distressed  part  of  mankind. 

Simeon  gives  a  similar  example  on  Isa.  Iv.  1-3  :  "  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth,"  &c. 

We  can  not  sufficiently  admire  the  condescension  and  grace  of  God  in  noticing 
such  insignificant  and  worthless  creatures  as  we  are.  That  he  should  provide  for 
our  returning  wants,  and  permit  us  to  ask  of  him  the  things  we  stand  in  need  of, 
may  well  excite  our  deepest  astonishment.  But  that  he  should  be  as  much  interested 
in  our  welfare  as  if  his  own  happiness  and  glory  depended  on  it,  seems  utterly  in- 
credible ;  yet  that  this  is  really  the  case  is  manifest  from  the  earnest  invitations  and 
entreaties  which  he  uses  to  prevail  upon  us  to  accept  of  mercy.  In  confirmation  of 
this,  we  need  only  to  notice  the  passage  before  us,  in  which  God,  with  inexpressible 
affection,  labors  to  awaken  the  attention  of  sinners  to  their  own  truest  interest,  and 
to  bring  them  to  the  enjoyment  of  everlasting  happiness.  In  these  words  we  may 
observe  an  invitation  and  an  expostulation. 

This  kind  of  exordium  is  well  calculated  to  precede  a  discourse  of  coii' 
tinned  application.  It  is  soft  and  insinuating,  and  yet  dignified.  In  gen- 
eral, strangers  to  the  gospel  can  not  lie  more  suitably  addressed. 

A  somewhat  different  use  is  made  of  tiie  Topic  by  Simeon  on  1  Chron. 
xxix.  17  :  "I  know  also,  my  CJod,  that  thou  triest  the  iieart,  and  hast 
pleasure  in  uprightness." 

The  true  way  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  our  actions  is  to  consider  the  principles 
from  Avhirh  they  flow  ;  for  it  is  very  possible  that  an  act  which  may  be  hifjhlv  es- 
teemed among  men  may  be  an  utter  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God  (Luke  xvi.  15), 
on  account  of  the  evil  which  produced  it.  Jehu  (jl)eyed  an  express  command  in  de- 
stroying the  house  of  Ahab,  and  was  even  rewarded  by  God  for  it ;  while  he  was 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  503 

also  punished  because  in  what  he  did  he  was  impelled  only  by  his  pride  and  vanity, 
instead  of  consulting,  as  he  ought  to  have  done,  the  glory  of  his  God.  "  Man  looketh 
only  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  God  looketh  at  the  heart,"  1  Sam.  xvi.  7.  The 
efforts  which  David  made  in  preparing  for  the  erection  of  the  temple  were  amazing  ; 
yet,  if  they  had  proceeded  from  a  desire  of  man's  approbation,  they  would  have  been 
of  no  value  before  God.  But  David  sought  only  to  glorify  his  God  ;  and  for  this  in- 
tegrity of  principle  he  would  appeal,  yea,  he  did  appeal,  in  the  words  of  the  text, 
to  the  heart-searching  God. 

The  applicability  of  the  Topics  to  exordiums  must,  I  doubt  not,  have 
been  evident  from  the  foregoing  examples ;  and,  as  the  great  variety  which 
has  been  suggested  has  already  led  me  further  than  I  expected,  I  must 
dismiss  the  remaining  Topics  with  a  briefer  notice. 

XIII.    CONSEQUENCES. 

Whether  by  this  term  we  refer  to  the  deductions  which  any  truth  may 
furnish,  or  to  the  benefits  or  disadvantages  naturally  resulting  from  the 
course  of  conduct  or  the  particular  action  mentioned  in  any  text,  it  must 
be  obvious  that  this  is  a  Topic  not  generally  available  in  exordiums.  Oc- 
casionally, however,  it  may  be  advisable  to  commence  an  argumentative 
discourse  by  referring  to  the  erroneous  consequences  which  have  been 
drawn  from  our  text;  and,  in  a  more  direct  way,  the  Topic  may  some- 
times be  glanced  at  something  after  the  manner  of  the  following  example : — 

2  Cor.  V.  10-12:  "We  must  all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ,"  &c. 

Man,  degraded  as  he  is,  retains  by  necessity  of  nature  the  power  of  looking  for- 
ward to  futurity,  and  weighing  the  consequences  of  his  present  conduct ;  nay,  he  has 
a  very  strong  propensity  to  this,  even  beyond  what  either  duty  or  interest  requires. 
But,  while  he  paints  in  his  delusions  a  thousand  pleasing  images  of  happiness  to 
come,  he  is  always  (without  the  hope  of  the  gospel)  averse  from  looking  forward  to 
evil ;  or,  if  he  think  it  inevitable,  yet  he  will  place  it  in  his  imagination  at  the  great- 
est possible  distance.  Still  the  voice  of  truth  will  be  heard  to  correct  his  fancies. 
Truth  again  unites  with  conscience  and  reason,  and  will  not  suffer  the  man  to  escape 
the  awful,  certain,  speedy  approach  of  a  futurity  big  with  tremendous  consequences 
beyond  all  calculation.  One  would  think  this  sufficient  to  embitter  sin,  and  render 
low  enjoyments,  carnal  pleasures,  disgusting  to  his  mind.  And  if  the  serious  thought 
of  future  judgment  had  its  due  weight,  or  if  it  were  clearly  placed  before  him  with 
all  its  force  and  evidence,  it  must  operate  beneficially  upon  his  fears  till  grace  pro- 
pounds a  hope  that  will  entirely  change  the  scene.  With  such  anticipations  allow 
me  to  show — 

I.  The  certainty  of  a  coming  judgment. 

II.  Its  awfulness. 

III.  Its  equity. 

IV.  Its  irreversible  nature. 

XIV.    END    PROPOSED. 

Frequently  it  may  be  proper  to  commence  by  a  remark  on  the  end  pro- 
posed by  the  writer  or  speaker  in  the  words  of  the  text  itself. 

Walker  on  Luke  xii.  35-37:  "Let  your  loins  be  girded  about,  and 
your  lights  burning,"  &c. 

The  obvious  design  of  (or  end  proposed  in)  this  passage  is  to  excite  us  to  a  serious 
preparation  for  the  awful  solemnities  of  death  and  judgment.  We  are  directed  to 
consider  ourselves  as  servants  who  have  a  Master  in  heaven,  of  whose  return  we 
have  the  strongest  assurance,  but  are  utterly  ignorant  of  the  precise  time  of  his  com- 
ing ;  and  therefore  it  is  both  our  duty  and  our  interest  to  be  always  on  our  guard  and 
in  a  fit  posture  to  receive  him.  The  happy  consequences  of  this  will  be  that  our 
Lord  will  not  only  approve  of  our  prudent  and  zealous  concern  to  please  him,  but  he 
will  even  delight  to  honor  us.     He  will  not  deal  with  us  as  servants,  but  as  friends, 


504  LECTURE    XXIX. 

and  will  bestow  upon  us  a  reward  infinitely  beyond  what  any  service  could  entitle  us 
to.  So  that  here  we  have  a  short  but  comprehensive  account  of  the  Christian's  work 
and  recompense ;  our  duty  and  encouragements  are  both  set  before  us. 

The  same  author  on  Heb.  xiii.  5:  "He  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave 
thee,  nor  forsake  thee." 

This  comfortable  declaration  or  promise  is  introduced  by  the  apostle  to  enforce  the 
duty  of  contentment  (this  is  the  end  he  proposed),  to  which  he  had  exhorted  the  He- 
brews. Nothing  can  be  more  unbecoming  in  a  child  of  God  than  dissatisfaction  with 
his  present  condition  or  anxiety  about  his  future  provision  in  the  world.  It  is  no 
wonder  to  see  worldly  men,  whose  portion  of  good  things  lies  wholly  upon  earth, 
loading  themselves  with  thick  clay,  and  eagerly  grasping  everything  which  their 
craving  appetites  demand.  Such  persons  can  not  but  be  uneasy  when  they  meet  with 
disappointments,  because,  having  nothing  desirable  in  prospect  beyond  the  grave,  in 
losing  their  present  enjoyments  they  lose  their  all.  But  the  Christian,  who  knows 
of  a  treasure  in  heaven,  a  treasure  incorruptible  in  its  own  nature,  and  which  no 
fraud  nor  force  can  take  from  him,  may  and  ought  to  look  down  with  a  holy  indiffer- 
ence upon  everything  here  below,  resigning  himself  entirely  to  the  disposal  of  his 
heavenly  Father,  who  not  only  knows  what  is  best  for  him,  but  hath  likeAvise  obliged 
himself,  by  covenant  and  promise,  to  make  all  things  work  together  for  the  eternal 
advantage  of  those  who  love  him  and  confide  in  his  mercy. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  v.,  on  Matt.  vi.  19,  20:  "Lay  not  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  upon  earth,"  &c. 

Our  Lord  intended  in  these  words  to  check  that  inordinate  attachment  to  the  things 
of  this  life,  and  that  eager  pursuit  of  them,  which  we  too  frequently  witness.  He  did 
not  mean  that  it  would  be  absolutely  unlawful  to  lay  up  treasure  on  earth  either  for 
ourselves  or  our  families;  on  the  contrary,  this  is  what  the  Scriptures  both  admit  and 
require  m  certain  cases,  and  for  certain  purposes.  They  teach  us  that,  though  chil- 
dren are  not  to  lay  up  for  their  parents,  yet  parents  are  to  lay  up  for  their  children 
(2  Cor.  xii.  14),  and  more  than  this,  that  we  are  to  provide  for  our  own  house  and  to 
give  to  him  that  needeth,  1  Tim.  v.  8.  But,  if  nothing  were  provided,  we  should 
have  nothing  to  give  either  to  our  children  or  to  any  one  besides.  The  text,  there- 
fore, is  designed  to  show  that  our  hearts  must  not  be  set  on  these  things,  but  rather 
on  things  that  are  above,  while  the  world  finds  only  a  subordinate  place  in  our  es- 
teem. Much  less  are  we  to  lay  up  treasure  on  earth,  when  we  ought  to  lay  it  out 
for  God,  and  in  acts  of  justice  and  of  mercy  toward  men. 

Sometimes  the  design  or  intention  of  any  conduct  to  which  the  text  may 
refer  will  form  an  appropriate  exordium,  as  Simeon  on  Isa.  i.  4,  5:  "Ah! 
sinful  nation,"  &c. 

The  end  for  which  God  inflicts  punishment  upon  his  people  is  to  bring  them  to 
repentance,  and  thereby  prevent  the  necessity  of  punishing  them  in  the  eternal  world  ; 
and,  when  this  end  is  not  answered,  he  leaves  them  to  themselves,  to  follow  the  im- 
aginations of  their  own  hearts,  and  to  bring  upon  themselves  an  accumulated  weight 
of  wrath.  But,  before  he  utterly  abandons  them,  he  sends  them  many  solemn  warn- 
ings, if  that  by  any  means  he  may  prevail  upon  them  to  turn  unto  him.  Extremely 
solemn  is  the  reproof  which  he  gave  the  Jews  in  the  passage  before  us  ;  he  summons 
heaven  and  earth  to  hear  his  controversy,  and  to  judge  between  him  and  his  people  ; 
and  then,  in  a  way  of  affectionate  expostulation,  he  threatens  to  cease  from  visiting 
them  with  parental  chastisements,  and  to  leave  them  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  their 
miquitics. 

The  words  of  our  text,  accommodated  as  they  may  be  to  our  present  circumstances, 
lead  us  to  set  before  you — 

I.  Our  sinfulness. 

II.  Our  incorrigibleness- 

The  end  proposed  in  the  chapter  or  book  (particularly  an  epistle) 
whence  the  text  is  selected,  may  also  be  noticccl  when  it  is  sufficiently 
connected  with  the  text  itself,  or  when  calculated  to  throw  any  light  upon 
the  subject  of  discourse.  Where  this  is  not  the  case  it  would  evidently 
be  absurd  to  drag  in  the  Topic  merely  for  convenience.  Thus  if  I  were 
to  speak  from  Heb.  xiii.  2 — "Be  not  forgetful  of  strangers" — the  design 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  505 

of  the  epistle  would  not  be  suitable.  This  design  was  to  strengthen  and 
encourage  the  Hebrews  under  their  sufferings,  by  leading  them  to  con- 
template the  great  object  of  faith,  Christ  Jesus,  in  his  origfnal  dignity'  bv 
showmg  the  superiority  of  the  Christian  dispensation  to  that  of^'the  law 
and  by  setting  before  them  the  many  worthies  of  antiquity  who  did  perse- 
vere through  all  difficulties,  &c.  Now  these  points  have  nothino-  to  do 
with  the  above  text,  which  is  only  brought  in  incidentally  for  a  special 
purpose.  ^  ^ 

Allovv  me  to  add  that,  even  where  the  end  proposed  in  an  episde  would 
be  suitable,  yet  it  must  not  be  too  often  resorted  to. 
^  Blair  on  1  Tim.  i.  5:  "Now  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity," 

It  appears  from  this  chapter  that  one  design  of  the  apostle,  in  writin-  to  Timothv 

arSen°if  the'chScr^T'!  T^  ^'^^^"^  ''  ^^^^^^^  ^"^^^^^^  ^^o  h'ad  Tea/y 
arisen  m  tne  church.     To  their  false  representations  of  religion  he  oonoses  that  ^rJ 

r. ij-'^^if^  "  ^^r^  '.S™  ^"  '^^  t"^^-  Such  summaries  of  relEfrenS 
occur  m  the  sacred  writings  and  are  extremely  useful.  By  the  comprehens  ve  ener^v 
with  which  they  express  the  great  lines  of  our  duty  theyLtrrpdnt  them  on  oJ 
memory  and  brmg  them  home  to  our  conscience  with  force.  In^he  proo^reTs  of  thl 
discourse  I  hope  to  make  it  appear  that  the  words  of  the  text  afford  a  most  enlaV-ed 
and  mstructive  view  of  religion  in  all  its  chief  parts.  enlarged 

Walker  on  Rom.  iii.  19:  "Now  we  know  that  whatsoever  things  the 
law  saith,  it  saith  to  those  who  are  under  the  law,"  &c. 

The  great  design  of  this  epistle  is  to  lead  men  to  Christ  as  the  only  refu-e  for  ner 
ishing  smners  ;  and,  because  none  will  value  a  remedv  hnt  thnrp  wL  & !i;  •  ?.^ 
ease  and  wish  for  health  the  apostle  therefore!  irt^ftUfol°^^^^^^^^ 

ZterhyT  Adam^f  ^^T^j^"  ""f  ''^'^  T"^''  ^^^^^^  denCLtZ   he  whoTe' 
posterity  ot  Adam  are  included,  and  proves,  by  plain  and  undeniable  facts   that  all 
without  excepnon,  are  guilty  before  God,  and  consequently  that  aU  stand  fn  need  of 

r  n7ffi    u     ^'^^.^e^tUe  nations,  and  could  not  justly  be  extended  to  them  whom 

The  followmg  example  is  formed  on  the  end-or  one  end-proposed 
in  die  entire  scriptures,  and  therefore  is  a  variety  to  our  purpose.^^ 
bterne  s  forty-first  sermon.     Heb.  xii.  14:  "Follow  peace,"  &c 

usI'gS!  waTtTett1fe7s'^ea:^nf,!^^  ?  ^^^  -ain  view  of  reconciling 

friendly  d  sposh  ons In  our  na t,,  p  wl  \  «''  ^y/^^^^mg  us  to  subdue  all  those  un- 
ment  of  the^  manrb  Lws  wh?rh  r  oH  T^' "'  m'  >PP^«^^'  ^^d  the  social  enjoy- 
go  on  and  exX  oL  n.t,,^^  T\  ^^\  has  enabled  us  to  partake  in  this  world,  to 
Kssions  to  plant  h[  thp,r  .'  ^"^'iflf  "^l  ^"^duction  of  the  most  unfriendly  of  our 
El  imiSion  Ke  pXfons'^of  God°SoH?'.''  ""^  ^^^^^oX.^X  inclinations'which, 
ness  to  all  our  fXw  orl.tn  ^^^  should  dispose  us  to  extend  our  love  and  good- 

ne  as  the  rodness  oVrnrp?/'^'^^  '°  '^^  f,^'^"^  °^  °"^  ^^ilities,  in  like  man- 
Xis  be  accSisred  thp  1  u'''^'  ^^^fl  °^''  ^"  "^^  ^«^ks  of  the  creation.  Could 
by  usrf=tlt/^hl^t  w^^^^^^^^  ^^^^  be  considered' 


506  LECTURE    XXIX. 

Had  the  author  in  this  instance  taken  the  design  of  the  epistle,  he  would 
have  done  wrong,  for  the  reason  beforementioned ;  but,  taking  the  design 
of  the  whole  scripture,  he  is  perfectly  right,  and  nothing  could  better  suit 
his  discourse.  1  may  here  add  that  you  may  occasionally  show  in  an  ex- 
ordium what  was  not  the  end  proposed,  and  then  pass  to  what  was  so. 

XV.    MANNER. 

Blair  on  Luke  xxi.  19:  "In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls." 
The  possession  of  our  souls  is  a  very  emphatic  expression.  It  describes  that  state 
in  which  a  man  has  both  the  full  command  and  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  him- 
self, in  opposition  to  his  undergoing  some  inward  agitation  Avhich  discomposes  his 
powers.  Upon  the  least  reflection  it  must  appear  how  essential  such  a  state  of  mind 
is  to  happiness.  He  only  who  thus  possesses  his  soul  is  capable  of  possessing  any 
other  thing  with  advantage  ;  and,  in  order  to  attain  and  preserve  this  self-possession, 
the  most  important  requisite  is  the  habitual  exercise  of  patience. 

Simeon  on  Isa.  xliii.  1-3  :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee,"  &c. 

It  is  almost  impossible  for  any  one  to  read  the  Holy  Scriptures  with  attention,  and 
not  to  notice  the  very  remarkable  manner  in  which  many  of  the  richest  promises  are 
introduced.  God  seems  in  them  to  determine  to  magnify  his  own  grace,  and  to  sLow 
that  where  sin  abounded  his  grace  shall  much  more  abound,  Rom.  v.  20.  Let  any 
one  read  the  last  two  verses  of  the  preceding  chapter,  and  then  pass  on  to  the  prom- 
ise which  I  have  just  read,  and  he  will  see  this  illustrated  in  a  very  striking  point  of 
view,  &c. 

XVI.    COMPARISON. 

J.  Hill  on  2  Cor.  v.  17 :  "  Therefore,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a 
new  creature,"  &c. 

In  Isaiah's  prophecy  God  promises,  when  Messiah's  kingdom  is  spread  throughout 
all  the  world,  and  all  nations  shall  flow  unto  him,  that  he  will  "  create  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth,  and  the  former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  come  into  mind,"  Isa. 
Ixv.  17.  If  we  compare  this  representation  with  the  passage  before  us,  it  will  be  evi- 
dent that  it  is  in  part  fulfilled  in  every  true  believer,  in  whose  heart  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  is  set  up,  his  image  formed,  and  all  things  that  are  contrary  thereunto  have  in 
a  measure  passed  away.  "  The  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,"  as  it  is  expressed 
in  a  parallel  place  (Rev.  xxi.  3,  4),  "  and  he  will  dwell  with  them  ;  and  they  shall 
be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be  Avith  them  and  be  their  God."  This  is  called 
new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  because  it  is  what  the  believing  sinner  was  an  utter 
stranger  to  before.  Unregeneratc  sinners  are  darkness  (Eph.  v,  8),  being  without 
Christ,  that  is,  in  a  state  of  distance  and  separation  from  him;  they  are  "aliens  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no 
hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world." 

Further,  these  new  heavens  and  this  new  earth  are  said  to  be  created,  because  the 
same  almighty  power  which  went  to  the  producing  of  this  visible  world  out  of  noth- 
ing is  necessary  to  produce  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  in  the  heart  of  an  unrenewed 
sinner  ;  yea,  the  soul  thus  renewed  is  said  to  be  a  ncAv  creation,  because  every  part 
of  the  irian  is  changed,  through  this  one  act  of  God's  almighty  power  and  grace: 
"  Old  things  have  passed  away  ;  behold,  all  things  have  become  new."  The  apostle 
lays  a  special  emphasis  upon  it;  it  is  spoken,  either  by  Avay  of  attention,  implying 
the  care  believers  ought  to  take  when  passing  a  judgment  upon  their  state  godward  ; 
as  if  he  had  said,  Do  not  deceive  yourselves  ;  a  partial  change  Avill  not  suffice  to  de- 
nominate a  man  to  be  in  Christ  Jesus:  "  Old  things  have  passed  away  ;  behold,  all 
things  have  become  new."  Or  else  it  comes  in  by  Avay  of  admiration  and  astonishment, 
as  in  Rev.  xxi.  5:  "  And  he  that  sat  thereon  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new," 
intimating  the  wonderful  display  which  there  is  of  the  sovereign  power  and  grace  of 
God  in  the  renovation  or  new  creation  of  a  dead  and  self-destroyed  sinner.  "  There- 
fore, if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature,"  &c. 

Walker,  with  some  slight  alteration,  on  2  Chron.  v.  13,  14:   "  It  came 

even  to  pass,  as  the  trumpeters  and  singers  were  as  one,  to  make  one 

sound,"  &c. 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  507 

The  dedication  of  Solomon's  temple  was  a  period  as  memorable  in  the  history  of 
the  Old  Testament  church  as  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  that  of  the  New.  On  the  pen- 
tecostal  day  was  exhibited  one  of  the  most  striking  displays  of  divine  o-race  with 
which  the  Christian  church  has  ever  been  favored,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  made  a 
visible  descent  upon  the  apostles  of  our  Lord,  and  imparted  those  miraculous  o'ifts 
by  which  they  were  qualified  to  publish  to  all  nations  the  glad  tidings  of  divine  mer- 
cy. The  manifestation  of  divine  grace  recorded  in  our  text  is  almost  equally 
striking,  and  was  certainly  the  brightest  ever  experienced  under  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation. It  is  impossible  to  conceive  the  joy,  the  wonder,  the  ecstacy  of  these  devout 
worshippers,  when  they  beheld  the  cloud,  that  well-known  symbol  of  the  divine 
presence,  and  saw  the  temple  filled  with  his  glory.  Solomon  himself,  as  we  learn 
from  the  eighteenth  verse  of  the  following  chapter,  was  so  overpowered  with  this 
extraordinary  manifestation  that  he  made  a  sudden  pause,  even  after  he  had  beo-un 
to  pray ;  and,  like  one  doubtful  whether  he  should  believe  the  testimony  of  his  own 
senses,  abruptly  asked  the  question :  "  But  will  God  in  very  deed  dwell  with  men  on 
the  earth  ?  Behold,  heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  can  not  contain  thee  ;  how 
much  less  this  house  that  I  have  built !" 

It  appears,  from  the  last  chapter  of  the  book  of  Exodus,  that,  when  the  tabernacle 
was  first  erected  in  the  wilderness,  God  was  pleased  to  take  visible  possession  of  it 
in  a  way  similar  to  what  is  here  recorded  ;  and  the  effects  (though  not  precisely  the 
same)  were  very  much  akin  to  those  I  have  now  read  to  you,  for  we  are  there  told 
that  Moses,  the  man  of  God,  was  not  able  to  enter  into  the  tent  of  the  congre<^ation 
because  the  cloud  abode  thereon,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  tabernacle  ; 
but  here  the  cloud  not  only  filled  the  tabernacle,  but  the  whole  temple,  and  the' 
divine  presence  was  displayed  with  such  glory  and  majesty  that  the  priests  who 
burnt  incense  at  the  golden  altar  were  obliged,  at  least  for  some  time,  to  intermit  the 
service.  They  could  not  stand  to  minister  by  reason  of  the  cloud ;  for  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  had  filled  the  house  of  God. 

It  will  be  seen  that  each  of  the  two  paragraphs,  in  the  foregoing  exam- 
ple, affords  a  separate  illustration  of  the  use  of  our  Topic,  the  former 
comparing  the  display  of  divine  grace  recorded  in  the  text  with  the  de- 
scent of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  latter  comparing  the  prin- 
cipal facts  recorded  in  the  text  with  similar  ones  which  are  stated  respect- 
ing the  erection  of  the  tabernacle.  The  following  example  is  somewhat 
less  direct,  but  still  the  principal  thoughts  appear  to  have  been  suggested 
by  the  Topic. 

The  same  author  on  2  Cor.  iv.  2  :  "  We  preach  not  ourselves,"' &c. 
When  God  descended  upon  Mount  Sinai,  to  give  laws  to  his  people  Israel,  the 
awful  tokens  of  his  presence,  the  thunderings  and  lightnings,  the  sound  of  the  trum- 
pet, and  the  smoking  of  the  mountain,  struck  the  whole  camp  with  such  consterna- 
tion and  dread  that  they  were  constrained  to  remove  and  stand  afar  off.  They  could 
not  bear  the  exceeding  lustre  of  his  glory,  notwithstanding  the  thick  darkness  with 
which  it  was  veiled,  and  therefore  addressed  Moses  in  these  remarkable  words  : 
"  Speak  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  hear  ;  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us,  lest  we  die.'' 
From  this  authentic  piece  of  sacred  history  we  may  justly  conclude  that  our  nature 
is  too  weak,  in  its  present  state,  to  sustain  an  immediate  intercourse  with  the  Deity, 
for  which  cause  God,  in  great  condescension,  is  pleased  to  speak  to  us  by  men  lilie' 
ourselves,  that,  on  the  one  hand,  we  may  not  want  the  benefit  of  his  instruction,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  we  may  not  be  overpowered  by  the  too  dazzling  splendor  and 
majesty  of  the  teacher. 

Urider  the  old  dispensation,  besides  the  stated  ministers  of  religion,  God,  "  at  sun- 
dry times,"  sent  extraordinary  messengers  on  special  errands  to  the  Jewish  church, 
furnishing  them  with  such  credentials  of  their  mission  as  were  sufficient  to  convince 
that  highly.favored  people  that  they  came  from  God,  and  consequently  that  in  every- 
thing relative  to  their  particular  message,  so  attested,  they  were  bound  to  hearken  to 
them  as  unto  God  himself  For  this  under  the  gospel  we  have  no  warrant  to  look. 
But  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  "apostle  and  high  priest  of  our  profession,"  has 
instituted  the  ordinance  of  a  gospel  ministry  and  committed  to  men  the  word  of 
reconciliation,  charging  them  to  proclaim  in  the  ears  of  their  brethren  "all  the  words 
of  this  life,"  which  are  already  delivered  in  writing  to  the  church,  with  a  special 
promise  that  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  this  important  trust  "he  will  be  with  them 
always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 


608  LECTURE    XXIX. 

The  sermon  to  which  this  was  prefixed  was  preached  at  the  introduc- 
tion of  a  minister  to  a  charge,  and  surely  nothing  could  be  more  appro- 
priate to  the  purpose. 

XVII.    DIFFERENCES    ON    DIFFERENT    OCCASIONS. 

Walker  has  an  exordium  formed  as  completely  upon  this  Topic  as 
though  it  were  intended  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  it,  at  the  same  time 
that  it  forms  a  most  appropriate  introduction  to  his  discourse,  which  is 
founded  on  Hosea  xiv.  8  :  "  Ephraim  shall  say.  What  have  I  to  do  any 
more  with  idols  ?" 

If  we  compare  the  representation  here  given  of  Ephraim  with  the  account  we  have 
of  him  in  chap.  iv.  17,  we  shall  discover  such  a  wonderful  change  as  must  excite  in 
us  a  desire  to  be  acquainted  with  the  cause  of  it.  There  it  is  said  "  Ephraim  is 
joined  to  his  idols ;"  here  we  behold  him  throwing  them  away  with  every  symptom 
of  contempt  and  abhorrence.  Like  a  man  awakened  from  a  dream,  or  rather  like 
one  who  had  lost  his  reason,  and  was  now  restored  to  the  right  use  of  it,  he  says, 
"Wliat  have  I  to  do  any  more  with  idols?"  It  is  my  disgrace  no  less  than  my 
crime  that  ever  I  had  anything  to  do  Avith  such  lying  vanities ;  but  now  I  cast  them 
from  me  with  scorn  and  detestation,  and  with  a  determined  purpose  that  I  will 
never  return  to  them  any  more. 

How  is  this  surprising  change  to  be  accounted  for  ?  When  God  said,  "  Ephraim 
is  joined  to  idols,"  he  immediately  pronounced  that  awful  decree,  "  Let  him  alone  !" 
Hereby  a  restraint  was  laid  upon  every  outward  instrument.  All  the  creatures  were 
charged  by  the  highest  authority  to  give  him  no  disturbance  in  the  course  of  his 
idolatry,  but  to  leave  him  entirely  to  his  own  conduct  and  the  unabated  influence  of 
the  idols  he  had  chosen.  By  what  means  then  was  his  recovery  brought  about  ? 
Had  Ephraim  the  honor  to  discover  the  delusion  by  his  own  sagacity  and  to  break 
the  enchantment  by  his  own  strength?  We  find  an  answer  to  these  questions  in 
chap.  xiii.  9:  "0  Israel,  thou  has  destroyed  thyself,  but  in  me  is  thy  help."  Had 
God  said,  /  am  determined  to  let  Israel  alone,  there  would  have  been  an  end  of  him 
at  once,  though  the  whole  creation  had  been  left  at  liberty  to  exert  its  utmost  ac- 
tivity for  his  help  ;  but  it  deserves  our  notice  that,  though  God  laid  a  restraint  upon 
the  agency  of  the  creatures,  yet  he  laid  no  restraint  upon  his  own,  but  reserved  to 
himself  the  full  exercise  of  his  essential  unalienable  preroaative,  to  be  the  free  and 
sovereign  dispenser  of  his  grace. 

XVIII.    CONTRAST. 

Blair  on  James  iii.  17:  "  The  wisdom  that  is  from  above  is — gentle." 

To  be  wise  in  our  own  eyes,  to  be  wise  in  the  opinion  of  the  world,  and  to  be  wise 
in  the  sight  of  God,  are  three  things  so  very  different  as  rarely  to  coincide.  One 
may  often  be  wise  in  his  own  eyes  who  is  far  from  being  so  in  the  judgment  of  the 
world  ;  and  to  be  reputed  a  prudent  man  by  the  world  is  no  security  for  being  ac- 
counted wise  by  God.  As  there  is  a  worldly  happiness,  which  God  perceives  to  be 
no  other  than  disguised  misery,  as  there  are  worldly  honors  which  in  his  estimation 
are  reproach,  so  there  is  a  worldly  wisdom  which  in  his  sight  is  foolishness.  Of 
this  worldly  wisdom  the  characters  are  given  in  the  context,  and  placed  in  contrast 
with  those  of  the  wisdom  which  is  from  above.  The  one  is  the  wisdom  of  the 
crafty,  the  other  that  of  the  upright ;  the  one  terminates  in  selfishness,  the  other  in 
chanty ;  the  one  is  full  of  strife  and  bitter  envyings,  the  other  of  mercy  and  of  good 
fruits. 

One  of  the  chief  characters  by  which  the  wisdom  from  above  is  distinguished  is  gen- 
tleness, of  which  I  am  now  to  discourse.  Of  this  there  is  the  greater  occasion  to  dis- 
course, because  it  is  too  seldom  viewed  in  a  religious  light,  and  is  more  readily  con- 
sidered by  the  bulk  of  men  as  a  mere  felicity  of  nature,  or  an  exterior  accomplish- 
ment of  manners,  than  as  a  Christian  virtue  which  they  are  bound  to  cultivate.  I 
shall  first  explain  the  nature  of  this  virtue,  and  shall  then  offer  some  arguments  to 
recommend,  and  some  directions  to  facilitate,  the  practice  of  it. 

The  same  author,  when  about  to  discourse  on  the  subject  of  Idleness^ 
avails  himself  of  this  Topic  in  his  exordium  by  some  very  appropriate 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  509 

remarks  on  Industry.     Matt.  xx.  6  :  "  Why  stand  you  here  all  the  day 
idle?" 

It  is  an  observation  which  naturally  occurs,  and  has  been  often  made,  that  all  the 
representations  of  the  Christian  life  in  scripture  are  taken  from  active  scenes,  from 
carrying  on  a  warfare,  running  a  race,  striving  to  enter  in  at  a  strait  gate,  and,  as  in 
this  context,  laboring  in  a  vineyard.  Hence  the  conclusion  plainly  follows,  that 
various  active  duties  are  required  of  the  Christian,  and  that  sloth  and  indolence  are 
inconsistent  with  his  hope  of  heaven.  But  it  has  been  sometimes  supposed  that  in- 
dustry, as  far  as  it  is  matter  of  duty,  regards  our  spiritual  concerns  and  employments 
only,  and  that  one  might  be  very  busy  as  a  Christian  who  was  very  idle  as  a  man. 
The  gospel,  however,  represents  the  religion  of  Christ  as  intended  for  the  benefit  of 
human  society.  It  considers  men  as  engaged  in  the  business  of  active  life,  and  di- 
rects its  exhortations  accordingly  to  all  ranks  and  stations,  to  the  magistrate  and  the 
subject,  to  the  master  and  the  servant,  to  the  rich  and  the  poor,  to  those  that  buy  and 
those  that  sell,  those  that  use  and  those  that  abuse  the  world. 

This  world,  as  the  context  represents  it,  is  God's  vineyard,  where  each  of  us  has  a 
task  assigned  him  to  perform.  In  every  station,  and  at  every  period  of  life,  labor  is  re- 
quired. At  the  third,  the  sixth,  or  the  eleventh  hour,  we  are  commanded  to  work, 
if  we  would  not  incur,  from  the  great  Lord  of  the  vineyard,  this  reproof,  "Why  stand 
you  here  all  the  day  idle  ?"  We  may,  I  confess,  be  busy  about  many  things  and  yet 
be  found  negligent  of  the  "  one  thing  needful."  We  may  be  very  active,  and  withal 
very  ill  employed.  But,  though  a  person  may  be  industrious,  without  being  religious, 
I  must  at  the  same  time  admonish  you  that  no  man  can  be  idle  without  being  sinful. 
In  the  sequel  of  this  discourse  I  shall  endeavor  to  show  that  the  idle  man  is,  in  every 
view,  both  foolish  and  criminal,  that  he  neither  lives  to  God,  nor  lives  to  the  world, 
nor  lives  to  himself. 

Walker  on  Luke  xviii.  14,  "  He  that  hurableth  himself  shall  be  exalt- 
ed," commences  with  this  Topic,  but  passes  at  once  to  the  discussion. 

As  man  fell  by  pride,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  he  can  rise  again  only  by 
humility  ;  and  here  we  are  taught  that  this  is  the  express  ordination  and  appoint- 
ment of  Christ,  for  thus  saith  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  "Every  one  that  hum- 
bleth  himself  shall  be  exalted."  I  therefore  intend  to  open  to  you  the  true  nature  of 
Christian  humility. 

South  on  Job  viii.  13:   "  The  hypocrite's  hope  shall  perish." 

There  is  nothing  in  the  world,  though  ever  so  excellent,  but  it  has  its  counterfeit ; 
religion,  and  grace  itself,  are  not  exempted,  so  that  in  these  matters,  as  well  as  in 
others,  we  often  suffer  a  fallacy  in  our  choice,  by  embracing  resemblances  instead  of 
things.  Sincerity  and  hypocrisy  are  the  two  great  things  about  which  the  whole 
stress  and  business  of  the  gospel  is  laid  out ;  namely,  to  persuade  and  enforce  the  one 
and  to  discover  and  detect  the  other.  And  here  we  have  hypocrisy  presented  in  its 
greatest  and  most  flourishing  enjoyment,  which  is  Ao/»e,  and  in  its  greatest  misery, 
which  is  uiiex  frustration. 

As  a  further  variety,  in  the  application  of  this  important  Topic,  I  add 

an  exordium  of  W.  Draper's,   on  Matt.  v.  4  :  "  Blessed  are  those  that 

mourn,  for  they  shall  be  comforted." 

How  different  this  from  the  language  of  the  world  !  Captivated  by  the  short-lived 
mirth  which  the  prophet  compares  with  the  crackling  of  thorns  under  a  pot,  they 
are  ready  to  exclaim,  Happy  are  the  gay  and  cheerful !  Eager  in  the  pursuit  of 
whatever  elates  the  heart  and  delights  the  senses,  they  turn  with  disgust  from  the 
appearance  of  solemnity  and  gloom,  and  often  look  upon  serious  thoughts  as  the 
forerunner  of  melancholy,  and  melancholy  as  the  completion  of  misery.  But  in  the 
nature  of  things,  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  wise,  "  the  house  of  mourning  (for  a 
pilgrim  in  this  world)  is  better  than  the  house  of  feasting." 

An  example  occurs  in  Cooke's  Select  Remains,  which  is  so  excellent 
that  I  shall  quote  it  at  some  length,  although  the  contrast  is  not  pursued 
throughout.     The  subject  is,  Dying  Daily,  founded  on  1  Cor.  xv.  31. 

Nothing  is  more  evident  than  that  the  generality  of  mortals  care  not  how  they /jre, 
which  is  an  awful  proof  that  they  can  not  bear  to  think  that  they  shall  die.  Nay,  to 
suggest  an  idea  of  death  is  sufficient  to  incur  the  name  of  saint  in  derision,  or  of  a 


510  LECTURE    XXIX. 

melancholy  fool.  Notwithstanding  this,  "  there  is  a  time  to  be  horn  and  a  time  to 
die  ;"  and  a  single  moment  beyond  this  fixed  time  "  can  not  pass." — "  Behold,"  said 
God  to  his  servant  Moses,  "  the  day  has  come  that  thou  must  die  !"  From  the  sen- 
tence of  God,  and  the  daily  execution  of  it,  I  am  constrained  to  say  to  myself,  "  Be- 
hold, the  days  come  (are  always  coming)  that  thou  must  die  I"  And  how  do  I  know 
what  that  day  will  be  ?  The  day  is  as  uncertain  with  me  as  it  is  certain  Avith  God. 
What  can  I  "do  in  this  solemn  uncertainty?  Surely,  as  I  know  not  which  day,  my 
interest  is  to  be  ready  every  day.  This  was  the  conduct  of  one  of  the  wisest  and  best 
of  men,  the  apostle  Paul.  Some  might  wonder  at  his  mysterious  conduct,  of  volun- 
tary suffering  for  the  truth's  sake,  and  might  be  ready  to  suggest,  "You  will  expose 
yourself  to  sufferings  till  they  will  be  your  death  !" — "  What  then  ?  Death  is  no  for- 
midable object  to  me,"  saith  he ;  "no  !  I  protest,  by  your  rejoicing,  which  I  have  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  I  die  daily  !"  Think  not  that  I  fear  to  expose  myself  to  suffer- 
ings and  death  for  Christ's  sake ;  for  I  assure  you  the  cause  I  am  engaged  in  is  so 
noble,  the  Lord,  whose  I  am  and  whom  I  serve,  is  so  dear  to  me,  and  death  is  so  fa- 
miliar and  interesting  in  its  consequences  to  me,  that  "  I  die  daily."  Whatever  I 
think  to  do  in  a  dying  hour,  that  I  wish  to  do  every  day.  I  put  myself  in  dying  cir- 
cumstances, and  realize  my  departure,  and  try,  daily  try,  to  learn  to  die.  That  is,  I 
daily — 

L  Deposite  my  soul  in  Christ's  hands. 

IL  Attempt  to  resign  all  the  interests  of  earth. 

III.  Cultivate  a  superior  regard  to  another  world. 

IV.  Realize  death  as  a  means  of  attaining  the  utmost  of  my  wishes. 

V.  Regard  the  state  and  frame  of  the  soul. 

XIX.     GROUNDS. 

This  is  a  Topic  which  is  available  in  exordiums  in  several  forms,  as  the 
following  examples,  presenting  four  distinct  varieties,  will  sufficiently  illus- 
trate : — 

Jay  takes  up  the  grounds  of  the  text  itself  in  his  Morning  Exercises. 

1  Kings  xix.  13  :  "  What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah?" 

The  grounds  of  this  question  did  not  lie  in  ignorance.  God  well  knew  how  and 
why  he  came  there.  But  he  would  know  from  Elijah  himself,  and  therefore  asks 
him,  that,  being  called  upon  to  account  for  his  conduct,  he  might  be  convinced,  and 
be  either  speechless  or  condemned  out  of  his  own  mouth. 

This  opens  to  a  beautiful  division,  in  which  the  language  of  the  text  is 
considered  in  different  views  : — 

I.  As  an  instance  of  God's  moral  observation  of  his  creatures. 

II.  As  a  reproof  given  to  a  good  man. 

III.  As  a  rule  by  which  we  may  judge  of  ourselves. 

Walker  employs  the  Topic  in  a  more  general  way,  in  reference  to  the 
grounds  of  the  Christian's  faith.  Rom.  v.  10  :  "  For  if,  when  we  were 
enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much  more, 
being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life." 

The  grounds  of  a  Christian's  faith  and  hope  arc  not  only  sufficient  to  satisfy  his 
own  mind,  but  capable  likewise  of  being  described  and  vindicated,  in  such  a  manner 
as  can  not  fail  to  give  full  satisfaction  to  every  sober,  unprejudiced  inquirer.  Genu- 
ine Christianity  is  far  from  declining  any  means  of  trial  Avhereby  truth  is  distinguished 
from  delusion  or  imposture.  On  tlie  contrary,  it  courts  the  light;  and,  the  more  se- 
verely it  is  tried,  the  brighter  it  shines.  The  evidence  by  which  our  faith  and  hope 
are  supported  has  already  stood  the  tests  of  many  generations  ;  and  the  most  violent 
attacks  of  its  enemies,  instead  of  shaking  the  foundation,  have  only  served  to  show 
that  it  is  laid  by  that  same  Almighty  Hand  which  created  and  upholds  these  heavens 
and  this  earth.  The  intelligent  believer  stands  upon  firm  ground,  and  is  always 
"ready  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asks  him  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in 
him."  Do  you  inquire  into  the  object  of  his  hopes,  he  will  tell  you,  without  hesita- 
tion, that  he  looks  for  a  portion  after  death,  in  comparison  Avhereof  this  earth  is  less 
than  nothing  and  vanity.  Do  you  inquire  into  the  grounds  of  his  hope,  he  has  an 
answer  ready  in  the  words  of  my  text,  &c. 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  511 

A  different  use  is  made  of  the  Topic  by  the  same  author  on  1  Cor.  iv. 
1,  2  :  "  Let  a  man  so  account  of  us  as  of  the  ministers  of  Christ,  and  stew- 
ards of  the  mysteries  of  God." 

The  just  conception  and  faithful  discharge  of  the  reciprocal  duties  in  society  are 
the  foundation  (or  grounds)  both  of  private  and  public  happiness.  In  this  respect 
the  church  of  Christ  is  not  different  from  other  communities  among  men.  Althouf^h 
Christians  acknowledge  but  one  supreme  Master,  yet  they  are  taught  to  acknowledge 
among  themselves  subordinate  degrees  of  authority  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  submfs- 
sion  and  respect  on  the  other.  The  God  whom  we  serve  is  a  God  of  order,  not  a 
God  of  confusion  ;  and  he  has  pointed  out,  both  in  his  word  and  in  his  providence 
the  necessity  of  doing  all  things  decently  and  in  good  order.  ' 

_  The  text  leads  me  to  speak  of  the  mutual  regards  and  duties  which  ouo-ht  to  sub- 
sist between  a  minister  of  Christ  and  the  people  committed  to  his  charge",  in  doino- 
which  I  shall,  through  the  divine  assistance —  ^ 

I.  Explain  the  account  given  us  in  the  text  of  the  nature  of  our  office  as  ministers 
of  Christ  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 

II.  Point  out  the  corresponding  obligations  incumbent  on  Christians,  with  re«-ard 
to  those  who  are  intrusted  with  this  ministry.  * 

_  Simeon  takes  up  the  ground  of  that  opposition  to  the  gospel  to  which 
his  text  and  the  connexion  referred.  Rom.  vi.  1-4  :  "  What  shall  we  say 
then  ?     Shall  we  continue  in  sin,"  Sec. 

We  are  told  that  the  gospel  was  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block  and  to  the  Greeks 
foolishness  ;  while  to  all  Avho  had  an  experience  of  it  in  their  souls  it  was  both  the 
power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God.  The  grounds  on  which  the  Jews  and  Greeks 
so  greatly  inveighed  against  it  were  various.  Its  apparent  contrariety  to  the  revela- 
tion given  by  Moses  rendered  it  offensive  to  the  one  ;  and  its  proposing  to  us  a  Savior 
who  appeared  unable  to  save  himself  rendered  it  contemptible  to  the  other  But 
there  was  one  ground  of  offence  Avhich  exposed  it  equally  to  the  reprobation  of  all 
and  that  was  the  unfavorable  aspect  which  it  had  in  relation  to  holiness.  Men  of 
every  religion  were  ready  to  cry  out  against  it  in  this  view  ;  and  therefore  the  apostle 
having  stated  the  plan  of  the. gospel  salvation  with  all  possible  clearness,  takes  ud 
this  objection,  and  gives  an  answer  to  it— such  an  answer,  indeed,  as  neither  Jews 
nor  Genti  es  could  have  anticipated,  but  such  as  must  approve  itself  to  all  whom 
trod  enables  to  comprehend  it. 

From  the  words  of  my  text,  I  will  take  occasion  to  show 

I.  The  supposed  tendency  of  the  gospel  to  encourage  sm.  x 

II.  The  security  it  gives  for  the  practice  of  universal  holiness. 

XX.      THE    GOOD    AND    THE    BAD. 

There  are  several  passages  of  scripture  in  discoursing  upon  which  an 
exordmm  formed  on  this  Topic  would  be  peculiarly  suitable.  It  has 
liowever,  been  generally  overlooked  by  authors  ;  and,  as  I  can  not  find  an 
appropriate  example,  I  must  endeavor  to  make  one,  which,  in  addition 
10  what  I  have  said  in  Lecture  xx.,  will,  I  hope,  be  sufficient  to  induce 
you  to  employ  it  when  it  may  furnish  any  suitable  and  profitable  remarks. 

rake  ISfatt.  xxvi.  35  :  "  Though  I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not 
deny  thee." 

aJecf"  rintp'L^'^'-   ^^^^P°^^1«  P^ter  under  a  highly  interesting  and  instructive 
Sei^in™^).  ?'"'T''"''"^/'''f^^™l'^^-^^  ^^"^  ^^^'^"-^  here  indicated  without 
hete  .ee  f  f^ull  I       a""'"'  f  "'^  ""'  ^^'  '^™'  ^^^  something  to  lament  ?     Do  we  not 
L-«  Mo  •  •     ^",d/ivid  representation  of  the  youthful  disciple  of  Christ,  who, 

a  ze.Und'nrn'''r 'f  ^^  m^'"^  adventurer  in  worldly  business,  frequently  displays 
?harwhrchfs.r.r  V"^.''^^'""''''']:''^'^^^'''^'^^  ^^''^  through  a  similar  rashness  to 
arden     hm   lit,?  ^''"^  J"  successful  enterprise  ?     Peter  was  no  doubt  sincere  and 

?.^s  n;pt^llr  ' '''^".^'!J^  '^''^'  the  deceitfulness  of  his  own  heart,  his  confidence 
Zlv^  nTT  .T-'^  ''u^"''^'/  ^"'^  '"  '^''^  h°"^  °f  temptation  he  became  an  easy 
siw'whh  .n^  i  r''  '''^°"'  '^''''^^  ^'^  '^'^  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge," 
saw   with   approbation    the  zeal  of  Peter,   while   he   warned    him   of  the   conse- 


512  LECTURE    XXIX. 

quences  of  his  temerity.  But,  unawakened  to  a  sense  of  his  weakness,  even  by  the 
solemn  assurance  of  Christ,  he  persisted  in  declaring  that  though  death  itself  should 
be  the  consequence  he  would  never  deny  his  Lord,  &:c. 

XXI.     SUPPOSITIONS. 

Authors  and  preachers  of  a  Hvely  imagination  very  frequently  resort  to 
this  and  a  few  other  Topics  of  an  inventive  character.  The  following  ex- 
amples will,  however,  be  sufficient  to  give  a  just  idea  of  the  use  of  this 
Topic  in  exordiums  : — 

R.  Robinson  furnishes  a  very  striking  example. 

Before  I  read  my  text,  give  me  leave  to  open  my  heart  to  you.  As  I  was  coming 
hither  this  evening,  and  meditating  on  my  text,  I  thought,  Suppose — instead  of  going 
alone  into  the  assembly  this  evening,  as  I  shall — suppose  it  were  possible  for  me  to 
have  the  honor  of  leading  by  the  hand  through  this  numerous  congregation,  up  to  the 
place  of  speaking,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  his  own  person,  "  tlic  first-born  of  every 
creature,  the  image  of  the  invisible  God."  Suppose  I  should  then  open  the  twenty- 
second  chapter  of  Matthew,  and,  with  a  clear  and  distinct  voice,  summon  each  of  my 
hearers  to  give  an  answer  to  the  questions  in  the  forty-second  verse — "  What  think 
you  of  Christ  ?  whose  son  is  he  ?" 

Affection  for  you  set  me  a-thinking,  further,  on  such  answers  as  the  most  strict  at- 
tention to  truth  would  compel  you  to  give.  I  ihought.  Suppose  one  should  say,  "  1 
have  never  thought  about  Christ;  I  never  intend  to  think  about  him."  Suppose  a 
second  should  say,  "  I  have  never  thought  of  him,  and  I  despise  him,  because  he  is 
not  a  ?ninister  of  sin."  And  suppose  a  third  should  say,  "  I  hate  him :  and,  as  it  is 
not  in  my  power  to  persecute  him,  I  express  my  hatred  of  him  by  ridiculing  and  tor- 
menting all  who  respect  and  resemble  him." 

My  brethren,  it  is  not  for  me  to  pretend  to  know  your  hearts,  or  to  pronounce  any- 
thing certain  ;  but  the  bare  apprehension  of  such  dispositions  excited  hi  me,  as  it 
must  in  every  one  that  loves  his  neighbor  as  himself,  a  thousand  suspicions  and  fears. 

Dreading  such  answers  as  these,  I  thought  again,  What  if  I  should  bend  my  knee 
to  the  insulted  Friend  of  sinners,  and  humbly  ask,  "  0  Son  of  David  !  what  think  you 
of  this  people  ?  whose  children  arc  they  ?"  Alas  !  I  thought  I  saw  him  "  look  round 
about  on  you  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  your  hearts  ;"  then  turning 
about,  melting  with  compassion,  going  down  the  steps,  walking  slowly  out  of  the  as- 
sembly, and  all  the  way  weeping  and  saying,  "  0  that  thou  liadst  known,  even  thou," 
the  most  inveterate  of  this  congregation,  "  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which 
belong  to  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hidden  from  thine  eyes." 

Lavington,  on  Heb.  xiii.  17  :   "  For  they  watch  for  your  souls." 

The  very  mention  of  a  future  judgment  excites  attention.  Should  the  heavens 
open,  and  the  transactions  of  that  day  immediately  commence,  the  Son  of  man  com- 
ing in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  Avith  power  and  great  glory,  attended  by  thousands  of 
angels  and  ten  thousand  of  his  saints — were  the  throne  erected,  and  the  Judge  in 
awful  majesty  seated  tiiereon — should  our  names  be  among  the  first  that  were  calfed 
upon  to  give  an  account  of  our  stewardship — and,  among  other  things,  should  the 
improvement  of  the  present  opportunity  be  particularly  inquired  into  (as  it  certainly 
will),  what  account  would  yuu  wish  to  give  of  it  ?  Under  these  impressions  I  now 
claim  your  attention,  &c. 

The  same  author,  somewhat  altered.  Prov.  xxiii.  26  :  "  My  son,  give 
me  thy  heart." 

I  have  been  endeavoring  to  imagine  what  were  the  first  thoughts  that  occurred  to 
you  upon  the  mention  of  this  text.  Some  thousjlit  one  tiling  and  some  another,  no 
doubt.  Shall  I  hazard  a  conjecture  upon  this  matter?  Why,  tlirn,  I  believe  thai 
some,  when  the  text  was  first  read,  thought,  "  This  is  a  very  suitable  text  for  the  oc- 
casion"— never  considering  that  tiie  text  is  a  direct  address  that  tiiey  should  surren- 
der their  hearts.  Otliers,  perhaps,  when  they  heard  God  say,  "My  son,  give  me  thy 
heart,"  thought,  "  No,  I  can  not ;  my  heart  is  engaged  already.  I  can  not  be  reli- 
gious, not  L  What !  give  up  all  my  merry  companions,  and  be  always  reading,  and 
hearing,  and  praying  ?  Whatever  I  may  do  when  I  become  old,  I  can  by  no  means 
surrender  at  present."  Others  may  say,  "  O  that  (Tod  had  my  poor  heart — I  do  wish 
it ;  but  such  is  the  conflict  within,  that  nothing  but  an  increase  of  divine  grace  can 
enable  me  to  surrender  it."    But  some,  I  have  no  doubt,  are  saying  or  crying  out, 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  5I5 

With  admiration  and  gratitude  -  My  heart  l-my  heart !  wilt  thou  vouchsafe  to  ac- 

themlll.' ''  '' ''  '  '^^'  "  •■  '^  ^  ^"'^  '"^  '^""^""^  ^^^''^  ^h«"  shouldst  have 

The  same  author,  2  Pet.  iii.  18  :  "  But  grow  in  grace." 

Suppose  I  could  lead  you  to  the  rich  mines  of  Mexico  or  Potosi,  and  showyou  the 

heaps  of  gold  and  silver  which  they  afford.     If  I  could  tell  you  that  you  might  take 

t^^l.r''7''f^-  -'^  ^T"  suppose  that  you  should  be  content  with  looking'at  those 

heaps  and  admiring  them,  and,  after  all,  bringing  nothing  away  ?     No,  you  would 

carry  away  as  much  as  you  could,  and  envy  your"  stronger  neighbors  who  brouTt 

home  more  than  yourselves.     Yet  I  come,  sabbath  after  "sabbath,  and  set  before  you 

the  treasures  of  grace,  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  and  offer  any  of  therS  ^aU 

of  them,  to  you,  without  money  or  price ;  the  smallest  of  these  spiritual  benefits  is  of 

more  real  value  than  a  house  full  of  silver  and  gold  ;  but  I  bring^heS  out  and  car^V 

them  home  again  and  again,  and  that  to  no  purpose.     Do  you  Think  the  charge  too 

severe  ?     Tell  me,  and  make  me  happy,  tell  me  that  I  am  dece  ved'and  that^S  iot 

only  have  grace,  but  that  you  are  sincerely  desirous  of  growing  in  jjrace  of  beS 

filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteousness.  s  -,  "i  grace,  01  being 

Beveridge,  Matt,  xviii.  20  :    "  Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  to- 

If  our  blessed  Savior  were  upon  earth  now,  what  flocking  would  there  be  from  all 
parts  to  hear  him  and  see  him  !  And,  if  he  were  but  in  any  part  of  the  k  n°  dom 
how  remote  soever,  which  of  us  but  would  strive  to  go  to  him  ?  what  haste  we  shouTd 
make,  what  pams  we  should  take  to  get  as  near  him  as  possible™  hear  some  of  hk 
divine  discourses  from  his  own  mouth  !  with  what  reverence  ^houW^rXroach 
him  !  how  attentively  should  we  listen  !  But  how  rejoiced  if  we  sawTim  SS 
ruVtSbeXrf"?'"'"  servants  and  disciples!    sLuld  we  not  sry,  ""tirgS 

v.?^tN  l""^^  "^^  ^^'''"!.^^  l^^^""  supposition,  and  so  it  is  as  to  his  bodily  presence  •  but 
yet  there  is  a  way  whereby  we  may  meet  with  our  blessed  Savior  eve?y  day  k  the 
Ma ttCi  .'?°^  ^90  P<fr'?  "'  e«"«<^tually  as  if  he  now  dwelt  among  uVwhuess 
Matthew  xxviu.  20:  <'Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world  "■ 

name/'&r  °"'  ''^' •"  "^^^'^  ^^°  ""'  '^'''  ^'^  S^'^^'^d  together  in  m'y 

Now  these  are  very  striking  passages,  it  must  be  acknowledged ;  but  let 

It  be  noted  that  strikmg  commencements  must  not  be  followed  by  dull  dis» 

courses.     These  things  can  be  attempted  only  when  the  mind  is  in  a  Hvely 

Irame,  capable  of  supporting  such  a  beginning. 

I  add  one  example  of  a  more  simple  character  from  the  Preacher,  vol. 

v.,  rs.lxxm.  24:  "Thou  shalt  guide  me  with  thy  counsel,  and  afterward 

receive  me  to  giory." 

dan"eTn'n^  S\'"""  ^\V°if'  ^''  7N'  ^"^  ^°"^«  ^ind  friend  had  found  him  amid 

^^^^{  fe=  o^^d^n^lt  S::Z  XS!4r  bac? 
n^n  nf  h^^T™  "\^'  VHI  '^'"'^''^  now  resolves  to  give  himself  up  to  ft  aU  hTfuture 
sa£ly  atTasf '  "  '^'  '"""'  ''"''^"'^  '^'' ''  "^^^  ^^^^  ^^^  -"^^^^  -d  la^d tm 

XXII.     OBJECTIONS. 

forThe'intL^'7  ""^  a  discourse  will  very  frequently  be  the  proper  place 
would  a"    'r;'"  f  this  Topic  when  it  requires  to  be  noticed  ;   but  I 

dec  malon  tO^  '^ "^'"^  '^''T  '"^^'^^^^"^  '''  "^^^^^  ^  ^  ^^pic  for 
acclamation.      The  following  examples  are  worthy  of  imitation  :— 

Sherlock,  Acts  x.  34,  35  :  -  God  is  no  respected  of  persons^" 

the^mlaalnfof  L\°LTe^"^^^^  to,  may  seem  to  carry  a  sense  contrary  to. 

God,  whhout  resp^ec?  to  nnv  V  St.  Peter  in  the  text  declares  that 

people  into  thrcoveLnt  made'S\°''  P  pI°""^  privileges,  was  ready  to  admit  all 
k-    i>  ine  covenant  made  with  Jesus  Christ,  provided  they  were  duly  prepared 


514  LECTURE    XXIX. 

for  such  admission.  Some  from  his  words  have  falsely  concluded  that  there  is  no 
necessity  of  becoming  disciples  of  Christ,  but  that  it  is  sufficient  if  we  live  according 
to  the  principles  and  light  of  nature  ;  forasmuch  as  every  one  that  feareth  God,  &c., 
is  accepted  of  him. 

Mr.  Simeon,  in  an  indirect  but  very  efficient  manner,  guards  against  the 
objections  which  are  made  to  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  thus 
prepares  his  hearers  to  enter  with  greater  candor  into  his  subject,  which  is 
founded  on  Mark  xvi.  15,  16  :  "  Go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature,"  &c. 

It  is  to  be  lamented  that  an  unhappy  prejudice  subsists  in  the  Christian  world 
against  the  peculiar  and  most  essential  doctrines  of  our  holy  religion,  and  that  while 
ministers  defend,  with  zeal  and  ability,  the  outworks  of  Christianity,  they  are  at  little 
pains  to  lead  their  hearers  within  the  veil,  and  to  unfold  to  them  those  blessed  truths 
whereupon  their  salvation  depends.  Under  the  idea  that  moral  discourses  are  more 
accommodated  to  the  comprehensions  of  men,  and  more  influential  on  their  practice, 
they  waive  all  mention  of  the  sublime  mysteries  of  the  gospel,  and  inculcate  little 
more  than  a  system  of  heathen  ethics.  They  would  be  ashamed  and  almost  afraid  to 
make  such  a  passage  as  this  the  groundwork  of  their  discourse,  lest  they  should  be 
thought  to  be  contending  for  some  unimportant  tenets  instead  of  promoting  piety  and 
virtue.  But  can  any  one  read  such  a  solemn  declaration  as  that  of  the  text  and  ac- 
count it  unworthy  of  his  notice  ?  Can  any  one  consider  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  was  uttered,  or  the  authoritative  manner  in  which  the  aposdes  were  com- 
manded to  publish  it  to  the  whole  world,  and  yet  think  himself  at  liberty  to  disregard 
it?  Shall  it  be  suspected  to  be  only  the  shibboleth  of  a  party?  Let  us  put  away 
such  unbecoming  jealousies,  and  enter  in  a  fair  and  candid  manner  into  the  investi- 
gation of  the  words  before  us ;  let  us  consider  that  they  were  among  the  last  words 
of  our  Lord  while  sojourning  on  earth,  that  they  contain  his  final  commission  to  his 
aposdes  and  in  them  to  all  succeeding  pastors  of  his  church,  that  they  are  distin- 
guished by  our  Lord  himself  by  the  honorable  appellation  "  the  gospel,"  or  glad 
tidings,  and  that  they  were  delivered  by  him,  not  only  as  the  rule  of  our  faith,  but  as 
the  rule  of  procedure  in  the  day  of  judgment.  Let  us,  I  say,  consider  the  words  in 
this  view,  and  with  hearts  duly  impressed  attend,  while  we  explain  the  import,  vin- 
dicate the  reasonableness,  and  display  the  excellency,  of  this  divine  message. 

The  same  author,  Mark  ii.  17  :  "  The  whole  need  not  a  physi- 
cian," &c. 

There  is  no  action,  however  benevolent,  which  cavillers  may  not  censure.  Every 
part  of  our  Lord's  conduct  was  worthy  of  his  divine  character,  yet  he  constantly  en- 
dured the  contradiction  of  sinners,  &c.  He  was  now  conversing  familiarly  with  pub- 
licans for  their  good.  This  was  condemned  by  the  scribes  as  unbecoming  a  holy  per- 
son, if  not  also  giving  countenance  to  sin.  Our  Lord  vindicated  himself  on  principles 
which  they  could  not  but  acknowledge  to  be  correct,  &c. 

The  same  author.  1  Tim.  iii.  16  :  "  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godli- 
ness," &c. 

It  has  been  often  said  by  infidels  that  "  where  mystery  begins  religion  ends."  But, 
if  this  were  true,  there  would  be  no  uniformity  or  consistency  in  the  works  of  God. 
All  his  works,  both  of  creation  and  providence,  are  full  of  mysteries;  there  is  not  any 
one  substance  of  which  Ave  know  all  its  properties,  nor  any  one  event  for  which  we 
can  assign  all  the  reasons.  If  there  were  nothing  in  religion  above  the  comprehen- 
sion of  man,  it  would  afford  a  strong  presumption  that  our  religion  was  not  from 
heaven  ;  for  why  should  it  be  revealed  if  man  could  have  devised  it  without  a  reve- 
lation ?  But  the  inspired  writers  represent  the  gospel  as  "  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a 
mystery,"  as  a  "  mystery  hidden  from  ages,"  and  "  kept  secret  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world."  They  speak  of  many  of  its  fundamental  doctrines  as  a  mystery — "a 
great  mystery" — a  glorious  mystery,  and  of  its  ministers  as  the  "  stewards  "of  Uie  mys- 
teries of  God."  In  the  words  before  us  many  of  the  principal  events  relating  to 
Christ  and  the  establishment  of  his  religion  in  the  world  are  enumerated,  and  con- 
fessedly declared  to  involve  a  great  mystery.  Let  us  then  contemplate  them  in  their 
order,  &c. 

The  same  author.  Luke  xxii.  22  :  "  Truly  the  Son  of  man  goeth  as 
it  is  written,"  &c. 


TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  515 

The  doctrine  of  predestination  is  very  mysterious.  If  it  be  so  held  as  to  destrov 
the  free  agency  of  man,  it  must  be  pernicious  and  false.  But  it  can  not  be  denied 
without  denying  the  omniscience  and  immutability  of  God.  Nor,  if  properly  under- 
Snn'  ?f  ^^,Valh"^on^^stent  with  the  responsibility  of  man.  If  we  knownoUiowto 
reconcile  all  its  difficulties,  it  is  not  therefore  false.  Certain  it  is  that  Judas  wa^re- 
moved  to  his  own  place;  nor  can  we  doubt  but  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do 

&  '  It    f  pk' •  .^^^^'^^"g  "^^  things  which  had  been  foreordamed.     So  also  was 
the  death  of  Christ,  and  every  particular  respecting  it. 

These  are  excellent  commencements,  and  on  some  occasions  very 
proper.  They  were  peculiarly  proper  in  Mr.  Simeon,  who  stood  hidi  in 
one  of  our  universities,  where  the  mysteries  of  the  gospel  were  not  favor- 
ite topics. 

I  add  a  specimen  of  a  still  more  general  kind  from  Farquhar  on  1 
Ihess.  V.  16:  "Rejoice  evermore." 

Many  ill-disposed  persons  consider  religion  as  the  cause  of  a  severe,  gloomy  and 
unsociable  disposition  ;  and  some  of  the  friends  of  religion  do  not  qui  e  escTe  it 

dt  Uy^'rworfefS.'^"^^^^'  ^^"  '^  '"^^  ""^"^^  ^^^  ^^  ^  J '^^--'  -  P- 
XXIII.    CONSIDER    CHARACTERS    OF    MAJESTY,    ETC. 

_    In  Other  words,  see  if  there  be  anything  worthy  of  remark  in  any  qual- 
%tyo{  the  text  or  subject  which  will  not  require  a  place  in  the  discussion 
Instances  of  the  use  of  this  Topic  in  exordiums  might  be  adduced  to 
an  almost  unlimited  extent,  but  I  must  here  confine  myself  to  the  exem- 
plification of  a  few  only  of  its  numerous  varieties. 

Mr.  Simeon  seems  to  have  had  this  Topic  in  view  when  composing  the 
exordmm  of  his  discourse  on  John  i.  1:  "In  the  beginning  was  the 
Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God." 

What  astonishing  majesty  and  dignity  are  displayed  in  these  brief  but  comprehen- 
sive  words !     The  other  evangelists  commence  their  histories  at  the  perTof  our 
Savior  smcarnation;  but  John  carries  us  back  to  eternity  itself,  and  informs  us  Z 
nal"  <^VS  W  'f  ""'  ^,^-ed  but  who  he  was.     Hellls  hi^by  a  very  pec£ 
S'~  tI  '     ^''^-  "V,"*^'  ,P^^""''  "  Tlie  Word  of  Life,"  '<  The  Word  of 

?pw;  ^ .  "'''^''  ^'  ^Pf.^'^ble  to  the  Messiah,  was  not  altogether  unknowri  to  the 
Jews  ;  and  it  seems  peculiarly  proper  to  the  Son  because  it  is  by  the  Son  Zat  God 
has  in  all  ages  revealed  his  mind  to  man.  And  perhaps  this  very^explana  ion  of  the 
term  xs  in  ended  to  be  conveyed  to  us  by  John  when  he  says,  withL  a  ferve^ses  after 

Sorof'lh^FXr^t  S  Sa^ld^hUT  '"  '^  ^'^^-^^^^^  ^oC^^^^^Z 

Mr.  J.  Hill  furnishes  an  excellent  example  on  Heb.  xii.  23  :  "  And  to 
God  the  Judge  of  all. 

These  words  at  first  reading  strike  terror      It  i<?  an  nwfnl  tKJr,^.  e  ■  c  ^ 

ture  to  appear  before  God  the'judge  J ^\  but  I  C^hriS^es^T^tod  it  re'cl" 
oiled  God,  and  so  is  the  Justifier  of  all  those  that  believe.  Thus  considered  thev 
speak  comfort.  With  this  view  our  apostle  mentions  them  in  tL  text  as  bearing T 
m?nt  "^T  r  >rf  ^P^^^^^  privileges  unto  which  the  saints  underThrNew  Tes^ta- 
"rSLtmeSlloi  ^'' ^^'^^^  ^''^  ^^^"  ^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^-  ^^^  subjec7o?;our 
_  The  two  foregoing  examples  mark  the  character  o{  majesty,  as  exhibited 
in  their  respective  texts;  the  two  following  are  on  th^  necessity  of  the 
course  required  in  the  text,  which  is  a  far  more  common  and  certaily  no' 
less  important  consideration.  ^ 

win,"'&c.'  """  ^"^'  """•  ^^'  ^^  ''  "  ^^'^'  '"'^""^  '^^^^  ^"^^^  ^^^  ^«^d's 

is  \^T^l^^ltTi^Zf:^^'^'^  concerning  the  necessity  of  faith  in  Christ,  so 
mere  mucn  spoken,  also,  concerning  the  necessity  of  obedience  to  hira.     The  two 


§16  LECTURE    XXIX. 

are  never  to  be  separated ;  they  are  indissolubly  connected  together  in  God's  purpose, 
and  must  be  also  in  our  attainments ;  they  are  the  root  and  the  fruit,  or  the  founda- 
tion and  the  superstructure.  The  necessity  of  good  works  is  marked  with  peculiar 
force  in  the  words  before  us,  wherein  our  Lord  makes  known  to  us — 

I.  The  ground  and  measure  of  our  responsibility  to  God. 

II.  The  rule  of  God's  procedure  toward  us  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

The  same  author,  on  John  viii.  24  :  "  If  you  believe  not  that  I  am  he, 
you  shall  die  in  your  sins." 

The  necessity  of  faith  in  Christ  in  order  to  salvation  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a 
merely  arbitrary  appointment ;  it  arises  out  of  the  very  state  into  which  mankind  are 
fallen,  a  state  in  which  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  enjoy  God,  even  if  they 
were  admitted  into  his  immediate  presence.  They  are  at  present  laden  and  defiled 
with  sin,  and  could  derive  no  comfort  from  the  sight  of  a  holy  God.  Their  iniquities 
would  for  ever  render  them  odious  in  his  eyes  and  him  terrible  in  theirs.  They  must 
be  cleansed  from  their  sins  before  they  can  hold  any  communion  with  him  as  a  father 
and  a  friend.  But  they  can  never  wash  away  their  oAvn  sins,  nor  find  any  other 
means  of  expiation  besides  that  which  God  has  ordained,  even  the  blood  of  his  only 
dear  Son.  Nor  is  there  any  way  in  which  they  can  be  interested  in  Christ  but  by  be- 
lieving in  him. 

The  imj)ortance  of  any  subject  will  also  sometimes  furnish  an  exordium 
well  calculated,  under  the  divine  blessing,  to  secure  that  attention  from 
your  hearers  which  the  subject  may  demand.  That  such  a  preparation 
is  necessary  I  need  not  attempt  to  prove  ;  for,  though  men  will  readily  ac- 
knowledge that  the  subjects  which  as  ministers  of  Christ  it  is  your  duty  to 
bring  before  them  possess  claims  on  their  attention  with  which  no  other 
class  of  subjects  is  invested,  yet  it  is  but  too  evident  that  these  acknowledged 
claims  are  very  generally  disregarded,  and  those  subjects  which  are  the 
most  important  are  likewise  the  most  neglected.  The  following  examples 
are  well  worthy  of  your  attention. 

Blair  on  Prov.  iv.  23  :  "  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence  ;  for  out  of 
it  are  the  issues  of  hfe." 

Among  the  many  wise  counsels  given  by  this  inspired  writer,  there  is  none  which 
deserves  greater  regard  than  that  contained  in  the  text.  Its  importance,  however,  is 
too  seldom  perceived  by  the  generality  of  men.  They  are  apt  to  consider  the  regu- 
lation of  external  conduct  as  the  chief  object  of  religion.  If  they  can  act  their  part 
with  decency,  and  maintain  a  fair  character,  they  conceive  their  duty  to  be  fulfilled. 
What  passes  in  the  meantime  within  their  mind  they  suppose  to  be  of  no  great  con- 
sequence either  to  themselves  or  to  the  Avorld.  In  opposition  to  this  dangerous  plan 
of  morality,  the  wise  man  exhorts  us  to  "  keep  the  heart"  (that  is,  to  attend,  not  only 
(6  our  actions,  but  to  our  thoughts  and  desires),  and  to  "  keep  the  heart  with  all  dili- 
gence" (that  is,  with  sedulous  and  vmremitting  care),  for  which  he  assigns  this  reason, 
that  "  out  of  the  heart  are  the  issues  of  life." 

The  same  author.  1  Cor.  vii.  31  :  "  The  fashion  of  this  world  passeth 
away." 

To  use  this  world  so  as  not  to  abuse  it  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  at  the  same 
time  one  of  the  most  difficult  lessons  which  religion  teaches  us.  By  so  many  desires 
and  passions  are  we  connected  with  tlie  objects  around  us,  that  our  attachment  to 
them  is  always  in  hazard  of  becoming  excessive  and  sinful.  Hence  religion  is  so 
often  employed  in  moderating  this  attachment,  by  rectifying  our  erroneous  opinions, 
and  instructing  us  in  the  proper  value  we  ought  to  set  on  worldly  things.  Such  was 
the  particular  scope  of  tlie  aposde  in  this  context. 

Simeon  on  Rom.  viii.  13 :  "  If  you  live  after  the  flesh,  you  shall  die," 
&c. 

It  is  of  infinite  importance  to  know  our  state  as  it  is  before  God,  and  to  ascertain, 
on  scriptural  grounds,  what  our  condition  will  be  in  the  eternal  world.  Numberless 
are  the  passages  of  God's  word  which  Avill  afford  us  the  desired  information.  But 
there  is  not  in  the  whole  inspired  volume  one  declaration  more  explicit  than  that  be- 


TOPICAL   EXORDIUMS.  517 

fore  us.    It  presents  to  our  view  two  momentous  truths,  which,  as  they  admit  not  of 
any  clearer  division  or  arrangement,  we  shall  consider  in  their  order. 

These  are  very  clear  examples  in  their  kind.  They  are  somewhat 
short ;  but  it  remains  with  the  good  sense  of  the  preacher  to  fix  the  proper 
length.  Where  he  apprehends  the  people  want  stirring  up  to  the  subject 
— as  the  importance  of  a  just  observance  of  the  sabbath  where  it  is  scan- 
dalously disregarded — this  point  must  be  enlarged  on  ;  in  other  cases  much 
enlargement  may  not  be  required. 

The  utility  of  any  subject,  or  the  advantages  arising  from  the  course 
recommended,  may  also  be  noticed  in  an  exordium. 

Blair  on  Ps.  xv.  5  :  "  He  that  doeth  these  things  shall  never  be  moved." 

Tranquillity  of  mind,  or,  in  the  words  of  the  text,  a  mind  not  moved  or  disquieted 
by  the  accidents  of  life,  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  that  we  can  pos- 
sess on  earth.  It  is,  indeed,  the  ultimate  aim  to  which  the  wishes  of  the  wise  and 
reflecting  have  ever  been  directed,  that,  with  a  mind  undisturbed  by  anxieties,  cares, 
and  fears,  they  might  pass  their  days  in  a  pleasing  serenity.  They  justly  concluded 
that,  by  enjoying  themselves  in  peace,  they  would  enjoy,  to  the  greatest  advantage, 
all  the  comforts  of  life  that  came  within  their  reach.  This  happy  tranquillity  the 
multitude  conceive  to  be  most  readily.attainable  by  means  of  wealth,  which  they  im- 
agine would  set  them  above  all  the  ordinary  disturbances  of  life.  That  it  has  some 
effect  for  this  purpose  can  not  be  denied.  At  the  same  time  I  must  observe  that  the 
attainment  of  opulence  is  no  certain  method  of  obtaining  tranquillity.  Nay,  the  higher 
men  rise  in  the  world,  the  greater  degrees  of  power  and  distinction  they  acquire,  the 
further  they  are  often  removed  from  internal  peace. 

Assuming  it,  therefore,  for  an  undoubted  truth  that  the  mere  possession  of  the  goods 
of  fortune  may  be  consistent  with  the  want  of  inward  tranquillity,  we  must  look 
around  for  other  more  certain  grounds  of  it.  We  must  inquire  whether  any  line  of 
conduct  can  be  pointed  out  which,  independent  of  external  situation  in  the  world, 
shall  tend  to  make  us  easy  in  mind,  shall  either  bestow  or  aid  that  tranquillity  which 
all  men  desire. 

XXIV.    DEGREES. 

This  Topic  may  occasionally  be  used  as  an  exordium  in  something  like 

the  following  manner  : — 

"  Be  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,"  2  Tim.  ii.  1. 

It  is  possible  to  have  the  grace  of  Christ,  and  not  be  strong  in  it.  The  reality  is 
one  thing  ;  the  degree  is  another.  We  read  of  weak  faith  as  well  as  of  strong  faith. 
There  are  lambs  in  our  Shepherd's  fold,  as  well  as  sheep ;  and  in  our  Father's  house 
there  are  little  children  as  well  as  young  men.  But,  while  there  is  in  religion  an  in- 
fancy that  is  natural  and  lovely,  there  is  another  which  is  unlooked-for  and  offensive. 
It  is  the  effect  of  relapse.  It  is  not  of  the  beginning  of  the  divine  life,  but  of  an  after 
period,  that  the  apostle  speaks  when,  reproving  the  Hebrews,  he  says,  "  You  have 
become  such  as  have  need  of  milk,  and  not  of  strong  meat."  The  Savior  himself 
does  "  not  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax ;"  but  he  is  concerned 
to  "  bring  forth  judgment  unto  victory,"  and,  while  they  are  to  be  comforted,  the 
slothful  are  to  be  stimulated,  and  all  are  to  be  kept  from  settling  upon  their  lees. 

XXV.    DIFFERENT    INTERESTS. 

Some  discourses  might  certainly  commence  with  great  propriety  by  re- 
marks on  the  manner  in  which  the  subject  bears  on  the  interests  of  indi- 
viduals or  communities ;  but  I  have  not  discovered  any  good  example  of 
this  kind,  and,  as  the  Topic  is  sufficiently  illustrated  in  Lecture  xxviii.,  I 
shall  not  attempt  to  offer  any  example  of  my  own,  but  commend  the  un- 
beaten path  (so  far  as  exordiums  are  concerilted)  to  the  student,  merely 
adding  that  the  historical  parts  of  scripture  afford  many  suhable  openings, 
as  the  sacrifice  of  Elijah,  1  Kings  xviii.  36,  &c.,  in  which  the  different 
interests  of  Baal  and  his  worshippers,  and  of  God  and  his  servants,  were 


518  LECTURE    XXIX. 

concerned.     For  the  different  interests  which  men  feel  in  any  subject,  I 
must  refer  you  to  the  examples  given  under  the  twenty-first  Topic. 

XXVI.    DISTINGUISH,    DEFINE,    ETC. 

For  the  first  of  these,  take  1  John  v.  13  :  "  These  things  have  I  writ- 
ten unto  you  that  believe,  that  you  may  know  that  you  have  eternal  life, 
and  that  you  may  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God." 

As  the  want  of  rightly  distinguishing  between  the  scripture  doctrine  of  faith  in 
Christ  and  an  assurance  of  personal  interest  in  him  has  given  rise  to  much  needless 
and  unprofitable  discussion,  and  been  the  occasion  of  much  mischief  among  the  pro- 
fessors of  the  gospel,  it  is  highly  important  that  we  should  seek  to  possess  clear  and 
explicit  ideas  upon  the  subject.  It  is  obvious  that  in  the  passage  now  before  us  llie 
apostle  distinguishes  between  "believing  on  the  Son  of  God"  and  "knowing  that  we 
have  eternal  life."  Saving  faith,  therefore,  does  not  consist  in  knowing  or  being  as- 
sured of  our  interest  in  Christ,  though  it  may  be  accompanied  with  such  an  assur- 
ance. The  latter  is  the  fruit  or  effect  of  faith,  and  should  not  be  confounded  with  it. 
The  apostle  also  makes  a  difference  between  our  first  trusting  in  Christ  and  our  sub- 
sequent believing  on  his  name.  The  former  refers  to  the  period  of  our  conversion, 
when  we  first  came  to  him  for  salvation ;  the  latter  to  a  life  of  communion  with  him 
and  of  dependence  upon  him. 

XXVII.    COMPARE   THE  DIFFERENT  PARTS  OF  THE   TEXT  TOGETHER. 

This  may  sometimes  suggest  a  very  edifying  exordium,  as  will  be  seen 
by  the  following  examples,  with  which  I  must  close  my  Lecture. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  vii.,  p.  145,  on  Prov.  xi.  30  :  "  The  fruit  of  the 
righteous  is  a  tree  of  life,  and  he  that  winneth  souls  is  wise." 

The  two  parts  of  this  text  serve  to  explain  each  other.  The  former  is  general,  and 
denotes  that  a  righteous  man  is  a  blessing  to  those  about  him.  The  latter  is  more 
particular,  teaching  us  that  a  good  man  is  in  many  instances  the  means  of  winning 
souls  to  God  and  to  the  love  of  true  religion,  and  that  where  this  is  the  case  it  is  the 
sign  of  heavenly  wisdom.  The  imagery  of  the  text  is  probably  taken  from  the  tree 
of  life  in  paradise,  to  which  Christ  himself  is  compared  Rev.  ii.  7  ;  and  in  a  subordi- 
nate sense  his  people  are  represented  under  the  same  figure.  Two  remarks  will  tend 
to  illustrate  and  confirm  the  truth  taught  us  in  the  text — 

I.  That  good  men  in  general  are  a  blessing  to  those  about  them  ;  their  fruit  is  like 
that  of"  the  tree  of  life." 

II.  They  are  in  many  cases  instrumental  in  "  winning  souls"  to  God,  and  so  prove 
themselves  to  be  truly-  "  wise." 

Walker  on  2  Cor.  v.  1  :  "  For  we  know  that,  if  our  earthly  house  of 
this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  in  die  heavens." 

In  the  former  part  of  this  verse  the  apostle  compares  the  body  to  an  earthly  house, 
yea,  to  a  tabernacle  or  tent,  which  is  still  less  durable  and  more  easily  taken  down, 
and  therefore  the  dissolution  of  such  a  frail  thing  ought  not  to  be  reckoned  a  very 
great  calamity.  In  the  latter  clause  he  exhibits  the  glorious  object  of  the  Christian 
hope,  which  he  calls  "  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens."  At  the  same  time  he  expresses  the  firm  persuasion  which  he  had,  in 
common  with  all  true  Christians,  of  being  admitted  into  that  glorious  and  permanent 
habitation  as  soon  as  the  earthly  tabernacle  shall  be  dissolved  :  "  We  know."  He 
does  not  say.  We  think,  or.  We  hope  so,  but  We  are  assured  of  it ;  we  are  as  firnily 
persuaded  that  this  shall  be  our  hn  as  if  we  had  already  entered  upon  the  possession 
of  it.  In  handling  this  important  brancli  of  the  subject  I  propose,  through  divine 
aid — 

I.  To  describe  the  persons  for  whom  this  blessing  of  God  is  prepared. 

II.  To  inquire  how,  or  by  what  means,  tliey  come  to  know  that  they  shall  certainly 
possess  it. 

Thus  then  we  have  seen  that  Claude's  Topics  (either  intentionally  or 
otherwise)  have  been  made  the  groundwork  of  exordiums  by  preachers  of 


EXTRA-TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  519 

distinguished  eminence  and  ability ;  and  it  remains  to  be  proved,  by  those 
who  despise  their  aid,  that  a  famiUar  acquaintance  with  these  sources  of 
reflection  can  render  the  Topics  themselves  less  applicable  and  appropri- 
ate, or  diminish  the  value  of  any  composition  into  which  they  are  intro- 
duced. In  my  next  Lecture  I  shall  bring  before  you  a  few  more  exam- 
ples of  exordiums  which  may  serve  to  suggest  a  further  variety,  and  shall 
then  dismiss  the  subject. 


LECTURE   XXX. 

EXTRA-TOPICAL  EXORDIUMS. 

We  come  now  to  consider,  as  proposed,  a  few  extra  Topics  which  may 
furnish  suitable  remarks  for  exordiums.  Some  of  these  might  have  been 
included  as  subdivisions  under  Claude's  Topics  ;  but  upon  the  whole,  I 
imagine,  they  will  not  be  thought  unworthy  of  the  distinct  place  I  have 
allotted  to  them. 

I.    THE    PROPRIETY    OF    AN    EXPRESSION    OR    ACTION. 

Take  Ps.  Ixxiii.  28  :  "  It  is  good  for  me  to  draw  near  to  God." 

The  text  is  a  broad,  unqualified  assertion,  and  it  remains  to  be  proved  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  experience  of  the  pious  whether  there  be  not  something  in  religious  ser- 
vices which  can  with  propriety  be  denominated  a  drawing  near  to  God,  or  whether 
the  idea  originates  in  enthusiasm,  in  a  too  bold  intrusion  into  the  divine  presence,  an 
unwarrantable  familiarity,  &c. 

The  following  is  on  the  propriety  of  the  appeal  contained  in  the  text, 
where  it  is  shown  that  it  is  fit  and  right  that  we  should  attend  to  the  requi- 
sition, &c. 

Simeon  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  5 :  "  Who  then  is  willing  to  consecrate  his 

service  unto  the  Lord?" 

That  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  possesses  a  claim  to  the  services  of  his  creatures 
is  a  truth  which  reason  itself  inculcates.  The  acknowledgment  of  this  claim  is  even 
enforced  upon  us  by  the  brute  creation :  "  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass 
his  master's  crib  :"  much  more  then  should  we  consider  our  obligation  to  him  who 
has  nourished  us,  "  in  whom  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being."  But  how  are 
all  divine  claims  magnified  when  we  reflect  on  the  inestimable  blessings  conveyed  to 
us  in  the  work  of  redemption  !  "  What  should  we  render  to  the  Lord  for  all  his  ben- 
efits V  Is  it  not  our  "  reasonable  service"  that  we  should  "  present  our  bodies"  and 
souls  a  living  and  holy  sacrifice  unto  him  who  hath  bought  us  with  his  blood  ?  Such 
indeed  is  the  blindness  and  obduracy  of  the  heart  that  even  the  wonders  of  redemp- 
tion prove  too  often  ineffectual  to  excite  in  us  a  spirit  of  love  and  gratitude  toward 
the  Redeemer.  Yet  certainly  the  anxious  inquiry  of  the  true  Christian  is  this  :  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  and,  under  a  lively  impression  of  the  unmerited 
goodness  of  God,  he  considers  himself,  not  as  his  own,  but  the  Lord's,  and  glorifies 
God  with  his  body  and  spirit  which  are  God's.  But  if  the  current  of  our  affections  do 
not  move  in  this  direction,  if  the  habit  of  our  lives  be  not  governed  by  this  principle, 
our  real  character  is  at  variance  with  our  name  and  profession. 

Lavington,  on  Deut.  xxxii.  29:  "  Oh  that  they  were  wise,"  &c.  Here 
the  exordium  turns  on  the  propriety  of  treating  upon  the  subject  of  the 
text. 

If,  when  mankind  quitted  this  world  they  were  never  to  appear  in  another,  there 
would  be  an  evident  impropriety  in  attempting  to  fix  their  minds  on  a  subject  so  un- 


520  LECTURE    XXX. 

welcome  as  death  ;  and,  as  we  should  feel  no  alarm  or  anxiety  on  account  of  the  care- 
less conduct  of  sinners,  we  might  let  them  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  and  not  disturb 
them  with  gloomy  and  groundless  apprehensions  of  futurity.  But  we  know  that  "  it 
is  appointed  unto  all  men  once  to  die,  and  after  death  there  is  a  judgment ;''  and  we 
are  assured  that  "  all  who  are  in  the  grave,  or  in  the  sea,  shall  come  forth,  those  that 
have  done  good  to  the  resurrection  of  life  and  those  that  have  done  evil  to  the 
resurrection  of  damnation."  If  therefore  we  are  not  connected  by  blood  or  friendship 
with  those  dying  immortals,  as  I  may  call  them,  surely  common  humanity  should 
engage  us  to  warn  all  within  our  reach  of  the  impending  destruction  ;  and  where  we 
could  do  no  more  we  should  sigh  and  say,  "  0  that  they  were  wise,  that  they  under- 
stood this,  that  they  would  consider  their  latter  end  I"  fee. 

II.    THE    OCCASION    OF    A    WORD    OR    ACTION. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  v.,  on  Ps.  li.  15  :  "  O  Lord,  open  thou  my  lips,  and 
my  mouth  shall  show  forth  thy  praise." 

The  force  and  beauty  of  many  passages  of  scripture  arise  from  the  occasion  on 
which  they  were  delivered.  Such  language  as  that  before  us,  if  viewed  out  of  its 
connexion,  woiild  appear  to  convey  the  idea  only  of  a  desire  to  enjoy  freedom  in 
prayer  and  praise.  But,  considered  as  a  part  of  this  penitential  psalm,  it  implies 
much  m6re,  and  acquires  additional  force  and  interest.  It  implies  that  sin  had  shut 
the  mouth  of  the  penitent,  and  he  knew  not  how  to  open  it ;  but  that,  if  God  would 
pardon  his  iniquity,  that  would  open  it,  and  then  his  lips  should  ever  be  employed  in 
praise. 

Blair  on  John  xiii.  7 :  "  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  What  1 
do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shah  know  hereafter." 

These  words  of  our  Lord  were  occasioned  by  a  circumstance  in  his  behavior  which 
seemed  mysterious  to  his  disciples.  When  about  to  celebrate  his  last  passover,  he 
meant  to  give  them  an  instructive  lesson  of  condescension  and  humility.  The  mode 
which  he  chose  for  delivering  this  instruction  was  the  emblematical  action  of  wash- 
ing their  feet.  When  Simon  Peter  saw  his  Master  addressing  himself  to  the  perform- 
ance of  so  menial  an  office,  he  exclaimed,  with  the  greatest  surprise,  "Lord,  dost 
thou  wash  my  feet  ?"  Our  Lord  replied  in  the  words  of  the  text,  "  What  I  do  thou 
knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  As  if  he  had  said,  "  My  behavior, 
in  this  instance,  may  seem  unaccountable  to  you  at  present :  but  you  shall  after- 
ward receive  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  intent  of  that  symbol  which  I  now 
employ." 

The  expressions  of  a  Divine  Person  on  this  occasion  can  very  naturally  and  prop- 
erly be  applied  to  various  instances  where  the  conduct  of  Providence,  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  human  affairs,  remains  dark  and  mysterious  to  us.  "  What  I  do  thou 
Ifnowest  not  now."  We  must  for  a  while  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  designs  of 
Heaven.  But  this  ignorance,  though  necessary  at  present,  is  not  always  to  continue. 
A  time  shall  come  when  a  commentary  shall  be  afforded  on  all  that  is  noAV  obscure, 
when  the  veil  of  mystery  shall  be  removed,  and  full  satisfaction  be  given  to  every 
rational  mind.  "  Thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  This  is  the  doctrine  which  I  propose 
to  illustrate  in  the  following  discourse. 

Blair  on  John  xvii.  1  :  "Jesus  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said. 
Father,  the  hour  has  come,"  &c. 

These  were  the  words  of  our  blessed  Lord  on  a  memorable  occasion.  The  feast 
-of  the  passover  drew  nigh,  at  which  he  knew  that  he  was  to  suffer.  The  niglit  had 
:arrived  wherein  he  was  to  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  He  had  spent 
the  evening  in  conference  with  his  disciples,  like  a  dying  father  in  the  midst  of  his 
family,  mingling  consolations  with  his  last  instructions.  When  he  had  ended  his 
discourse  to  them,  "  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,"  and,  with  the  Avords  which  I 
have  now  read^  began  that  solemn  prayer  of  intercession  for  the  church  which  closed 
his  ministry. 

Jay  on  John  xvii.  15  :  "I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldst  take  them  out  of 
.'the  world,"  &c. 

These  words  were  spoken  by  our  Savior  on  a  very  memorable  occasion — an  "  hour" 
unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  time.  "  Having  loved  his  own  which  were  in  the 
world,  he  loved  them  unto  the  end."    While  he  was  with  them  he  had  withheld 


EXTUA-TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  521 

no  proof  of  his  kindness  and  care.  He  gave  them  free  access  to  his  presence  ;  he  re- 
moved their  doubts  ;  he  relieved  their  complaints  ;  he  bore  with  their  infirmities. 
Such  an  intercourse  of  sacred  friendship  had  endeared  him  to  their  affections,  and 
rendered  the  prospect  of  separation  inexpressibly  painful.  When  the  venerable  Sam- 
uel died,  "  all  the  Israelites  were  gathered  together  and  lamented  him."  The  case 
of  the  disciples  was  more  peculiarly  afflictive,  and  "  sorrow  filled  their  hearts."  Our 
Savior  was  never  deprived  of  self-possession  ;  in  every  state  he  had  the  full  command 
of  his  poAVers ;  and,  even  in  the  immediate  view  of  his  tremendous  sufferings,  he 
does  not  forget  one  circumstance  which  claims  his  attention.  He  thinks  more  of  his 
disciples  than  of  himself ;  he  enters  into  their  feelings.  They  were  to  remain  behind, 
poor  and  despised,  "  as  sheep  among  wolves,"  as  passengers  in  a  vessel  "  tossed  by 
the  waves."  He  will  not  leave  them  "  comfortless."  On  the  evening  before  his 
crucifixion,  and  a  few  moments  before  his  agony,  by  the  gate  of  the  garden  of  Geth- 
semane,  surrounded  with  his  family,  "  he  lifts  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,"  and  commends 
them  into  the  hands  of  his  "  Father  and  our  Father,  his  God  and  our  God." 

Mar]y  very  excellent  sermons  are  introduced  by — 

III.    A    DIRECT    COxMMENT    UPON    THE    TEXT. 

Blair  on  Eccles.  xii.  5:   "  Man  goeth  to  his  long  home,"  &c. 

This  is  a  sight  which  incessantly  presents  itself  Our  eyes  are  so  much  accus- 
tomed to  it  that  it  hardly  makes  any  impression.  Throughout  every  season  of  the 
year,  and  during  the  course  of  almost  every  day,  the  funerals  which  pass  along  the 
streets  show  us  man  going  to  his  long  home.  Were  death  a  rare  and  uncommon 
object — were  it  only  once  in  the  course  of  a  man's  life  that  he  beheld  one  of  his  fel- 
low-creatures carried  to  the  grave — a  solemn  awe  would  fill  him  ;  he  would  stop 
short  in  the  midst  of  his  pleasures ;  he  would  even  be  chilled  with  secret  horror. 
Such  impressions,  however,  would  prove  unsuitable  to  the  nature  of  our  present 
state,  and  it  is  better  ordered  by  the  wisdom  of  Providence  that  they  should  be  weak- 
ened by  the  frequency  of  their  occurrence.  Yet,  familiar  as  death  has  now  become, 
it  is  undoubtedly  fit  that  by  an  event  of  so  important  a  nature  some  impression  should 
be  made  upon  our  minds.  It  ought  not  to  pass  over  as  one  of  those  common  inci- 
dents which  are  beheld  without  concern  and  awaken  no  reflection. 

In  discoursing  from  these  words  I  am  to  consider  death  as  one  of  the  most  frequent 
and  considerable  events  that  happen  in  the  course  of  human  affairs,  and  to  show  m 
what  manner  we  ought  to  be  affected :  first,  by  the  death  of  strangers  or  indifferent 
persons ;  secondly,  by  the  death  of  friends  ;  and,  thirdly,  by  the  death  of  enemies. 

IV.    A    CRITICAL    OR    HISTORICAL    ILLUSTRATION. 

The  Preacher,  vol.  ii.,  on  John  xx.  11,  12:  "And,  as  she  wept,  she 
stooped  down  and  looked  into  the  sepulchre,"  &c. 

Modern  travellers  who  have  visited  Jerusalem  describe  the  holy  sepulchre,  hewn 
out  of  a  rock,  as  being  small  and  low,  not  more  than  eight  feet  square,  with  a  con- 
tracted entrance,  and  several  steps  descending  into  it,  which  accounts  for  the  posi- 
tion which  Mary  occupied,  "  stooping  dovra  and  looking  in."  Scarcely  believing  it 
possible  that  the  tomb  should  be  deserted,  she  pried  with  eager  curiosity,  as  the  day 
dawned  upon  the  sacred  spot.     Let  us — 

I.  Try  to  gather  a  little  instruction  from  her  example. 

II.  Consider  the  encouragement  arising  from  her  success. 

V.    THE    LITERAL    SENSE    OF    THE    TEXT. 

Blair  on  Psa.  xvi.  11 :  "  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  hfe,  &c. 
The  apostle  Peter,  in  a  discourse  which  he  delivered  to  the  Jews,  applied  this 
passage  in  a  mystical  and  prophetical  sense  to  the  Messiah,  Acts  ii.  25-28.  But,  in 
its  literal  and  primitive  meaning,  it  expresses  the  exalted  hopes  by  which  the  psalm- 
ist David  supported  himself  amid  the  changes  and  revolutions  of  which  his  life  was 
full.  By  these  hopes,  when  flying  before  Saul,  when  driven  from  his  throne,  and 
persecuted  by  an  unnatural  son,  he  was  enabled  to  preserve  his  virtue,  and  to  main- 
tain unshaken  trust  in  God.  In  that  early  age  of  the  world  those  explicit  discoveries 
of  a  state  of  immortality  which  we  enjoy  had  not  yet  been  given  to  mankind.  But, 
though  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  had  not  arisen,  the  dawn  had  appeared  of  that  glo- 
rious day  which  he  was  to  introduce.    We  shall  consider — 


522  LECTURE    XXX. 

I.  The  hope  of  the  psalmist  in  his  present  state  :  "  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path 
of  life." 

II.  The  termination  of  his  hope  in  that  future  state  where  "  in  the  presence  of  God 
is  fulness  of  joy,  and  at  his  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for  evermore." 

The  literal  and  primitive  meaning  ought  always  to  be  noticed  in  an  ex- 
ordium when  your  discourse  turns  upon  an  accommodation  of  any  pas- 
sage to  ideas  which  it  was  not  intended  by  the  writer  to  convey ;  for  here 
the  passage  of  scriptuie  is  in  fact  neither  a.  proof  o(  the  justness  of  the 
sentiments  advanced  nor  properly  a  foundation  for  them,  any  further  than 
as  affording  an  instructive  resemblance,  which  requires  the  literal  meaning 
to  be  clearly  understood. 

Simeon  on  Ezek.  viii.  15:  "Then  said  he  unto  me,  Hast  thou  seen 
this,  O  son  of  man  ?"  &c. 

Man  is  ready  to  complain  of  God's  judgments,  as  though  they  were  unmerited  or 
severe.  But  "  God  will  be  justified  in  his  sayings  and  will  overcome  when  he  is 
judged."  The  captives  in  Babylon  thought  that  God  had  dealt  hardly  with  them. 
God  therefore  gave  to  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  who  was  among  the  captives  there,  a  vis- 
ion of  what  was  at  that  very  time  transacting  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  notwith- 
standing the  judgments  that  had  been  inflicted  on  them.  It  was  on  account  of  their 
idolatries  that  God  had  given  them  over  into  the  hands  of  the  Chaldeans  ;  yet  was  idol- 
atry practised  at  Jerusalem  in  all  its  most  hateful  and  abominable  forms,  even  by  the 
priests  and  elders,  who  ought  to  have  exerted  their  authority  to  repress  it :  they  labored 
indeed  to  conceal  their  impiety  from  common  observation,  and  therefore  they  built  a 
wall  to  obstruct  the  common  entrance  into  the  place  where  they  assembled  ;  but  the 
prophet,  in  his  vision,  "  spied  a  hole  in  the  wall,"  which  he  was  directed  to  enlarge, 
so  as  to  get  access  to  "  the  door,"  and  then,  on  entering  in  at  the  door,  "  he  saw  every 
form  of  creeping  things  and  abominable  beasts,  and  all  the  idols  of  the  house  of  Is- 
rael, portrayed  upon  the  wall  round  about,"  and  seventy  elders,  with  Jaazaniah  the 
son  of  Shaphan  at  their  head,  offering  clouds  of  incense  to  them.  Being  directed 
then  to  go  to  another  part  of  the  temple,  he  saw  "  still  greater  abominations,"  even 
a  multitude  of"  women  sitting,  weeping  for  Tammuz,"  some  deified  monster  of  ini- 
quity. Then,  in  the  passage  which  I  have  read,  he  was  told  that,  on  going  to  anoth- 
er part  of  the  temple,  he  should  "  see  greater  abominations  still."  Accordingly,  he 
went  into  the  inner  court  of  the  temple,  and  there  saw  "  about  five-and-twenty  men, 
with  their  backs  toward"  that  part  of  the  temple  where  the  holy  of  holies  was,  and 
which  was  the  more  immediate  residence  of  the  Deity,  and  Avorshipping  "  the  sun 
toward  the  east."  The  Lord  then  appeals  to  the  prophet,  whether  there  was  not 
abundant  reason  for  the  judgments  which  he  had  inflicted  on  the  nation,  and  declares 
his  determination  to  chastise  them  with  yet  greater  severity. 

In  its  primary  sense  this  passage  doubtless  refers  only  to  the  Jews,  and  to  them 
only  at  the  period  here  specified.  But  when  we  consider  that  the  deportation  of  the 
Jewish  people  into  captivity,  their  subsequent  deliverance  from  that  captivity,  and 
their  restoration  to  their  own  land,  were  all  typical  of  what  yet  passes  in  the  world, 
and  in  the  church,  and  in  the  heart,  we  feel  authorized  so  far  to  accommodate  the 
words  of  our  text  to  existing  circumstances  as  to  take  occasion  from  them  to  point 
out  the  hidden  abominations  which  may  be  discovered  from  a  closer  inspection  of— 

I.  The  world.     II.  The  church.  III.  The  heart. 

Thus  have  I  endeavored  to  exemplify  the  chief  sources  of  reflection. 
Let  the  student  make  himself  familiarly  acquainted  whh  all  these  and  he 
need  never  be  at  a  loss  for  suitable  remarks  widi  which  to  commence  his 
discourses  ;  and,  besides  the  diversity  of  Topics,  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  employed  may  be  so  varied  that,  even  where  the  Topics  are  the  same, 
they  may  preserve  all  the  freshness  of  novelty. 

For  example,  instead  of  making  any  Topic  the  matter  of  positive  state- 
ment or  assertion,  it  will  sometimes  have  a  better  effect  to  introduce  it  as 
involving — 

AN    ADMITTED    TRUTH. 

Simeon  on  Isa.  v.  20 :  "  Wo  to  those  who  call  evil  good,"  &c. 


EXTRA-TOPICAL    EXORDIUMS.  523 

That  man  in  his  present  state  is  a  corrupt  and  sinful  creature  is  too  plain  io  be  de- 
nied. The  whole  tenor  of  his  conduct  proves  it  heyond  a  doubt.  But  the  generality- 
give  themselves  credit  for  meaning  well  at  the  very  time  that  they  are  doing  ill.  In 
this,  hoAvever,  they  are  mistaken.  There  is  in  all  a  far  greater  consciousness  of  the 
evil  of  their  conduct  than  they  are  willing  to  allow.  But  they  wish  to  quiet  their 
own  minds  and  to  approve  themselves  to  the  world,  and  therefore  they  change  the 
name  of  things,  calling  "  good  evil  and  evil- good,  putting  light  for  darkness  and  dark- 
ness for  light,  hitter  for  sweet  and  sweet  for  bitter."  By  these  means  they  succeed 
in  allaying  their  own  fears,  and  so  recommend  themselves  to  each  other.  But  their 
guilt  before  God  is  hereby  increased  ;  for  our  Lord  says,  "  This  is  the  condernnation, 
that  light  has  conie  into  the  world,  and  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
their  deeds  are  evil."  _  There  is  in  their  hearts  a  rooted  aversion  to  what  is  good  and  a 
consequent  determination  to  decry  it.  There  is  also  an  inveterate  love  of  evil  and  a 
consequent  desire  to  justify  it.  Hence  arises  that  conduct  which  is  so  justly  repro- 
bated in  the  text,  &c. 

The  same  author  on  Rom.  ii.  17-23. 

It  is  generally  acknowledged  that  the  heart  of  man  is  deceitful  ;  but  the  extent  of 
its  deceitfulness  is  little  known.  It  is  not  in  things  of  minor  importance  only  that  its 
delusive  operations  are  felt,  but  in  things  of  everlasting  concern,  where  it  might  be 
supposed  we  should  be  most  on  our  guard  against  them.  It  deceives  us  by  the 
strangest  misrepresentations  of  things,  and  most  effectually  deceives  itself,  by  keep- 
ing out  of  view  Avhat  ought  to  be  seen.  It  leads  us  to  substitute  a  profession  of  re- 
ligion for  its  reality,  and  to  rest  in  its  forms  without  the  substance,  which  is  the  most 
preposterous  thing  imaginable.  This  species  of  self-deceit  prevailed  to  an  awful  de- 
gree among  the  Jews,  with  whom  St.  Paul  in  the  text  expostulates. 

This  latter  example  is  formed  of  the  leading  ideas  of  a  sermon  on  Jer. 
xvii.  9,  wanting  nothing  more  then  to  amplify  them,  and  to  show  the  ex- 
treme state  of  wickedness  that  accompanies  the  deception  itself,  and,  as 
an  improvement,  the  necessity  of  conversion.  As  an  exordium  it  is  well 
adapted  to  Rom.  ii.  17-23. 

INTERROGATIVES. 

Many  exordiums  commence  in  an  interrogative  form.  Some  examples 
of  this  kind  have  already  been  given  under  the  Topics,  and  I  add  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

Walker  on  1  John  v.  11  :  "  This  is  the  record,  that  God  hath  given 
to  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son." 

Why  do  not  all  to  whom  these  good  tidings  are  published  receive  them  with  hum- 
ble gratitude  and  joy  ?  Are  they  expressed  in  terms  so  dark  and  ambiguous  that 
their  meaning  and  import  can  not  be  fully  ascertained  ?  or  is  the  offer  of  life  loaded 
with  such  hard  conditions  as  exceed  the  powers  of  those  to  whom  it  is  addressed  ? 
Were  either  of  these  the  case,  unbelief  would  be  furnished  with  something  more  than 
a  plausible  excuse.  But  everybody  must  be  sensible  that  neither  of  these  objections 
can,  with  any  color  of  justice,  be  charged  upon  the  record  as  it  lies  before  us  in  my 
text.  To  what  then  shall  we  attribute  the  cold  reception  it  meets  with  from  the  bulk 
of  mankind,  the  contemptuous  rejection  of  it  by  many,  and  the  violent  opposition  that 
is  made  to  it  by  not  a  few  ? 

Blair,  with  some  trifling  alteration,  on  Prov.  xix.  3 :  "  The  foolishness 
of  man  perverteth  his  way,"  &c. 

u  ^^  fin  ^"^^^  °'"  uncommon  thing  to  hear  men  complaui  of  the  misery  and  distress 
that  fall  the  world  ?  Do  not  the  high  and  the  low,  the  young  and  the  aged,  join  in 
such  complaints  ?  Since  the  beginnmg  of  time  what  topic  has  been  more  fertile  of 
declamation  than  the  vanity  and  vexation  which  man  is  appointed  to  suffer  ?  But 
are  we  certain  that  this  vexation,  and  this  vanity,  are  altogether  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
appointment  of  Heaven  ?  Is  there  no  ground  to  suspect  that  man  himself  is  the  chief 
and  immediate  author  of  his  own  sufferings  ?  What  the  text  plainly  suggests  is  that 
It  IS  common  for  men  to  complain  groundlessly  of  Providence,  that  they  are  prone  to 
accuse  God  for  the  evils  of  life  when  in  reason  they  ought  to  accuse  themselves,  and 
that  after  their  foolishness  has  perverted  their  way,  and  made  them  undergo  the  con- 


524  LECTURE    XXX. 

sequences  of  their  own  misconduct,  they  impiously  fret  in  heart  against  the  Lord. 
This  is  the  doctrine  which  I  now  propose  to  illustrate,  in  order  to  silence  the  skeptic 
and  to  check  a  repining  and  irreligious  spirit.  I  shall  for  this  end  make  some  obser- 
vations, first  on  the  external,  and  next  upon  the  internal,  condition  of  man,  and  then 
conclude  with  such  serious  and  useful  improvement  as  the  subject  will  naturally 
suggest. 

Some  very  striking  and  excellent  exordiums  commence  with — 

EXCLAMATION. 

Thus  Jay  on  Rom.  xi.  2-4:  "  God  hath  not  cast  away,"  &c. 

How  numerous,  how  various,  how  opposite  to  each  other,  are  the  mistakes  of  man- 
kind !  The  lives  and  the  language  of  many  seem  to  imply  a  full  persuasion  that 
there  is  very  little  evil  in  sin,  that  the  difficulties  of  religion  are  by  no  means  great, 
that  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  be  a  Christian,  that,  if  there  be  a  hell,  few  are  wicked 
enough  to  be  turned  into  it,  and  that  the  generality  of  our  fellow-creatures  are  in  a 
fair  way  for  heaven.  This  persuasion  is  as  false  as  it  is  fatal.  It  is  possible,  how- 
ever, to  fall  into  another  extreme,  and  to  draAV  an  unwarrantable  conclusion  respect- 
ing the  state  of  religion  and  the  number  of  its  adherents  ;  and  even  wise  men  and 
good  men  are  liable  to  this.     "  Wot  you  not  what  the  scripture  saith  of  Elias  ?"  &c. 

Simeon  on  Eph.  i.  4-7  :   "But  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,"  &c. 

What  an  accumulation  of  sublime  ideas  is  here  presented  to  our  view  !  We  scarce- 
ly know  whether  to  admire  more  the  grace  of  the  benefactor  or  the  felicity  of  those 
who  participate  in  his  blessings.  But  the  text  requires  us  to  fix  our  attention  on  that 
most  delightful  of  all  subjects,  the  riches  of  divine  grace,  in  its  source,  in  its  opera- 
tion, and  in  its  end. 

Let  the  student,  however,  take  care  that  in  his  notes  of  admiration  he 
does  not  expose  himself  to  ridicule  by  overstepping  the  bounds  of  modera- 
tion. For  instance,  the  following  example  ought  not  to  be  imitated,  and  is 
certainly  unworthy  of  its  author. 

Simeon  on  Jer.  ii.  31  :  "O  generation,  see  you  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
Have  I  been  a  wilderness  unto  Israel  ?"  &c. 

I  am  perfectly  astonished  !  I  can  scarcely  believe  my  own  eyes  !  Who  is  it  that 
thus  addresses  us  and  vindicates  his  own  character  against  the  accusations  which,  by 
our  lives  at  least,  we  bring  against  him  ?  It  is  no  other  than  Jehovah  himself,  calling 
upon  us  to  prove,  if  we  can,  that  he  merits  at  our  hands  the  treatment  he  has  received 
from  us!  Often  does  he  call  upon  heaven  and  earth  to  judge  between  him  and  his 
people.  But  in  the  chapter  before  us  he  supposes  himself  to  be  charged  with  having 
acted  unkindly,  not  to  say  injuriously,  toward  them :  "  Hear  you  the  word  of  the 
Lord,"  &c. 

The  introductory  ideas  may  also  be  clothed  in — 

THE    LANGUAGE    OF    SCRIPTURE. 

A  great  number  of  Jay's  sermons  commence  in  this  way,  but  a  single 
example  will  suffice. 

Jay's  Sermons,  on  Heb.  ii.  10  :  "  It  became  him  for  whom,"  &c. 
The  author  commences  as  follows  : — 

"  For  my  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith  the 
Lord.  For,  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than 
your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts."  The  words  of  this  quotation,  my 
brethren,  contain  a  reflection  always  seasonable,  always  useful,  always  necessary, 
when  we  would  regard  the  work  of  the  Lord  or  the  operation  of  his  hand.  It  may 
be  exemplified  in  numberless  instances,  but  in  none  so  easily  and  so  fully  as  in  the 
redemption  of  the  world  by  means  of  a  Mediator,  "  obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
death  of  the  cross,"  &c. 

QUOTATIONS    FROM    THEOLOGICAL    WRITERS, 

and  occasionally  from  others,  may  be  employed  in  a  similar  manner. 


PERORATIONS.  525 

Take  Rom.  iv.  25  :  "  Who  was  delivered  for  our  offences  and  was 
raised  again  for  our  justification." 

"  Our  doctrine  of  justification,"  observes  Luther,  "  is  the  pillar  upon  which  the 
reformed  religion  rests ;"  and,  agreeably  with  this  observation,  he  strenuously  main- 
tained that  they  must  stand  or  fall  together.  Certain  it  is  that  the  subject  of  justifi- 
cation makes  a  very  distinguished  figure  in  that  religion  which  is  from  above,  and  is 
a  very  capital  article  of  that  faith  which  was  once  delivered  to  the  saints.  Far  from 
being  a  merely  speculative  point,  it  spreads  its  influence  through  the  Avhole  body  of 
divinity,  runs  through  Christian  experience,  and  operates  on  every  part  of  practical 
godliness.  Such  is  its  importance  that  a  mistake  about  it  has  a  fearful  and  malig- 
nant efficacy.  Nor  can  this  appear  strange  when  it  is  considered  that  the  doctrine 
of  justification  is  no  other  than  the  way  of  a  sinner's  acceptance  with  God.  Being 
of  such  peculiar  moment,  it  is  inseparably  connected  with  all  other  evangelical  truths, 
the  harmony  and  beauty  of  which  we  can  not  behold  while  that  is  misunderstood.  It 
is,  if  anything  may  be  so  called,  an  essential  article,  and  certainly  requires  our  most 
serious  attention. 

HISTORICAL    FACTS 

will  occasionally  answer  the  same  end. 

Rom.  xiv.  12  :  "  So  then  every  one  of  us  shall  give  account  of  himself 
to  God." 

Plutarch  relates  that  Alcibiades  called  one  day  to  see  Pericles,  and  was  told  by  his 
domestics  that  their  master  was  busy  in  preparing  his  accounts  to  lay  before  the  re- 
public, to  which  he  immediately  replied,  "  Instead  of  laboring  to  make  up  his  ac- 
counts, it  would  be  incomparably  better  to  render  himself  not  accountable  to  them  at 
all."  This,  brethren,  is  the  notion  of  almost  all  wicked  men,  who,  being  ignorant 
of  God  their  governor,  and  feeling  their  consciences  charged  with  a  thousand  crimes, 
think  only  of  eluding  the  judgment  of  God,  and  of  avoiding  that  account  which  they 
will  one  day  be  obliged  to  give  to  their  Sovereign  Lord.  We  may  be  assured  that 
there  can  be  no  other  way  to  take  than  to  come  before  him  now  with  the  most  ample 
heartfelt  acknowledgment  of  our  off'ences,  in  the  language  of  the  returning  prodigal, 
"  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  in  thy  sight." 

It  has  been  recommended  by  Claude  and  others  to  be  very  sparing  of 
such  ancient  references  ;  but  I  think  the  discretion  of  the  preacher  will, 
in  general,  be  a  sufficient  guard  against  improprieties  of  this  nature. 

At  other  times  a  subject  may  be  introduced  by — 

A    SUITABLE    ANECDOTE. 

Jay's  Morning  Exercises,  vol.  i.,  on  Deut.  xxxiii.  25:  "As  thy  days, 
so  shall  thy  strength  be." 

Dr.  Doddridge  was  one  day  walking  much  depressed,  his  very  heart  desolate  within 
him.  "  But,"  says  he,  "  passing  a  cottage  door  open,  I  happened  at  that  moment  to 
hear  a  child  reading,  '  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.'  The  effect  on  my  mind 
was  indescribable.  It  was  like  life  from  the  dead."  So  much  is  often  done  by  a 
word  unexpectedly  and  undesignedly  spoken. 


LECTURE  XXXI. 


PERORATIONS. 


I  NOW  arrive  at  that  part  of  sermonizing  for  which  all  the  preceding 
parts  are  intended  to  prepare,  and  it  is  of  immense  consequence  that  this, 
like  the  termination  of  the  voyage  of  life,  should  be  satisfactory,  whatever 
defects  may  have  marked  the  progress.     As  I  have  hitherto  followed  the 


526  LECTURE    XXXI. 

excellent  general  outline  of  Claude,  so  I  shall  preserve  his  main  idea  to 
the  end,  which  here  is  to  "make  a  powerful  impression  on  the  audience;" 
but  1  must  beg  leave  to  exchange  the  French  style  for  the  Enghsh,  be- 
cause I  think  the  latter  is  for  Englishmen  the  best.  In  general  the  French 
eloquence  and  the  English  have  very  distinct  characteristics:  the  one 
seems  to  be  addressed  more  directly  to  the  passions;  the  other  is  more 
plain  and  solid,  yet  powerfully  appeals  to  the  conscience  and  the  under- 
standing; and  we  do  not  hesitate,  as  Englishmen,  on  which  to  fix  our  re- 
gards, or  which  example  to  follow.  I  fear  not  the  result  of  any  trial  as  to 
which  will  be  most  efficient  in  perorations.  A  transient  effect  on  the  pas- 
sions might  be  produced  by  the  eloquence  of  Bourdaloue,  Bossuet,  Mas- 
sillon,  or  even  Fenelon,  on  the  court  of  Louis  XIV. ;  but  the  history  of 
that  era  records  no  genuine  conversions;  the  monarch  and  the  court  con- 
tinued as  corrupt  as  ever;  they  were  alarmed  or  they  wept  for  a  moment, 
and  the  next  turned  to  their  follies  again.  The  eloquence  of  the  preacher 
was  heard  as  the  music  of  one  who  had  a  pleasant  voice,  or  could  play 
well  upon  an  instrument;  but  no  permanent  impression  was  made.  We 
observe  similar  emotions  produced  by  very  affecting  narratives,  magicul 
novels,  the  tragic  muse,  nay,  by  music  alone,  without  a  syllable  of  sense. 
A  whole  audience  of  any  kind  may  be  animated,  or  may  be  made  to  weep, 
without  being  reformed.  But  when  our  system  is  properly  pursued,  when 
the  appeal  is  made  both  to  the  understanding  and  the  heart,  we  may  rea- 
sonably expect  that  more  permanent  though  perhaps  less  powerful  impres- 
sions will  be  produced. 

Such  is  my  apology  for  preferring  English  perorations ;  and  such  as  I 
shall  adduce,  will,  I  think,  fully  maintain  our  high  character.  That  I  may 
not,  however,  extend  my  observations  to  increase  the  bulk  of  my  Lectures, 
already  far  exceeding  my  expectations,  I  shall  only  add  a  few  practical  re- 
marks of  a  general  nature,  and  leave  this  important  branch  of  study,  with 
the  examples,  to  the  wisdom  and  discretion  of  the  student. 

In  the  first  place,  let  it  be  constantly  borne  in  mind,  that,  in  order  to 
succeed  well  in  the  peroration,  your  whole  discourse  must  be  regularly 
preparatory  to  it,  to  secure  which  the  eye  of  the  preacher  must  be  always 
upon  this  end,  whatever  text  or  plan  of  discussion  he  may  adopt.  The 
best  way,  in  general,  before  sitting  down  to  compose,  is  to  fix  on  the  main 
impression  intended  to  be  made,  to  keep  the  mind  and  pen  in  a  state  of 
subordination  to  the  final  point,  and  to  compel  everything  to  contribute  its 
due  share  toward  it. 

Furdier,  it  is  a  great  fault,  and  one  which  even  good  preachers  some- 
times commit  in  a  manner  that  entirely  spoils  the  effect  of  their  sermons, 
to  utter  that  in  the  previous  parts  of  the  discourse,  which  is  by  its  very 
nature  more  peculiarly  suited  to  the  conclusion,  unless  in  the  instance 
mentioned  in  a  former  lecture,*  which  forms  a  particular  exception.  At 
any  rate,  some  main  point  may  be  reserved,  even  where  the  appropriate 
impression  of  the  subject  is  anticipated ;  but  the  error  referred  to,  if  com- 
mitted to  writing,  may  be  remedied  by  transposing  such  part  to  the  end  of 
the  discourse,  and  supplying  its  place  by  some  other  Topic. 

In  studying  a  peroration  there  arc  two  ideas  that  seem  to  me  important : 
First,  fix  or  place  strongly  before  your  mind  the  pattern  of  what  your 
hearer  ought  to  be  in  reference  to  the  subject  discussed ;  and,  secondly, 

See  Lecture  ix.,  p.  158. 


PERORATIONS.  527 

conceive  as  correctly  as  possible  what  the  hearer  actually  is;  and  from 
these  two  ideas  form  your  address.  For  want  of  this  management,  the 
preacher  may  say  a  great  many  excellent  things,  but  may  pass  over  the 
most  important  ones,  and  such  as  most  directly  apply  to  the  state  and  char- 
acter of  his  hearers. 

To  preserve  attention,  you  will  not  be  very  anxious  to  say  all  you  can ; 
it  is  better  to  be  too  short  than  too  long,  provided  the  matter  be  strong  and 
strongly  expressed.  To  travel  round  and  round  the  final  period,  like  a 
horse  in  a  mill,  is  exceedingly  wearisome  :  it  is  better  to  close  with  dignity 
and  spirit,  in  some  bold  and  terse  sentence,  perhaps  while  the  hearer  is 
prepared  for  your  proceeding  further ;  and  I  may  add,  it  is  proper  to  di- 
rect such  last  sentence  rather  toward  the  gospel  of  peace  than  the  terrors 
of  Sinai.  If,  however,  you  foresee  that  your  peroration  will  be  somewhat 
long,  the  discourse  must  be  shortened  to  admit  of  it :  the  people  should 
not  be  detained  beyond  the  usual  time ;  for,  after  the  moment  when  they 
expect  dismissal,  very  Htde  profitable  attention  will  be  paid. 

Allow  me  to  add  that,  as  of  course  you  will  make  a  short  pause  when 
your  discussion  is  ended,  you  should  here  endeavor  to  collect  yourself, 
that  you  may  be  ready  to  resume  with  confidence.  In  these  golden  mo- 
ments you  ought  to  make  a  strong  but  private  aspiration  to  Heaven  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  may  deign  to  accompany  this  effort  with  power  to  all  hearts, 
1  Thess.  i.  4,  5,  &c. 

As  there  are  several  methods  of  constructing  a  peroration,  each  of 
which  has  its  own  peculiar  advantages,  I  shall  now  endeavor  to  bring  the 
principal  of  these  before  you-,  and  illustrate  them  by  such  examples  as  I 
have  been  able  to  collect  from  good  authors.  In  order  to  bring  your  sub- 
ject to  some  immediately  useful  bearing,  which  is  the  great  point  to  be 
aimed  at  in  the  peroration,  you  may 

DEDUCE    INFERENCES. 

In  discoursing  on  doctrines  or  facts,  this  kind  of  conclusion  is  generally 
and  very  properly  adopted.  When  the  preacher  has  illustrated  any  scrip- 
tural fact,  or  explained,  proved,  or  confirmed  any  doctrine,  he  has  then 
merely  prepared  the  way  for  applying  the  subject  to  his  hearers,  and  the 
most  natural  way  of  doing  this  is  to  draw  such  inferences  as  the  subject 
may  suggest.  The  Scriptures  afford  numerous  examples  of  this  method 
of  applying  a  subject:  "God  has  loved  us;  therefore  we  ought  to  love 
one  another,"  1  John  iv.  11.  With  regard  to  inferences.  Dr.  Blair  very 
justly  observes:  "Care  should  be  taken,  not  only  that  they  rise  naturally, 
but,  what  is  less  commonly  attended  to,  that  they  should  so  much  agree 
with  the  strain  of  sentiment  throuMiout  a  discourse  as  not  to  break  the 
unity  of  the  sermon.  For  inferences,  how  justly  soever  they  may  be  de- 
duced from  the  doctrines  of  a  text,  yet  have  a  bad  effect  if  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  discourse  they  introduce  some  subject  altogether  new,  and 
turn  off  our  attention  from  the  main  object  to  which  the  mind  had  been 
directed.  They  appear  in  this  case  like  excrescences  jutting  out  of  the 
body,  which  form  an  unnatural  addition  to  it,  and  tend  to  enfeeble  the 
composition. 

Simeon  on  Isai.  xlii.  16 — the  mysteriousness  of  divine  providence — 
draws  the  following  inferences : — 


52l3  LECTURE    XXXI. 

1.  That  we  should  be  careful  not  to  pass  a  hasty  judgment  on  the  Lord's  dealings. 
We  are  too  apt  to  exclaim  with  Jacob  (Gen.  xlii.  36),  "  All  these  things  are  against 
me  !"  yet  the  trials  we  complain  of  may  be,  as  in  this  case,  the  necessary  means  of 
our  preservation  ;  and  it  is  the  wisest  course  for  a  believer  to  wait  with  patience  for 
the  issue. 

2.  That  we  may  safely  commit  ourselves  to  God's  disposal ;  for  God  alone  knows 
what  is  best  for  us.  He  knows  too  how  to  accomplish  his  designs  in  the  best  man- 
ner. Let  us  therefore  commit  all  our  concerns  to  him.  Let  us  lie  as  clay  in  the 
potter's  hand.  In  Avhatsoever  distress  Ave  be,  let  us  follow  the  prophet's  direction : 
"  Trust  you  in  the  Lord  for  ever  ;  for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength," 
Isa.  xxvi.  4. 

The  same  author  on  Josh.  vii.  19,  20 — Achan's  punishment — infers  : — 

1.  The  deceitful  nature  of  sin. 

2.  The  certainty  of  exposure. 

3.  The  awfulness  of  its  award. 

The  same  author  on  Ps.  cxiii.  5  to  8 — the  divine  condescension — con- 
cludes with  an  address  by  way  of  inference : — 

Does  God  so  condescend  to  you  ?  then  let  me  call  on  you — 

1.  To  adore  him. 

2.  To  trust  in  him. 

3.  To  glorify  him. 

Authors  and  preachers  abound  with  conclusions  of  this  kind;  but  these 
examples  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  our  purpose. 

Instead  of  establishing  a  doctrine,  and  then  drawing  practical  inferences 
from  it,  as  exemplified  in  the  foregoing  examples,  the  preacher  may  treat 
an  important  subject  practically,  and  then,  if  he  think  proper,  conclude 
by  a  short  defence  of  his  doctrine ;  and  perhaps  there  is  no  better  way  of 
doing  this  than  by  showing  its  utility  or  necessity.  Thus  Davies,  on  1 
Cor.  iii.  7,  having  treated  of  the  divine  influences  accompanying  the  gos- 
pel, concludes  by  showing  that  the  very  life  of  religion  and  the  whole  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel  depend  on  them. 

Since  it  has  been  the  mode  to  compliment  mankind  as  able  to  do  something  very 
considerable  in  religion,  religion  has  died  away.  Smce  it  has  been  the  fashion  to 
press  a  reformation  of  men's  lives,  without  inculcating  the  absolute  necessity  of  di- 
vine grace  to  renew  their  nature,  there  is  hardly  such  a  thing  as  a  thorough  reforma- 
tion to  be  seen,  but  mankind  are  evidently  growing  worse.  Since  men  think  they 
can  do  something,  and  scorn  to  be  wholly  dependent  on  divine  grace,  the  Lord,  as 
it  were,  looks  on,  and  suffers  them  to  make  the  experiment ;  and,  alas !  it  is  likely 
to  be  a  costly  experiment  to  many.  Well  may  the  Lord  say,  "Wo  unto  them  when 
I  depart  from  them  !" 

In  this  manner  Mr.  Davies  proceeds,  for  two  or  three  pages,  to  vindi- 
cate his  point,  by  showing  the  unreasonableness  of  the  contrary. 

MAKE    REFLECTIONS    ON    THE    SUBJECT. 

Such  reflections  will  often  be  a  kind  of  inferences;  but  as  they  will  ap- 
pear in  a  somewhat  different  form,  and  possess  a  more  general  character, 
they  are  worthy  of  distinct  consideration. 

Simeon  on  Prov.  v.  22 — the  captivating  power  of  sin — concludes  with 
the  following  reflections : — 

L  How  thankful  should  we  be  for  the  gospel  of  Christ ! 

2.  How  watchful  should  we  be  against  the  first  incursions  of  sin  I 

3.  How  constant  should  we  be  in  waiting  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  both  in  his 
public  ordinances  and  in  secret  prayer  ! 

There  is  an  excellence  in  this  plan,  very  usual  with  our  author,  viz., 
when  treating  of  Old-Testament  passages  to  turn  the  hearers  to  something 


PEEORATIONS.  f,^^ 

J-oE:iZ't  uJ'rhS:Li2^f  ^-"---^"f  te^l  S-es.ed  i"  .he  p.o.ise. 
^^  The  same  author  on  Ps.  xxx.  5_.he  ^ercy  of  God-observes  in  eon- 

JuCy'Xl's'f-^'j"'  '  "™'''  •=""  y°"  >"™'™  'o  ±e  following  ob™„,  and 

i'  UZ  H:^>JX\'o^ri^lV!'; ''';'.'  ■"">  ™P«'"™'  world  ! 
^    Axrr    Z^'".'  "^^  oe  congratulated  is  the  weenino-  Dpnl■tPn^ » 

3^  Wha,  pra.ses  and  thanksgivings  are  dne  frL'tgeTrdoned  sinner  ■ 
ine  same  author  on   John  xiV    ,9  t^  1 1      r«u  •    , 
Father— observes:—  H- Christ's  oneness  with  the 

Hence  we  may  see — 

gospe?°"  ^'°"  "-^  ">^  ^-  °f  -™  -=  'o  apprehend  and  believe  ,he  ,ruAs  of  U>e 

Savior !  ™  '°   ""'"''  °"  ^od,  who  has  provided  us  with  such  a 

The  same  author  on  Ezek.  xxxvi.  ■)/;  m  97     ,»,.  u 

Reflect  on  the  promise  in  the  text-  ""  "'"  ■"*'"-  *<=■  =" 

i.  As  to  Its  freeness. 

2.  Its  suitableness. 

3.  Its  preciousness,  2  Pet.  i  4 

=r ps  Sift  i^s:^^^^=-is^ 

flections,  which  itre  i'n  fact  truths  InTptd  in'  tl  tfxt!"""''  '°  ""^  "" 

1.  All  the  children  of  men  are  fithpr  rirrkf  •  , 

God  or  such  as  serve  him  noL  ¥hi  if  tffiiv°Hnn '  T^}'^\  -fi^^^  '""'^  ^'  «erve 
will  last  or  ever,  and  by  which  their  e  ernal  state  wiirl  ^^i%'^'"ldren  of  men  which 
either  to  heaven  or  to  hell.  ^^^  ^'^^  ^^  determined ;  all  are  going 

2.  In  this  world  it  is  often   hnrrt  tr^  j-  t 

They  are  mingled  togethe^^Joodfisi^anirrad  n'Th^V'  '''^^^'Tu  «"^  ^^^  --^'^^• 
so  distempered,  and  the  wicked  so  dis^u  sed  thnt  t  f  "''r'^'S  ^^'  "^^teous  are 
ions  concernmg  both  the  one  and  the  other  '  ThorJ'  ^'^  °^''"  ^'/^^'^^^^  i»  o"r  opin- 
God,  who,  having  not  their  hearts  right  wih  hTr^  wilf  h'  T^^l  '^^°'  ^^  ^^ink,  serve 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  many  will  be  found  h  f  Vr^  hV  i  ^°""^  '^'^"^  ^^^^^  servants; 
fo  lowed  not  with  us,  did  not,  as  we  tho3hV  t^""^  ^T^""'^  ^^ho,  because  they 

raised  the  difficulty  here  was,'  that  the  dTvlne  Prnl'.^'"''  ^"'  '^'^'  ^^"^h  especiall^ 
ence  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked'  vn?  u  '''T'^  ^°  "^<'^'^«  "«  differ. 
God's  frowning  upoi^  them,  for  theV%rmtiil/n"  ^°"l^««t  know  wicked  men  by 
men  by  his  smiling  upon  them  l^rrp^w^  P-^'T"? '"-^^^  ^^O'-^d,  nor  righteous 
common  calamity.  "Nine  now  biowsfel'^  involved  with  others  in  the  same- 
Eccl.  ix.  1.  '''''^  '^''°^^«  God  s  love  or  hatred  by  aU  that  is  before  Sm, 

rtghteouTandae  t^^cS'/U^^ei^rfr^rnl'^  ^^  ^^%  1°  '^''''^''  ^'^"^''^  the 

men  every  man  s  character  will  be  both  perfected  and, 


630  LECTURE    XXXI. 

perfectly  discovered,  every  man  will  then  appear  in  his  true  colors,  and  his  disguises 
will  be  taken  off-  Some  men's  sins  indeed  go  beforehand,  and  you  may  now  tell 
who  is  wicked,  but  others  follow  after ;  however,  in  the  great  day,  we  shall  see  who 
was  righteous  and  who  wicked.  Every  man's  condition  likewise  will  be  both  per- 
fected and  everlastingly  determined  ;  the  righteous  will  then  be  perfectly  happy,  and 
the  wicked  perfectly  miserable,  without  mixture  or  alloy.  When  the  righteous  are 
all  set  on  the  right  hand  of  Christ,  and  invited  to  come  for  a  blessing,  and  all  the 
wicked  on  his  left  hand,  and  are  told  to  depart  with  a  curse,  then  it  will  be  easy  to 
discern  between  them.  As  to  ourselves,  therefore,  we  are  concerned  to  think  among 
which  we  shall  have  our  lot,  and,  as  to  others,  we  must  judge  nothing  before  the 
time. 

RAISE    PROPOSITIONS. 

I  have  already  noticed  Burkitt's  two-fold  division  of  a  text.  If  the 
preacher  be  disposed  to  treat  his  subject  in  a  purely  expository  manner, 
he  may  employ  Burkitt's  propositions  (intimated  by  the  word  "learn") 
as  inferences,  or,  more  properly,  points  of  enlarged  discussion,  as  there 
stated.  This  is  a  very  edifying  variety,  of  which  Mr.  Simeon  has  several 
instances. 

Simeon  on  Ps.  Ixxiii.  23,  24 — the  Christian's  experience  and  hopes. 
His  heads  are : — 

I.  The  believer's  present  experience. 

1.  The  saint  with  his  God. 

2.  His  God  with  him. 
II.  His  future  prospects. 

1.  Guidance  all  the  way  to  glory. 

2.  Glory  itself  at  the  end. 

To  conclude  (he  says)  see  then  the  Christian's  life  exhibited : — 

1.  As  an  arduous  life. 

2.  An  anxious  life. 

3.  A  happy  life. 

4.  A  glorious  life. 

Now  these  in  fact  are  so  many  propositions  to  be  treated  in  a  familiar 
manner,  but  requiring  some  degree  of  argument  and  proof. 

Ps.  XXV.  11 — The  proper  method  of  praying  to  God.  The  conclusion 
turns  upon  the  following  propositions  : — 

1.  The  vilest  sinner  has  no  reason  to  despair. 

2.  The  most  eminent  saints  have  no  ground  to  boast. 

1  Kinjjs  xviii.  21 — Decision  of  character. 

The  subject  warrants  us  to  assert  that,  in  comparing  life  to  a  journey,  decision  un- 
doubtedly furnishes — 

1.  The  easiest  way. 

2.  The  safest  way. 

3.  The  happiest  way. 

These  three  points  might  obviously  have  formed  the  principal  divisions 
of  the  subject. 

ADDRESS    DIFFERENT    CHARACTERS. 

This  is  evidently  a  matter  of  considerable  importance,  and  well  deserves 
your  attentive  study  ;  for  it  requires  much  experimental  skill  and  a  deep 
acquaintance  with  the  human  heart  to  adapt  your  address  to  all  tlie  varie- 
ties of  character  which  come  before  you — tbc  converted  and  unconverted 
— the  ignorant,  the  careless,  tbe  sensual  and  profane — the  moralist  and  the 
hypocrite — the  wavering  and  irresolute — the  doubting,  tempted,  and  de- 
jected in  spirit — tbe  backslider — the  aged  and  the  young.  Good  sense 
will   direct  the  most  suitable  application,  better  than  any  general  rules. 


PERORATIONS.  531 

Much  may  be  learned  from  the  pointed  addresses  of  Davies,  Walker,  &c. 
Those  living  preachers  who  excel  in  this  branch  of  ministerial  duty  should 
also  be  frequently  heard. 

President  Davies,  vol.  iv.,  on  Jer.  v.  3 — IMortality  improved. 

I  hope  this  subject  will  confirm  the  wavering  hopes  of  some  of  you,  and  enable 
you  to  draw  the  happy  conclusion,  Well,  if  this  be  conversion,  I  think  I  may  venture 
to  pronounce  myself  a  converted  character.  Then  happy  are  you  indeed.  I  have 
not  time  to  say  many  comfortable  things  to  you  at  present,  but  go  to  your  Bibles ; 
there  you  will  find  precious  promises  enough :  live  and  feast  upon  them,  and  ere 
long  they  will  be  all  fulfilled  to  you,  and  you  shall  live  and  feast  with  your  Savior  in 
paradise. 

My  main  business  to-day  is  with  the  unconverted  ;  and  have  not  some  of  you  dis- 
covered yourselves  to  be  such  this  day  ?  Well,  what  is  to  be  done  now  1  can  you 
go  on  careless  and  secure  under  this  tremendous  conviction  ?  I  hardly  think  any  of 
you  have  arrived  at  such  a  pitch  of  presumption  and  fool-hardiness  as  this.  IVllust 
you  despair,  and  give  up  all  hopes  of  salvation  ?  No,  unless  you  choose  it.  I  mean 
unless  you  choose  to  neglect  the  means  appointed  for  your  conversion,  and  harden 
yourselves  in  sin.  If  you  are  determined  on  this  course,  then  you  may  despair  indeed  ; 
there  is  not  the  least  ground  of  hope  for  you:  but  should  you  now  rouse  out  of  your 
security,  and  seek  the  Lord  in  earnest,  you  have  the  same  encouragement  to  hope 
which  any  one  of  the  many  millions  of  converts  in  heaven  or  earth  had  while  in  your 
state :  therefore  let  me  persuade  you  to  take  this  course  immediately. 

But  when  I  begin  to  persuade  I  am  in  Jeremiah's  perplexity :  "  To  whom  shall  I 
speak  and  give  warning  that  they  may  hear  ?"  ch.  vi.  10.  Shall  I  speak  to  you  men 
of  business  and  hurry  ?  Alas !  you  have  no  leisure  to  mind  such  a  trifle  as  your 
soul.  Shall  I  speak  to  you,  men  of  wealth?  Alas!  this  is  a  business  beneath  your 
notice.  What !  a  gentleman  cry  for  converting  grace  !  that  would  be  a  strange 
sight  indeed.  Shall  I  speak  to  you,  old  men,  my  venerable  fathers  in  age  ?  Alasl 
you  are  so  hardened  by  a  long  course  of  sinning  that  you  are  not  likely  to  hear. 
Shall  I  speak  to  you,  ye  relics  of  those  families  where  death  has  made  such  a  havoQ  ?♦ 
Surely  you  nmst  be  disposed  to  hear  me  ;  surely  you  can  not  put  me  ofi"  so  soon.  '  I 
hope  sickness  and  death  have  been  sent  among  you  as  my  assistants,  that  is,  to  en- 
force what  T  say,  and  be  the  means  of  your  conversion.  Shall  I  speak  to  you  young 
people  ?  Alas !  you  are  too  merry  and  gay  to  listen  to  such  serious  things,  and  you 
perhaps  think  it  is  time  enough  as  yet.  Thus  I  am  afraid  you  will  put  me  off;  I 
shall  hardly  know  where  to  turn,  for  of  all  the  unconverted  among  us  I  have  had 
most  hopes  of  you.  Old  sinners  are  so  confirmed  in  their  estrangements  from  God 
that  there  is  little  hope  of  such  veterans ;  but  the  habits  of  sin  are  not  so  strong  in 
you,  and  God  is  wont  to  work  upon  persons  of  your  age.  If  you  then  put  me  off, 
where  shall  I  turn  ?  Behold,  I  turn  to  the  Gentiles.  Poor  negroes,!  shall  I  find  one 
among  you  that  is  willing  to  turn  to  God  ?  Many  of  you  are  Avilling  to  be  baptized, 
but  that  is  not  the  thing  ;  are  you  willing  to  turn  to  God  with  all  your  hearts,  as  I 
have  explained  to  you?  This  is  the  grand  point.  What  do  your  hearts  answer  to 
it?  If  you  also  refuse,  if  you  all  refuse,  then  what  remains  for  your  poor  minister  to 
do  but  to  return  home  and  make  his  complaint  to  Him  that  sent  him:  "Lord,  there 
were  unconverted  sinners  among  my  hearers,  and  in  my  poor  way  I  made  an  honest 
trial  to  turn  them  to  thee,  but  it  was  in  vain  ;  they  refused  to  return,  and  therefore  I 
must  leave  them  to  thee,  to  do  what  thou  plcasest  with  them."  Oh  !  will  you  con- 
strain me  to  make  this  complaint  upon  any  of  you  to  my  divine  Master  ?  Oh  !  free 
me  from  the  disagreeable  necessity.  Come,  come  all,  rich  and  poor,  young  and  old, 
bond  and  free,  "  come,  and  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord ;  for  he  hath  torn  and  he  will 
heal  us  ;  he  hath  smitten  and  he  will  bind  us  up  ;  and  we  shall  live  in  his  sight." 

Simeon  on  John  vi.  28,  29 — The  necessity  of  faith.  Having  explained 
the  subject,  and  shown  its  necessity  (or  rather  its  pre-eminence),  he  con- 
cludes by  the  following  address,  which  I  give  at  length  as  a  good  example 
of  the  point  in  hand,  and  one  which  is  well  worthy  of  your  imitation. 

1.  Is  there,  then,  an  inquirer  here  ?  I  suppose  there  are  some  who  are  ready  to 
ask,  "  What  shall  we  do  that  we  may  work  the  works  of  God  ?"     Let  me,  before  I 

•  The  sermon  was  delivered  in  a  time  of  great  and  general  sickness  and  mortality, 
t  In  America,  where  this  sermon  was  preached,  many  negroes  attended  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel. 


532  LECTURE    XXXI. 

reply  to  this,  ask  in  return,  Are  you  sincere  in  making  this  inquiry  ?  And  will  you, 
if  I  set  before  you  the  very  truth  of  God,  endeavor  earnestly  to  comply  with  it  ?  If 
this  be  really  the  disposition  of  your  minds,  then  do  I  confidently  return  to  you  the 
answer  which  Paul  gave  to  the  jailer's  inquiry,  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  you  shall  be  saved."  This  is  the  work  which  must  be  done  by  all ;  and,  this 
really  and  truly  done,  you  shall  as  surely  find  acceptance  with  God  as  if  you  were 
already  in  heaven.  I  do  not  say  that  when  you  have  done  this  there  remains  nothing 
more  to  be  done  ;  but  I  say  that,  if  this  be  really  done,  all  the  rest  will  follow.  Only 
find  the  sweetness  of  that  truth,  "  There  is  no  condemnation  to  those  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,"  and  you  will  soon  attain  the  character  inseparable  from  it ;  you  will 
not  "walk  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit." 

2.  But  methinks  I  hear  the  voice  of  an  objector.  Some  one,  perhaps,  is  saying, 
"  A  fine  easy  way  to  heaven  indeed  !  Only  believe,  and  you  may  live  as  you  will, 
and  be  sure  of  heaven  at  the  last !"  But  this  objection  will  never  be  urged  by  one 
who  knows  what  faith  really  is.  Were  it  a  mere  assent  to  any  set  of  truths,  we  might 
well  be  alarmed  at  the  virtue  assigned  to  it.  But  it  is  a  grace  which  contains  in  it 
the  seed  of  all  other  graces.  "We  speak  of  a  living,  not  a  dead  faith  ;  and  a  living 
faith  will  as  surely  be  productive  of  holiness  both  of  heart  and  life  as  the  light  of  the 
sun  will  dispel  the  shadows  of  the  night.  But  the  objector  will  say  that  our  whole 
statement  is  contrary  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  since  our  blessed  Lord,  in  answer  to  one 
who  had  asked  him,  "  Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life  V 
replied,  "  If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments."  The  same  answer 
will  I  give,  if,  like  that  inquirer,  you  are  determined  to  save  yourself  by  your  doings. 
But  then,  remember,  you  must  keep  them  all,  and  perfectly  too,  and  from  the  first  to 
the  latest  moment  of  your  existence.  But  if,  in  one  instance,  even  though  it  be  in 
thought  only,  you  fail,  the  law  will  curse  you  to  all  eternity  ;  as  it  is  written,  "  Cursed 
is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  that  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
to  do  them."  And,  if  you  will  not  rest  your  hopes  on  such  an  obedience  as  this,  then 
is  there  no  other  refuge  for  you  but  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  nor  any  other  hope  of  ac- 
ceptance for  you  than  through  faith  in  him.  But,  if  you  still  wish  to  adhere  to  the 
commandments,  know  that  "  this  is  God's  commandment,  that  you  believe  in  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ,"  and  that  there  is  no  commandment  in  the  decalogue  more  peremptory 
than  this,  since  it  is  expressly  declared  that,  if  you  obey  it,  you  shall  be  saved  ;  if 
you  obey  it  not,  you  shall  be  damned." 

3.  Let  me  not  close  this  subject  without  a  few  words  to  one  as  an  approver.  It  is 
truly  delightful  to  think  that,  however  hostile  the  heart  of  man  is  to  this  doctrine, 
there  are  some  who  cordially  approve  of  it.  Beloved  brother,  whoever  thou  art,  who 
embracest  it  from  thy  heart,  I  congratulate  thee  from  my  inmost  soul.  For,  in  rela- 
tion to  all  other  works,  a  self-righteous  man  can  never  tell  whether  he  has  a  suffi- 
ciency of  them  to  justify  him  before  God.  To  his  latest  hour  he  must  be  in  fearful 
suspense  about  the  state  of  his  soul ;  but  thou  hast  in  thy  own  bosom  a  ground  of  the 
fullest  assurance.  The  work  of  faith  is  such  as  will  at  once  commend  itself  to  thy 
conscience  as  really  done.  Thou  wilt  feel  a  consciousness  that  thou  renouncest  ev- 
ery other  hope  and  reliest  on  Christ  alone.  And  in  Christ  there  is  such  a  sufficiency 
of  all  that  thou  needest  that  thou  canst  not  possibly  entertain  a  doubt  whether  he  be 
able  to  save  thee  to  the  uttermost.  Go  on,  then,  "  strong  in  faith  and  giving  glory  to 
God."  And  as  the  world  will  look  for  the  fruits  of  thy  faith,  yea,  and  as  God  him- 
self also  will  judge  by  them,  see  that  thou  shoAV  thy  faith  by  thy  works,  and  that 
thou  "  abound  in  all  the  fruits  of  righteousness  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  praise 
and  glory  of  God." 

The  same  author  on  Prov.  viii.  29,  &c. — Wisdom's  address  to  men — 
concludes  by  enlarging  on  the  following  thoughts : — 

Hear  the  voice  of  wisdom — 

1.  You  children  in  age. 

2.  You  children  in  understanding. 

3.  You  children  in  grace. 

A  multitude  of  examples  might  be  selected  from  the  same  author,  and 
I  must  in  justice  add  that  he  has  manifested  much  skill  in  constructing 
them  so  as  to  furnish  great  variety. 

APPLY    THE    SUBJECT    IN    DIFFERENT    VIEWS. 

This,  though  not  very  different  from  the  preceding,  and  amounting  in 


PERORATIONS  533 

the  end  to  the  same  thing,  will  yet  suggest  a  suitable  variety  in  the  mode 
of  address. 

Simeon  on  Isa  xlv.  9 — 'Striving  with  our  Maker — concludes — 

1.  In  a  way  of  indignant  reproof.  Who  among  us  has  been  guilty  of  the  crime 
here  reprobated  ?  Yea,  whose  life  has  not  been  one  continued  act  of  rebellion  against 
God  ?  Now,  if  it  were  "  our  Maker''^  only  that  had  been  so  treated  by  us,  no  words 
would  have  been  sufficient  to  declare  the  enormity  of  our  crime.  But  our  Maker  has 
been  our  Redeemer  also ;  yea,  and  he  has  given  his  own  life  a  ransom  for  us ;  yet 
have  we  "  trodden  under  foot  his  blood"  by  our  contemptuous  indifference,  and  even 
"  crucified  him  afresh"  by  our  continuance  in  sin.  Judge  you,  then,  what  we  deserve 
at  God's  hands.  And  now  let  me  ask  whether  you  intend  to  persist  in  this  conduct  ? 
If  you  do,  I  can  say  nothing  but  what  Paul  said  to  persons  of  this  character,  "  Your 
damnation  is  just." 

2.  In  a  way  of  compassionate  exhortation.  The  prophet  Jeremiah,  having  stated 
the  very  argument  before  us,  and  shown  that  God  might  justly,  as  a  potter,  mar  the 
work  which  had  presumed  to  rise  up  against  him,  goes  on  to  observe  that,  notwith- 
standing all  our  past  guilt,  God  is  yet  ready  to  forgive  us,  if  only  with  penitent  and 
contrite  hearts  we  turn  unto  him.  And  happy  am  I  to  confirm  this  blessed  sentiment, 
yea,  and  to  declare  that  not  one,  whatever  may  have  been  his  guilt  in  past  times, 
shall  ever  be  cast  out,  provided  he  come  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  founding  his 
hope  on  his  all-atoning  sacrifice  and  his  all-prevailing  intercession.  As  God's  ser- 
vant, then,  I  now  announce  to  you  these  blessed  tidings,  and  declare,  in  God's  name, 
that,  "  thongh  your  sins  may  have  been  red  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  snow  ;  though 
they  may  have  been  as  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  Only  cease  from  strife  on 
your  part,  and  God  will  be  reconciled  to  you,  and  be  your  God,  for  ever  and  ever. 

Simeon  on  Mai.  iii.  8 — Sin  a  robbery  of  God. 

Let  me  now  in  conclusion  address  you — 

1.  In  a  way  of  indignant  inquiry.     Will  you  continue  to  "  rob  God  ?"  &c. 

2.  In  the  way  of  affectionate  exhortation.  Undertake  not  to  pay  Jehovah  from  any 
funds  of  your  own.  To  all  eternity  you  would  be  unable  to  present  to  him  an  equiv- 
alent for  the  smallest  sin.  But  you  need  not  attempt  it.  In  Christ  you  have  "  a  pro- 
pitiation, not  for  your  sins  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  Go  to  him, 
therefore,  as  your  surety,  and  plead  with  God  all  that  he  has  done  and  suffered  for 
you,  &c. 

The  same  author  on  Hab.  ii.  20 — God  greatly  to  be  feared. 

From  this  subject  we  may  gain  ample  matter — 

1.  For  reproof  It  is  truly  surprising  that,  with  all  our  knowledge  of  God,  we 
should  be  so  regardless  of  him  as  not  to  have  him  "  in  all  (or  any  of)  our  thoughts," 
&c. 

2.  For  encouragement.  God  is  indeed  in  his  holy  temple,  ready  to  hear  the  weep- 
ing suppliant,  and  mighty  to  save  his  repenting  people,  fee. 

The  same  author  on  Micah  vi.  2,  3 — God's  controversy  with  his  people. 
Conceiving  then  the  cause  terminated,  I  will  offer  a  few  words — 

1.  In  a  way  of  candid  appeal. 

2.  In  a  way  of  salutary  advice.  Offer  not  excuses  now  which  will  not  avail  you 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  &c. 

RECAPITULATE. 

It  has  been  common  to  rail  against  the  practice  of  repeating  the  heads 
of  a  discourse  toward  the  close,  and  referring  in  some  sort  to  the  principal 
points  of  the  subject  in  the  subsequent  prayer.  The  .latter  I  think  re- 
quires great  delicacy  ;  but  the  former  can  not  be  given  up,  as  it  is  one 
method  out  of  many  of  oratorical  skill  for  the  purpose  of  giving  effect  to 
a  discourse  ;  and,  if  the  recapitulation  be  coupled  with  strong  comments 
on  the  general  subject,  it  will  form  one  of  the  most  powerful  methods  of 
concluding.  There  is  nothing  artificial  in  this  method  of  peroration  ;  for 
when  many  things  have  been  said,  and  many  words  employed  to  illustrate 


534  LECTURE    XXXI. 

and  confirm  them,  what  can  be  more  natural  than  to  bring  the  main  points 
together  in  close  order,  to  prevent  their  escape  ?  We  have  an  example 
of  this  in  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  in  which  is  to  be  found  almost  every 
figure  calculated  to  persuade.  Deut.  xi.  26,  27  :  "  Behold  I  set  (or  have 
set)  before  you  this  day  a  blessing  and  a  curse,"  &c.  And  indeed  the 
whole  book  has  its  name  from  being  a  recapitulation  of  former  injunctions, 
experiences,  &c.  This  is  what  Keckerman  calls  bringing  the  several 
lines  together,  as  rays  are  collected  in  the  focus  of  a  burning  glass  to  in- 
flame the  hearts  of  the  auditors. 

Blair  on  2  Pet.  iii.  3 — On  scoffins^  at  reliction. 

The  conclusion  from  all  these  reasonings  which  we  have  pursued  is  that  religion 
and  virtue,  in  all  their  forms,  either  oi  doctrine  or  of  precept — of  piety  toward  God, 
integrity  toward  men,  or  regularity  in  private  life — are  so  far  from  affording  any 
ground  of  ridicule  to  the  petulant  that  they  are  entitled  to  our  highest  veneration. 
They  are  names  which  should  never  be  mentioned  but  with  the  utmost  honor.  It  is 
said  in  scripture,  "  fools  make  a  mock  at  sin."  They  had  better  make  a  mock  at 
pestilence,  at  war,  or  famine.  With  one  Avho  would  choose  these  public  calamities 
for  the  subject  of  his  sport  you  would  not  be  inclined  to  associate ;  you  would  fly 
from  him  as  worse  than  a  fool,  as  a  man  of  distempered  mind.  Yet  certain  it  is  that, 
to  the  great  society  of  mankind,  sin  is  a  greater  calamity  than  pestilence,  or  famine, 
or  war  ;  therefore  in  the  seat  of  the  scorner  never  sit,  &c. 

If  there  be  any  fault  here,  I  should  think  it  is  that  the  recapitulation  is 
too  short.  This  peroration  should  be  read  as  a  good  specimen  of  Com- 
ment. 

Simeon  on  Num.  xiv.  20,  21 — God's  answer  to  the  intercession  of  Mo- 
ses. The  conclusion  is  a  summary  or  concentration  of  the  chief  parts  of 
the  discourse. 

Behold  now  this  glory  of  the  Lord  !  see  how  it  shines  throughout  this  mysterious 
dispensation  !  see  his  condescension  in  hearing  prayer — his  mercy  in  forbearing  ven- 
geance— his  justice  in  punishing  sin — his  goodness  in  rewarding  virtue — his  faithful- 
ness in  fulfilling  his  word — and  his  power  to  execute  his  sovereign  will  and  pleasure  ! 
Let  the  whole  earth  contemplate  it.  Let  all  transmit  the  knowledge  of  it  to  those 
around  them,  and  assist  in  spreading  it  to  the  remotest  heathen.  Let  all  expect  the 
time  when  this  view  of  God  shall  be  universal  through  the  whole  world,  and  all  shall 
give  him  the  glory  of  his  immutable  perfections. 

And,  while  Ave  view  the  glory  of  God  in  his  past  works,  let  us  remember  what 
will  be  the  final  issue  of  all  his  dispensations.  His  glory  will  hereafter  shine  in  still 
brighter  splendor.  When  his  answers  to  the  prayers  of  all  his  people  shall  be  known, 
how  marvellous  will  his  condescension  and  grace  appear ! — When  the  sins  of  the 
whole  Avorld  shall  be  made  manifest,  how  shall  we  be  filled  with  wonder  at  his  long- 
suffering  and  forbearance  I — How  tremendous  will  his  justice  and  severity  be  found 
when  millions  of  impenitent  sinners  are  cast  headlong  into  the  bottomless  abyss ! — 
And,  when  his  obedient  people  shall  be  exalted  to  thrones  of  glory,  how  will  his 
goodness  and  mercy  be  admired  and  adored  ! — Then,  also,  will  his  truth  and  faith- 
fulness be  seen  in  the  exact  completion  of  every  promise  he  has  ever  given,  and  his 
power  and  might  be  gratefully  acknowledged  by  all  whom  he  has  redeemed,  sancti- 
fied, and  saved. 

This  then  is  certain,  that  in  every  human  being  he  will  be  glorified.  But  the  ques- 
tion is.  How  will  he  be  glorified  in  jne  ?  will  it  be  in  my  salvation  or  condemnation  ? 
In  answering  this  question  aright  we  are  all  deeply  interested  ;  nor  will  it  be  difficult 
to  answer  it,  provided  we  inquire  what  our  real  character  is.  Do  we  resemble  the 
unbelieving  and  rebellious  Israelites,  or  those  believing  spies  who  "  followed  the 
Lord  fully?"  Vast  was  the  difference  between  them,  and  consequently  the  discrim- 
ination will  be  easy.  The  Lord  grant  that  we  may  "  so  judge  ourselves  now  that 
we  may  not  be  judged  of  the  Lord"  in  that  awful  day. 

The  same  author  on  Psa.  cxix.  4-G — Practical  religion  enforced — 
simply  enumerates  the  heads  of  his  discourse,  and  closes  with  Heb.  xiii. 
20,  21,  in  the  following  manner  : — 


PERORATIONS.  535 

Be  you  then,  brethren,  Christians  indeed.  Get  just  views  of  your  duty  both  to  God 
and  man.  Be  like-minded  with  God  in  relation  to  it,  desiring  nothing  but  to  be  and 
to  do  all  that  God  himself  requires.  And  know  where  all  your  help  and  hope  is,  not 
in  yourselves,  but  in  the  Lord  your  God,  who  alone  can  guide  you  by  his  counsel.'and 
brmg  you  to  glory.     "  Now  the  God  of  peace,"  &c. 

Having  pointed  out  the  different  methods  upon  which  conclusions  are 
usually  constructed,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  offer  you  some  specimens  of 
different  kinds  of  address  suited  to  this  part  of  a  discourse.  These  I  shall, 
for  obvious  reasons,  distinguish  according  to  their  leading  characteristics, 
though  you  must  not  expect  to  find  the  examples  of  a  perfectly  simple 
and  unmixed  character.     I  begin  with 

THE    APPELLATORY. 

Under  this  head  may  be  included  all  those  perorations  which  consist 
chiefly  of  direct  appeal  to  the  understanding  and  the  conscience  of  the 
hearer,  as  to  the  soundness,  the  truth,  the  reasonableness,  &c.,  of  the  thing 
advanced,  notwithstanding  the  force  of  prejudice,  or  habit,  or  inclination 
to  the  contrary  hitherto  prevailing.  Thus  our  Savior  says  (Luke  xii.  57), 
"Yea,  and  why  judge  you  not  what  is  right?"  and  Paul  (1  Cor.  x.  15), 
"Judge  you  what  I  say."  Such  appeals  are  always  to  be  accompanied 
or  followed  by  strong  comment,  and  perhaps  counsels  also.  But  this  kind 
of  ending  should  not  be  ventured  upon  unless  you  conceive  that  you  have 
siiccessfully  lodged  some  conviction  in  the  heart.  In  this  case  an  appeal 
will  always  be  happy  in  its  effects. 

Beddome  closes  his  sermon  against  religious  persecution  (Acts  ix.  4) 
with  a  fine  appeal  to  persecutors,  which  is  given  as  the  language  which  the 
Savior  himself  might  be  supposed  to  utter. 

"  I  appeal  to  your  reason  and  conscience :  What  injury  have  I  done  thee  ?  What 
provocation  have  I  given  thee  ?  Which  of  my  offices  offends  thee  ?  What  part  of 
my  character  or  conduct  makes  me  obnoxious  to  thy  resentment  ?  Art  thou  cruel 
because  I  am  merciful  ?  For  which  of  my  good  works  dost  thou  persecute  me  ?  As 
to  my  people,  they  are  meek  and  unoffending,  and  not  likely  to  disturb  your  peace. 
I  appeal  to  your  unbiased  judgment,  Can  force  and  violence  produce  conviction  ?  Can 
the  prison  and  the  cross  be  proper  means  of  instruction  ?  Does  not  all  this  violence 
show  the  malignity  of  your  heart  against  my  gospel,  the  extermination  of  which  is 
your  real  design  ?"  If,  my  brethren,  such  were  the  language  of  Jesus,  are  you  who 
openly  or  secretly  oppose  the  gospel  or  its  followers  prepared  to  reply  to  Christ's 
questions  ?     If  not,  how  will  you  answer  at  the  high  tribunal  in  the  great  day  ? 

Simeon  closes  a  sermon  on  repentance  with  an  appeal  upon  the  several 
points  on  which  he  had  insisted.  The  discourse  is  founded  on  Joel  ii. 
12-14  ;  and,  as  this  example  is  the  type  of  a  very  numerous  class  of 
perorations,  I  shall  give  it  at  some  length.  Our  author  says.  And  now  let 
me  ask — 

1.  Is  not  this  repentance  necessary?  I  readily  grant  that  many  of  you  are  free 
trora  anything  that  comes  under  the  name  of  gross  sin  ;  but  who  among  you  has  not 
grievously  departed  from  God  ?  Who  has  not  shamefully  slighted  our  blessed  Sa- 
vior ?  Who  has  not  resisted  the  motions  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  Who  has  not  lived 
tor  time  rather  than  for  eternity,  and  to  himself  rather  than  to  his  God  ?  Here  then 
is  reason  enough  for  everyone  of  you  to  weep  and  mourn,  and  to  rend  your  very  souls 
to  pieces  betore  God,  &c. 

2.  Are  not  the  considerations  with  which  the  duly  is  enforced  sufficient  encourage- 
ments to  the  performance  of  it  ?  I  might  have  enforced  the  duty  with  far  different 
arguments    and  "  persuaded  you  rather  by  the  terrors  of  the  Lord"  to  turn  unto  him  • 

i    w^n^^  P^^^'^'"  ^^^  ^'^^^^  "^  ^^^  exhibited  in  the  text,  &c. 

3.  Will  not  the  mercies  offered  you  amply  compensate  for  all  the  efforts  which 
you  may  make  to  obtain  them  ?     Truly,  if  there  were  but  a  "  peradveature"  thatyott 


636  LECTURE    XXXI. 

should  find  mercy,  it  were  worth  all  the  labor  of  ten  thousand  years  to  obtain  it. 
Think  only  what  it  must  be  to  be  monuments  of  God's  righteous  indignation  to  all 
eternity,  and  what  it  must  be,  on  the  other  hand,  to  be  everlasting  monuments  of  his 
grace  and  love.  Can  you  contemplate  this  alternative,  and  duly  estimate  its  impor- 
tance ?  No ;  you  must  go  down  to  hell  and  taste  the  misery  of  the  damned,  and  be 
exalted  to  heaven  to  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  the  saints  in  glory,  ere  you  can  form 
any  just  idea  of  what  is  before  you  cither  to  be  suffered  or  enjoyed,  according  as  your 
state  shall  be  found  before  God. 

THE    ENTREATING. 

The  Scriptures  afford  abundant  examples  in  which  God  himself  con- 
descends to  entreat  his  unworthy  and  unhappy  creatures  to  accept  his  bles- 
sings ;  and,  as  the  ambassadors  of  Christ,  we  are  also  bound  to  beseech 
and  to  entreat  sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 

Take  Acts  xxiv.  25 :  "Go  thy  way  for  this  time,"  &c. 

In  conclusion  I  again  address  thee,  procrastinating  sinner.  Thou  pleadest  for  to- 
morrow with  an  eloquence  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  "  To-morrow,  to-morrow,"  is 
the  burden  of  every  evening  song.  Oh!  my  hearer,  would  you  think  to-morrow  a 
proper  time  to  stop  a  leak  in  the  ship  discovered  to-day  ?  Is  not  the  idea  of  security 
abandoned  by  this  ?  I  can  not  leave  you  under  this  delusion.  "  Dismiss  me  not  thus. 
For  your  own  sake,  and  out  of  tender  compassion  to  your  perishing  immortal  soul,  I 
would  not  willingly  take  up  with  such  a  dismission  and  excuse ;  no,  not  though  you 
fix  a  time,  though  you  should  determine  on  the  next  year,  or  month,  or  week,  or  day. 
I  would  turn  upon  you  with  all  the  eagerness  and  tenderness  of  friendly  importunity, 
and  entreat  you  to  bring  the  matter  to  an  issue  even  now  ;  for  if  you  say, '  I  will  think 
on  these  things  to-morrow,'  I  shall  have  but  little  hope,  and  shall  conclude  that  all  I 
have  hitherto  urged,  and  all  that  you  have  heard,  has  been  uttered  in  vain."* 

THE    EXPOSTULATORY. 

This  kind  of  address  is  well  calculated  to  carry  conviction  to  the  mma 
in  the  most  efficient  manner.  What,  for  instance,  can  be  more  forcible 
than  the  expostulations  of  scripture,  mingled  as  they  are  both  with  appeal 
and  entreaty?  See  Isa.  i.  5  and  11,  Iv.  2  ;  Ezek.  xviii.  -31,  32,  xxxiii. 
11;  Micah  vi.  3-5. 

In  your  expostulations  care  must  be  taken  that  tliere  be  nothing  harsh 
in  your  language  ;  all  your  expressions  must  manifest  an  affectionate  con- 
cern, a  compassionate  interest,  in  reference  to  the  welfare  of  your  hearers.t 
I  can  not  give  a  more  complete  or  a  more  excellent  example  of  this  kind 
than  is  furnished  by  Foster  in  his  Introductory  Essay  to  the  Rise  and 
Progress  of  Religion. J  Having  given  a  vivid  but  just  representation  of 
the  state  of  unconverted  persons,  absorbed  in  what  are  falsely  called  the 
pleasures  of  life,  and  of  those  forebodings  of  futurity  which  can  not  be 
excluded  from  reflection,  our  author  proceeds  as  follows  : — 

Here  we  conclude  this  long  course  of  remonstrance.  Perhaps  you  are  ready  to  say, 
"  It  is  a  rueful  and  offensive  representation,  just  such  as  a  splenetic  spirit,  which  has 
quarrelled  with  the  world,  would  be  gratified  to  make  in  the  wish  to  poison  the  sat- 
isfactions of  those  who  have  yet  some  cause  to  regard  it  as  a  friend,  and  who,  at  all 
events,  think  it  yet  too  soon  to  fall  into  hostility  with  themselves.  But  consider  at 
whose  cost  it  will  be  that  you  repel  a  statement  which  you  can  not  refuse.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  goes,  in  reality,  no  further  off  from  you  for  being  rejected,  any  more 
than  the  hour  of  death  can  be  deferred  by  refusing  to  think  of  it  or  by  heedlessness 
of  the  solemnity  of  the  prospect.  That  the  preceding  description  of  your  state  is  in 
substance  the  truth,  we  may  challenge  you  to  deny — to  deny,  that  is  to  say,  upon 
such  serious  and  honest  considerations  as  you  can  not  refuse  without  being  guilty  ot 
the  most  horrible  trifling.     And  we  may  appeal  to  your  own  reason,  thus  exercised, 

*  Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion. 

t'See  expostnlary  address  to  a  broUicr  in  Leclnre  VIII.,  p.  121. 

X  See  also  the  exu-act  from  the  same  aatbor  at  pp.  380-388. 


PERORATIONS.  537 

what  would  you  think  of  a  doctrine  or  a  teacher  that  would  consent  to  leave  you  sat- 
isfied with  a  plan  of  life  which,  for  the  sake  of  this  world,  renounces  the  good  and 
braves  the  evil  of  the  world  to  come  ?  But  though  the  representation,  thus  far,  be 
of  a  menacing  character,  all  is  not  dark.  As  we  have  seen  in  a  pictured  view  of 
Babylon,  supposed  on  the  eve  of  its  fall,  there  remains  one  portion  of  the  hemisphere, 
and  one  celestial  luminary,  not  yet  obscured  by  the  portentous  shade.*  While  no 
colors  can  throw  too  gloomy  an  aspect  on  the  condition  in  which  you  have  been  de- 
scribed,  there  shines  on  your  view  that  great  resource  to  which  all  this  series  of  what 
may  have  seemed  austere  reprehensions  have  been  aimed  to  constrain  your  attention. 
And,  if  you  could  be  made  to  apprehend  the  importance  which  there  really  is  in  the 
considerations  so  inadequately  conceived  and  expressed,  you  would  be  awakened  to 
wonder  and  gratitude  that,  after  so  constant  and  systematic  a  rejection  of  the  sover- 
eign good,  you  should  not  now  find  "  a  great  gulf  fixed  between  it  and  you."  On 
your  side  of  that  tremendous  chasm  there  is  still  religion  accessible  to  you  in  all  its 
blessings  of  deliverance,  peace,  and  security,  for  hereafter.  You  are  still  on  that 
favored  ground  where  you  are  invited  by  a  God  of  mercy,  a  Redeemer  with  his  ato- 
ning sacrifice,  a  divine  Spirit  of  all  power  and  operations  of  assistance,  to  enter  yet 
at  last  into  the  possession  of  that  which  will  be  a  glorious  portion  when  all  you  have 
been  striving  with  the  world  to  gain  will  vanish  in  dust  and  smoke. 

Shall  we  anticipate  another  objection  in  the  form  of  a  query  ?  "  What  can  we  do  ? 
we  can  not  make  ourselves  religious.  Though  we  should  admit  that  this  is  all  true, 
and  of  the  last  importance,  we  can  not  for  that  command  and  compel  our  disposi- 
tions  to  change  into  the  new  order  required.  What  can  we  do  ?"  The  answer  to 
this  should  be  appropriate  to  the  temper  in  which  it  is  spoken.  We  have  heard  of 
instances  of  expressions  like  these  being  uttered  evidently  in  a  spirit  of  impious  and 
desperate  carelessness.  There  was  no  real  concern  about  the  subject,  but  a  deter- 
mined  addiction  to  the  world,  and  to  so  much  of  sin  as  should  involve  a  wilful  avoid- 
ance of  reflection,  a  stupid  and  defying  indiflfcrence  to  consequences;  and  all  this  ta- 
king to  itself  an  excuse,  or  almost  a  justification,  from  the  moral  impotence  of  our 
nature.  The  man  was  in  effect  saying,  "  As  I  am  resolved  to  pursue  my  course,  it 
were  a  satisfaction  to  believe,  and  I  ivill  believe,  that  I  can  do  no  otherwise,  and  that, 
as  I  am  to  fulfil  my  destiny,  the  less  I  trouble  myself  with  thinking  about  it  the  bet- 
ter." Now,  to  a  person  who  should  reply  to  religious  admonitionsin  this  disposition 
of  mind,  we  should  deem  it  utterly  trifling  and  useless  to  oflfer  any  pleading  of  specu- 
latively theological  or  of  metaphysical  argument.  The  reasoning  faculty  of  such  a 
man  is  a  wretched  slave,  that  will  not,  and  dare  not,  listen  to  one  word  in  presence 
and  iri  contravention  of  his  passions  and  will.  The  only  thing  there  would  be  any 
sense  in  attempting  would  be  to  press  on  him  some  strong  images  of  the  horror  of 
such  a  deliberate  self-consignment  to  destruction,  and  of  the  monstrous  enormity  of 
taking  a  kind  of  comfort  in  his  approach  to  the  pit,  from  the  circumstance  that  a 
principle  of  his  nature  leads  him  to  do  it ;  but  as  if,  because  there  is  that  in  him 
which  impels  him  to  perdition,  it  would  therefore  not  be  he  that  would  perish. 
Till  some  awful  blast  smite  on  his  fears,  his  reason  and  conscience  will  be  vmavail- 
ing. 

If  he  be  guarded  on  the  side  of  his  fears,  by  entertaining  a  light  opinion  of  that  con- 
sequence on  which  he  is  so  precipitating  himself— should  he  say  that  it  certainly 
would  be  a  dreadful  thing  thus  resolutely  to  go  forward  to  it,  and  a  flagrantly  absurd 
one  thus  to  satisfy  himself  in  doing  so,  7/ he  had  any  such  appalling  estimate  of  that 
future  ruin  as  religious  doctrine  aff'ects  to  enforce,  but  that  he  believes  this  threaten- 
ing to  be  a  prodigious  exaggeration — we  have  only  to  reply  that,  as  he  has  not  yet 
seen  the  world  of  retribution,  he  is  to  take  his  estimate  of  its  awards  from  the  decla- 
rations of  Him  who  knows  what  they  are,  and  that  it  is  at  his  peril  he  presumes  to 
entertain  any  other.  If  any  one  answer  to  this,  that  he  does  not  believe  in  the  exist- 
ence of  such  declarations,  he  is  not  one  of  the  persons  we  are  meaning  to  address. 

What  foUovvs  is  more  directly  in  a  way  of  expostulation  : — 
But  some  of  you  will  make  the  supposed  reply,  "  What  can  we  do  ?"  in  a  less  de- 
prayed  temper  of  feeling.  We  will  suppose  that  you  are  not  quite  indiff'erent  on  the 
subject,  that  you  seriously  admit  the  necessity  of  religion,  and  that  you  feel  some 
uneasiness  at  your  estrangement  from  it,  that,  in  short,  you  wish  you  could  be  reli- 
gious,  and  in  this  spirit  somewhat  despondingly  put  the  question.  For  you  we  have 
a  plain,  short  answer  ;  indeed  we  have  anticipated  this  in  some  preceding  part  of  the 
discourse.  You  can  deliberately  apply  yourself  to  a  serious,  honest,  prolonged,  re- 
peated consideration  of  the  subject.     Do  not  incur  the  shame,  for  one  moment,  of  pre- 

*  Martin's  picture  of  the  fall  of  Belshazzar  and  of  Babylon. 


538  LECTURE    XXXI. 

tending  to  doubt  whether  you  can  do  this.  On  any  one  of  your  worldly  matters  of 
importance  you  know  that  you  can  fix  your  thoughts  attentively,  long,  and  again ; 
you  can  severely  examine  in  what  manner  it  is  connected  with  your  interests,  can 
weigh  the  reasons  for  and  against,  and  look  forward  to  near  and  more  distant  conse- 
quences. And  you  can  do  this  with  respect  to  religion.  Do  you  allege  that  the  sub- 
ject being  a  strange  and  hitherto  foreign  one  to  your  thoughts,  and  also  presenting 
itself  to  you  with  a  disquieting  and  reproaching  aspect,  your  minds  are  strongly  in- 
clined to  escape  from  beholding  it  ?  What  then  ?  You  can  think  again  of  the  abso- 
lute necessity  of  considering  it,  and  can  compel  them  back  to  confront  it  once  more, 
and  still  again.  You  can  recollect  that  nothing  will  be  gained,  and  all  will  be  lost, 
by  ceasing  to  think  of  it.  You  can  reflect  that  if  you  dismiss  it  now,  because  it  does 
not  please  you,  it  will  infallibly  return  upon  you  ere  long  to  please  you  still  less,  and 
will  return  ultimately  in  such  imperative  force  that  it  can  no  more  be  evaded  nor 
dismissed. 

Perhaps  there  may  be  some  of  you  who  will  complain  that,  notwithstanding  sin- 
cere and  considerable  efforts  to  this  purpose,  you  find  that  the  subject  does  not,  and 
seems  as  if  it  would  not,  take  effective  hold  on  your  spirits,  and  that  you  can  not  feel 
it  to  have  that  importance  which  you  knoiv  it  to  have.  And  what  then  ?  again  we 
reply.  Are  you  going  to  make  this  a  reason  for  suflfering  your  minds  to  withdraw 
from  the  subject  and  let  it  go  ?  The  subject  can  not  go  without  abandoning  you  to 
the  dominion  of  death  !  The  question  whether  to  yield  to  this  obstinate  defect  of 
sensibility  is  the  critical  point  of  your  contest  with  the  deadly  power  of  evil  within 
you  and  without  you :  yield,  and  all  will  hasten  to  your  ruin.  But,  surely,  the  terror 
of  such  a  hazard  and  such  an  alternalive,  or  the  clear  conviction  at  least  that  you 
ought  to  feel  terror  at  it,  must  incite  you  to  persevering  and  more  earnest  efforts. 
Look  at  it,  dwell  on  it,  and  see  whether  a  more  protracted  and  intense  consideration 
of  it  will  cause  or  suffer  your  resolution  to  remit.  That  it  should  so  remit  is  hardly 
conceivable  of  any  rational  being.  But,  if  it  even  did  so  remit,  that  circumstance  it- 
self would  bring  a  new  and  frightful  phenomenon  to  rouse  the  spirit  which  had  such 
a  consciousness,  and  excite  it  to  call  for  all  compassionate  powers  and  agencies  to 
come  to  its  rescue. 

And  here  you  are  to  be  admonished  that  you  can  not  feel  that  you  are  faithfully 
making  the  required  exertion  unless  you  have  recourse  to  the  most  approved  means 
for  rendering  it  effectual.  You  believe  that  the  Almighty  admits  his  creatures,  and 
indeed  has,  with  endlesss  iteration,  invited  and  commanded  them  to  express  their 
necessities  in  petitions  to  him,  and  that  he  listens,  with  peculiar  favor,  to  appli- 
cations for  spiritual  good.  You  are  not  afraid  to  do  this  ;  and  you  are  convinced  on 
the  strength  of  innumerable  promises,  and  of  the  merits  and  intercession  of  Christ, 
that  it  would  be  successful.  Though  there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  immediate  suc- 
cess, you  believe — you  absolutely  know — that  persevering  application  to  Heaven  will 
finally  prevail.  You  can,  with  this  absolute  assurance,  implore  the  removal  of  that 
odious  insensibility,  that  indisposition,  that  aversion  even,  which  you  allege  as  a  dis- 
couragement from  persisting  to  apply  yourselves  to  the  all-important  subject,  and  feel 
as  a  temptation  to  turn  away  from  it.  This  can  be  done  a  thousand  times  over.  It 
can  be  done  as  long  as  the  evil  and  danger  continue.  And  again  and  again  we  tell 
you  that  at  each  repetition  you  know,  because  God  has  declared  it,  that  such  applica- 
tion can  not  ultimately  fail.     And,  oh  !  is  it  not  worth  while  ? 

Walker,  of  Truro,  furnishes  an  example  which  contains  much  solemn 
appeal  mingled  with  afFectionate  expostulation.  The  sermon  from  which 
it  is  extracted  was  delivered  in  the  parish  church  at  Truro,  April  27th, 
1760.  It  is  one  of  a  course  on  the  Church  Catechism,  and  the  last  on  the 
Apostles'  Creed.  The  text  prefixed  to  most  of  them  is  the  same :  Acts 
xvi.  30,  31.  It  was  the  last  sermon  that  Mr.  Walker  preached  ;  and  many 
who  heard  it  have  borne  testimony  to  the  impression  made  by  it  as  more 
than  commonly  powerful. 

Alas  !  alas  !  my  dear  friends,  how  shall  many  of  us  appear  before  the  judgment-seat 
of  Christ?  For  what  have  we  to  appear  in  ?  Where  is  our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ? 
What  fellowship  is  there  between  him  and  our  souls?  Where  are  the  works  of 
faith — love  to  him  and  to  his  people  ?  Have  we  none  of  these  to  show  ?  no  owning 
of  Christ,  no  following  his  words,  no  renouncing  the  ways  of  men  for  his  sake,  no 
love  of  his  people,  no  giving  so  much  as  a  cup  of  water  to  any  because  they  are  his? 
What,  in  no  kind,  in  no  degree,  such  works  as  he  will  own  !  and  yet  shall  we  re- 


PERORATIONS.  539 

ceive  according  to  our  works  ?  But  what  can  wc  think  of  it  then,  if,  instead  of  own- 
ing Christ,  we  have  been  opposing-  him — if,  instead  of  loving  his  people,  we  have 
been  hating  them  for  being  so — if,  instead  of  having  any  good  works  to  show  for  our- 
selves, Christ  will  find  an  endless  number  of  evil  works  to  show  against  us?  What 
can  we  think  of  it  if  nothing  shall  appear  to  have  been  done  by  us  but  evil  continu- 
ally, ceaseless,  numberless  works  of  darkness,  in  thought,  word,  or  deed,  as  many  as 
the  days,  hours,  and  minutes,  of  our  lives  have  been  ?  What !  my  dear  friends,  will 
any  of  us  be  hardy  enough  to  appear  under  these  circumstances  before  Christ's  judg- 
ment-seat, where  nothing  can  be  hid,  and  all  will  be  laid  open  !  Yet,  remember, 
there  we  must  all  come,  whether  we  will  or  no.  God  will  have  it  so,  and  who  can 
prevent  it  ?  To  be  plain,  I  am  grieved  at  heart  for  many  of  you,  to  think  how  you 
will  make  your  appearance  before  the  judgment-seat.  You  have  no  works  to  speak 
there  for  your  belonging  to  Christ.  I  can  see  none.  I  see  works  of  various  kinds  that 
prove  you  do  not  belong  to  him.  If  a  life  of  pleasure,  idleness,  company-keeping, 
indulgence,  drunkenness,  pride,  covetousness,  would  recommend  you  to  the  favor  of 
the  Judge,  few  would  be  better  received  than  numbers  of  you.  In  the  name  of  God, 
my  friends — when  you  know  this  moment  in  your  own  consciences  that  if,  as  you 
have  been  and  are,  you  should  be  called  to  judgment,  you  would  be  as  surely  cast 
into  hell  as  if  you  were  already  scorching  in  those  dreadful  flames— why  will  you 
live  at  such  a  rate  ? 

Well,  we  shall  all  be  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ  together.  There  the  con- 
troversy between  me,  persuading  you  by  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  and  you,  determining 
to  abide  in  your  sins,  will  be  decided.  There  it  will  appear  whether  your  blood  will 
be  on  your  own  heads  for  your  obstinate  impenitency,  or  upon  mine  for  not  giving 
you  warning.  Christ  will  certainly  either  acquit  or  condemn  me  on  this  account ; 
and,  if  I  should  be  acquitted  herein,  what  will  become  of  vou  ?  I  tremble  to  think 
how  so  many  words  of  mine  will  be  brought  up  against  yoc  on  that  day.  What 
will  you  say,  what  will  you  answer,  how  will  you  excuse  yourselves  ?  Oh  !  sirs,  if 
you  will  not  be  prevailed  on,  you  will  with  eternal  self-reproach  curse  the  day  that 
you  knew  me  or  heard  one  word  from  my  mouth.  Why,  why,  why  will  you  die 
with  so  aggravated  a  destruction  ?  Oh  !  think  of  the  judgment ;  think  of  it,  and  you 
will  not  be  able  to  hold  it  out  against  your  own  souls.  May  the  Lord  incline  you  to 
do  so  ;  may  he  cause  this  word  to  sink  deep  into  your  hearts  ;  may  he  show  you  all 
your  danger,  and  with  an  outstretched  arm  bring  vou  out  of  the  hands  of  the  devil 
and  translate  you  into  the  glorious  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son  ! 

THE    REMEDIAL. 

Where  the  discourse  has  contained  a  good  deal  of  censure,  and,  alas  ! 
this  "  burden  of  the  Lord"  is  too  often  necessary — too  often  we  feel  our- 
selves called  on  to  "  reprove,  rebuke,"  &c. — but  when  this  is  done  we 
shoiild,  in  the  kindest  manner  possible,  propose  what  is  right  in  the  con- 
clusion. 

Blair  on  1  Cor.  xiii.  4,  having  severely  censured  and  exposed  enmj, 
proceeds  in  the  peroration  to  propose  a  remedy  thus : — 

Finally,  in  order  to  subdue  envy,  let  us  bring:  often  into  view  those  religious  con- 
siderations  which  regard  us  particularly  as  Christians.  Let  us  remember  how  un- 
worthy we  all  are  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  how  much  the  blessings  which  each  of 
us  enjoys  are  beyond  what  we  deserve.  Let  us  nourish  reverence  and  submission  to 
that  divine  government  that  has  appointed  to  every  one  such  a  condition  in  the  world 
as  is  fitted  for  him  to  po  sess.  Let  us  recollect  how  opposite  the  Christian  spirit  is 
to  envy,  and  what  sacred  obligations  it  lays  upon  us  to  walk  in  love  and  charity  toward 
one  another.  Indeed,  when  we  reflect  on  the  many  miseries  which  abound  in  hu- 
man life,  on  the  scanty  proportion  of  happiness  which  any  one  is  here  allowed  to 
enjoy,  on  the  small  difference  which  the  diversity  of  fortune  makes  on  that  scanty 
proportion,  it  is  surprising  that  envy  should  ever  have  been  a  prevalent  passion  among 
men,  much  more  that  it  should  have  prevailed  among  Christians.  Where  so  much 
IS  suffered  in  common,  little  room  is  left  for  envy.  There  is  more  occasion  for  pity 
and  sympathy,  and  inclination  to  assist  each  other. 

THE    DIRECTIVE. 

When  a  peroration  consists  chiefly  of  directions  or  counsels,  it  is  upon 
the  supposition  that  the  previous  discourse  has  prepared  the  mind  to  re- 


540  LECTURE    XXXI. 

ceive  them,  as  an  exordium  prepares  the  mind  to  listen  to  the  discourse. 
"A  word  spoken  in  due  season,  how  good  is  it!"  Prov.  xv.  23. 

Simeon  on  2  Kings  v.  13 — Naaman  healed.  From  the  striking  re- 
semblance between  the  conduct  of  Naaman  and  those  who  reject  the  gos- 
pel, he  takes  occasion  to  add  a  few  words  of  advice  in  the  following  order : 

1.  Bring  not  to  the  gospel  any  preconcerted  notions  of  your  own. 

2.  Let  not  passion  dictate  in  matters  of  religion. 

3.  Be  willing  to  take  advice  from  your  inferiors. 

4.  Make  trial  of  the  method  proposed  for  your  salvation. 

These  counsels  are  admirably  derived  from  the  subject. 

Directions  should  generally  be  coupled  with  such  descriptions  and  ar- 
guments as  are  calculated  to  stimulate  and  animate  the  mind  to  the  perfor- 
mance, in  which  case  the  peroration  may  be  denominated — 

THE    ENCOURAGING. 

Mr.  R.  Walker  invites  attention  as  a  pattern  of  this  kind.  His  subject 
is  an  awakening  one  founded  on  Rom.  iii.  19.     In  conclusion  he  says — 

Be  persuaded,  ray  dear  friends,  that  it  becomes  you  to  "humble  yourselves  imme- 
diately under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  you  may  be  exalted  in  due  time."  See 
that  you  acknowledge  your  guilt  and  unworthiness,  'that  you  may  not  be  finally  con- 
demned  with  the  world  ;  and  beg  of  God  that  he  may  search  and  try  you,  and  make 
you  thoroughly  acquainted  with  your  real  condition,  that  finding  yourselves  wretched, 
and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked,  you  may  repair  without  delay  to  that 
all-sufficient  Savior  whose  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin,  and  who  is  made  of  God  unto 
you  wisdom,  &c. :  1  Cor.  i.  30. 

As  for  you  upon  whom  the  law  has  already  had  its  effect,  who  are  weary  and 
heavy  laden  with  the  burden  of  sin,  be  not  discouraged  ;  the  seeds  of  consolation  are 
sown  in  your  grief,  and  "  upon  you  who  thus  fear  his  name  shall  the  Sun  of  Righte- 
ousness arise  with  healing  in  his  wings  ;"  for  this  temper  is  the  work  of  God.  It  is 
he  who  brings  that  light  into  the  soul  whereby  its  natural  deformity  is  seen  ;  it  is  he 
who  subdues  thy  pride.  It  is  the  divine  Spirit  who,  ministering  the  law,  removes  all 
thy  false  grounds  of  hope,  and  makes  thee  cry,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  As 
John  the  Baptist,  by  preaching,  roused  sinners  to  a  sense  of  sin,  so  the  Holy  Spirit 
prepares  the  heart  fyr  the  reception  of  the  glorious  Redeemer  :  therefore  your  present 
painful  feelings  should  be  matter  to  you  of  joy.  Lift  up  your  heads,  then,  O  you 
trembling  souls!  look  forward  but  a  very  little  way,  and  you  may  see  to  the  end  of 
that  dark  valley  through  which  you  are  now  passing. 

Baine  on  Rom.  v.  21,  the  last  clause.     The  idea  is  that  of  a  kingdom. 

Let  the  subjects  of  this  kingdom  preserve  their  love  and  fidelity  inviolable  to  its 
merciful  and  mighty  monarch.  Live  as  a  kingdom  of  priests,  a  holy  nation,  in  a 
sacred  regard  to  his  authority  and  willing  obedience  to  his  laws.  Live  in  friendship 
and  the  exercise  of  kindest  affections  toward  your  fellow-members,  knit  together  in 
love,  and  praying  for  their  prosperity,  that  tlie  just  may  flourish  in  his  reign,  and  in- 
crease in  number  like  the  drops  of"  dew  that  fall  from  the  womb  of  the  morning. 
Live  by  faith  upon  him  :  he  is  Jehovah,  the  righteousness  of  his  people  ;  and  cast  not 
away  your  hope  that  the  reign  of  grace  upon  earth  will  be  succeeded  icith  a  king- 
dom of  glory,  where  all  his  faithful  subjects  shall  reign  with  him  for  ever. 

Blair  on  fortitude,  Psa.  xxvii.  3.  The  whole  of  the  peroration,  which 
in  fact  is  the  third  head  of  his  discourse,  extends  over  nine  pages.  The 
following  is  the  concluding  paragraph  : — 

Animated  by  these  considerations,  let  us  nourish  that  fortitude  of  mind  which  is  so 
essential  to  a  man  and  a  Christian.  Let  no  discouragement  nor  danger  deter  us  from 
doing  what  is  right.  Through  "  honor  and  dishonor,  through  good  report  and  evil 
report,"  let  us  preserve  fidelity  to  our  God  and  Savior.  Though  a  host  should  en- 
camp against  us,  let  us  not  fear  to  discharge  our  duty.  Vod  assists  us  in  the  virtuous 
conflict,  and  will  crown  the  conqueror  witli  eternal  rewards:  "Be  thou  faithful  unto 
death,  and  1  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life."—"  To  him  that  overcometh,"  saith  our 
blessed  Lord,  "  I  will  grant  to  sit  with  me  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame, 
and  have  sat  down  with  my  Father  on  his  throne." 


PERORATIONS.  541 

See  also  Jay's  Sermons,  vol.  il.,  pp.  28  and  3  25,  and  Lavington,  vol.  i., 
pp.  109  and  458.  I  can  not  afford  room  for  more  examples  at  length,  but 
I  recommend  this  class  of  conclusions  wherever  proper  to  the  subject. 

THE    CONSOLING. 

It  Is  a  sin  to  neglect  the  objects  for  whom  this  title  is  intended.  "  Com- 
fort you,  comfort  you,  my  people,"  is  the  divine  command  ;  but  it  is  not 
any  kind  of  senseless  cant  that  will  serve  the  purpose.  As  you  would  not 
think  to  entertain  a  person  that  had  a  fine  ear  for  music  with  Scotch  bag- 
pipes, so  a  preacher  must  not  expect  to  cheer  or  console  a  gracious  soul 
with  sounds  that  do  not  harmonize  with  its  spiritual  sensibilities.  As  far 
as  possible  we  must  be  like  Jesus,  Isa.  1.  4  :  "  The  Lord  hath  given  me 
the  tongue  of  the  learned,  that  I  should  know  how  to  speak  a  word  in  sea- 
son to  him  that  is  weary."  By  this  passage  it  appears  that  the  skill  ne- 
cessary is  a  divine  gift :  happy  is  he  that  possesses  it. 

Walker  on  2  Chron.  v.  13,  14.  The  subject  is  of  a  cheerful  strain, 
and  in  the  conclusion  he  turns  to  a  character  supposed  not  to  have  entered 
into  this  joy. 

But,  alas  !  says  one,  what  is  all  this  to  me  ?  My  harp  must  hang  still  upon  the 
willows ;  how  shall  I,  a  wretched  captive,  presume  to  sing  the  songs  of  Zion  ?  No 
evidences  of  grace  are  legible  in  ray  heart ;  grief  and  fear  have  so  thoroughly  pos- 
sessed it  that  the  love  of  God  can  find  no  room.  How  then,  or  to  what  purpose, 
shall  I  lift  up  my  voice,  while  my  whole  soul  is  cast  down  within  me  ?  Now  to 
such  I  would  answer,  in  general,  Let  your  case  be  as  bad  as  you  suppose  it,  yet  still 
you  have  cause  to  bless  the  Lord.  If  you  can  not  thank  him  for  his  special  grace, 
yet  surely  you  ought  to  praise  him  for  his  unwearied  patience  and  those  offers  of 
mercy  that  are  daily  made  to  you:  bless  him  that  you  are  still  upon  earth,  in  the 
land  of  hope,  and  not  confined  to  the  regions  of  everlasting  despair. 

But  I  stop  here  ;  come  forward  into  the  light;  thou  dark  discouraged  soul,  and,  in 
the  presence  of  God,  give  a  true  and  proper  answer  to  these  few  questions.  Thou 
complainest  of  the  want  of  love  to  God,  and  thy  complaints  indeed  show  that  thou 
hast  no  delighting  and  enjoying  love  ;  but  answer  me — 

1.  Hast  thou  not  a  desiring  seeking  love  ?  A  poor  man  who  desires  and  seeks  the 
world  shows  his  love  to  it  as  convincingly  as  the  rich  man  who  delights  in  it;  the 
tendency  of  the  heart  appears  as  truly  in  an  anxious  pursuit  as  in  delightful  enjoy- 
ment. But,  as  the  weakness  of  hope  is  frequently  mistaken  for  the  want  of  desire, 
I  ask — ■ 

2.  Do  you  not  find  a  moaning  lamenting  love  ?  You  show  that  you  loved  your 
friends  by  grieving  for  their  deaths  as  well  as  by  delighting  in  them  while  they 
live.  If  you  heartily  lament  it  as  your  greatest  unhappiness  and  loss  when  you  think 
that  God  has  cast  you  off,  and  that  you  are  devoid  of  grace  and  can  not  serve  him  as 
you  would,  this  is  an  undoubted  evidence  that  your  heart  is  not  void  of  the  love  of 
God. 

3.  Would  you  not  rather  have  a  heart  to  love  God  than  to  have  all  the  riches  and 
pleasures  in  the  world  ?  Would  it  not  comfort  you  more  than  anything  else  if  you 
could  be  sure  that  he  loved  you,  and  if  you  could  perfectly  love  and  obey  him  ?  If 
so,  then  know  assuredly  that  it  is  not  the  want  of  love,  but  the  want  of  assurance, 
that  causes  thy  dejection.  And  therefore  I  charge  thee  in  the  name  of  God,  to  ren- 
der unto  him  that  tribute  of  praise  which  is  due  to  him.  To  be  much  employed  in 
this  heavenly  duty  has  an  evident  tendency  to  vanquish  all  hurtful  doubts  and  fears, 
by  keeping  the  soul  near  to  God  and  Avithin  the  warmth  of  his  love  and  goodness — 
by  dissipating  distrustful  vexing  thoughts,  and  diverting  the  mind  to  sweeter  things — 
by  keeping  off  the  tempter,  who  usually  is  least  able  to  follow  us  when  we  are 
highest  in  the  praises  of  our  God  and  Savior — and,  especially,  by  bringing  out  the 
evidences  of  our  sincerity  while  the  chief  graces  are  in  exercise.  Praise  brings  com- 
fort to  the  soul  as  standing  in  the  sunshine  brings  warmth  to  the  body,  or  as  the 
sight  of  a  dear  friend  rejoices  the  heart,  without  any  reasoning  or  arguing  the  case. 
Come  then,  my  dear  friends,  and  make  the  experiment.  Obey  the  voice  which  pro- 
ceeds out  of  the  throne,  saying,  "  Praise  our  God,  all  you  his  servants,  and  you  that 
fear  him,  both  great  and  small." 


542  LECTURE    XXXI. 

I  might  here  quote  numerous  examples  of  consolatory  address  adapted 
to  different  occasions  and  circumstances,  but  this  my  limits  forbid  ;  and  I 
now  pass  to — 

THE    ELEVATING. 

In  this  class  of  perorations  the  aim  of  the  preacher  is  to  raise  in  the 
minds  of  his  hearers  suitable  images  of  the  dignity  or  majesty  of  the  sub- 
ject of  discourse.     The  following  example  is  of  this  character : — 

Blair  on  2  Pet.  iii.  10 — The  dissolution  of  the  world. 

Having  now  treated  both  of  the  creation  and  dissolution  of  the  world,  I  can  not 
conclude  without  calling  your  thoughts  to  the  magnificent  view  which  these  events 
afford  of  the  kingdom  and  dominion  of  the  Almighty.  With  reverence  we  contem- 
plate his  hand  in  the  signal  dispensations  of  Providence  among  men,  deciding  the 
fate  of  battles,  raising  or  overthrowing  empires,  casting  down  the  proud,  and  lifting 
up  the  low  from  the  dust.  But  what  are  such  occurrences  to  the  power  and  wisdom 
which  he  displays  in  the  higher  revolutions  of  the  universe,  by  his  word  forming  or 
dissolving  worlds,  at  his  pleasure  transplanting  creatures  from  one  world  to  another, 
that  he  may  carry  on  new  plans  of  wisdom  and  goodness  and  fill  all  space  with  the 
wonders  of  creation  !  Successive  generations  of  men  have  arisen  to  possess  the 
earth.  By  turns  they  have  passed  away  and  gone  into  regions  unknown.  Us  he 
has  raised  up  to  occupy  their  room.  We  too  shall  shortly  disappear.  But  human 
existence  never  perishes.  Life  only  changes  its  form,  and  is  renewed.  Creation 
is  ever  filling,  but  never  full.  When  the  whole  intended  course  of  the  generations 
of  men  shall  be  finished,  then,  as  a  shepherd  leads  his  flock  from  one  pasture  to 
another,  so  the  great  Creator  leads  forth  the  souls  which  he  has  made  into  new 
and  prepared  abodes  of  life.  They  go  from  this  earth  to  a  new  earth  and  new 
heavens;  and  still  they  remove  only  from  one  province  of  the  divine  dominion  to  the 
other.  Amid  all  those  changes  of  nature  the  great  Ruler  himself  remains  "  without 
variableness  or  shadow  of  turning."  To  him  these  successive  revolutions  of  being  are 
but  as  "  yesterday  when  it  is  past."  From  his  eternal  throne  he  beholds  worlds  rismg 
and  passing  away,  measures  out  to  the  creatures  who  inhabit  them  powers  and 
faculties  suited  to  their  state,  and  distributes  among  them  rewards  and  punishments 
proportioned  to  their  actions.  What  an  astonishing  view  do  such  meditations  afford 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  infinite  in  its  extent,  everlasting  in  its  duration,  exhibiting, 
in  every  period,  the  reign  of  perfect  righteousness  and  wisdom  !  "Who  by  search- 
ing can'find  out  God  ?  who  can  find  out  the  Almighty  to  perfection?" — "  Great  and 
marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty  !  Just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou 
King  of  Saints  I" 

THE    ALARMING. 

What  Claude  calls  the  violent  or  vehement,  from  the  rapid  manner  of 
expression,  is  well  calculated  to  arouse  the  fears  of  the  ungodly,  or  to  pre- 
cipitate the  mind  into  a  state  of  alarm.  In  the  language  of  the  prophet, 
it  is  to  "  cry  aloud  and  spare  not:"  it  is  to  exhibit  the  terrors  of  Mount 
Sinai,  or  an  approaching  judgment.  Such  addresses  have,  by  a  divine 
blessing,  been  instrumental  to  the  saving  conversion  of  thousands  ;  but  I 
think  the  final  sentence  or  period  of  such  conclusions  ought  to  cherish 
hope.  Dr.  Watts's  conclusion  of  his  discourse  on  Rev.  vi.  15-17,  is 
thus  managed.  The  whole  sermon*  blows  an  alarm  ;  but  the  third  part, 
which  might  be  easily  thrown  into  the  form  of  a  peroration,  is  well  worth 
the  study  of  a  preacher.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  anything  more  terrific, t 
as  may  easily  be  supposed  even  from  the  following  meager  extracts  : — 

Consider  how  vain  all  the  refuges  and  hopes  of  sinners  will  be  found  in  that  dread- 
lul  day  of  the  Lord.     They  will  call  on  the  rocks  and  mountains,  &c.     Who  shall 

*  8co  an  extract  from  this  discourso  at  pas:f!  3.'5. 

t  The  fact  respecting  a  French  preacher  wlio  painted  the  day  of  jadgment,  and  brought  it  so  close 
to  the  iniagiuatiun  of  llie  hearers  that  they  all  at  once  started  from  Uicir  seats  and  cried  out,  is  well 
known. 


PERORATIONS.  54.3 

call  on  these  stupendous  works  of  God  ?    "Wicked  kings,  mighty  men,  rich  men,  &c. 
They  had  once  the  direction  of  armies,  &c. ;  but  now  the  day  of  their  power  is  over. 
Rocks  and  mountains  !     Oh  how  vain  to  call  creatures  to  screen  from  the  Crea- 
tor !     Rocks  and  mountains  have  ever  been  obedient  to  God Rocks  and 

mountains,  in  their  cliffs,  aad  dens,  and  caverns,  may  be  occasional  refuges  to  hide 
men  from  storms  or  from  their  pursuers ;  but  he  whose  eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire 
penetrates  the  deepest  recesses.  Can  any  hide  where  he  can  not  see?  ....  Rocks 
and  mountains  are  often  places  of  defence  (Isa.  xxxiii.  16)  ;  but  can  these  defend 
against  Omnipotence?     He  throws  down  the  mountains  and    tears   the   rocks   in 

pieces,  Nahum,  i.  2,  6 Rocks  and  mountains,  indeed,  falling  on  weak  and 

feeble  worms,  will  crush  them  to  atoms.  If  such  be  the  wish  of  these  great  men,  as 
though  annihilation  were  possible,  this  were  equally  vain.  They  may  seek  death, 
but  death  will  flee  from  them.  The  work  of  death  has  terminated.  He  gives  up  his 
charge.  Therefore  to  which  of  your  refuges,  O  sinners!  will  you  turn?  The  sen- 
tence of  your  condemnation  you  inusi  hear.  You  must  endure  everlasting  burnings. 
You  will  have  no  rest  day  nor  night;  the  smoke  of  your  torment  will  ascend  for  ever 
and  ever,  unless  you  now  "  kiss  the  Son,"  submit  yourselves  to  him,  accept  his  grace, 
and  come  to  him  for  life  and  salvation. 

I  need  only  add  here  a  short  extract  from  Saurin  on  Heb.  xii.  29. 

How  often  have  we  represented  to  you  the  dreadful  consequences  of  your  delays  ? 
We  would  take  you  to  witness,  you  walls  of  the  church,  if  you  were  capable  of  giv- 
ing evidence.  But  you  shall  be  our  witnesses,  you  discourses  preached  here,  a  re- 
membrance of  which  shall  be  awakened  in  that  great  day  when  our  hearers  shall 
give  an  account  of  the  use  they  have  made  of  them.  Consciences,  you  shall  be  our 
witnesses.  You  have  heard  our  directions  ;  you  yourselves  shall  be  our  witnesses. 
Gainsayers,  you  who  have  so  often  pretended,  by  reversing  the  ideas  which  the  gos- 
pel gives  us  of  the  mercy  of  God,  to  obscure  others  which  it  gives  of  his  justice  and 
vengeance.  We  ourselves  must  and  will  witness  against  you,  ere  the  flames  of  hell 
seize  upon  you. 

There  are  innumerable  passages  in  Alleine's  and  Baxter's  works,  and 
many  in  Davies  and  other  authors  of  this  character,  that  might  suggest  con- 
clusions, although  such  passages  do  not  stand  in  the  rank  of  conclusions. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  exemplify  all  the  different  kinds  of  address  which 
may  be  adopted,  I  shall  content  myself  with  having  given  specimens  of 
the  most  important,  and  shall  close  this  ardcle  by  very  briefly  remarking 
on  two  or  three  others ;  such  as — 

THE    TENDER    OR    COMPASSIONATE. 

This  kind  turns  on  the  feelings  of  the  preacher's  own  mind  in  reference 
to  the  subject  in  hand,  as  when  Jeremiali  thus  expresses  himself  (ch.  xiii. 
17),  "  But,  if  you  will  not  hear  my  message,  my  soul  shall  weep  in  secret 
places  for  your  pride,  and  my  eye  shall  weep  sorely,  and  run  down  with 
tears,  because  the  Lord's  flock  is  carried  away  captive."  Again:  "Oh 
that  my  head  were  waters,  and  my  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might 
weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  !  Oh  that  I  had 
in  the  wilderness  a  lodging-place  of  wayfaring  men,"  &c.,  ch.  ix.  1,  2,  &c. 

THE    INDIGNANT. 

There  are  a  great  many  perorations  of  this  kind.  The  feeling  intended 
to  be  described  is  that  which  Jacob  felt  when  he  uttered  his  comment  on 
the  character  of  Simeon  and  Levi,  Gen.  xlix.  6  :  "  Oh !  my  soul,  come 
not  thou  into  their  secret;  unto  their  assembly,  my  honor,  be  not  thou 
united,"  &c. 

THE    ABRUPT. 

This  peroration  may  sometimes  have  a  very  happy  effect.  Davies  on 
2  Chron.  xxxii.   2^ — Hezekiah's  ingraUtude — thus  concludes — 


544  LECTURE    XXXI. 

It  need  afford  you  no  surprise  if  my  subject  overwhelms  me,  so  as  to  disable  me 
from  making  a  formal  application  of  it:  I  leave  you  to  your  own  thoughts  upon  it, 
and  I  am  apt  to  think  they  will  constrain  you  to  cry  out  in  a  consternation,  with  me. 
Oh  the  amazing,  horrid,  base,  unprecedented  ingratitude  of  man !  And  oh  the 
amazing,  free,  rich,  overflowing,  infinite,  unprecedented  goodness  of  God  !  Let 
these  two  miracles  be  the  wonder  of  the  whole  universe. 

It  is  said  of  Bucholtzer  that  he  often  closed  his  sermons  designedly  in 

some  such  terse  abrupt  manner  as  the  following : — 

rtere,  my  brethren,  I  stop,  and  leave  the  Holy  Spirit  to  preach  to  you. 

Now,  Christians,  I  have  done  my  pari,  may  the  Lord  condescend  to  do  his  in  your 
hearts ! 

I  have  planted  and  watered  ;  may  God  give  the  increase ! 

I  have  been  preaching  to  you,  and  setting  before  you  the  gospel  of  salvation  ;  may 
the  Lord  God  apply  it  to  your  hearts,  for  his  glory  and  your  eternal  felicity ! 

May  the  Lord  set  home  to  your  hearts  what  I  have  been  preaching  !  For  my  part 
I  am  only  his  messenger  to  you  ;  he  is  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls  I 

With  some  one  such  sentence  he  frequently  concluded  his  discourse. 

"  The  words  of  the  wise  are  as  goads,  and  as  nails  fastened  by  the  Master 

of  assemblies,"  Eccles.  xii.  11. 

Others  frequently  conclude  with  some  suitable  passage  of  scripture  as — 
Farquhar  on  Ps.  Ixxiii.  2S — The  advantages  of  devotion. 

I  shall  conclude  with  two  passages  of  scripture  that  are  much  to  our  present  pur- 
pose, and  serve  to  show  the  unconquerable  power  of  piety  amid  the  greatest  calami- 
ties. The  former  is  David's  triumph  in  the  midst  of  public  danger  and  distress. 
Ps.  xlvi.  1-7  :  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in  troulile,"  &c. 
The  other  is  the  conclusion  of  Habakkuk's  hymn:  '-Although  the  fig-tree  shall  not 
blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines,  the  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail  and  the 
fields  shall  yield  no  meat,  the  flock  shall  be  cut  off"  from  the  fold  and  there  shall  be 
no  herd  in  the  stalls,  yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  sal- 
vation." Thus  blessed  is  the  man,  0  God  !  whom  thou  causest  to  approach  to 
thee  I  To  God  therefore  let  us  draw  near  with  a  true  heart  and  a  full  assurance  of 
faith. 

The  same  author  on  Matt.  xxii.  39 — "The  love  of  our  neighbor" — 
very  appropriately  concludes  by  quoting  Col.  iii.  12-14,  "Put  on,  there- 
fore, as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercy,  kindness, 
humbleness  of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering,  forbearing  one  another,  and 
forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  quarrel  against  any:  even  as 
Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do  you:  and,  above  all  these  things,  put  on 
charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness." 

Here  permit  me  to  suggest,  that  there  may  be  now  and  then  great  pro- 
priety in  concluding  with  the  words  of  the  text  on  which  your  discourse 
is  founded,  uttered  with  great  solemnity  and  emphasis,  without  any  note 
whatever. 

I  must  now  conclude  this  lecture,  which  I  can  not  better  do  than  in  the 
words  of  a  foreign  writer,  whose  advice,  rightly  understood,  can  not  be 
too  deeply  regarded.  He  observes:  "  When  you  have  proved  the  truth 
of  the  principles  you  laid  down,  you  have  done  but  little  of  the  ministerial 
work.  It  is  from  this  point,  the  proof  of  yoiu-  doctrine,  that  you  are  to 
set  out  to  triumph  over  the  passions  of  your  auditory,  to  strip  the  sinner 
of  every  subterfuge  and  excuse,  iliat  conviction  may  lead  him  to  rcpe7it- 
ance.  To  produce  this  effect,  leave  your  proofs  and  divisions  behind  you, 
and  address  yourself  to  the  conscience  in  powerful  interrogatories.  Re- 
peat nothing  you  have  before  said ;  you  have  now  to  produce  a  new  effect, 
and  must  use  a  new  language.  Employ  the  utmost  energy  of  your  soul 
to  show  them  that  happiness  is  to  be  found  nowhere  but  in  God.     What 


COMMENT. 


545 


should  I  say  more?  Forget  method — forget  art  itself.  Lift  up  your  soul 
in  an  affectionate  prayer  to  God — become  the  intercessor  for  your  auditory, 
that  the  multitude  who  withstood  your  menaces  may  be  constrained  to 
yield  to  the  effusions  of  your  love." 


LECTURE  XXXIL 


COMMENT. 


"Every  new  author  upon  a  subject,  however  little  original  in  other  respects,  contributes  some  slight 
addition  to  the  mass  of  probabilities." — Truths  of  Religion,  by  James  Douglas,  Esq.* 

The  general  inadequacy  of  theories  to  effect  the  purposes  contemplated 
by  them,  has  thrown  their  authors  into  considerable  discredit,  and  the  very 
name  of  a  theorist  connects  with  it  litde  to  the  honor  of  his  understanding. 
Whether  a  scheme  be  originated  or  only  revived,  it  must  therefore  be  ex- 
amined solely  by  its  practical  results. 

If  the  system  does  not  work  well,  as  the  modern  phrase  is,  but  still  con- 
tains in  it  much  that  promises  to  be  beneficial  to  society,  nothing  can  be 
more  clearly  a  duty  than  the  endeavor  to  find  out  the  cause  of  this  partial 
failure,  and  the  application  of  the  appropriate  remedy.  Perhaps  some 
new  power  may  be  applied  to  make  the  scheme  work  better:  if  this  can 
be  done,  all  the  belter,  for  amendment  is  preferable  to  a  total  breaking  up 
and  abandonment;  hence  reform  is  the  favorite  theme  of  the  day. 

The  plan  laid  down  and  recommended  by  Claude  for  the  due  regulation* 
of  public  discourses  appears  to  possess  the  elements  of  great  usefulness.. 
I  have  endeavored,  in  the  foregoing  lectures,  to  exhibit  this  plan  fairly j. 
and  have  made  some  additions  to  it;  and  I  have  shown,  I  think,  that  it  is 
capable  of  improvement.  But  does  our  system  of  public  preaching  now 
require  further  reform?  I  answer,  without  hesitation,  it  does  call  for 
further  reform ;  there  is  still  something  wanting,  which  must  be  supplied 
before  it  can  be  efficient,  before  we  can  hopefully  look  for  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion. It  is  not  learning,  for  learning  has  increased,  till,  like,  house-prop- 
erty, it  is  fallen  in  value ;  nor  is  it  talent  in  the  ministry,  for  talent  goes 
a-begging ;  nor  is  it  moral  character,  for  this  exists  in  the  ministry  to  an 
extent  that  will  bear  comparison  with  former  periods ;  nor  is  there,  gener- 
ally speaking,  a  departure  from  the  purity  of  Christian  doctrine,  for  just 
views  of  truth  are  the  glory  of  our  age,  and  are  found  where  once  they 
were  lamentably  deficient:  there  is  also  a  fair  attendance  on  gospel  ordi- 
nances ;  but  alas !  to  an  alarming  degree,  all  this  setdes  in  little  better  than 
mere  formality.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  not  in  word,  but  in  power ;  and 
this,  if  lost,  must  be  restored.  Defect  in  preaching  does  exist.  The  tes- 
timony of  Dr.  Fletcher  bears  strongly  upon  this  point.  In  his  excellent 
sermon  on  a  revival  of  religion,  lately  published,  he  says:  "I  shrink  not 
from  the  avowal,  solemn  and  affecting  as  is  the  responsibihty  which  I  feel 
in  making  it,  that  a  careless,  inadequate,  unimpressive,  or,  on  any  great 

*  This  work,  and  its  associate  '-Errors  regarding  Religion,"  by  the  same  esteemed  author,  are  oX 
very  great  value. 

35 


546  LECTURE    XXXII. 

points,  defective  ministration  of  divine  truth,  is,  of  all  other  causes,  most 
conducive  to  a  declining  state  of  things  in  the  church  of  God,  and  that 
indifference,  error,  worldly  conformity,  and  other  indications  of  declension, 
are  closely  connected  with  the  tone  and  character  of  ministerial  instruc- 
tion." Dr.  Fletcher  has  not  been  contradicted.  The  doctor's  remarks 
refer  not  to  the  publication  of  error,  nor  of  ignorance  in  publishing  the 
truth,  but  to  something  wanting  to  give  due  advantage  to  the  gospel.  And, 
if  all  the  rules  given  for  raising  the  character  of  sermons  were  observed 
and  acted  upon,  still  the  complaint  would  remain.  Every  friend  of  divine 
ti'uth  will  say  that  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  wanting  in  a  fuller  de- 
gree than  has  been  in  our  times  yet  experienced,  to  give  life  and  energy  to 
the  preacher,  to  affect  the  hearts  of  the  hearers,  and  to  accomplish  that 
which  learnino;  and  correct  rules  never  can,  even  in  such  a  measure  as  we 
in  our  times  may  expect,  and  which  is  comprehended  m  the  promise,  "Lo, 
I  am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  This  is  equivalent 
to  saying,  "  I  will,  by  my  Spirit,  ever  be  with  you,  to  assist  you  in  your 
work,  and  to  impart  such  energy  to  my  gospel  that  no  opposing  powers 
shall  prevent  its  ultimate  success."  Hence,  until  the  blessed  Spirit  shall 
ajjain  visit  our  churches  with  a  richer  effusion  of  his  gracious  influences, 
until  ministers  shall  be  baptized  with  an  apostolic  spirit,  we  must  continue 
constant  in  prayer  and  supplication. 

Let  it  never  be  forgotten  by  us  that  the  ministry  may  have  knowledge, 
learning,  eloquence,  and  even  piety,  and  yet  be  inefficient.  "  It  is  essen- 
tial to  an  efficient  ministry,"  as  is  very  ably  shown  by  Dr.  Andrew  Reed 
in  his  charge  to  the  Rev.  J.  Elliot,  of  Bury  St.  Edmund's,*  "that  there 
>--hould  be  a  spiritual  and  powarful  perc(pti<jn  of  the  truth — a  predominant 
regard  for  the  divine  glory,  existing  with  the  absorbing  power  of  a  ruling 
passion,  teaching  him  to  forget  himself,  to  deny  himself,  to  sacrifice  him- 
self for  God,  and  to  be  happy  in  so  doing — a  yearning  compassion  for 
men,  as  guilty  and  miserable  through  sin — a  living  and  abiding  sense  of 
responsibility — deeii  emotion — and  a  fixed  and  humble  dependence  on  the 
grace  and.  Spirit  of  Gody 

The  observations  of  our  author,  in  illustrating  the  necessity  of  £?eep  emo- 
tion in  order  to  the  efficient  ministration  of  the  word  of  life  are  so  excel- 
lent, and  so  much  to  our  present  purpose,  that  I  must  beg  leave  to  intro- 
duce the  substance  of  them,  which  will  also  answer  the  purpose  of  recom- 
mending the  work  to  your  attention. 

"  By  emotion  I  do  not  mean  a  forced  physical  excitement.  There  are 
many  speakers  who  have  inadequate  views  of  the  important  truths  they 
utter,  and  whose  affections  have  little  sympathy  with  them,  who  neverthe- 
less task  themselves  to  be  animated  and  striking,  that  they  may  be  accept- 
able and  popular,  as  though  any  man  were  truly  eloquent  by  trying  to  be 
so!  The  effect  is  that  they  overstep  'the  modesty  of  nature,'  and  do 
violence  to  taste  and  reason.  In  trying  to  be  forcible  they  are  extrava- 
gant ;  in  laboring  to  be  pathetic  they  whine  and  whimper ;  and  in  striving 
to  feel  they  become  turgid  in  the  extreme.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  vo- 
ciferation, and,  beside  it,  nothing.  Such  service  is  of  very  questionable 
•efficacy. 

"Nor,  by  emotion,  do  I  refer,  with  commendation,  to  that  softness  of 
aaturc  which  disposes  an  individual  to  undue  sensibility,  and  even  to  tears, 

*  This  is  well  worthy  of  careful  perusal.    It  is  entitled  "  An  Efficient  Ministry." 


COMMENT.  547 

on  slight  occasion  and  on  trivial  subjects.  This  is  7nere  weakness  ;  and 
sensible  weakness  in  the  minister  can  never  give  power  to  his  ministra- 
tions. 

"Finally,  by  emotion  I  do  not  understand  those  occasional  and  sudden 
gusts  of  real  but  animal  feeling  into  which  some  speakers  work  themselves, 
and  which  spring  from  no  sufficient  cause,  and  defy  all  control  of  judgment 
and  reason.  To  command  others  we  must  command  ourselves.  It  must 
be  felt  that  thought  rises  with  passion,  and  that  we  are  never  so  truly  ra- 
tional as  when  we  are  deeply  impassioned. 

"  By  emotion  I  refer  to  that  deep  earnestness  of  the  soul  which  is  created 
by  the  truth  strongly  perceived  and  entirely  believed,  and  the  consequent 
quick  and^  holy  sympathy ^  of  all  the  affections  with  the  word  the  minister 
has  to  deliver,  and  the  circumstances  in  which  he  is  placed.  Such  emo- 
tion, evidently,  would  indicate  neither  weakness  nor  wildness.  It  would 
be  in  keeping  with  the  subject;  and  appearing  only  where  it  was  demanded, 
its  presence  would  be  life  and  power.  It  would  suggest  the  just  action ; 
it  would  give  the  just  intonation;  it  would  create  the  just  expression. 
Everything  would  speak,  and  speak  eloquently,  and  would  carry  to  the 
conscience  of  the  hearer  that  conviction  of  sincerity  and  power  in  the 
speaker  which  nothing  else  could  supply. 

"Now  our  proposition  is,  that  this  emotion  of  the  heart  is  not  only  proper 
but  indispensable  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  so  that  should  a  person, 
either  from  physical  or  spiritual  causes,  have  his  affections  in  so  dull  and 
obtuse  a  state  as  not  to  allow  of  a  corresponding  feeling  with  the  truth  to 
be  uttered,  he  is  disqualified  for  the  high  and  important  service.  He 
would  fail  to  produce  a  belief  in  the  truth  of  his  message  on  the  minds  of 
those  who  heard  him ;  he  would  fail  to  produce  even  the  conviction  that 
he  himself  believed  it. 

"He  would  fail,  in  the  first  instance,  to  produce  belief  of  the  truth  in 
those  who  heard  him.  Let  us  look  at  this.  He  is  a  messenger  from  God 
to  man,  and  on  his  highest  interests.  He  is  to  make  him  sensible  that  he 
has  broken  the  righteous  laws  of  his  Maker,  that  he  is  under  sentence  of 
condemnation  for  his  offence,  and  that  the  sentence  recorded  against  hira 
subjects  him  to  the  forfeiture  of  life  and  happiness,  both  in  this  world  and 
that  which  is  to  come.  He  is  to  know  that  this  fearful  sentence  is  sus- 
pended, at  the  will  of  his  Maker,  that  there  may  be  place  for  an  act  of 
grace  on  the  part  of  God,  and  space  for  repentance  on  the  part  of  the 
sinner.  The  preacher  is  to  announce  this  grace  as  it  is  unfolded  in  the 
pity,  the  humility,  the  tears,  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God  for  his  sake. 
He  is  to  beseech  him  to  accept  this  message  by  faith,  sustained  as  it  is  by 
the  highest  credentials,  to  rejoice  in  a  display  of  infinite  mercy  which  pro- 
vides for  him  the  only  escape  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  to  commit 
himself  and  his  interests  into  the  hands  of  that  Savior  who  has  borne  all, 
suffered  all,  for  him. 

"  But,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  does  not  listen,  or  listening,  he  does 
not  obey.  His  mind  is  darkened  by  sin;  his  heart  is  occupied  by  the 
world ;  he  is  little  affected  by  the  glories  or  terrors  of  the  life  to  come ; 
and  he  prefers  to  gratify  his  ease,  his  pleasure,  or  his  pride.  Conviction, 
mdeed,  often  startles  him  in  his  apathy;  but  he  allays  it  by  a  thousand 
excuses  and  pretences,  all  of  which  only  mean  that  he  is  unwilling  to  ac- 
cept a  method  of  mercy  which  forbids  him  alike  either  to  sin  or  to  boast. 


548  LECTURE    XXXII. 

*'  In  this  state  of  cherished  insensibility  and  unbelief  he  has  remained, 
against  all  entreaty,  for  weeks,  and  months,  and  years.  Meantime  his  life, 
which  is  but  a  thread,  is  wearing  away,  his  day  of  grace  is  hastening  to 
its  close,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  fear  that,  through  his  own  perver- 
sity, it  will  only  aggravate  his  doom. 

"  Once  more  he  is  to  be  tried.  The  preacher  stands  up  in  his  place  to 
repeat  a  message  which  has  been  too  often  rejected.  He  is  surrounded 
by  the  realities  of  eternity.  God,  the  judge  of  all,  especially  his  judge, 
is  present  to  mark  his  fidelity.  He  is  to  utter  words  which  will  be  a  savor 
of  life  unto  life  or  of  death  unto  death.  Two  worlds — the  world  above 
and  the  world  below — are  interested  spectators.  His  eye  falls  on  the  in- 
dividual whom  he  would  persuade  and  save.  He  is  his  fellow-man,  per- 
haps his  friend;  ready,  perhaps,  to  do  anything  for  him,  but  refuses  to 
honor  and  accept  his  message.  He  makes  his  appeal.  For  anything  he 
can  tell,  it  may  be  the  last  occasion  on  which  it  shall  be  made.  He  may 
never  more  repeat  it.  His  hearer  may  never  more  listen  to  it.  Oh,  if  he 
should  reject  it — he  is  lost,  for  ever  lost,  and  demons  shriek  with  horrid 
exultation !  Oh,  if  he  repent  and  accept  it — he  is  saved,  saved,  for  ever 
saved,  and  angels  rejoice  over  the  soul  that  was  lost  and  is  found ! 

"Was  ever  man  placed  in  such  affecting  circumstances  in  relation  to  his 
fellow-man !  Is  it  not  an  impossibility  to  remain  unmoved,  or  slighdy 
moved,  on  such  occasion  !  Suppose  it  possible  to  fulfil  such  a  service  with 
coldness  and  indifference,  would  it  not,  more  than  anything,  take  reality 
from  the  truth,  and  dispose  the  hearer  to  adjudge  it  '  a  cunningly-devised 
fable !' 

"More  than  this:  the  preacher  without  emotion  would  fail,  as  we  have 
remarked,  to  produce  a  conviction  that  he  himself  believed  the  things  he 
uttered.  It  is  a  common  law  of  our  nature  to  be  affected  and  moved  by 
truth  and  by  circumstances  in  proportion  as  we  believe  their  importance. 
If  a  culprit  could  hear  the  sentence  of  death  without  emotion,  or  if  the 
judge  could  utter  it  without  solemn  emotion,  would  you  not  consider  that 
they  had  made  themselves  less  than  human  ?  If  a  stranger  should  ap- 
proach you  with  leisurely  step,  and  with  placid  look,  and  in  measured 
phrases  should  inform  you  that  your  dwelling  was  in  flames,  and  suggest 
that  you  had  better  look  to  it,  would  you  believe  him?  And  why  not? 
Simply  because  his  manner  denied  his  statement. 

"And  here,  brethren,  is  the  fault  of  our  ministry.  Time  was,  and  it 
has  not  wholly  passed  away,  in  which  an  earnest  ministry  was  decried  as 
vulgar,  ignorant,  and  methodistical.  He  was  deemed  to  be  the  fashion- 
able, the  intellectual,  the  polished  preacher,  who  read  what  he  wrote,  who 
shunned  emotion  as  he  would  an  adversary,  and  who  clothed  himself  with 
an  indifference  which,  by  courtesy,  was  pronounced  philosophical  and  ra- 
tional. Mistaken  men !  No  delusion  has  worked  so  fatally  on  the  minis- 
try !  It  has  induced  men  to  regard  religion  itself  as  a  mere  affair  of  state, 
its  ministers  are  mere  stipendiaries.  In  announcing  the  gospel,  they  are 
considered  to  be  only  fulfilling  their  vocation,  and  in  all  their  service  to  be 
doing  duly,  or,  in  other  terms,  to  be  acting  a  part,  which  they  can  not 
deem  to  be  of  spiritual  and  eternal  importance. 

"Do  you  ask  for  instances  in  illustration?  It  would  really  be  to  divide 
the  whole  ministry,  whether  past  or  present,  into  two  classes — the  frigid 
and  the  fervent — and  to  adduce  them  relatively  as  examples  of  failure  or 


COMMENT.  549 

success.  The  frigid,  whatever  otherwise  might  be  its  advantages,  would 
be  found  to  fail;  and  the  fervent,  whatever  its  infirmities  and  errors,  would 
be  found  to  succeed.  Of  course  we  refer  not  to  an  affected  fervor ;  of  all 
frigid  things  it  is  the  most  frigid.  And,  if  we  speak  of  real  earnestness 
with  attendant  disadvantages,  it  is  merely  in  compliance  with  common  im- 
pression ;  but  our  full  belief  is  that,  as  true  emotion  has  the  advantage  of 
success  on  its  side,  so,  in  fact,  it  has  commonly  every  other  advantage.  It 
not  only  involves  a  more  generous  and  healthy  action  of  the  affections,  but 
greater  force  of  mind,  juster  conceptions  of  the  truth,  better  knowledge  of 
mankind,  and  deeper  benevolence  of  soul. 

"Hear  Baxter,  the  apostle  of  his  time,  exclaim  indignantly,  'Shall  we 
preach  a  living  gospel  with  a  lifeless  manner!'  Hear  Augustine,  the  ef- 
fects of  whose  mind  and  labors  are  visible  on  the  church  to  this  day,  de- 
clare that  he  was  satisfied  with  no  discourse  unless  it  brought  himself  and 
his  hearers  to  tears.  Hear  Paul,  the  prince  of  preachers,  say,  '  By  the 
space  of  three  years  I  ceased  not  to  warn  every  one,  night  and  day,  with 
tears.''  O  those  tears — those  manly  tears — what  power  was  in  them! 
They  tell  you  that  his  soul  is  noble  throughout,  that  the  energies  of  his 
heart  rival  those  of  his  head,  that  what  he  sees  more  clearly  than  any  man 
he  feels  more  profoundly,  that  his  whole  being  is  elevated  and  consecrated 
by  the  solemnities  of  his  work. 

"  Then  look  to  a  more  than  earthly  example;  listen  to  Him  'who  spoke 
as  never  man  spoke.'  Was  there  ever  an  instance  of  such  deep  emotion, 
such  habitual  earnestness,  the  fires  of  which  were  consuming  him,  and  by 
which  he  was  willing  to  be  consumed?  Was  there  ever  known  such  ma- 
jesty of  carriage,  such  solemnity  of  rebuke,  such  dissolving  pathos,  such 
sublimity  of  thought  and  of  speech,  as  pervaded  his  ministry  ?  And  why? 
Just  because  he  was  the  incarnation  of  truth,  and  truth  had  found,  for  the 
first  time,  a  divine,  yet  human,  medium,  through  which  she  might  express 
herself  in  all  her  divine  qualities  to  man — in  all  her  light  and  love,  her 
power  and  grandeur!" 

Where  this  deep  emotion  is  felt,  the  preacher  will  adopt  a  language  the 
most  likely  to  impress  the  heart.  We  need  not  throw  off  the  aids  of 
learning  for  enriching  the  mind,  but  we  must  also  find  a  language  that  will 
seize  the  affections,  the  passions,  and  the  senses  of  the  audience.  Expo- 
sitions, propositions,  with  their  auxiliaries  and  adjuncts,  constitute  the  ma- 
chinery of  the  understanding ;  but  there  is  a  peculiar  language  which  opens 
the  avenues  of  the  heart.  The  Christian  character  stands  out  fairly  before 
us  when  it  is  seen  not  as  a  religion  of  the  head  merely,  nor  of  the  heart 
merely,  but  a  happy  combination  of  both ;  and  whenever  we  see  a  want 
of  this  combination,  we  see  to  a  certainty  an  imperfect  character,  which  in 
many  instances  may  be  traced  to  imperfect  or  defective  preaching. 

The  kind  of  language  to  be  contended  for  is  to  be  found  in  the  sacred 
scriptures,  and  in  the  works  of  men  who  have  most  closely  followed  the 
divine  method.  The  careful  study  of  the  scriptures,  with  a  direct  view  to 
the  subject  of  this  lecture,  will  satisfy  any  man  that  he  who  formed  the 
heart  was  acquainted  with  the  avenues  to  it.  There  is  no  language  that 
distils  into  the  heart  like  scripture  language ;  it  has  a  point  and  an  address 
which  words  fail  to  describe:  the  language  is  aided  by  circumstances 
which  gave  occasion  to  the  language,  so  that  we  have  the  fittest  time,  the 
fittest  means,  and  the  fittest  words.     In  Nathan's  interview  with  David, 


550  LECTURE    XXXII. 

after  his  unhappy  fall,  you  have  a  fine  exemplification  of  this,  as  also  in 
the  prophet  Daniel  when  standing  before  Belshazzar:  in  both  instances 
you  see  how  the  circumstances  aided  the  strong  language  of  the  messen- 
gers of  God.  There  is  also,  as  I  have  said,  a  strength  of  language  to  be 
found  in  human  authors,  at  least  in  some  of  them,  as  well  as  in  some  pul- 
pits, exceedingly  well-calculated  to  strike  the  heart  with  the  force  of  truth. 
This  is  matter  of  fact;  and  when  we  arc  looking  for  a  revival  of  religion, 
we  must  look  to  these  resources  for  language  to  promote  such  a  revival. 

With  regard  to  the  printed  works  of  Christian  divines,  I  would  espe- 
cially refer  to  the  "land  of  revivals,"  America.  I  ask,  is  not  the  power- 
ful language  of  Davies  and  Payson  calculated  to  affect  the  heart?  Have 
not  these  and  men  of  kindred  spirits  done  much  in  effecting  such  revi- 
vals? These  points  must  be  conceded.  To  come  nearer  home,  I  might 
refer  to  Walker  of  Edinburgh,  and  South  in  our  own  land,  with  many 
others.  Here  we  have  patterns  before  us,  while  scripture  will  be  always 
at  hand  to  supply  anything  in  which  they  may  happen  to  have  been  defi- 
cient. Such  men  as  I  have  referred  to  had  in  them  the  very  elements  of 
comment — strong  feeling,  delicate  sensibility,  and  both  united  with  a  sound 
judgment.  Of  South,  indeed,  we  must  say  that  he  was  too  much  a  party 
man,  that  he  labored  under  strong  prejudices  against  the  puritans,  and  that 
we  should  therefore  read  him  with  caution ;  with  these  allowances,  he  was 
a  giant  in  language,  and  that  without  the  aid  of  Grsecisms,  Latinisms,  or 
any  other  disfigurements  of  style,  all  which,  like  a  true  descendant  of  the 
bold  Saxon  race,  he  despised.  Walker,  in  his  own  country,  was  a  prod- 
igy: he  seems  to  have  drank  deeply  into  the  spirit  of  his  countryman, 
John  Knox,  though  he  was  more  polite  by  two  hundred  years  ;  and  while 
the  great  body  of  his  countrymen  were  actively  engaged  in  cultivating  the 
understanding,  he  undertook  a  task,  equally  arduous,  by  the  language  of 
power  to  raise  the  soul  to  action,  and  by  his  own  deep  and  hallowed  feel- 
ings to  stir  up  those  of  his  hearers.  Blair  learned  something  from 
Walker ;  the  best  parts  of  his  sermons  are  his  imitations  of  Walker ;  but 
being  desUtute  of  that  deep  spiritual  emotion,  diat  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  with  fire,  which  distinguished  Walker,  of  course  there  is  little 
correspondence  in  this  respect  in  their  writings ;  yet  there  is  a  borrowed 
excellence  in  Blair,  which  is  of  some  value.  I  make  this  last  remark  to 
encourage  young  preachers  to  the  closest  imitation  of  such  excellent  men. 
Let  them  earnestly  aim  to  cultivate  the  eloquence  of  the  heart. 

If  the  Spirit's  work  is  with  the  heart  as  well  as  the  understanding,  if 
"the  Lord  opened  the  heart  of  Lydia  to  attend  to  the  things  which  were 
spoken  by  Paul,"  will  he  not  be  most  likely  to  co-operate  with  such  lan- 
guage from  the  preacher  as  is  best  fitted  to  the  purpose!  And,  if  the 
gracious  Spirit  move  toward  a  people  by  the  intimation  of  his  love,  may 
we  not  suppose  that  he  will  move  the  preacher  toward  them  in  the  same 
way?  Thus  the  aposdes  went  forth,  "preaching  everywhere,"  no  doubt 
in  the  heartfelt  language  which  they  had  learned  from  their  Master,  and  we 
are  informed,  "the  Lord  worked  with  them,  and  confirmed  the  word  with 
signs  following."      Mark  xvi.  20, 

In  accordance  with  these  views,  the  people  will  go  where  they  can  be 
affected,  where  they  can  be  made  to  feel.  Though  such  assaults  on  the 
heart  to  those  who  are  completely  wedded  to  sin,  and  are  determined  to 
go  after  their  idols,  may  be  unpleasant,  yet  even  such  persons  will  go 


COMMENT.  551 

again  and  again;  they  may  indeed  say,  "The  man  speaks  parables;  he  is 
speaking  of  some  other  persons,  and  not  of  us;"  still,  I  say,  they  will  hear 
such  addresses,  and  will  repeat  their  visits  even  in  spite  of  themselves. 
Great  numbers  of  persons  who  are  in  the  habit  of  attending  on  the  minis- 
try of  the  word  are  incapable  of  appreciating  elegant  composition ;  they  are 
not  intellectual  enough  to  taste  an  intellectual  feast;  but  they  will  go  where 
they  can  be  powerfully  affected,  where  the  preacher  chooses  acceptable 
words  that  harmonize  with  their  feelings,  that  touch  the  tender  strings  of 
their  hearts,  that  melt  or  burn — where  they  can  hear  something  that  will 
recall  the  thoughts  of  their  hearts,  and  lay  them  open  to  view,  though  long 
forgotten — where  the  preacher,  from  his  acquaintance  with  the  workings 
of  the  human  heart,  is  enabled  to  disclose  things  which  they  supposed  to 
be  known  only  to  themselves.  Such  preaching  attracts  the  many;  and 
the  impulse  gains  strength  from  the  numbers  that  go  to  the  same  place, 
and,  so  far  as  attention  is  secured,  something  is  accomplished.  But  this 
is  not  all :  the  people  may  be  expected  to  lay  to  heart  the  faithful  remon- 
strances and  the  occasional  severity  of  a  man  whose  warm  and  urgent 
manner  displays  the  earnestness  and  deep  emotion  of  his  soul ;  while  they 
would  not  bear  reproof  from  a  mere  official  declaimer.  Convinced  that 
the  preacher  has  in  view  their  eternal  welfare,  they  will  say,  "Master,  say 
on;"  the  reprover  will  afterward  "find  more  favor  than  he  that  flatters 
with  his  tongue."     Pro  v.  xxviii.  23. 

Add  to  all  these  considerations  the  example  of  Christ.  His  language 
concentrated  in  it  everything  that  could  engage  the  attention  and  improve 
the  heart.  See  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  his  discourse  at  Nazareth,  &c., 
and  mark  his  energetic  language  to  the  Jews,  John  v.,  vi.,  vii.  Every- 
thing he  said,  and  everything  he  did,  was  calculated  to  move  as  well  as  to 
teach,  to  correct  as  well  as  to  inform. 

In  short,  pungent  language,  like  powerful  medicines,  can  alone  produce 
the  desired  effect  upon  the  decayed  mental  and  moral  constitution  of  men  : 
there  must  be  something  to  produce  "searchings  of  heart."  Thus  the 
roused  spirit  of  man  becomes  as  "the  candle  of  the  Lord,  searching  all 
the  inward  parts  of  the  belly,"  or  soul.     Prov.  xx.  27. 

An  able  writer  on  the  other  side  of  the  Adantic,  speaking  of  the  min- 
istry needed  at  the  present  time,  very  justly  observes  :  "  Ministers  are  too 
much  inclined  to  prosecute  one  undeviating  method  of  doing  things. 
This  is  well  within  certain  limits.  But  it  is  carried  too  far.  It  goes  often 
into  the  business  of  preaching,  and  imparts  dullness  to  the  efforts  for  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ.  The  sermons  are  sound,  full  of  thought,  replete 
with  instruction,  all  adjusted  in  logical  order  and  with  rhetorical  skill. 
Every  part  is  placed  as  the  book  directs,  and  the  whole  is  constructed  with 
the  accuracy  of  the  square  and  compass.  When  completed,  they  are 
elaborate  and  noble  sermons;  but,  when  delivered,  somehow  or  other  they 
fail  in  doing  Christ's  work  on  the  souls  of  men.  On  this  point  much  re- 
mains to  be  learned.  As  yet,  but  little  is  known  about  it.  We  want  men 
who  will  study  the  matter,  and  not  leave  it  till  they  learn  the  style  of 
thought  and  address,  of  illustration  and  language,  which  will  go  most  di- 
rectly into  plain  men's  bosoms,  and  who,  when  they  learn,  will  condescend 
to  use  it.  True,  it  will  cost  the  sacrifice  of  some  scholarly  notions,  the 
yielding  of  some  stately  words  and  well-turned  periods,  the  withering  of 
some  flowers,  and  the  defacing  of  some  beauties.     It  may  even  cost,  in 


552  LECTURE    XXXII. 

some  respects,  rebellion  against  the  authority  of  rule  and  the  despotism  of 
books.  But  preachers  must  do  it,  if  they  would  do  good  to  the  popula- 
tion that  is  now  taking  its  turn  to  live  on  this  globe.  We  are  not  pleading 
for  a  wild  and  ranting  eccentricity,  nor  for  a  debasing  of  truth  by  vulgar 
admixtures ;  but  for  a  sound,  well-disciplined  common  sense,  to  guide  in 
the  establishing  of  its  positions  and  in  the  pressure  of  its  appeals.  INIen, 
at  the  present  day,  will  not  be  converted  by  philosophy,  nor  by  fine  wri- 
ting, nor  by  graceful  speaking.  These  are  good  in  their  place ;  but  the 
gospel,  thrown  into  a  living  form  of  pungency  and  powder,  is  better  than 
the  whole  of  them.  Ministers  must  take  the  naked  gospel,  and  go  forth, 
and  preach  Jesus  Christ,  the  atonement,  and  eternity,  to  busy  men,  with 
the  same  tact  and  earnestness  with  which  these  men  preach  the  world  in 
the  heat  of  a  bargain. 

"Let  there  then  be  more  fervent  men  raised  up  among  us  ;  not  shallow, 
noisy  men ;  but  deep  as  well  as  rapid,  men  of  light  as  well  as  heat,  of 
vigorous  logic  as  well  as  glowing  passion.  '  Eloquence,'  said  one  who  is 
a  practitioner  in  the  matter,  '  is  logic  set  on  fire.'  This  is  what  is  wanted 
to  melt  and  burn  away  the  empire  of  Satan.  We  want  both  the  logic  and 
the  fire,  strong,  intense,  ready  men,  who  can  make  a  sermon  at  any  time, 
anywhere,  any  how — who  have  knowledge,  and  can  use  it — who  have 
souls,  and  can  throw  them  out,  and  throw  out  with  them  truth,  in  heavy 
and  glowing  masses,  in  just  such  order  and  shape  as  will  come  with  most 
power  to  the  souls  that  are  in  the  way  of  it.  Said  Rowland  Hill  to  his 
Welsh  curate,  '  Never  mind  breaking  grammar,  if  you  can  only  break 
hearts.'  We  do  not  advocate  a  propensity  to  blunder ;  accuracy  is  far  bet- 
ter ;  but  there  is  much  good  sense  in  this  direction.  It  means  that  minis- 
ters must  risk  something  if  they  would  ever  he  anything  or  ever  do  any- 
thing. After  they  have  piled  up  their  shining  stores  of  knowledge,  and 
they  can  not  pile  them  too  high,  let  them  impregnate  the  mass  with  the 
fires  of  holy  passion,  throw  away  the  shackles  of  a  timorous  and  benumb- 
ing restraint,  in  faith  and  prayer  commit  themselves  to  God,  go  forth  and 
do  good  as  circumstances  require,  and  as  fast  as  they  can."* 

I  am  fully  aware  that  the  kind  of  address  for  which  I  am  pleading  will, 
by  some,  be  censured.  If  it  sting,  it  will  be  called  declamation  ;  if  it 
touch  the  tender  feelings  of  the  heart,  it  will  be  called  cant,  a  play  upon 
the  feelings  of  weak-minded  people ;  and  it  is  well  if  the  preacher  do  not 
either  obtain  the  appellation  of  hypocrite,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  get  him- 
self denounced  as  a  caricaturist,  a  severe  ascetic  fellow,  a  libeller  of  hu- 
man nature,  a  man  of  many  words  but  no  meaning.  Well,  be  it  so  ;  but, 
if  preachers  do  not  speak  to  the  heart,  the  scripture  will  do  it,  and  the 
day  of  judgment  will  confirm  every  faithful  word  ;  and,  if  the  privileges 
and  enjoyments  of  those  who  through  grace  have  believed  are  not  to  be 
expatiated  upon  in  language  calculated  to  pcnetate  die  heart,  it  is  likely  we 
shall  soon  settle  again  into  a  sleepy  state,  and  shall  only  be  awaked  when 
calamity  approaches  or  death  stares  us  in  the  face. 

As  a  means  of  raising  the  standard  of  preaching,  that  it  may  not  be  the 
mere  lullaby  of  a  sleepy  audience,  I  recommend  the  study  of  comnicnf,  as 
well  calculated  to  give  force  and  energy  to  Uiought,  to  transfuse  breath  into 
sermons,  that  they  may  live,  that  they  may  be  replete  with  light  and  heat, 
that  they  may  be  as  a  hammer  breaking  the  rocky  hearts  in  pieces,  or  like 
*  Q.  Shepard,  profcBBor  of  eacred  rhetoric  in  Bangor  Theological  Seminary. 


COMMENT.  553 

the  *'  sharp  two-edged  sword,  piercing  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and 
spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  being  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart."  Under  such  sermons,  sinners  will  be  led  to  cry  out, 
"  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  the  sorrowful  and  contrite  spirit  will  be 
comforted,  the  Savior  will  be  set  forth  in  his  glorious  offices  and  grace, 
and  the  feet  of  the  weary  wanderer  will  be  directed  into  the  "  paths  of 
wisdom,"  which  are  "  pleasantness  and  peace." 

That  my  meaning  may  not  be  misapprehended,  it  may  perhaps  be  need- 
ful to  define  the  sense  in  which  the  term  comment  is  used  in  this  Lecture. 
Commentum,  whence  it  is  derived,  is  an  old  word  transferred  to  new 
purposes.  According  to  the  old  Latin  dictionary  it  signifies  "  a  device,  a 
fiction,  a  feigned  story."  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  the  fathers  of  the 
church  adopted  the  word,  but  changed  its  signification,  applying  it  to  an  ex- 
position of  the  Scriptures  or  aniiotations  upon  them.  Blackstone  calls  his 
Dissertations  on  the  Laws  of  England  "  Commentaries."  Of  late  years 
the  word  comment  has  been  adopted  at  the  bar  and  in  the  senate  for  the 
strong  expression  of  feeling  or  sentimeiit  in  reference  to  any  matter,  and  in 
this  sense  our  daily  political  publications  have  availed  themselves  of  it  in 
expressing  their  approbation  or  disapprobation  of  public  men  and  public 
measures.  This,  therefore,  is  the  sense  in  which  I  employ  it.  It  is  cer- 
tainly curious  to  observe,  in  the  history  of  a  word,  what  changes  take 
place,  as  well  as  in  the  general  style  of  our  country.  It  seems  a  strange 
anomaly  for  Comment  to  come  round  to  what  it  is,  from  what  it  once  was. 
Just  so  with  the  word  ivatejing-place.  .  When  I  was  young  it  meant  a 
place  where  we  watered  our  horses  ;  now  it  signifies  a  place  of  dissipation, 
where  the  idle  gentry  and  foolish  trades-people  go  to  spend  their  money 
and  learn  new  vices.  However,  usage  has  given  a  sanction  to  the  mod- 
ern use  of  the  word  comment,  and  we  shall  take  considerable  liberty  with 
it,  agreeably  to  the  ideas  thrown  out  in  my  introduction  to  the  present  ar- 
ticle. It  will  serve  as  the  root  of  a  vine,  the  various  branches  of  which 
we  can  train  to  our  liking  in  all  directions,  and  which  we  hope  will  be  both 
fruitful  and  ornamental.  We  could  not  take  a  name  from  any  of  its 
branches,  because  it  would  be  inadequate,  though  most  pleasing  to  our 
usual  ideas.  The  word  will  soon  become  familiar.  It  is  only  necessary 
to  separate  our  ideas  of  it  in  general  from  exposition.,  explication,  and 
every  similar  term.  But,  as  there  is  no  rule  without  exception,  even  ex- 
positions may,  if  so  designed,  be  conducted  in  the  manner  of  comment, 
as  I  shall  illustrate  hereafter  by  examples. 

To  explain  the  term  still  further,  let  it  be  observed  that  everything  in 
morals  and  religion  has  its  right  and  wrong.  Every  sentiment  may  fall 
into  truth  or  error.  Everything  possesses  certain  characteristic  qualities. 
Every  speaker  that  feels  intensely  for  the  divine  honor  has  here  a  "message 
from  God"  to  speak,  whether  in  censure  or  approbation.  The  speaker's 
mind,  in  meditating  a  comment,  fixes  itself  on  such  qualities  or  properties, 
and,  making  the  subject  his  own,  he  calls  together  all  the  strongest  ex- 
pressions that  his  intense  feelings  can  summon  for  the  occasion,  taking  care 
at  the  same  time  to  compare  such  qualities  of  actions  or  sentiments  with 
the  word  of  God,  attending,  above  all  things,  to  what  the  Scriptures  say  as 
the  rule  of  his  speech. 

The  qualities  of  things  contained  in  the  sacred  volume  are  all  subject  to 
the  influence  of  comment  in  some  of  its  kinds :  the  field  is  thus  as  wide  as 


554  LECTURE    XXXII. 

the  world,  as  expansive  as  that  divine  truth  which  is  "  settled  in  the  heav- 
ens." It  is  the  expression  of  impassioned  sentiments  and  the  pathos  of 
the  mind.  Comment  assumes  every  kind  of  form,  just  as  occasion  re- 
quires, the  cheerful  and  the  grave,  the  indulgent  and  the  severe,  the  com- 
mendatory and  the  indignant,  the  argumentative  and  the  contemplative, 
carrying  the  language  with  point  and  effect  to  every  case.  Though  sim- 
ple in  itself,  it  mostly  requires  the  elements  of  representation  or  narration 
to  hring  it  to  bear  upon  its  point.  Instance  the  striking  address  of  Joseph 
to  his  brethren,  which  I  call  pure  comment :  "  But,  as  for  you,  you  thought 
evil  against  me  ;  but  God  meant  it  unto  good,  to  bring  to  pass,  as  it  is  this 
day,  to  save  much  people  alive."  Again,  the  expression  of  Esau  on  the 
conduct  of  Jacob  :  "  Is  he  not  rightly  called  Jacob  V  for  he  has  supplanted 
me  these  two  times :  he  took  away  my  birthright,  and,  behold,  now  he  has 
taken  away  my  blessing."  It  is  the  power  of  eloquence  ;  it  is  the  final 
touch  of  the  artist's  pencil.  The  outline  must  first  be  traced  (the  stating 
of  the  subject),  the  lights  and  shades  are  to  be  marked  (definition  and  de- 
scription) ;  still  something  is  wanting  ;  the  skilful  artist  then  throws  in  his 
natural  coloring,  and  does  that  for  the  picture  which  judicious  comment 
does  for  the  discourse — gives  it  expression  and  effect.  So  Mr.  Fletcher  of 
Madely  says,  in  his  portraiture  of  St.  Paul:  "The  essence  of  painting 
consists  in  a  happy  disposition  of  light  and  shade,  from  the  contrast  of 
which  an  admirable  effect  is  produced,  and  the  animated  figure  is  made  to 
rise  from  the  canvass."  Comment  is  not  a  mere  invention,  but  it  agrees 
with  the  experience  of  every  age  and  every  nation  :  and,  what  is  most  to 
the  point,  it  is  sanctioned  by  the  Scriptures  of  truth,  and  is  well  calculated 
to  affect  the  mind,  to  restrain  or  to  urge  forward  in  reference  to  divine 
things,  as  the  preacher's  duty  and  good  sense  may  dictate. 

The  language  of  comment  has  also  the  singular  recommendation  of  be- 
ing both  classical  and  popular.  Milton's  Paradise  Lost  is  classical  but 
not  popular;  Robert  Hall  is  profound  and  reasoning,  but  not  popular;  he 
requires  a  mind  as  capacious  as  his  own  to  comprehend  him  fully  :  but 
comment  has  a  superscription  on  it  which  all  understand  and  which  all  are 
glad  to  call  their  own.  It  carries  its  direct  appeal  alike  to  the  understand- 
in":  and  to  the  conscience.  It  brings  light  and  conviction  ;  it  animates  or 
soodies  ;  and  shows  the  very  form  and  feature  of  thmgs,  as  to  what  is  odi- 
ous or  amiable,  advantageous  or  baneful.  It  throws  ofT  all  disguises ;  it 
exalts  what  should  be  exalted,  and  debases  what  should  be  laid  prostrate 
in  the  dust.  It  is  just  that  kind  of  language  in  which  the  preacher  who 
possesses  the  requisite  qualifications  for  efficiency,  already  referred  to,  will 
throw  his  whole  soul  into  the  bosom  of  the  hearer.  It  commands  all  things, 
but  submits  to  nothing.  It  supersedes  no  other  kind  of  excellence  in  pub- 
lic speaking,  but  assists  every  one  of  them.  Whatever  peculiarity  of  tal- 
ent t\\fi  preacher  may  possess,  this  will  impress  additional  value  upon  its 
exercise.  In  short,  it  is  always  great  in  itself;  it  has  a  dignity  that  none 
will  dispute,  and  a  range  of  operations  as  wide  as  the  feelings  of  human 
nature  extend.  It  brings  the  speaker  into  association  with  all  that  is  ex- 
cellent in  the  pulpit,  at  the  bar,  and  in  die  senate. 

As  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  full  of  all  excellence,  diey  stand  pre-eminent 
for  the  justest  comment,  and  the  facts  recorded  in  the  evangelical  history, 
and  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  fully  show  its  potency.  When  Paul 
reasoned,  or  commented,  before  Felix,  the  guilty  judge  trembled.     When 


COMMENT.  555 

Peter  commented  upon  the  vile  conduct  of  Simon  Magus,  the  wretch 
cried  for  mercy.  When  the  same  apostle  commented  upon  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  Jews  in  crucifying  the  Prince  of  Life,  three  thousand  were  cut 
to  the  heart.  It  is  true,  all-gracious  and  saving  effects  are  to  be  attributed 
to  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  but  it  is  agreeable  to  the  divine  appoint- 
ment that  human  means  should  be  employed,  and,  of  all  the  means  that 
can  be  brought  to  bear  on  this  point,  that  of  striking  and  forcible  comment 
is  one  of  the  most  efficient. 

From  such  a  representation  of  the  subject,  some  will  be  ready  to  sup- 
pose that  there  are  insurmountable  difficulties  in  this  branch  of  their  work. 
If  only  great  men  have  been  successful  here,  how  shall  inferiors  hope  ?  If, 
however,  you  possess  strong  Christian  feeling,  and  a  holy  zeal  for  the  honor 
of  your  Master  and  the  interests  of  his  kingdom,  all  the  difficulty  will  soon 
be  overcome.  Powerful  feeling  will  produce  powerful  language.  In  the 
late  political  struggle  for  a  reformed  parliament,  how  did  every  one,  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest  grade  of  society,  express  the  liveliest  interest 
either  for  or  against  that  measure  !  When  any  one  sustains  an  injury,  how 
readily  and  forcibly  he  expresses  his  sentiments !  nay,  even  the  gentler 
sex,  who  occupy  not  pulpits,  can  sometimes  be  very  eloquent  and  power- 
ful when  deeply  interested  and  highly  excited.  How,  then,  shall  it  be 
difficult  for  the  Christian  minister  to  assume  a  style  and  language  becoming 
his  situation  as  an  advocate  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  an  ambassador  of  the 
Kino;  of  kino-s  ? 

Of  all  the  matters  that  relate  to  what  we  denominate  direct  address  to 
the  audience,  comment  is  the  most  appropriate.  It  is  the  very  "form  and 
feature"  of  personality,  not  in  the  offensive  sense  of  the  term,  but  in  that 
o{  direct  contact^  bringing  the  speaker  and  the  hearer  into  close  quarters,  as 
the  sailors  term  it,  not  with  a  design  to  injure,  but  to  assist  and  edify  those 
who  are  willing  to  be  instructed.  So  Nicodemus  was  brought  into  close 
contact  with  the  blessed  Redeemer  in  the  conversation  recorded  in  the 
third  chapter  of  John. 

In  several  parts  of  this  work  I  have  referred  to  the  subject  of  Comment, 
and  have  endeavored  to  show  its  specific  uses  and  applications  ;  but  I 
scarcely  know  of  any  kind  of  pulpit  address  in  which  it  might  not  take  its 
part  with  certain  success  ;  for,  whatever  dish  (to  employ  a  homely  com- 
parison) is  brought  to  table,  there  should  be  appropriate  seasoning.  Now 
if,  to  obtain  this,  we  must  travel  to  foreign  climes  (though  I  hope  this  is 
not  absolutely  necessary),  I  would  not  send  you  to  Germany,  already  ru- 
ined, in  a  religious  view,  by  a  system  of  false  emanative  philosophy,  nor 
to  the  phlegmatic  Dutch,  nominally  more  orthodox  as  to  doctrine^  but  cold 
as  their  icy  waters ;  but  I  must  send  you  to  the  United  States,  of  which 
we  have  heard  so  much  on  the  subject  of  revivals,  and  so  much  that  is 
cheering  and  delightful,  after  every  abatement  which  the  strictest  propriety 
may  demand.  Revivals  there  were  the  fruits  of  an  energetic  ministry. 
There  the  pattern  is  before  us.  Our  younger  brother  Jonathan  outstrips 
his  elder  brother  John,  and  leaves  a  space  between  that  tells  a  tale  which 
perhaps  we  do  not  like  to  hear  ;  yet,  I  say,  if  we  can  learn  anything  from 
the  western  side  of  the  Atlantic,  let  us  not  be  sullen  in  wrong,  but  endeavor 
to  correct  our  errors  by  their  example.  We  will  cherish  a  holy  emulaUon 
with  America.  Their  zeal  shall  not  totally  eclipse  ours.  "  Britain,  with 
all  thy  faults,  I  love  thee  still  ?"     Thy  stars  have  been  obscured  by  a 


556  LECTURE    XXXII. 

dense  atmosphere,  but  they  shall  shine  forth  again  with  increased  lustre ; 
thy  ministers  shall  resume  a  tone  of  power  and  influence  suited  to  thy  ex- 
igency. Some  more  talented  author  than  he  who  now  assumes  the  task 
shall  strike  out  a  more  direct  path  of  improvement;  and  we  will  not  cease 
fo  pray  that  God,  "the  Father  of  light,"  will  vouchsafe  to  such  well- 
directed  efforts  his  special  blessing.  We  will  not  cease  to  pray — "  Thy 
kingdom  come,"  to  entreat  that  the  "  Spirit  may  be  poured  on  us  from  on 
high,"  and  that  as  the  result  the  "  wilderness  may  become  a  fruitful  field, 
and  the  fruitful  field  be  counted  for  a  forest." 

Let  it  be  further  observed  that  comment  may  find  a  place  in  any  part 
of  a  discourse  and  sometimes  in  every  part.  For  instance,  I  might  ex- 
pound John  iii.  19  :  "  This  is  the  condemnation,  that  light  has  come  into 
the  world,  and  men  loved  darkness  radier  than  light,"  &c.  I  might  give 
the  meaning  of  this  figurative  language,  and  of  the  terms  employed.  I 
might  prove  the  truth  of  the  text  by  matter  of  fact,  and  afterward  confirm 
tlie  statements  by  parallel  passages  of  scripture,  and  by  reference  to  scrip- 
ture history.  But  here  comment  might  be  introduced,  and  I  might  ex- 
press my  own  feelings  and  sentiments  about  it,  remarking  that  it  is  a  most 
censurable  and  abhorrent  perversity  of  human  nature  to  contemn  the  light 
so  graciously  bestowed,  and  be  determined  to  go  to  hell  in  the  dark,  to 
hazard  all  that  is  dear  and  valuable  by  adhering  to  the  most  evil  deeds, 
&c.  Now,  if  I  express  no  such  feelings  and  sentiments  of  my  own,  to 
whatever  length  I  may  go  in  explaining  and  amplifying,  though  to  as  many 
sermons  as  would  fill  a  volume,  it  would  be  comjnirativdy  labor  lost;  but 
the  proper  introduction  of  comment  would  give  unspeakable  advantage  to 
such  a  discourse  ;  and  it  is  owing  to  the  absence  of  this  necessary  ingre- 
dient that  so  many  sermons,  otherwise  excellent,  fail  to  produce  on  the 
audience  any  adequate  effect.  The  division  of  a  sermon  may  be  elegant, 
and  its  enlargement  just,  yet  there  are  other  excellences  to  be  introduced 
to  entitle  it  to  the  meed  of  unqualified  praise.  By  means  of  comment  the 
truth  or  falsehood,  justice  or  injustice,  reasonableness  or  absurdity,  dignity 
or  meanness,  suitability  or  incongruity,  of  any  sentiment  or  action,  is  to  be 
exhibited  with  appropriate  light  and  shade.  In  short,  whatever  is  lovely 
or  unlovely,  excellent  or  odious,  dignified  or  contemptible,  furnishes  a 
proper  opening  for  the  expression  of  our  feelings  of  delight  or  detestation, 
admiration  or  astonishment,  &c. 

When  comment  is  intended  to  occupy  a  conspicuous  place,  there  must 
be  a  preparation  for  it,  and  the  ideas  of  the  sermon  must  be  raised  for  such 
admissions.  For  instance,  in  Jay's  Sermon  on  Amos  vi.  1,*  the  plan  of 
separately  noticing  the  different  characters  who  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  and 
\he  causes  of  their  false  security,  furnishes  a  complete  preparation  for  the 
comments  that  he  designed,  and  every  point  is  indicated  in  a  manner  ad- 
mirably suited  to  his  purpose. 

Indeed,  nothing  is  more  common  than  fur  authors  to  raise  a  subject  for 
no  other  purpose  than  to  introduce  comment.  For  instance,  die  History 
of  England  has  by  several  been  written  with  the  express  view  of  com- 
mending or  reprobating  parties  and  leaders  of  parties,  or  their  opinions  and 
sentiments  in  relation  to  governments,  whether  of  the  monarchical  or  pop- 
ular kind.  The  lives  of  popular  characters  have  been  written,  and  im- 
aginajy  ones  introduced,  with  the  same  design.     In  all  these  cases,  authors 

"  8ce  p.  168  of  ihia  volume. 


COMMENT.  557 


dress  up  their  characters  to  their  own  taste,  and  comment  upon  them  ac- 
cordino-ly  They  hold  up  these  to  admiration,  those  to  contempt.  In  this 
view  of  the  subject,  we  see  a  man  may  be  a  benefactor  of  mankmd  or  a 
mischievous  demon.  With  this  powerful  auxiliary,  the  Christian  mmister 
will  be  as  an  angel  of  light— the  mirror  of  truth  and  rectitude.  He  will 
"  set  down  naught  in  malice."  Christian  charity  will  direct  every  sen 
tence,  and  the  glory  of  God  and  the  benefit  of  man  vyill  be  the  result. 

The-  nature  and  value  of  comment  will,  however,  be  better  understood 
by  the  following  examples,  and  all  that  I  can  say  in  its  praise  is  but  hold- 
in  f^  a  dim  taper  to  the  unclouded  light  of  the  sun. 

^According  to  the  design  of  comment,  it  is  of  two  general  kmds,  eulo- 
gistic and  dislogistic* 

EULOGISTIC    COMMENT. 

My  first  example  is  from    Owen,  who    thus  comments  on  the  Holy 

Scriptures  : — 

Some  find  fault  with  the  Scriptures  because  divine  truths  are  riot  thrown  together 
in  recular  order  as  in  our  catechisms.     But  God  puts  not  such  value  on  men  s  accu- 
rate  methods  as  they  imagine  them  to  deserve.     Nor  are  they  subservient  to  his  end. 
in  the  revelation  of  hiinself,  as  they  are  apt  to  fancy.     Yet  often  when  they  think 
ihev  have  brought  truths  into  the  strictest  propriety  of  expression  and  order  they  lose 
both  theTr  power  and  their  glory.     Hence  is  the  world  filled  with  so  manv  lifele  s 
.anless  graceless,  artificial  declarations  of  divine  truth,  m  the  schoolmen  and  others. 
We  may  sooner  squeeze  water  out  of  a  pumice-stone  than  one  drop  of  spiritual  nour- 
idanent  out  of  them.     How  many  millions  of  souls  have  received  divme  benefit  and 
con^olation  exactly  suited  to  their  condition  by  those  occasional  occurrences  of  divine 
truth  Avhich  they  meet  with  in  the  Scriptures,  and  which  they  would  never  have  ob- 
tained bv  those  wise  artificial  arrangements  which  some  men  would  fancy       i  ruJ  ^ 
have  their  efficacy  and  power  in  our  minds,  not  only  from  themselves,  but  from   heir 
^C  and  rosMon  in  the  Scriptures.     They  are  placed  m  such  respects  toward  us 
Ind  in  such  connexion  one  with  another,  as  their  mfluence  upon  our  mmds  depends 
Artificial  methodizing  of  spiritual  truths  may  make  riien  ready  m  notions,  cun- 
cr  and  subtle  in  disputation ;  but  it  is  the  scripture  itself  in  its  own  present  ar- 
igement  "  which  is  able  to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation,  t 
The  same  author  on  the  incomparable  simplicity  of  scriptural  divinity. 
When  we  read  human  authors  we  are  sometimes  bewildered  in  the  multiplicity 
of  words      There  is  a  lucid  perspicuity  in  the  Bible.     Here  we  see  divine  truth 
clearlv.     The  light  shines  bright  and  full.     "  Whatever  maketh  manifest  is  light 
and  the  Holy  Scripture  is  like  a  great  flood  of  pure  light  poured  forth  on  a  dark  world 
and  t  e  true  source  of  its  illumination  and  glory.     You  have  often  the  sublime,  but 
aU  is  the  eloquence  of  simplicity,  the  grandeur  of  sentiment  and  not  of  mere  words. 
How  wonderlul  is  the  simplicit/  of  our  Lord's  character  and  discourses      There  are 
no Tvir^ms,  or  corollaries  drawn  with  subtle  art   to  perplex  and  puzzle  the  rnind  ; 
but  there  are  throughout  sublime  truths,  adapted  alike  to  instruct  and  edify,  exaltand 
purify-calculated  to  improve  the  lowest  intellect  and  to  exercise  the  highest. 

An  example  of  still  more  direct  comment  we  have  in  Walker  on  Rom. 
viii.  32:  "  God  spared  not  his  own  Son." 

Amazino-  words !  The  God  in  whom  we  live  and  move— the  Father  of  our  spirits 
and  the  former  of  our  bodies,  who  possessed  an  eternity  of  happiness  and  glorvbetore 
we  be-an  to  exist  and  can  neither  be  enriched  by  our  services  nor  impoverished  by 
Jhe  want  of  them-he  whose  goodness  we  abused  by  the  vilest  mgratitude,  whose 
omnipotence  we  defied  by  the  most  insolent  rebellion-even  that  God  who  spared 
not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but  has  reserved  them  in  everlasting  chains,  under  dark- 
ness,  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  vouchsafed  to  pity  and  to  spare  the  children 
Sfmen;  nay,  to  make  way  for  the  exercise  of  this  distingmshmg  mercy,  he  spared 
«  Sec  Bailey's  Dictionary  on  the  preposition  dis.  "  It  generally  denotes  a  negation  or  privation 
of  tbeLun  o7verbsimply^aken  as  d/^oin."  Hence  our  use  of  the  word  dislogisHc  as  meaning  the 
reverse  of  eulogistic,  or  dispraise. 
t  Owen  ou  the  Spirit. 


on 
nin 
ran 


558  LECTURE    XXXII. 

not  his  own  Son,  the  Lord  of  angels,  the  Creator  of  the  worlds:  but  having  substi- 
tuted him  in  our  place,  clothed  him  with  our  nature,  and  laid  upon  him  the  iniquities 
of  us  all,  he  delivered  him  up  to  contempt  and  persecution,  to  agony  and  torture,  to 
death  and  the  grave  ;  and  all  this  for  our  benefit,  to  redeem  us  from  everlasting  mis- 
ery and  to  reinstate  us  in  the  happiness  and  glory  we  had  forfeited.  These  are  some 
of  the  marvellous  doings  of  the  Lord,  which  the  apostle  here  celebrates  with  grati- 
tude and  wonder,  as  the  grounds  of  our  faith,  and  hope,  and  joy. 

Dr.  S.  Clarke  on  Acts  xi.  24  :  "  For  he  was  a  good  man,"  &c. 

I  can  conceive  of  no  higher  eulogium  than  is  expressed  in  these  words.  Nothing 
in  nature  is  more  amiable  than  the  character  of  a  truly  good  man,  a  man  whose 
principal  business  and  pleasure  is  to  make  all  men  easy  with  whom  he  has  any  con- 
cern in  the  present  life,  and  to  promote,  as  far  as  in  him  lies,  their  happiness  like- 
wise in  that  which  is  to  come.  Other  qualifications  have  their  value,  and  do,  in  their 
proportion, merit  a  just  degree  of  esteem.  Great  knowledge  and  abilities  everywhere 
necessarily  command  respect.  Great  actions  never  fail  to  fill  men  with  admiration, 
and  to  procure  applause.  But  of  all  characters  that  of  goodness  is  the  most  lovely, 
and  approaches  nearest  to  the  similitude  of  a  divine  perfection.  God  is  the  fountain 
of  goodness,  from  which  flows  all  the  happiness  in  the  whole  creation  ;  and  there  is 
no  one  perfection  in  the  divine  nature  which  it  is  so  much  our  duty  and  our  glory  to 
imitate. 

In  commenting  upon  the  excellences  of  good  men,  you  must  be  on 
your  guard  lest  you  exceed  the  just  bounds  of  truth  and  soberness;  but 
when  the  works  of  God  in  creation,  providence,  or  grace,  are  the  subjects 
of  your  comment,  no  caution  of  this  kind  is  needed;  our  sentiments  and 
feelings,  when  expressed  in  the  strongest  manner,  will  here  fall  infinitely 
short  of  the  truth.  A  pious  mind  will  often  break  forth  in  this  kind  of 
comment.  Hence  the  many  instances  contained  particularly  in  the 
Psalms — see  viii.  3,  4,  &c. ;  xxxi.  19;  xlv.,  Ixv.,  Ixxxiv.,  xc,  xcii., 
cxxxix.,  &c.  The  works  of  Romainc  abound  with  specimens,  from 
which  the  following  soliloquy  is  selected  : — 

Meditate,  0  my  soul !  upon  the  wonders  which  divine  love  has  wrought  for  thee 
and  thy  salvation.  Review  the  many,  many  mercies  of  thy  past  life;  and  consider 
that  thou  art  called  to  walk  this  day  with  t/n/  God.  What  a  privilege  is  this  !  He 
is  thy  God,  and  thou  art  his  adopted  son.  What  an  honor  has  he  conferred  on  thee  ! 
he  has  taken  thee  into  the  most  noble  family,  yea,  into  the  divine  household  of  faith. 
He  has  permitted  thee  to  walk  with  him  as  thy  father.  He  has  appointed  the  way, 
promised  to  be  Avith  thee  in  it,  and  at  every  moment,  and  at  every  step,  to  be  doing 
thee  good.  There  can  be  no  happiness  superior  to  this  upon  the  earth.  Prize  it,  for 
it  is  inestimable  ;  enjoy  it,  for  it  is  heaven  begun.  Walking  with  God  by  faith  is 
present  enjoyment  of  him,  and  will  infallibly  bring  thee  to  the  end  of  thy  journey,  to 
full  and  everlasting  enjoyment.* 

The  preacher  will  have  great  occasion  and  many  opportunities  of  intro- 
ducing comments  of  this  class,  and  that  of  Walker  on  Rom.  viii.  32.  Sa- 
cred poesy  furnishes  an  immense  variety  here.  There  is  a  beautiful  in- 
stance in  Milton's  fifth  book,  which  is  fresh  in  the  memory  of  most  people 
as  the  song  of  our  first  parents  in  Paradise,  while  yet  in  innocence: — 

"  These  are  tliy  glorious  works,  Parent  of  good, 
Almighty  !  Tliiiif  this  tinivcrsal  frame, 
Thus  wondrous  fair:  thyself  how  wondrons  then  I 
Unspeakable  !  who  sit'st  above  these  heavens. 
To  us  invisible,  or  dimly  seen 
In  those  thy  lowest  works ;  yet  these  declare 
Thy  goodness  beyond  tllou^'llt,  and  power  divine. 
Speak,  ye  who  best  can  tell,  ye  sons  of  light, 
Angels,  for  ye  behold  him,  and  with  songs 
And  choral  symphonies,  day  without  night. 
Circle  his  throne  rejoicing ;  ye  in  heaven, 
On  earth.  Join  all  ye  creatures,  to  extol 
llini  first,  him  last^  him  midst,  and  without  end." 

*  Romaiue's  Walk  of  Faith,  chap.  v. 


COMMENT.  559 

When  a  preacher  recites  one  or  more  of  such  passages,  in  a  suitable  part 
of  his  dicourse,  he  adds  a  jewel  of  great  value,  but  this  practice  is  some- 
times carried  to  excess. 

Davies  on  1  John  iv.  8,  after  a  good  description  of  the  qualities  of  love, 
and  referring  to  the  declaration  of  the  inspired  apostle  that  "  God  is  love," 
introduces  expostulation  and  comment. 

Love  is  a  gentle,  pleasing  theme,  the  noblest  passion  of  the  human  breast,  and  the 

purest  ornament  of  rational  nature.  Love  is  the  cement  of  society  and  source  of  so- 
cial happiness ;  and  Avithout  it  the  great  community  of  the  rational  universe  would 
dissolve,  and  men  and  angels  would  become  savages,  and  roam  apart  in  barbarous 
solitude.  Love  is  the  spring  of  every  pleasure  ;  for  who  would  take  pleasure  in  the 
possession  of  what  he  dares  not  love  ?  Love  is  the  foundation  of  religion  and  moral- 
ity :  for  what  is  more  monstrous  than  religion  without  love  to  that  God  who  is  the 
object  of  it?  Who  can  perform  social  duties  without  feeling  the  endearments  of 
those  relations  to  which  they  belong  ?  Love  is  the  softener  and  polisher  of  human 
minds,  and  transforms  barbarians  into  men  ;  its  pleasures  are  refined  and  delicate,  and 
even  its  pains  and  anxieties  have  something  in  them  soothing  and  pleasing.  In  a 
word,  love  is  the  brightest  beam  of  divinity  that  has  ever  irradiated  the  creation,  the 
nearest  resemblance  to  the  ever-blessed  God,  for  "  God  is  love." 

Let  me,  therefore,  commence  advocate  for  God  with  my  fellow-men,  though  it 
strikes  me  with  horror  to  think  that  there  should  be  any  occasion  for  it.  You  chil- 
dren of  the  most  tender  Father,  you  subjects  of  the  most  gracious  and  righteous  Sov- 
ereign, you  beneficiaries  of  Divine  Love,  why  do  you  harbor  hard  thoughts  of  him  ? 
Is  it  because  his  laws  are  so  strict,  and  tolerate  you  in  no  guilty  pleasure  ?  this  ap- 
pointment is  the  kind  restraint  of  love  ;  the  love  of  so  good  a  Being  will  not  allow 
him  to  dispense  with  your  observance  of  anything  that  may  in  its  own  nature  con- 
tribute to  your  improvement  and  advantage,  nor  mdulge  you  in  anything  that  is  in  its 
own  nature  deadly  and  destructive,  any  more  than  a  father  will  suffer  a  favorite  child 
to  play  Avith  a  viper,  or  a  good  government  permit  a  man  to  roam  at  large  armed 
with  weapons  to  destroy  himself  and  others.  Do  you  think  it  hard  of  God,  because 
he  hates  all  moral  evil  to  such  a  degree  that  he  has  annexed  to  it  everlasting  misery 
of  the  most  exquisite  kind  ? — you  may  as  Avell  complain  of  the  constitution  of  nature 
that  renders  abstinence  from  poison  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  health,  or  that 
does  not  allow  you  to  quench  your  thirst,  in  a  fever  with  cold  water,  &c. 

South,  in  expatiating  on  the  divine  goodness,  also  mingles  a  good  deal 
of  coinment. 

Look  over  the  whole  universe,  and  you  shall  find  no  part  of  it  but  hath  its  peculiar 
beauty  and  ornament.  So  that  the  Greek  word  Koaiws,  which  signifies  the  world, 
signifies  also  dress  and  ornament,  as  if  the  world  Avere  nothing  else  but  a  great  union 
and  collection  of  all  unions  and  perfections.  The  sun  (the  psalmist  tells  us)  comes 
every  day  dressed  and  adorned  like  a  bridegroom  out  of  his  chambers  ;  he  casts 
abroad  a  lustre  too  glorious  to  behold ;  it  is  enough  that  Ave  can  see  it  second-hand 
by  reflection.  Nor  can  the  night  itself  conceal  the  glories  of  heaven  ;  but  the  moon 
and  the  stars,  those  deputed  lights,  then  shoAV  forth  their  humbler  beauties.  And 
then,  if  Ave  consider  the  earth  and  the  sea,  we  shall  find  them  like  two  inexhaustible 
storehouses,  exhibiting  the  riches  of  nature  in  boundless  unmeasured  plenty,  a  plenty 
ennobled  by  tAvo  excellences — fulness  and  regularity ;  so  that  the  whole  system  of 
the  Avorld  is  but  a  standing  copy  and  representation  of  the  divine  goodness,  writmg 
little  images  of  itself  upon  every  part  and  portion  of  this  great  page. 

To  proceed  further,  to  plants  and  vegetables,  Avhich  have  a  little  higher  advance 
of  perfection,  and  enjoy  something  like  life,  that  is,  something  that  is  enough  to 
make  them  grow  and  flourish.  "  Consider  the  lilies  (says  our  Savior),  hoAV  they 
groAV  ;  they  toil  not ;  they  spin  not ;  and  yet  Solomon  in  alibis  glory  was  not  arrayed 
like  one  of  these."  We  read  in  the  30th  verse  of  God's  clothing  the  grass.  We  see 
the  lilies  in  the  gayest  livery  of  the  great  Lord,  all  the  blessed  influences  of  heaven 
and  earth  concurring  to  preserve  and  freshen  their  beauty ;  and  thus,  by  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  great  Father,  therfe  is  not  the  least  floAver  but  seems  to  hold  up  its  head 
and  look  pleasantly,  in  the  secret  sense  of  the  goodness  of  its  heavenly  Maker.  Even 
when  these  seem  to  perish,  or  Avither  and  die,  and  at  last  bury  themselves  in  the 
boAvels  of  the  same  earth  that  bore  them,  the  same  providence  vouchsafes  them  a 
resurrection  and  a  return  to  life — securing  perpetuity,  succession  in  the  exactest  order 


'5G0  LECTURE    XXXII. 

of  the  first  creation,  and  thereby  giving  them  some  resemblance  of  an  immortality,  so 
far  as  the  properties  of  their  nature  will  admit. 

Or  if  we  look  to  the  sensible  part  of  the  creation,  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the 
fowls  of  the  air,  we  shall  find  them,  the  chief  and  the  strongest  of  them,  constant  re- 
tainers and  pensioners  of  heaven.  Even  the  lion  seeks  his  meat  from  God,  Ps.  civ.  31. 
We  see  every  creature  possessed  of  a  power  most  particularly  to  pursue  that  which 
makes  for  the  welfare  of  its  being.  Where  God  denies  strenirth,  he  usually  ffives 
sagacity  and  quickness  of  sense,  and  withal  implants  a  certain  instinct  that  searches 
and  prompts  it  to  make  use  of  that  faculty  in  which  the  chief  ability  is  seated.  The 
ox  is  sufficiently  conscious  of  its  horns,  the  mastitfof  its  teeth.  The  little  bird  has 
not  strength  to  i^rapple  with  the  hawk,  but  it  has  acrility  to  escape  him.  The  help- 
less lamb  has  neither  strength  nor  wing,  yet  its  great  usefulness  procures  it  protec- 
tion from  its  owner. 

Proceed  we  now  one  step  further,  and  take  a  survey  of  rational  creatures — men  and 
angels.  And  first  of  man,  who  is  (as  it  were)  an  epitome  or  rather  a  union  of  the 
two  worlds,  as  by  his  body  related  to  the  earth  and  by  his  soul  to  heaven.  Nothing 
can  more  declare  the  goodness  of  his  Creator  to  him  than  that  he  made  him  nficr  his 
own  image. 

But  passing  over  the  bounty  of  God  to  man  in  his  state  of  innocence,  as  not  sufli- 
ciently  to  be  expressed  by  any  since  the  loss  of  it,  I  shall  remark  only  those  blessings 
and  favors  which  men,  ever  since  the  fall  and  apostacy  of  Adam,  seem  to  enjoy  upon 
the  mere  stuck  of  the  common  blessings  of  Providence,  which  we  find,  as  to  all  the 
outward  materials  of  happiness,  makes  no  discrimination  between  the  eood  and  the 
bad,  but  causes  the  sun  and  the  rain  to  visit  the  vineyard  as  well  when  it  is  Ahab's 
as  while  it  Avas  Naboth's. 

Scripture  history  and  observation  prove,  independently  of  all  improvement  or  mis- 
use, that  God  is  ^ood  to  all,  izc,  that  the  benignity  of  Providence  seems  to  be  pro- 
miscuous and  universal,  and  as  undistin^uishing  as  the  elements,  which  equally  dis- 
pense themselves  to  the  necessities  ol' all We  can  not  but  judge  it 

an  instance  of  strange  and  almost  invincible  goodness  for  a  prince  to  clothe  his  rebels, 
in  scarlet,  and  to  make  his  traitors  ihre  deliciously  every  day  ;  yet  the  wicked  and 
profane  ones  of  the  world,  who  stand  in  tlie  same  defiance  of  the  mnjesty  and  suprem- 
acy of  Heaven,  are  treated  with  as  great  obligingness  and  favor  by  him  whom  they 
so  def],^ 

And  besides,  how  many  are  the  casual  and  unforeseen  dangers  that  the  hand  of  Prov- 
idence rescues  them  from  !  how  many  little  things  carry  in  them  the  causes  of  death, 
and  hov/  often  have  men  that  have  escaped  been  amazed  that  they  were  not  de- 
stroyed !  This  shows  that  there  is  an  eye  that  still  watches  over  them,  that  always 
sees,  though  it  is  not  seen,  that  knows  their  strenirth  and  their  weaknesses,  where 
lliey  are  safe  and  when  they  may  be  struck,  and  in  how  many  respects  they  lie  open 
to  the  invasion  of  sad  accidents :  and,  thousjh  it  be  ten  to  one  but  in  the  space  of  a 
year  or  two  a  man  may  be  so  attacked  by  one  or  other  of  those  many  thousand  casu- 
alties that  he  is  obnoxious  to,  yet  we  see  that  most  do  escape,  grow  old,  and  do  well. 
In  a  word,  every  one  lives  by  a  perpetual  deliverance,  which  for  the  unlikelihood  of 
it  he  could  not  expect,  so,  for  his  unworthiness,  I  am  sure  he  could  not  deserve. 

Among  the  scripture  examples  of  eulogistic  coiiiinent,  I  may  refer  you 
to  Exod.  XV.  1-2G;  Dcut.  xxxii.  xxxiii.;  .Tiulges  v.;  1  Sam.  ii.  :2— 9  ;  '2 
Sam.  i.  17-27  ;  2  Sam.  xxii.  ;  Ps.  viii.  1-9;  xlv.  72. 

Jay,  in  his  Morning  Exercises,  vol.  i.,  on  John  xiv.  IS,  speaking  of  the 
happiness  to  be  derived  from  Christ,  descants  in  a  way  of  ain])lificatior» 
and  comment  upon  the  characters  whicli  the  Savior  sustains,  &c. 

The  happiness  we  derive  from  creatures  is  like  a  heijiiar's  ijarment — it  is  made  up 
of  pieces  and  patches,  and  is  worth  very  little  after  all.  But  the  blessedness  we  de- 
rive fniin  the  Savior  is  sin^rle  and  complete.  In  him  all  fulness  dwells.  lie  is  coeval 
with  every  period.  He  is  answeral)le  t(j  every  condition.  He  is  a  physician  to  heal, 
a  counsellor  to  plead,  a  king  to  covern,  a  friend  to  sympathize,  a  father  to  provide. 
He  is  a  foundation  to  sustain,  a  root  t(»  enliven,  a  fountain  to  refresh.  He  is  a  shadow 
from  the  heat,  the  bread  of  life,  the  mornin^j  star,  the  sun  of  riirhteousness — all,  and 
in  all.  [This  is  the  climax.)  No  creature  can  be  a  substitute  for  him  ;  but  he  can 
8upj)ly  the  place  of  every  creature.  He  is  all  my  salvation  and  all  my  desire,  my 
hope,  my  peace,  my  life,  my  clory,  and  joy.  "  Whom  liave  I  in  heaven  but  thee,  and 
there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee.  My  fiesh  and  my  heart  fail,  but 
thou  art  the  strength  of  my  heart  and  my  portion  for  ever."     I  can  not  be  exposed,  I 


COMMENT.  561 

can  not  be  friendless,  I  can  not  be  poor,  I  can  not  be  fearful,  I  can  not  be  sorrowful— 
with  thee. 

The  same  author  shows,  in  a  very  forcible  manner,  the  iniquity  and 
folly  of  ungodly  men,  by  judiciously  commenting,  in  a  way  of  amplifica- 
tion, on  the  character  and  perfections  of  God.  The  text  is  Mai.  iii.  8: 
"Will  a  man  rob  God?" 

Is  it  possible  ?  Is  it  possible  ?  Can  he  be  so  disingenuous  ?  What !  rob  a  father. 
a  friend,  a  benefoctor  !  The  best  of  all  fathers  !  The  kindest  of  all  friends  !  The 
most  generous  of  all  benefactors !  Can  he  be  so  daring  ?—\o  rob  a  Being  so  high 
and  sacred,  and  whose  glory  so  enhances  the  ofTence  !  Can  he  be  so  irrational  ?— 
to  rob  a  Being— not  absent,  for  he  never  is  absent  ;  but  in  his  presence— not  in  the 
night,  but  in  the  day  ;  the  darkness  and  light  are  both  alike  to  him— not  when  he 
sees  not,  observes  not,  but  while  he  is  looking  on,  and  must  look  on,  for  his  eyes  are 
upon  all  the  ways  of  man  and  he  ponders  all  his  goings  ?  Can  he  be  so  desperate  ? 
— to  rob  one  who  can,  avIio  will,  punish,  and  whose  punishment  is  not  only  unavoid- 
able but  intolerable?  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God. 
Yet,  says  God— and  he  can  not  be  mistaken,  or  accuse  unrighteously—"  You  have 
robbed  me." 

R.  Walker — on  1  Thess.  iii.  S,  "Now  we  live,  if  you  stand  fast  in  the 
Lord" — takes  occasion  to  comment  on  the  character  and  spirit  of  the 
apostle.     He  observes  : — 

The  general  meaning  of  the  passage  is  obvious  ;  it  contains  an  obliging  and  spirited 
declaration  of  the  apostle's  good  will  to  the  Christians  at  Thessalonica.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  Paul,  at  the  lime  of  writing  this  epistle,  was  a  poor,  afflicted,  soli- 
tary man,  banished  from  his  friends,  living  among  strangers,  laboring  with  his  own 
hands  for  a  scanty  subsistence,  and  destitute  of  almost  every  earthly  comfort.  All 
this  the  Thessaloiiians  knew  full  well.  Judge,  then,  with  Avhat  emotion  they  would 
read  this  strong,  this  endearing  profession  of  his  concern  for  their  welfare — they  who, 
under  God,  owed  their  conversion  to  his  ministry,  and  to  whom  his  past  sufferings  on 
their  own  account,  and  his  present  distress,  were  perfectly  kno\vn.  He  had  told  them 
a  little  before  that  the  bitterest  ingredient  in  all  his  afflictions  was  the  apprehension 
he  had  that  hissufferings  might  have  a  tendency  to  shake  their  faith,  and  to  prejudice 
their  minds  against  the  gospel  of  Christ,  ver.  5-7.  And  then  he  adds,  "For  noiL','' 
even  at  this  present  time,  distressed  and  afflicted  as  we  are,  yet  "  now  we  live,  if  you 
stand  fast  in  the  Lord." 

Here,  then,  the  purest  zeal  for  the  honor  of  his  Master,  and  the  most  generous  love 
to  the  souls  of  men,  are  happily  united,  and  feelingly  expressed  in  the  native  lan- 
guage of  a  warm  aud  upright  heart.  I  say,  the  purest  zeal,  and  the  most  generous 
love  ;  for  no  tincture  of  selfishness  appears  in  either.  If  Christ  is  glorified,  if 
men  are  saved,  Paul  obtains  his  utmost  wish  ;  his  happiness  is  independent  of  every- 
thing else ;  he  enjoys  all  that  in  his  own  estimation  is  worthy  to  be  accounted  life  if 
his  spiritual  children  stand  fost  in  the  Lord.  And  is  not  this  a  temper  of  most  distin- 
guished excellence  ?  When  I  called  it  amiable,  I  only  spoke  the  half  of  its  praise: 
it  has  a  dianity,  as  well  a  beauty,  belonging  to  it,  superior  to  anything  that  is  com- 
monly celebrated  by  that  name  among  men.  Would  we  behold  heroism  in  its  fair- 
est and  most  exalted  form?  instead  of  looking  for  it  among  those  whom  the  world 
has  styled  heroes,  we  shall  succeed  better  if  we  turn  our  eyes  to  Saul  of  Tarsus.. 
Where  shall  we  find  such  determined  courage,  such  cool  intrepidity,  and  contempt 
of  danger,  as  in  this  good  and  faithful  soldier  of  Christ?  "  Behold,"  said  he,  to  the 
elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus,  "  beliold,  I  go  bound  in  the  spirit  unto  Jerusalem,"" 
Sec,  Acts  XX.  22.  With  what  invinciljle  fortitude  did  he  triumph  over  adversity  in 
every  frightful  shape  I  With  what  noble  freedom  and  independence  of  spirit  did  he 
exult  amid  those  sufl'erings  of  which  human  nature  hath  the  greatest  abhorrence  T 
"  Even  upon  this  hour,"  says  he,  in  his  letters  to  the  Corinthians,  "  we  both  hunger 
and  thirst,  and  are  bufi'eted,  and  have  no  certain  dwelling-place :  we  are  made  as  the 
filth  of  the  world,  and  are  the  ofTscouring  of  all  things  unto  this  day.  We  are  trou- 
bled on  every  side,  yet  not  distressed,"  &:c.  And  what  can  attract  our  love,  what  can 
merit  our  esteem,  what  can  excite  our  admiration,  if  such  a  temper  doth  not — a  tem- 
per which,  to  all  the  magnanimity  of  ihe  hero,  unites  all  the  piety  and  benevolence  of  a 
saint  ?  But  it  will  not  avail  us  barely  to  esteem  or  admire  this  temper:  it  is  neces- 
sarv,  rav  brethren,  that  we  ourselves  be  possessed  of  it. 


5G2  LECTURE    XXXII. 

DISLOGISTIC    COMMENT. 

Dislogistic  comment  is  the  expression  of  our  feelings  or  sentiments  on 
wliatever  is  reprehensible  or  ridiculous;  and  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that 
men  possessing  a  talent  for  comment  have  usually  turned  it  more  frequently 
to  the  severe  than  to  the  benevolent  kind.  Hence  our  British  bard  took 
occasion  to  say — 

"  In  puch  a  time  as  this,  it  is  not  meet 
That  every  elii^'ht  ofTence  siiould  bear  its  comment." 

The  angry  feelings  are  but  too  easily  caused,  and  we  have  a  host  of  wri- 
ters that  have  expressed  them  very  freely.  With  such  an  arm  we  must 
not  commit  injuries,  but  wherever  good  can  be  effected,  we  may  use  our 
talent  freely  and  nobly.  In  the  cause  of  God  and  truth  we  need  fear  no 
man.  We  are  very  sorry  that  there  i.s  so  much  occasion  for  this  article  ; 
but  improprieties  must  be  commented  upon.  Numerous  comments  of 
this  kind  are  found  in  scripture.  That  is  a  most  energetic  example  in 
Dan.  V.  22,  &c.  Solemn  indeed  are  those  found  in  Matt.  xxv.  26-41. 
Those  of  Jude  are  very  severe.  The  addresses  to  the  seven  churches, 
in  the  second  and  third  chapters  of  the  Revelation,  are  perfectly  appro- 
priate, as  are  also  the  comments  which  open  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and 
Jeremiah.  Junius  has  enough  of  tliis  kind  of  comment,  and  sufficiently 
poignant.  Of  divinity  authors  in  tiiis  kind  we  have  Sterne  and  South  at 
the  head  of  the  list.  Tiie  latter  on  Hah.  ii.  12:  "Wo  to  him  that  build- 
eth  a  town  with  blood,"  vol.  ii.,  one  would  think  enough  to  make  tyrants 
tremble. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  comment  mingled  with  description.  It 
is  on  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  by  the  Jews: — 

The  ofTence  committed  by  Jesus  Christ  was  his  reprobating  their  extortions;  for 
this  they  plotted  against  his  life,  and  for  this  they  finally  effected  his  death,*  by  means 
■•of  a  series  of  atrocities,  the  least  of  which  would,  in  the  words  of  the  prophet,  have 
made  them  everlastinc^Iy  "  infamous."  They  resorted  to  means  never  made  use  of 
'but  by  the  basest  and  most  cruel  of  tyrants ;  first,  they  bribed  one  of  his  followers  to 
ibetruy  him  into  their  hands  ;  next,  they  got  the  aid  of  a  despot  and  his  soldiers;  next, 
having  brought  him  before  the  judge,  they  brought,  by  means  of  bribes,  perjured  wit- 
nesses to  swear  against  him  ;  having  procured  his  condemnation,  in  spite  of  the 
judge's  conviction  of  his  innocence,  and  evidently,  therefore,  by  bribery  here  also, 
they  put  him  to  the  death  at  once  the  most  cruel  and  most  degrading.  Having  ob- 
tained the  sanction  of  the  base  and  corrupt  heathen  judge,  who,  while  he  called  him 
•'  a  just  person,^''  and  declared  that  he  "found  /lo  fau/l  in  him,"  and  "washed  his 
hands"  of  the  murder,  scourged  him,  and  gave  him  up  to  be  murdered — having  ob- 
tained the  sanction  of  this  bribed  and  unfeeling  hypocrite,  and  iiavingthe  swords  and 
pikes  of  hardened  soldiers  to  protect  tiiem  against  the  interference  of  the  just  and  the 
humane  part  of  the  i)eoj)le — thus  sanctioned  and  thus  protected,  tiie  malignant  and 
cowardly  persecutors,  not  content  with  inllicling  dealli,  accompanied  the  infliction 
with  every  addition  that  innate,  inveterate,  and  hellish  cruelly  could  suggest.  They 
put,  in  mockery,  a  crown  of  thorns  upon  his  head,  a  royal  robe  over  iiis  shoulders, 
and  a  reed  for  a  sceptre  in  his  hands  ;  they  bulfeted  him,  spat  upon  him,  jibed  and 
reviled  him  :  and  having  exhausted  their  ingenuity  in  the  infliction  of  indignities,  and 
m  cannibal-like  exultations  over  the  meek,  patient,  unollV-nding,  and  unresisting  victim 
of  their  malice,  they  dra^'ged  him  without  the  city,  and  fixed  him  on  the  cross  by 
nails  driven  through  his  hands  and  his  feet,  there  to  sulfer,  amid  iheir  still-continued 
mockery  and  scofling,  all  the  pains  and  anguish  of  the  most  cruel  death  ;  and,  as  if 
all  this  were  notsulli  -ient,  they  nailed  U|)  two  ihicvcx,  one  on  his  right  iiand,  one  on  his 
left,  in  order  that,  by  imi)licalion  and  inference,  his  memory  might  rank  along  with 
that  of  the  most  infamous  malefactors. 

We  may  notice  a  passage  or  two  from  Sterne.  I  have  no  veneration 
for  the  man,  but  I  think   no  writer  ever  gave  such  correct  comments,  es- 

•  The  author  here  was  not  exactly  correct.    Sec  the  lectare  on  Topic  xix. 


COMMENT.  563 

pecially  of  the  severe  and  cutting  kind,  except  Junius.  I  refer  to  his  ser- 
mon on  Luke  x.  36.  That  the  author  might  give  more  weight  to  his 
comment  on  an  unfeeUng  heart,  he  introduces  it  with  a  comment  on  the 
contrary  disposition.     He  says: — 

There  is  something  hi  our  nature  which  engages  us  to  take  part  in  every  accident 
to  which  man  is  subject,  from  whatsoever  cause  it  may  have  happened  ;  but  in  such 
calamities  as  a  man  has  fallen  into  through  mere  misfortune,  to  be  charged  upon  no 
fault  or  indiscretion  of  himself,  there  is  then  something  so  truly  interesting,  that,  at 
first  sight,  we  generally  make  them  our  own.  But  where  the  spectacle  is  uncom- 
monly tragical,  and  complicated  with  many  circumstances  of  misery,  the  mind  is 
taken  captive  at  once,  and  has  no  power  to  make  resistance.  Against  feelings  of  this 
kind  one  would  think  it  were  in  vain  to  look  for  an  exception.  But  there  are  some 
minds  (how  shall  I  describe  them  ?)  formed  either  of  such  impenetrahle  materials,  or 
wrought  up  by  habitual  selfishness  to  such  an  utter  insensibility  of  what  becomes  of 
others,  as  if  they  were  not  partakers  of  the  same  nature,  or  had  no  lot  or  connexion 
at  all  with  the  species.  Of  this  character  were  the  priest  and  Levite  in  their  con. 
duct  to  the  suffering  traveller,  half  dead  by  the  roadside:  "By  chance  there  came 
down  a  certain  priest !"  Merciful  God  !  that  a  teacher  of  thy  religion  should  ever 
want  humanity  !  or  that  a  man  whose  head  might  be  thought  full  of  the  one  should 
have  a  heart  void  of  the  other  !  This,  however,  was  the  case  before  us:  and  this  is 
no  fictitious  character.  Look  into  the  world.  How  often  do  you  behold  a  sordid 
wretch,  whose  strait  heart  is  open  to  no  man's  affliction,  taking  shelter  behind  an  ap- 
pearance of  piety,  and  putting  on  the  garb  of  religion,  which  none  but  the  merciful 
have  a  right  to  wear  ! 

We  have  some  severe  comments  on  deceit  in  Farquhar,  similarly  intro- 
duced by  contrast. 

When  I  look  back  into  ancient  ages,  I  see  almost  Avhole  nations  of  pagans  among 
whom  an  oath  Avas  a  pledge  of  fidelity  scarcely  ever  broken.  Even  a  dissolute  hea- 
then poet,  who  was  favorable  to  many  vices,  has  expressed  the  greatest  abhorrence 
of  this.  How  shameful,  then,  is  the  degeneracy  of  nations  called  Christian  ! — I  hail 
as  the  disciple  of  Jesus  the  poorest  man  who  can  say,  "  I  have  lost  the  world's  goods, 
but,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  have  preserved  my  integrity."  Much  hast  thou  gained, 
happy  victor  !  and  insignificant  are  the  toys  which  ihou  hast  lost.  But  the  man  who 
is  wealthy,  or  powerful,  by  unjust  methods,  who  has  not  scrupled  to  perjure  himself, 
or  to  involve  others  in  that  horrible  crime — my  soul,  enter  not  into  his  secret,  dwell 
not  in  his  habitation  :  he  is  a  corrupter  of  the  society  of  men  ;  how  detestable  must 
he  be  in  the  sight  of  God  ! 

South  on  Judges  viii.  34,  35,  having  shown  that  the  whole  creation,  and 
every  part  of  it,  is  ever  receiving  and  giving,  turns  indignant  against  un- 
grateful man.  The  language  he  employs  is  not  in  all  respects  to  be  imi- 
tated, but  it  affords  a  fine  exemplification  of  the  force  of  comment. 

And  now,  thou  ungrateful  brute,  thou  blemish  to  mankind  and  reproach  to  the  cre- 
ation !  what  shall  we  say  of  thee,  or  to  what  shall  we  compare  thee  ?  for  thou  art  an 
exception  from  all  the  visible  world  :  neither  the  heavens  above  nor  the  earth  beneath 
afford  anything  like  thee;  and  therefore,  if  thou  wouldst  find  thy  parallel,  go  to  hell, 
which  is  both  the  region  and  the  emblem  of  ingratitude  ;  for,  besides  thyself,  there 
is  nothing  but  hell  that  is  always  receiving  and  never  restoring. 

Friendship  consists  properly  in  mutual  offices,  and  a  generous  strife  in  alternate 
acts  of  kindness  ;  but  he  who  does  an  act  of  kindness  to  an  ungrateful  person  sets  his 
seal  to  a  flint,  and  sows  his  seed  upon  the  sand  :  upon  the  former  he  makes  no  impres- 
sion, and  from  the  latter  he  finds  no  production. 

The  only  language  of  ingratitude  is  "  Give,  give  ;"  but,  when  the  gift  is  once  re- 
ceived, then,  like  the  swine  at  the  trough,  it  is  silent  and  insatiable.  In  short,  the 
ungrateful  person  is  a  monster  which  is  all  throat  and  belly,  a  kind  of  thoroughfare 
or  common  sewer  for  the  good  things  of  this  world  to  pass  hito,  and  of  whom,  in  re- 
spect of  all  kindness  conferred  on  him,  may  be  verified  that  observation  of  the  lion's 
den,  before  which  appeared  the  footsteps  of  many  that  had  gone  in  thither,  but  no 
print  of  any  that  ever  came  out  thence.  The  ungrateful  person  is  the  only  thing  in 
nature  for  which  nobody  living  is  the  better.  He  lives  to  himself,  and  subsists  by 
the  good  nature  of  others,  of  which  he  himself  has  not  the  least  grain.  He  is  a 
mere  encroachment  upon  society,  and  consequently  ought  to  be  thrust  out  of  the 


5G4  LECTURE    XXXII. 

world  as  a  pest  and  a  prodigy,  and  a  creature  of  the  devil's  making-  and  not  of 
God's. 

All  kindnesses  descend  upon  such  a  temper  as  showers  of  rain  or  rivers  of  fresh 
water  falling  into  the  main  :  the  sea  swallows  them  all,  but  is  not  at  all  changed  or 
sweetened  by  them Such  a  one  is  kindness-pronf.  He  is  impenetrable,  un- 
conquerable— unconquerable  by  that  which  conquers  all  things  else.  Flints  may  be 
melted  (we  see  this  daily),  but  an  ingrate  can  not.  He  that  is  ungrateful  will  be  un- 
grateful still. 

Nothing  can  be  more  poignant  than  this  language.  One  would  think 
that  South  spoke  by  experience,  that  he  had  some  particular  person  in 
view,  for  whose  ear  or  whose  eye  this  severe  chastisement  was  intended. 
However,  the  picture  is  not  quite  a  private  likeness :  base  ingratitude  is  too 
general  among  mankind. 

Where  comment  is  sustained  upon  different  points  of  description  or 
narration,  it  will  receive  very  considerable  aid  from  contrast  and  compari- 
son, but  particularly  the  former,  as  will  be  further  exemplified  in  the  fol- 
lowing examples : — 

Junius,  letter  xiii.     To  the  Duke  of  Grafton. 

If  the  measures  in  which  you  have  been  most  successful  had  been  supported  by 
any  tolerable  appearance  of  argument,  I  should  have  thought  my  time  not  ill  em- 
ployed in  continuing  to  examine  your  conduct  as  a  minister,  and  stating  it  fairly  to 
the  public  ;  but  when  I  see  questions  of  the  highest  national  importance  carried  as 
they  have  been,  and  the  first  principles  of  the  constitution  openly  violated,  without 
argument  or  decency,  I  confess  I  give  up  the  cause  in  despair.  The  meanest  of  your 
predecessors  had  abilities  sufficient  to  give  a  color  to  their  measures.  If  they  inva- 
ded the  rights  of  the  people,  they  did  not  dare  to  offer  a  direct  insult  to  their  under- 
standing ;  and,  in  former  times,  the  most  venal  parliaments  made  it  a  condition,  in 
their  bargain  with  the  minister,  that  he  should  furnish  them  with  some  plausible  pre- 
tences for  selling  their  country  and  themselves.  You  have  had  the  merit  of  introdu- 
cing a  more  compendious  system  of  government  and  logic.  You  neither  addressed 
yourself  to  the  passions  nor  to  the  understanding,  but  simply  to  the  touch.  You 
apply  yourself  immediately  to  the  feelings  of  your  friends,  who,  contrary  to  the  forms 
of  parliament,  never  enter  heartily  into  a  debate  until  they  have  divided,  &c. 

The  same  to  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  letter  xxi.,  Sept.  19,  1769. 

Your  history  begins  to  be  important  at  that  auspicious  period  at  which  you  were 
deputed  to  represent  the  carl  of  Bute  at  the  court  of  Versailles.  It  was  an  honorable 
office,  and  executed  with  the  same  spirit  with  Avhich  it  was  accepted.  Your  patrons 
wanted  an  ambassador  who  would  submit  to  make  concessions  without  daring  to  in- 
sist upon  any  honorable  conditions  for  his  sovereign.  Their  business  required  a  man 
who  had  as  little  feeling  for  his  own  dignity  as  for  the  welfare  of  his  country:  and 
they  found  him  in  the  first  rank  of  the  nobility.  Bellisle,  Goree,  Guadaloupe,  St. 
Lucia,  Martinique,  the  Fisheries,  and  the  Havana,  are  glorious  monuments  of  your 
grace's  talents  for  negotiation.  My  lord,  we  are  too  well  acquainted  with  your  pe- 
cuniary character  to  think  it  possible  that  so  many  public  sacrifices  should  have  been 
made  without  some  private  compensations.  Your  conduct  carries  with  it  an  interior 
evidence  beyond  all  the  legal  proofs  of  a  court  of  justice.  Even  the  callous  pride  of 
Ijf)rd  Egrcmont  was  alarmed.  He  saw  and  felt  his  own  dishonor  in  corresponding 
with  you;  and  there  certainly  was  a  moment  at  whicli  he  meant  to  have  resisted,  had 
not  a  fatal  lethargy  prevailed  over  his  faculties  and  carried  all  sense  and  memory 
away  with  it. 

In  this  example  from  Junius,  the  comment  is  rendered  more  severe  by 
irony  and  sarcasm,  which  he  was  capable  of  using  in  the  most  cutting 
manner. 

Scripture  examples  of  indignant  comincnt  occur  in  Isa.  xiv.,  Dan.  v.  23. 

The  following  exposure  of  infidelity  is  from  tiio  pen  of  Robert  Hall : — 

The  exclusion  of  a  Supreme  Being  and  of  a  superintending  Providence  tends  di- 
rectly to  the  destruction  of  taste.  It  robs  the  universe  of  all  finished  and  consummate 
excellency  even  in  idea.  The  admiration  of  perfect  wisdom  and  goodness  for  which 
we  are  formed,  and  which  kindles  such  unspeakable  rapture  in  the  soul,  finding  in 


COMMENT.  566 

the  regions  of  skepticism  nothing  to  which  it  corresponds,  droops  and  languishes.  In 
a  world  which  presents  a  fair  spectacle  of  order  and  bf;auty,  of  a  vast  family  nour- 
ished and  supported  by  an  Almighty  Parent — in  a  world  which  leads  the  devout  mind 
step  by  step  to  the  contemplation  of  the  first  fair  and  of  the  first  good — the  skeptic  is 
encompassed  with  nothing  but  obscurity,  meanness,  and  disorder. 

Modern  infidelity  not  only  tends  to  corrupt  the  moral  taste,  it  also  promotes  the 
growth  of  those  vices  which  are  the  most  hostile  to  social  happiness.  Of  all  the  vices 
incident  to  human  nature,  the  most  destructive  to  society  are  vanity,  ferocity,  and  un- 
bridled sensuality,  and  these  are  precisely  the  vices  which  infidelity  is  calculated  to 
cherish. 

Besides,  as  the  passions  are  seldom  seen  in  a  simple,  unmixed  state,  so  vanity, 
when  it  succeeds,  degenerates  into  arrogance,  when  it  is  disappointed  (and  it  is  often 
so  disappointed)  it  is  exasperated  into  malignity  and  corrupted  into  envy.  In  this 
stage  the  vain  man  is  a  determined  misanthropist.  He  detests  that  excellency  which 
he  can  not  reach.  He  detests  his  species,  and  longs  to  be  revenged  for  the  unpar- 
donable injustice  he  has  sustained  in  their  insensibility  to  his  merits.  He  lives  upon 
the  calamities  of  the  world.  The  vices  and  miseries  of  men  are  his  element  and  his 
food.  Virtue,  talent,  and  genius,  are  his  natural  enemies,  which  he  persecutes  with 
insUnctive  eagerness  and  unrelenting  hostility.  There  are  who  doubt  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  disposition  ;  but  it  certainly  issues  out  of  the  dregs  of  disappointed 
vanity,  a  disease  which  taints  and  vitiates  the  whole  character  wherever  it  prevails. 
It  forms  the  heart  to  such  profomid  indifference  to  the  welfare  of  others  that  what- 
ever appearances  he  may  assume,  or  however  wide  the  circle  of  his  seeming  virtues 
may  extend,  you  will  infallibly  find  the  vain  man  his  own  centre.  Attentive  only  to 
himself,  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  his  own  perfections,  instead  of  feeling  ten- 
derness for  his  fellow-creatures,  as  members  of  the  same  family,  as  beings  with  whom 
he  is  appointed  to  act,  to  suffer,  and  to  sympathize,  he  considers  life  as  a  stage  on 
which  he  is  performing  a  part,  and  mankind  in  no  other  light  than  that  of  spectators. 
Whether  he  smiles  or  frowns,  whether  his  path  is  adorned  with  the  rays  of  benefi- 
cence or  his  steps  are  dyed  with  blood,  an  attention  to  self  is  the  spring  of  every  move- 
ment and  the  motive  to  which  every  action  is  referred. 

We  have  an  exposure  of  moral  virtue  as  a  plea  for  the  divine  accept- 
ance withotit  a  mediator,  upon  the  Socinian  or  pharisaical  claims,  in  Dr. 
Chalmers  on  Job  ix.  33:  "Neither  is  there  any  day's-man  betwixt  us,  that 
might  lay  his  hand  upon  us  both." 

In  fact,  by  putting  the  Mediator  away  from  you,  by  reckoning  on  a  state  of  safety 
and  acceptance  without  him,  what  is  the  ground  upon  which,  in  reference  to  God, 
you  actually  put  yourselves  ?  We  speak  not  at  present  of  the  danger  of  persisting  in 
such  an  attitude  of  independence — of  its  being  one  of  those  refuges  of  treachery  in 
which  the  good  man  of  the  world  is  often  to  be  found — of  its  being  a  state  wherein 
peace  lulls  him  by  its  flatteries  into  deceitful  repose.  We  are  not  at  present  saying 
how  ruinous  it  is  to  rest  a  security  upon  an  imposing  exterior,  when  in  fact  the  heart 
is  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  while  the  reproving  eye  of  him  who  judgethnot 
as  man  judgeth  is  upon  him,  or  how  poisonous  is  the  unction  that  comes  upon  the 
soul  from  those  praises  which,  upon  the  mere  exhibition  of  the  social  virtues,  are 
rung  and  circulated  through  society.  But,  in  addition  to  the  danger,  let  us  insist 
upon  the  guilt  of  thus  casting  the  offered  Mediator  away  from  us.  It  implies,  in  the 
most  direct  way  possible,  a  sentiment  of  the  sufficiency  of  our  own  righteousness.  It 
is  expressly  saying  of  our  obedience  that  it  is  good  enough  for  God.  It  is  presump- 
tuously thinking  that  what  pleases  the  world  may  please  the  Maker  of  it,  even 
though  he  himself  has  declared  it  to  be  a  world  lying  in  wickedness.  There  is  an 
aggravation  you  will  perceive  in  all  this  which  goes  beyond  the  simple  infraction  of 
the  commandment ;  it  is,  after  the  infraction  of  it,  challenging,  for  some  remainder, 
or  for  some  semblance  of  conformity,  the  reward  and  approbation  of  the  God  whose 
law  we  have  dishonored  :  it  is,  after  we  have  braved  the  attribute  of  the  Almighty's 
justice  by  incurring  its  condemnation,  making  an  attempt  upon  the  attribute  itself, 
by  bringing  it  down  to  the  standard  of  a  polluted  obedience ;  it  is,  after  insulting  the 
throne  of  God's  righteousness,  embarking  in  the  still  deadlier  enterprise  of  demolish- 
ing all  the  stabilities  which  guard  it,  and  spoiling  it  of  that  truth  which  has  pro- 
nounced a  curse  on  the  children  of  iniquity,  of  that  holiness  which  can  not  dwell 
with  evil,  of  that  unchangeablenessAvhich  will  admit  of  no  compromise  with  sinners 
that  can  violate  the  honors  of  the  Godhead  or  weaken  the  authority  of  his  govern- 
ment over  the  universe  that  he  has  formed ;  it  is  laying  those  paltry  accomplishments 
which  gave  you  a  place  of  distinction  among  your  fellows  before  the  God  of  whose 


666  LECTURE    XXXTI. 

throne  justice  and  judgment  are  the  habitation,  and  calling  upon  him  to  connive  at 
all  that  you  want  and  to  look  with  complacency  on  all  that  you  possess;  it  is  to 
bring  to  the  bar  of  judgment  the  poor  and  imperfect  samplesof  virtue  Avhich  are  cur- 
rent enough  in  a  world  broken  loose  from  its  communion  with  God,  and  to  defy  the 
inspection  upon  them  of  God's  eternal  Son  and  of  the  angels  he  brings  along  with 
him  to  witness  the  righteousness  of  his  decision.  Sin,  indeed,  has  been  the  ruin  of 
our  nature  ;  but  this  refusal  of  the  Savior  of  sinners  sinks  them  into  a  perdition  still 
deeper  and  more  irrecoverable.  It  is  blindness  added  to  the  enormity  of  sin.  It  is 
equivalent  to  formally-announced  sentiments  on  your  part  that  your  performances,  sin- 
ful as  they  are,  and  polluted  as  they  are,  are  good  enough  for  heaven.  It  is  just  saying 
of  the  offered  vSavaor  that  you  do  not  see  the  use  of  him.  It  is  a  provoking  contempt 
of  mercy,  and  causing  the  measure  of  ordinary  guilt  to  overflow,  by  heaping  the  ad- 
ditional blasphemy  upon  it  of  calling  upon  God  to  honor  it  by  his  rewards  and  to 
look  to  it  Avith  the  complacency  of  his  approbation. 

We  can  not,  then,  we  can  not  draw  near  to  God  by  a  direct  or  independent  ap- 
proach to  him.  And  who  in  these  circumstances  is  Ht  to  be  the  day's-man  betwixt 
you  ?  There  is  not  a  fellow-mortal,  from  Adam  downward,  who  has  not  sins  of  his 
own  to  answer  for.  There  is  not  one  of  them  who  has  not  the  sentence  of  guilt  in- 
scribed upon  his  forehead,  and  who  is  not  arrested  by  the  same  unsealed  barrier 
which  keeps  you  at  an  inaccessible  distance  from  God.  There  is  not  one  of  them 
whose  entrance  into  the  holiest  of  all  would  not  inflict  on  it  as  great  a  profanation 
as  if  any  of  you  were  to  present  yourselves  before  him  who  dwelleth  there  without 
a  Mediator.  There  lies  a  great  gulf  between  God  and  the  whole  of  this  alienated 
world;  and,  after  looking  round  among  all  the  fallen  generations,  we  may  say,  in 
the  language  of  the  text,  that  "  there  is  not  a  day's-man  betwixt  us,  who  can  lay  his 
hand  upon  us  both." 

The  author  then  beautifully  exhibits  the  Mediator,  Christ  Jesus,  as  the 
only  Savior. 

We  can  not  fail  'to  see  how  admirably  this  author,  in  the  true  spirit  of 
critical  comment,  turns  his  idea  about  on  every  side,  still  exhibiting  variety, 
some  new  points  of  view  not  exactly  taken  before,  how  closely  he  keeps 
his  point  till  he  convicts  the  self-righteous  moralist,  till  he  strips  him  of 
every  subterfuge,  till  he  exposes  his  every  folly,  and  secures  his  sentence 
of  condemnation.  Now,  though  nothing  short  of  divine  power  can  ever 
reverse  the  fond  imagination  of  such  a  subject  of  wretched  infatuation,  yet 
the  means  are  to  be  used  by  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  happy  is  he  that 
can  imitate  tiiis  incomparable  author. 

Payson  on  Daniel  v.  27.      Belshazzar's  impious  feast. 

We  too  have  often  consumed  God's  bounty  upon  our  lusts;  we  have  perverted 
those  faculties  which  ought  to  have  been  consecrated  to  his  service  ;  we  have  loved, 
and  served,  and  idolized  the  world  ;  and  the  God  in  whose  hand  our  breath  is,  and 
whose  are  all  our  ways,  Ave  have  not  glorified  :  and  though  the  displeasure  of  offended 
Heaven  is  not  now  suddenly  and  openly  displayed,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Daniel, 
though  no  hand  is  now  sent  to  write  the  seiUence  of  condemnation  on  the  walls  of 
(■ur  houses,  yet  there  is  still  an  invisible  witness  who  continually  records  our  actions ; 
there  is  still  a  just  and  omniscient  God  by  whom  these  actions  arc  weighed  :  it  is 
still  true  that  we  shall  receive  of  him  a  just  recompense  of  reward  according  to  our 
works.  Our  days  arc  already  numbered,  and  will  soon  be  finished  ;  for  God  has  set 
bounds  to  our  lives  which  we  can  not  pass.  Soon  shall  we  be  weighed  in  the  bal- 
ance of  eternal  truth  and  justice;  and  if  we  are  found  wanting  we  shall  be  cut  in 
sunder,  and  have  our  portion  appointed  us  with  hypocrites  and  unbelievers.  And 
say,  are  you  all  prepared  to  pass  this  solemn  test?  Should  the  sanie  hand  that 
wrote  the  doom  of  impious  Eelshazzar  on  the  plaster  of  the  wall  of  his  palace  be 
now  commissioned  to  write  our  names  on  the  plaster  of  the  walls  of  this  house,  are 
there  none  here  present  whose  thoughts  would  trouble  them? — none  whose  coun- 
tenances would  change  f)y  conscious  fjuilt  ? — none  against  whose  names  the  damning 
sentence,  Tekel,  would  be  inscribed  ? 

Bradley  on  Mark  xvi.  7.      Christ's  message  to  Peter. 
To  whom  was  this  message  particularly  sent?     To  Peter.     And  who  was  Peter, 
that  he  should  be  thus  singled  out  from  among  the  disciples  ?     By  what  was  he  dis- 


COMMENT. 


se-ir 


tin^uished  from  the  other  ten,  that  he  should  be  thus  honored  ?  We  know  that  at 
the  period  when  he  received  this  message  he  was  distinguished  by  a  pre-eminence, 
not  in  merit,  but  in  guilt.  But  two  days  before  he  had  denied  his  master  when  his 
master  was  about  to  die  for  him.  "All  his  disciples  forsook  hira  and  fled,  but 
Peter  went  further,  and  added  the  guilt  of  falsehood  and  curses  to  the  baseness  ol 
desertion.  His  sin  was  of  the  first  magnitude,  of  a  crimson  dye.  It  had,  too,  this 
peculiar  a^^gravalion,  that  it  brought  a  scandal  on  the  church  when  the  church 
seemed  lealt  able  to  bear  it.  The  Shepherd  was  smitten  ;  the  sheep  were  scattered : 
and  this  was  the  season  in  which  Peter  dishonored  his  Lord  and  denied  his  connex- 
ion with  his  persecuted  followers.  .  „     3.  1,-  1* 

This  then  was  the  man  to  whom  the  risen  Savior  especially  directed  his  angel  to 
send  his  joyful  message.  Had  the  faithful  John,  who  adhered  to  him  in  his  sulter- 
in^s  and  stood  by  his  cross,  been  thus  singled  out,  it  might  have  excited  no  surprise ; 
but  for  Peter,  the  treacherous  Peter,  to  be  thus  honored,  seems  indeed  mysterious. 
Who  can  fathom  the  depth  of  the  Savior's  love  ?  Who  can  measure  his  unbounded 
grace— even  this  grace  which  produced  a  suitable  repentance,  and  filled  him  with 
such  grief  as  required  an  extraordinary  succor  ? 

Jay's  Morning  Exercises,  vol.  i.  Matt.  xxvi.  58  :  "  Peter  followed  afar 
off,"  and  ultimately  denied  Christ.  This  leads  to  the  comment,  the  force 
of  which  is  heightened  by  a  consideration  of  the  privileges  which  Peter 
had  enjoyed,  and  by  comparison,  &c.     "Peter  followed  afar  off." 

This  was  very  unbelieving  in  him.  He  had  seen  his  Lord's  miracles,  and  knew 
what  he  could  do.  He  knew  that  he  had  actually  stipulated  for  their  release  in  the 
garden,  as  the  condition  of  his  own  surrender.  He  knew  that  he  had  assured 
them  that  after  he  should  have  risen  from  the  dead  he  would  appear  to  them,  and 
employ  them  as  his  witnesses,  which  involved  their  preservation.  What  a  difler- 
ence  between  Peter  and  Paul !— Paul,  who  said,  "None  of  these  things  niove  me, 
neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  may  finish  my  course  with  joy ; 
and  between  Peter  and  Luther  !  Luther,  who,  when  informed  of  his  dangers,  said, 
"If  there  were  as  many  devils  in  Worms  as  there  are  tiles  upon  the  houses,  I  would 
go."     But  "  Peter  followed  him  afar  off"."  tt    1     j  i,     1  j 

This  was  very  ungrateful.  The  Savior  had  done  much  for  him.  He  had  healed, 
by  a  miracle,  his  wife's  mother.  He  had  called  him  to  the  aposlleship,  the  highest 
honor  on  earth.  He  had  singularly  distinguished  him,  with  James  and  John,  on 
several  occasions.  He  had  saved  him  by  his  grace,  and  enlightened  him  from  above, 
and  was  now  going  to  suff"er  and  die  for  him. 

A  friend  is  born  for  adversity.  Then,  instead  of  keeping  at  a  distance  irom  us,  we 
look  for  attendance  and  sympathy.  Peter  could  have  unequivocally  testified  in  fa- 
vor of  suffering  innocence,  but  he  hangs  off!  And  Patience  itself  complains,  "1 
looked  for  some  to  take  pity,  and  there  was  none ;  and  for  comforters,  but  I  found 
none!"  ^     .  ,  ,       ,  .,,. 

All  this,  too,  was  in  violation  of  his  own  profession  and  vows,  that  he  was  willing 
10  follow  him  to  prison  and  to  death,  that  he  would  die  with  him  rather  than  deny 
him ;  and  all  this  had  scarcely  left  his  lips,  and  was  uttered  just  after  our  Savior  had 
so  solemnly  forewarned  him.     Yet  "  Peter  followed  him  afar  off." 

This  led  to  something  worse  ;  and  I  wonder  not  at  the  sequel.  His  after-conduct 
in  denying  him  thrice,  and  swearing  with  oaths  and  curses,  was  only  the  continuance 
and  the  increase  of  his  present  reluctance. 

Walker  on  unholy  ministers. 

A  holy  and  upright  minister  of  Christ  never  fails  to  possess  a  secret  dominion  in 
the  hearts  of  those  who  are  of  the  most  opposite  character.  Hate  him  they  may,  and 
probably  will,  but  at  the  same  time  they  are  constrained  to  reverence  and  esteem 
him;  even  "Herod  feared  John  and  observed  him,  and  did  many  things,"  because 
he  knew  that  he  was  a  just  and  holy  man. 

Whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  when  they  see  those  who  are  clothed  with  the  sacred 
character  paying  no  regard  at  all  to  propriety  of  conduct,  but  mixing  with  the  world 
and  living  at  large  as  other  men  do— when  they  see  them  grasping  at  power  or  scram- 
bling for  riches,  spreading  their  sails  to  every  wind,  and  ready  to  embark  in  any  cause 
that  can  recommend  them  to  those  who  are  able  to  gratify  their  ambition  or  covetous- 
ness— however  they  may  avail  themselves  of  their  treason,  yet  surely  they  must  despise 
such  traitors  in  their  hearts,  and  look  upon  them  as  the  dregs  and  refuse  of  human 
kind. 


568  LECTURE    XXXII. 

But,  alas !  strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  seldom  happens  that  these  perfidious  men 
become  so  thoroughly  contemptible  as  to  be  altogether  harmless.  Even  those  who 
despise  most,  by  a  perverse  and  fatal  subtlety  make  their  example  an  occasion  of 
hardening  their  own  souls,  fetching  arguments  thence  to  extenuate  their  guilt  and  to 
cherish  their  presumptuous  hopes  of  impunity  ;  fur  it  has  often  been  observed  that 
no  twig  is  so  slender  that  a  wicked  man  will  not  cling  to  it  when  he  feels  himself 
sinking  under  the  rebukes  of  conscience  and  the  overwhelming  fears  of  an  approach- 
ing vengeance. 

Bishop  Sherlock  on  bad  passions. 

Hence  it  is  evident  in  what  manner  sensual  lusts  do  war  against  the  soul  (1  Peter 
ii.  1] ),  considered  as  the  scat  of  reason  and  all  the  nobler  fliculties,  in  the  due  use  and 
improvement  of  which  the  dignity  of  man  consists.  If  we  look  into  the  ages  past,  or 
into  the  present,  we  shall  want  no  instances  of  the  pernicious  effects  of  passion,  as- 
sisted by  a  corrupt  and  depraved  reason.  The  miseries  which  men  bring  upon  them- 
selves and  others  are  derived  from  this  fountain  ;  and  these  miseries,  which  we  pro- 
vide for  ourselves  and  others,  will  be  found  upon  a  fair  computation  to  make  nine  parts 
out  often  of  all  the  evil  which  the  world  focls  and  complains  of.  "Whence  come 
wars  and  fightinirs  among  you  ?"  says  James,  "  come  they  not  hence,  even  of  your 
lusts,  which  war  in  your  members?"  He  might  have  added  to  his  catalogue  many 
iniquities  more,  and  repeated  the  same  questions  and  answers.  Whence  proceed 
jealousies,  suspicion,  the  violation  of  friendship,  the  discord  and  ruin  of  private  fami- 
lies? Whence  come  murders,  violence,  and  oppression?  Are  these  the  works  of 
reason  given  us  by  God  ?  No  :  they  are  the  works  of  sensuality,  and  of  reason  made 
the  slave  of  sensuality.  Were  all  who  are  given  to  such  works  as  these  to  be  de- 
prived of  their  reason,  the  world  about  them  would  he  umch  happier,  themselves 
more  harmless,  and,  I  think,  not  less  honorable.  So  effectually  do  sinful  lusts  war 
against  the  soul  that  it  would  be  better  for  the  world,  and  not  worse  for  the  sen- 
sualist, if  he  had  no  soul  at  all. 

Scripture  examples  of  comment  of  exposure  will  be  found  in  Job  iv. 
8-21;  V.  1-14;  xii.  17-25;  xxi.  7-34.  See  also  Job  xxii.  4-10; 
xxiv.  3-25.     Ps.  Ixxviii. 

Walker,  on  Isa.  liii.  3,  mixes  comment  with  expostulation.  The  sub- 
ject is,  despising  Christ. 

Consider  then  that  to  despise  Christ  and  reject  the  Savior  is  the  blackest  ingrati- 
tude that  can  be  imagined To  render  evil  for  good,  hatred  for  love,  is  ac- 
counted monstrous  among  men  ;  and  the  person  who  behaves  in  such  a  manner 
toward  his  fellow-creatures  is  justly  condemned  and  abhorred  by  all ;  yet  the  most 
heinous  and  detestable  instance  of  ingratitude  among  men  is  as  nothing  when  com- 
pared with  your  ingratitude  toward  Cod.  Did  he,  without  any  solicitation  from  you, 
and  not  only  without  but  even  contrary  to  your  deserts,  send  his  own  S(jn  into  the 
world  to  save  you  ?  Did  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "  the  brightness  of  the  Father's 
glory  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,"  assume  your  nature,  become  a  man  of 
sorrows  and  accjuainted  with  grief,  lead  a  poor,  afiiicted,  persecuted  life,  and  at  last 
die  a  shameful,  painful,  and  accursed  death,  to  satisfy  offended  justice  and  to  render 
your  happiness  consistent  with  the  honor  of  the  divine  government?  And  is  this 
your  re(|uital  ? 

I  beseech  you,  my  brethren,  to  bestow  some  attention  to  this;  and,  if  your  hearts 
have  any  softness  at  all,  such  unparalleled  i)aseness  can  not  fail  to  make  tbe  deepest 
impression  upon  them.  Does  tins  astonishing,  tliis  undeserved  ijoodness  merit  no 
regard  ?  Does  Cod's  unspeakable  cifi  '<'  nian  deserve  no  return  of  gratitude  and 
praise  ?  Sliall  the  blood  of  Ciirist  be  shed  in  vain — nay,  trampled  under  your  feet  as 
an  unholy  thing  ?  Will  you  crucify  the  Son  of  (Jod  afresli,  and  say,  by  your  neirlect 
of  his  £jreat  salvation,  "  Away  witii  him  !  away  with  him  !" — "  we  have  loved  stran- 
gers, and  after  them  we  will  go?"  Surely  you  can  not,  you  will  not,  pretend  to 
justify  such  conduct ;  there  is  something  in  it  so  disinijenuous  and  perverse,  so  shock- 
ing and  unnatural,  that  I  am  persuaded  when  you  attend  to  it  you  must  loathe  and 
abhor  yourselves  on  account  of  it. 

Rut  ibis  is  not  the  whole  of  your  guilt ;  your  ingratitude  is  heightened  by  the  most 
insolent  contempt  both  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  (lod.  You  charge  Cod  with 
folly  when  you  reject  the  terms  of  the  gosi)el  covenant;  for  your  behavior  plainly 
implies  one  of  the  following  accusations:  That  this  method  of  salvation  is  unneces- 
sary, and  that  God  from  all  eternity  has  employed  his  counsels  about  a  needless  af- 


COMMENT.  569 

fair,  or  else  that  it  is  ineffectual,  and  that  the  person  whom  God  has  chosen  to  execute 
his  designs  is  not  worthy  to  be  depended  upon,  or  that  the  terms  proposed  are  so 
rigorous  and  severe  that  a  wise  man  would  rather  choose  to  perish  than  submit  to 
them.  Thus  dost  thou  arraign  thy  God,  O  sinner  !  Dost  thou  hope  to  prevail  in  the 
day  when  God  shall  plead  with  thee  ? 

Nay,  further,  by  despising  and  rejecting  Christ  you  openly  proclaim  war  against 
the  Most  High  and  bid  him  defiance.  "  He  has  set  his  king  upon  his  holy  hill  of 
Zion,  and  put  all  things  under  his  feet;"  he  has  ordained  by  an  irreversible  decree 
that  "all  men  should  honor  the  Son  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  He  has  pub- 
lished to  the  world  that  there  is  no  other  name  given  among  men  by  which  they  can 
be  saved  than  the  name  of  Jesus,  that  this  glorious  Mediator  is  constituted  the  final 
judge  of  mankind,  and  that  those  who  do  not  bow  to  the  sceptre  of  his  grace  shall  be 
dashed  to  pieces  with  his  rod  of  iron  in  that  day  when  he  shall  be  revealed  from 
heaven  in  flaming  fire,  to  take  vengeance  upon  those  who  know  not  God  and  obey  not 
this  gospel  which  we  now  preach  to  you  ;  and  yet,  in  the  face  of  all  these  declara- 
tions, you  proudly  say  by  your  conduct,  "We  Avill  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over 
us ;  we  neither  fear  his  power  nor  court  his  grace,  but  are  determined  to  stand  on 
our  own  defence." 

Such,  my  brethren,  is  the  malignity  of  your  sin:  it  includes  the  blackest  ingrati- 
tude, heightened  by  the  most  malignant  contempt;  nay,  an  open  defiance  of  the 
omnipotent  God,  rejecting  his  offered  mercy  and  daring  him  to  execute  all  the  rigors 
of  his  justice.  I  do  not  mean  that  yuu  are  at  present  conscious  of  this  complicated 
impiety;  I  rather  suppose  that  you  are  startled  when  you  hear  it  mentioned,  and  are 
ready  to  reply,  as  Hazael  did  to  Elisha,  "Is  thy  servant  a  dog,  that  he  should  do 
these  things?"  But  be  assured  all  I  have  now  said  shall  be  made  good  against  you 
at  last,  if  you  continue  to  despise  and  reject  the  Savior;  and  the  greatest  mercy  that 
can  befall  you,  in  the  meantime,  is  to  get  those  eyes  opened  which  Satan  has  so  long 
closed,  that  you  may  see  and  abhor  your  guilt  in  this  matter.  Oh  !  be  exhorted, 
then,  deliberately  to  weigh  the  representation  I  have  given  you,  if  you  go  out  of  this 
world  with  such  a  dreadful  load  of  guilt  as  I  have  described  ! 

Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  way  of  men — of  God  dealing  with  .sinners. 
Mr.  W.  attacks  the  strongholds  of  nature's  depravity;  and,  if  such  pow- 
erful comment  take  not  effect,  sad  indeed  must  be  the  state  into  which  a 
man  falls  when  he  is  thus  past  feeling.  Mr.  Walker,  in  the  concluding 
part  of  his  discourse,  assumes  the  most  inviting  forms  of  address,  endeav- 
ors to  touch  the  heart,  and  incite  to  feelings  of  the  most  winning  character. 

A  comment  of  caution  to  ministers  on  1  Cor.  iv.  30  ;  also  suited  to  1 
Cor.  ix.  27,  Dr.  Chalmers's  text. 

A  preacher  may  have  his  mind  familiarized  to  every  article  of  fiiith,  so  as  to  demon- 
strate the  channel  of  influence  by  which  it  is  brought  down  from  heaven  upon  the 
hearts  of  believers — to  cast  an  eye  of  intelligence  on  the  whole  system  of  Christian 
doctrine — to  lay  bare  those  ligaments  of  connexion  by  which  a  true  faith  in  the  mind 
is  ever  sure  to  bring  a  new  spirit  and  a  new  practice  along  with  it — and  to  hold  up 
the  light  both  of  scripture  and  experience  over  the  whole  process  of  man's  regenera- 
tion. It  is  possible  for  him  to  do  all  this,  and  yet  have  no  part  in  that  regenera- 
tion^to  declare  with  ability  and  effect  the  gospel  to  others,  and  yet  himself  be  a  cast- 
away— to  unravel  the  Avhole  of  that  spiritual  mechanism  by  which  a  sinner  is  trans- 
formed into  a  saint,  while  he  does  not  exemplify  that  mechanism  upon  his  own  per- 
son—to explain  what  must  be  done  and  what  miust  be  undergone  in  the  process  of 
becoming  one  of  the  children  of  the  kingdom,  while  he  himself  remains  one  of  the 
children  of  the  world.  To  him  the  kingdom  of  God  has  come  in  word,  and  it  has 
come  in  the  letter,  and  it  has  come  in  natural  discernment ;  but  it  has  not  come  in 
power.  He  may  have  profoundly  studied  the  whole  doctrine  of  the  kingdom,  and 
have  conceived  the  various  ideas  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  have  embodied  them 
in  word,  and  have  poured  them  forth  in  utterance,  and  yet  be  as  little  spiritualized  by 
these  manifold  operations  as  the  air  is  spiritualized  by  its  being  the  avenue  of  the 
sound  of  his  voice  to  the  ears  of  his  listening  auditory.  The  livmg  man  may,  with 
all  the  force  of  his  native  intelligence,  be  a  mere  vehicle  of  transmission.  The  Holy 
Ghost  may  leave  the  message  to  take  its  own  way  through  his  mind,  and  may  refuse 
the  accession  of  his  influence  till  it  makes  its  escape  from  the  lips  of  the  preacher, 
and  may  trust  for  its  conveyance  to  those  aerial  undulations  by  which  the  report  is 
carried  forward  to  an  assembled  multitude,  and  may  only,  after  the  enu-aace  of  hear- 


570  LECTURE    XXXII, 

ing  has  been  effected  for  the  terms  of  the  message — may  only,  after  the  unaided 
powers  of  moral  and  physical  nature  have  brought  the  matter  thus  far — may  then, 
and  not  till  then,  add  his  own  influence  to  the  truths  of  the  message,  and  send  them 
with  this  impregnation  from  the  ear  to  the  conscience  of  any  whom  he  listeth.  And 
thus,  I'rom  the  workings  of  a  cold  and  desolate  bosom  in  the  human  expounder,  may 
there  proceed  a  voice  which,  in  its  way  to  some  of  those  who  are  assembled  around 
him,  shall  turn  out  to  be  a  voice  of  urgency  and  power.  He  may  be  the  instrument 
of  blessings  to  others  which  have  never  come  with  kindly  and  effective  influence 
upon  his  oAvn  heart.  He  may  inspire  an  energy  which  he  does  not  feel,  and  pour  a 
comfort  mto  the  wounded  spirit  the  taste  of  which  and  the  enjoyment  of  which  are  not 
permitted  to  his  own.  And  nothing  can  serve  more  effectually  than  this  experimen- 
tal fact  to  humble  him,  and  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  a  power  w^hich  can  not 
be  wielded  by  all  the  energies  of  nature — a  power  often  refused  to  eloquence,  often 
refused  to  the  might  and  glory  of  human  wisdom — often  refused  to  the  most  strenuous 
exertions  of  human  might  and  human  talent,  and  generally  met  with  in  richest  abun- 
dance among  the  ministrations  of  the  men  of  simplicity  and  prayer. 

You  will  have  perceived  from  the  foregoing  examples,  that  comment, 
whether  laudatory  or  reprehensive,  unites  with  description,  narration,  am- 
plification, expostulation,  &c.  To  make  this  matter  plainer,  however,  I 
shall  add  a  few  examples  classed  according  to  the  character  of  the  mate- 
rials on  which  the  comment  is  engrafted,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
introduced,  only  premising  that  the  former  examples  might  have  been  sim- 
ilarly classified,  had  it  not  been  my  object  to  keep  the  two  lands  of  com- 
ment distinct,  and  that  these  are  merely  specimens.  A  complete  list 
wotild  embrace  almost  every  kind  of  writing. 

ARGUMENTATIVE    COMMENT. 

Jay  on  Acts  iii.  9,  10.  The  reality  of  this  miracle  is  shown  by  brief 
but  forcible  arguments,  and  the  effect  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  several 
comments  that  are  interspersed. 

The  cripple's  walking  was  a  proof  of  the  reality  and  perfection  of  the  cure.  His 
praising  God  was  the  proper  improvement  of  it.  What  an  attestation  was  here  to 
the  divine  mission  of  the  apostles,  and  so  to  the  truth  of  Christianity  itself!  There 
was  nothing  like  artifice  or  collusion  in  this  miracle.  The  patient  resided  not  in  a 
remote  place,  but  in  Jerusalem,  that  is,  in  the  midst  of  the  enemies  of  Christ.  He 
had  been  lame  from  his  mother's  womb,  and  was  now  upward  of  forty  years  old. 
He  was  well  known.  He  was  a  beggar.  Multitudes  had  seen  him  ;  many  had  re- 
lieved him  ;  and  many  had  handled  hrni,  for  he  was  carried  daily  to  the  place  of  beg- 
ging. And  this  was  not  an  obscure  corner,  but  the  entrance  into  the  temple.  And 
the  thing  was  not  done  in  the  niglit ;  but  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  there 
was  a  concourse  of  people.  Put  all  this  together  ;  and  then  ask  whether  anything 
could  have  been  fairer.  Could  anything  have  been  moie  open  to  detection  had  there 
been  any  imposture  ?  Compare  such  an  achievement  with  the  prodigies  of  heathen- 
ism and  the  miracles  of  the  Romish  church.  What  then  shall  we  think  of  (he  cre- 
dulity of  unbelievers?  What  is  the  faith  of  a  Christian  to  their  belief?  Christians 
believe  difnculties,  because  they  are  al)undantly  confirmed  ;  but  <Acy  swallow  improb- 
abilities and  impossibilities.  Their  rejection  of  the  gospel  can  not  arise  from  an  in- 
tellectual but  a  moral  cause.  They  do  not  want  evidence,  but  disposition  ;  they  re- 
ceive not  the  love  of  the  truth  that  they  might  be  saved. 

Walker  fiu-nishes  a  specimen  of  familiar  argument  united  with  strong 

comment  and  solemn  appeal,  in  his  discourse  on  Ps.  xix.  13,  first  clause. 

It  is  in  vain  to  say,  O  sinner!  that  the  sins  of  profane  swearing,  perjury,  theft,  un- 
cleanness,  and  drunkenness,  are  not  presumptuous  sins.  It  is  in  vain  for  you  to  plead 
that  you  do  not  directly  intend  thus  much  ;  I  verily  believe  you  think  so  ;  for.  proud 
and  stubborn  as  you  are,  I  am  confident  that  you  dare  not  utter  such  blasphemies  be- 
fore God,  nor  even  avow  them  to  your  own  heart.  But  does  it  follow  ihence  that 
you  are  not  chargeable  with  them  ?  The  fallacy  of  this  reasoning  can  easily  be  de- 
tected. Tell  me,  do  you  intend  your  own  damnation  ?  I  need  not  wait  for  an  an- 
swer ;  I  am  sure  you  do  not.     Pray,  then,  what  meaning  have  ypu  at  all  ?     You  wil- 


COMMENT.  571 

fully  transgress  the  laws  of  God,  but  you  do  not  intend  to  be  punished  for  it ;  on  the 
contrary,  you  shudder  at  the  prospect  of  suffering,  and  would  certainly  oppose  it  with 
all  your  might.  This  is  one  side.  On  the  other  hand,  you  say  that  you  have  no  di- 
rect intention  to  injure  or  insult  the  majesty  of  God  ;  you  mean  no  prejudice  to  his 
authority,  nor  to  any  of  his  perfections,  his  wisdom,  holiness,  justice,  or  almighty 
power.  Can  anybody  reconcile  these  two  opposites?  You  are  unwilling  to  be  mis- 
erable, and  yet  you  are  willing  that  God  should  possess  those  tremendous  attributes 
by  the  exercise  of  which  you  must  be  made  miserable  !  This  is  a  flat  contradiction. 
The  case  is  plain,  whether  you  perceive  it  or  not ;  you  would  certainly  dethrone  God 
if  you  could  :  you  would  reverse  his  laws  or  disarm  his  power  that  you  might  follow 
your  inclinations  without  fear  or  control.  And  this  is  the  disposition  of  every  pre- 
sumptuous sinner,  though  perhaps  his  heart  may  be  so  hard  and  unfeeling  as  not  to 
perceive  it. 

Dr.  Chalmer.s  on  Mark  ii.  27.      The  sanctity  of  the  sabbath. 

The  first  recommendation  of  the  sabbath  is  the  place  which  it  occupies  in  the  dec- 
alogue. There  was  much  of  Jewish  observancy  swept  away  with  the  ruin  of  the 
national  institutions.  There  was  much  designed  for  a  temporary  purpose,  and  which 
fell  into  disuse  among  the  worshippers  of  God  after  that  purpose  was  accomplished. 
A  Christian  of  the  present  day  looks  upon  many  of  the  most  solemn  services  of  Juda- 
ism in  no  other  light  than  as  fragments  of  a  perishable  ritual ;  nor  does  he  ever  think 
that,  upon  himself,  they  have  any  weight  of  personal  obligation  ;  but  this  does  not 
hold  true  of  all  the  duties  and  all  the  services  of  Judaism.  There  is  a  broad  line  of 
distinction  between  that  part  of  it  which  is  now  broken  up  and  that  part  of  it  which 
still  retains  all  the  authority  of  a  perpetual  and  immutable  law.  Point  out  to  us  a 
single  religious  observance  of  the  Hebrews  that  is  now  done  away,  and  we  are  able 
to  say  of  it,  and  of  all  others  which  have  experienced  a  similar  termination,  that  they 
every  one  of  them  live  without  the  compass  of  the  ten  commandments.  They  have 
no  place  whatever  in  that  great  record  of  duty  which  was  graven  on  the  tables  of 
stone,  and  placed  within  the  Holy  of  Holies  under  the  mercy-seat.  Then  how  does 
the  law  of  the  sabbath  stand  as  to  this  particular  ?  does  it  lie  within  or  without  a 
limit  so  tangible,  and  forming  so  distinct  and  so  noticeable  a  line  of  demarcation? 
We  see  it  standing  within  this  record,  of  which  all  tlie  other  duties  are  of  such  gen- 
eral and  such  imperishable  obligation.  We  meet  with  it  in  the  interior  of  that  hal- 
lowed ground  of  which  every  other  part  is  so  sacred  and  so  inviolable.  We  see  it 
occupying  its  own  conspicuous  place  in  that  registry  of  duties  all  of  which  have  the 
substance  and  the  irrevocable  permanency  of  moral  principle.  On  reading  over  the 
other  articles  of  this  memorable  code  we  see  all  of  tliem  stamped  with  such  enduring 
characters  of  obligation  as  no  time  can  wear  away,  and  the  law  of  the  sabbath  taking 
its  station  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  enshrined  on  each  side  of  it  among  the  immuta- 
bilities of  truth,  and  justice,  and  piety.  It  is  true  that  much  of  Judaism  has  now 
fallen  into  desuetude,  and  that  many  of  its  dearest  and  most  distinguished  solemnities 
are  now  regarded  in  no  other  light  than  as  the  obsolete  and  repealed  observances  of 
an  antiquated  ritual  ;  but  it  is  worthy  of  being  observed  well  that  the  whole  of  this 
work  of  demolition  took  place  without  the  line  of  demarcation  ;  we  see  no  attempt 
whatever  to  violate  the  sanctity  of  the  ground  which  this  line  encloses.  We  no- 
where see  any  express  or  recorded  incursion  upon  any  one  of  the  observances  of  the 
decalogue.  We  perceive  an  apostle  in  the  New  Testament  making  his  allusion  to 
the  fifth  of  those  observances,  and  calling  it,  "  the  first  commandment  with  promise  ;" 
and,  by  the  very  notice  he  bestows  on  the  arrangement  of  the  duties,  we  are  given  to 
understand  that  no  attempt  had  been  made  to  disturb  their  order  or  to  depose  any  one 
of  them  from  the  place  which  had  been  assigned  to  it.  We  should  count  it  an  ex- 
periment of  the  most  daring  audacity,  without  the  intimation  of  any  act  of  repeal 
passed  in  the  high  legislation  of  heaven,  to  fly  in  the  face  of  that  sabbath  law  which 
stands  enrolled  among  the  items  of  so  notable  and  so  illustrious  a  document,  and 
nothing  short  of  a  formal  and  absolute  recalment  can  ever  tempt  us  to  think  that  the 
new  dispensation  of  the  gospel  has  created  so  much  as  one  vacancy  in  that  register 
of  duties  which  leave  upon  the  aspect  of  its  whole  history  the  impress  of  a  revealed 
demand  that  is  unalienable  and  everlasting.  We  can  not  give  up  one  article  in  that 
series  of  enactments  which  in  every  age  of  the  Christian  world  has  been  revealed  as 
a  code,  not  of  ceremonial,  but  of  moral  law.  We  can  not  consent,  but  on  the  ground 
of  some  resistless  and  overbearing  argument,  to  the  mutilation  of  the  integrity  of  this 
venerable  record.  We  see  throughout  the  whole  line  of  Jewish  history  that  it  stood 
separate  and  alone,  and  that,  free  from  all  the  marks  of  national  or  local  peculiarity, 
it  bore  upon  it  none  of  the  frailty  of  the  other  institutions,  but  has  been  preserved  and 


572  LECTURE    XXXII. 

handed  down  to  us,  an  unchanged  standard  of  duly  for  all  generations.  We  see  at 
the  very  commencement  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation  how  God  himself  thought  fit  to 
signalize  it ;  for  from  the  place  where  he  stood  did  he  proclaim  the  ten  command- 
ments of  the  law  in  the  hearing  of  the  assembled  multitude  ;  while  every  other  enact- 
ment, whether  moral  or  ceremonial,  was  conveyed  to  the  knowledge  of  the  people 
through  the  medium  of  human  legislation  ;  and  we  should  feel  that  in  dethroning  any 
one  of  the  preceptive  impositions  of  the  decalogue  from  its  authority  over  our  prac- 
tice, we  were  bidding  defiance  to  the  declared  will  of  the  Eternal,  and  resisting  a 
voice  which  sounds  as  loudly  and  as  impressively  to  our  conscience  as  the  one  that 
issued  in  thunder  from  the  flaming  top  of  Sinai  and  scattered  dismay  among  the  thou- 
sands of  Israel. 

We  have  many  examples  of  argumentative  comment  in  Paul's  epistles 
to  the  Romans  and  Galatians.  Several  examples  will  also  be  foimd  in  the 
former  part  of  this  work,  especially  my  sermon  on  Jer.  li.  10,  and  Hors- 
ley  on  Psalm  xiv.  and  xcvii.  7.      See  scripture  index. 

CONTEMPLATIVE    COMMENT. 

Howe  on  Matt.  xvi.  24.     Delight  in  God. 

How  great  is  the  pleasure  arising  from  self-denial  !  Hoav  pleasant  when  we  have 
learned  to  forsake  and  abandon  ourselves,  when  the  idol  self  is  no  longer  maintained 
within  us  at  the  dear  expense  of  our  peace,  comfort,  safety,  and  eternal  hope,  an  idol 
that  engrosses  the  whole  substance  of  our  souls,  that  exhausts  and  devours  that 
strength  and  vigor  of  our  spirits  which  it  does  not  maintain  and  can  not  repair,  which 
consumes  our  time,  which  keeps  all  our  powers  and  faculties  in  a  continual  exercise 
and  hurry,  to  make  a  costly,  a  vain,  and  an  unlawful  provision  for  it !  How  great 
is  the  ease  and  pleasure  which  we  feel  on  being  delivered  from  that  soul-wasting 
monster  that  was  fed  and  sustained  at  a  dearer  rate,  and  with  more  costly  sacrifices 
and  repasts,  than  can  be  paralleled  by  either  sacred  or  other  history — that  has  made 
more  desolations  in  the  souls  of  men  than  ever  was  made  in  their  towns  and  cities, 
where  idols  were  served  with  only  human  sacrifices  or  monstrous  creatures  satiated 
only  with  such  refections,  or  where  the  lives  and  safety  of  the  most  Avere  to  be  bought 
out  of  the  constant  and  successive  tribute  of  the  blood  of  not  a  few — that  hath  de- 
voured more  and  preyed  more  cruelly  upon  human  lives  than  Moloch  or  the  Mino- 
taur !  When  this  monstrous  idol  is  destroyed  and  broken  down,  what  jubilee  does  it 
make,  what  songs  of  triumph  and  praise  does  it  furnish  and  supply  to  the  poor  soul 
now  delivered  and  redeemed  from  death  and  bondage  !  How  much  more  easy  and 
reasonable  a  service  is  it  (when  once  the  grace  of  God  and  these  dear  experiences 
give  men  to  understand  it),  to  study  to  please  God  than  themselves,  when  they  feel 
themselves  dead  to  their  former  lord's  service  and  only  to  live  to  God  through  Jesus 
Christ,  when  sin  no  longer  reigns  in  their  mortal  bodies,  that  they  should  obey  it  in 
the  lusts  thereof!  Rom.  vi.  11,  12,  18.  What  an  ease  is  it  to  the  spirit  of  a  man 
when  he  has  not  himself  to  seek  and  serve  in  any  unlaAvful  disallowed  sense,  when 
he  finds  himself  not  necessitated  or  urged  by  his  own  imperious  fleshly  inclinations  so 
to  do,  when  he  perceives  himself  counterpoised  by  a  preventing  better  principle  and 
the  weight  and  bias  of  his  own  spirit  incline  him  quite  another  way,  when  he  finds 
that  he  has  nothing  left  him  to  do  but  to  serve  God,  to  know  his  will,  and  to  do  it, 
and  when  he  is  disemburdened  of  all  unnecessary  care  for  himself,  that  which  is 
necessary  being  a  part  of  his  duty  and  therefore  done  on  purpose  only  for  God  !  What 
life  is  pleasant  if  this  be  not?  Surely  wherein  it  is  attained  to  it  is  most  pleasant, 
and  hither  this  gracious  heart-rectifying  communication  is  greatly  tending. 

Scripture  examples  of  contemplative  comment  will  be  found  in  Job.  iii. 
17-26;  vii.  1-10;  xiv.  1-3;  xix.  25-27;  xxix. ;  Ps.  xc.  ;  and  the  book 
of  Ecclesiastes. 

•      HYPERBOLICAL    COMMENT. 

Payson  on  Job  xxii.  5.     Sinners  will  not  be  saved. 

Reason  with  them,  they  will  not  be  convinced  ;  set  motives  before  them,  they  will 
not  be  persuad-'d  ;  address  their  hearts,  they  wil^  not  be  afl'ected  ;  appeal  to  their  con- 
sciences, they  will  not  feel  guilty  ;  attempt  to  excite  their  fears,  they  will  not  be 


COMMENT.  573 

alarmed  ;  endeavor  to  allure  them  to  Christ  by  promises  and  invitations,  they  will 
not  come  ;  beseech  them,  weep  over  them,  expostulate  with  them  in  the  most  affec- 
tionate and  pathetic  manner,  set  good  and  evil,  life  and  death,  heaven  and  hell,  judg- 
ment and  eternity,  before  them  in  every  form,  they  make  light  of  all,  and  go  their 
ways,  one  to  his  farm  and  another  to  his  merchandise.  In  vain  have  prophets 
prophesied  ;  in  vain  have  apostles  preached  ;  in  vain  have  angels  descended  from 
heaven  ;  in  vain  has  the  Son  of  God  appeared  on  earth  and  spoken  as  man  never 
spoke  ;  in  vain  has  the  eternal  Father  proclaimed  from  heaven,  "  This  is  my  be- 
loved Son,  hear  him" — still  sinners  will  not  hear  ;  they  will  not  come  to  Christ  for 
life  ;  they  will  neglect  the  great  salvation.  Sin  is  committed  against  an  infinite  Be- 
ing—against God,  a  being  infinitely  powerful,  just,  and  good.  The  criminality  of 
an  offence  is  m  proportion  to  the  excellence  and  greatness  of  the  person  against 
whom  it  is  committed.  For  instance,  it  is  wrong  for  a  child  to  strike  a  brother. 
Should  the  same  child  strike  his  father,  it  would  be  incomparably  more  so.  Were 
his  father  a  king,  possessed  of  every  good  quality,  the  act  would  be  still  more  crimi- 
nal. But  God  is  our  heavenly  Father,  the  universal  King,  infinitely  exalted  above 
every  human  parent — above  every  earthly  monarch,  possessed  in  an  infinite  degree 
of  every  perfection  which  can  entitle  him  to  the  perfect  love,  confidence,  and  obedi- 
ence, of  his  creatures.  He  is  also  the  author  and  preserver  of  the  very  powers  and 
faculties  which  we  employ  in  sinning  against  him,  and  he  has  conferred  upon  us  in- 
numerable favors.  Of  course  we  are  under  infinite  obligation  to  love  and  obey  him  ; 
and  therefore  to  violate  these  obligations,  and  to  sin  against  such  a  Being,  must  be 
an  infinite  evil. 

INTERROGATIVE    APPEAL. 

Davies  on  Rev.  iii.  15,  16. 

Is  lukewarmness  a  proper  temper  toward  Jesus  Christ  ?  Is  this  a  suitable  return 
for  that  love  which  brought  him  down  from  his  native  paradise  into  our  wretched 
world  ? — that  love  which  kept  his  mind,  for  thirty-three  painful  years,  mtent  upon 
this  one  object,  the  salvation  of  sinners  ? — that  love  which  rendered  him  cheerfully 
patient  of  the  shame,  the  curse,  and  the  torture  of  crucifixion,  and  all  the  agonies  of 
the  most  painful  death  ? — that  love  which  makes  him  still  the  sinner's  friend  in  the 
court  of  heaven,  where  he  appears  as  our  prevailing  advocate  and  intercessor  ? — 
Blessed  Jesus  !  is  lukewarmness  a  proper  return  to  thee  for  all  this  kindness  ?  No  ; 
raethinks  devils  could  not  treat  thee  worse.  My  fellow-mortals,  my  fellow-sinners, 
who  are  the  objects  of  all  this  love,  can  you  put  him  off  with  languid  devotion  and 
faint  services  ?  Then  every  grateful  and  generous  passion  is  extinct  in  your  souls, 
and  you  are  qualified  to  venture  upon  every  form  of  ingratitude  and  baseness. 

As  lukewarmness  is  not  a  suitable  feeling  toward  Christ,  so  neither  is  it  suitable 
to  a  view  of  eternal  happiness  and  misery.  Is  it  a  suitable  temper  with  regard  to 
happiness  far  exceeding  the  utmost  bounds  of  our  present  thoughts,  equal  to  the 
largest  capacities  of  our  souls  in  the  most  improved  and  perfect  state  ?^a  happiness 
beyond  the  grave,  when  all  the  enjoyments  of  this  transitory  life  have  taken  an  eter- 
nal flight  from  us,  and  leave  us  hungry  and  famishing  for  ever  if  these  be  our  only 
portion  ? — a  happiness  that  will  last  as  long  as  our  immortal  spirits,  and  never  fade 
nor  fly  from  us  ?  Or  are  our  lukewarmness  and  indifference  a  suitable  temper  with 
respect  to  misery  beyond  expression,  beyond  conception  dreadful  ? — misery  inflicted 
by  a  God  of  almighty  power  and  inexorable  justice  upon  a  number  of  obstinate,  in- 
corrigible rebels,  for  numberless  wilful  and  daring  provocations,  inflicted  on  purpose 
to  show  his  wrath  and  make  his  power  known  ? — misery  proceeding  from  the  united 
fury  of  divine  indignation,  of  turbulent  passions,  of  a  guilty  conscience,  of  malicious, 
tormenting  devils  ? — misery  (who  can  bear  up  under  the  horror  of  the  thought  ?)  that 
should  last  as  long  as  the  eternal  God  should  live  to  inflict  it,  as  long  as  sin  should 
continue  evil  to  deserve  it,  without  mitigation,  never,  never  to  see  an  end  ?  And  re- 
member that  a  state  of  happiness  or  misery  is  not  remote  from  us,  but  near  us,  just 
before  us :  the  next  year,  the  next  hour,  or  the  next  moment,  we  may  enter  into  it,  as 
an  estate  for  which  we  are  now  candidates,  now  upon  our  trial.  Our  eternal  all  is 
now  at  stake.  Oh  !  sirs,  does  an  inactive,  careless  posture  become  us  in  such  a  sit- 
uation ?  Can  this  be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  us  ?  Can  you  be  lukewarm  about 
such  matters  ? 

CONTRAST. 

Chalmers  on  Astronomy.     Infidels  contrasted  with  angels. 


574  LECTURE    XXXII. 

The  infidel,  then,  as  he  widens  the  field  of  his  contemplations  (through  immensi- 
ties and  worlds),  would  suffer  its  every  object  to  die  away  in  forgetfulness.  The 
angels,  expatiating  as  they  do  over  the  range  of  a  loftier  universality,  are  represented 
as  all  awake  to  the  history  of  each  of  its  distinct  and  subordinate  provinces.  The 
infidel,  with  his  mind  afloat  among  suns  and  among  systems,  can  find  no  place  in 
his  already-occupied  mind  for  the  humble  world  which  lodges  and  accommodates 
our  species.  The  angels,  standing  upon  a  loftier  summit,  and  with  a  mightierpros- 
pect  of  creation  before  them,  are  yet  represented  as  looking  do^vn  on  this  single 
world  and  attentively  marking  every  feeling  and  every  demand  of  all  its  families. 
The  infidel,  by  sinking  us  down  to  an  uimoticeable  minuteness,  would  lose  sight  of 
our  dwelling-place  altogether,  and  spread  a  darkening  shroud  of  oblivion  over  all 
the  concerns  and  over  all  the  interests  of  men  ;  but  the  angels  will  not  so  abandon 
us:  undazzled  by  the  whole  surpassing  grandeur  of  that  scenery  which  is  aruund 
them,  they  are  revealed  as  directing  all  the  fulnessof  their  regard  to  this  our  habita- 
tion, and  casting  a  longing  and  benignant  eye  on  ourselves  and  on  our  children. 

The  infidel  will  tell  us  of  those  worlds  which  roll  afar  and  the  number  of  which 
outstrips  the  arithmetic  of  the  human  understanding,  and  then,  with  the  hardness 
of  an  unfeeling  calculator,  Avill  consign  the  one  we  occupy,  with  all  its  guilty  gener- 
ations, to  despair.  But  He  who  counts  the  number  of  the  stars  is  set  forth  to  us  as 
looking  at  every  inhabitant  among  the  millions  of  our  species,  and  by  the  word  of 
the  gospel  beckoning  to  him  with  the  hand  of  invitation,  and  on  the  very  first  step 
of  his  return  is  moving  toward  him,  with  all  the  eagerness  of  the  prodigal's  lather, 
to  receive  him  back  again  into  that  presence  from  which  he  had  wandered.  And  as 
to  this  world,  in  favor  of  which  the  scowling  infidel  will  not  permit  one  solitary 
movement,  all  heaven  is  represented  as  in  a  stir  about  its  restoration  ;  and  there  can 
not  a  single  son  or  a  single  daughter  be  recalled  from  sin  to  righteousness  without 
an  acclamation  of  joy  among  the  hosts  of  paradise.  Ay,  and  I  can  say  it  of  the  hum- 
blest and  the  unworthiest  of  you  all,  that  the  eye  of  angels  is  upon  him,  and  that  his 
repentance  would  at  this  moment  send  forth  a  wave  of  delightful  sensibility  through 
the  mighty  throng  of  their  innumerable  legions. 

Contrast  of  false  and  real  religion.  Blair,  in  bis  lectures  on  rhetoric, 
cites  a  fine  passage  of  this  kind  from  Bishop  Sherlock.  Natural  religion  is 
personified  as  being  in  a  state  of  hesitation  wliethcr  to  adopt  the  Koran  or 
the  Gospel.      The  preacher  then  addresses  her  in  these  words: — 

Go  to  Mohammed  and  his  disciples,  arraved  in  blood,  riding  in  triumph  over  the 
spoils  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands,  who  fell  by  his  victorious  sword.  See  the 
cities  which  he  set  in  flames,  the  countries  which  he  ravaged  and  destroyed,  and  the 
miserable  distress  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  those  countries,  who  -were  left  to  see 
wretchedness  in  its  most  gloomy  forms.  When  you  have  viewed  him  in  this  scene, 
go  into  his  retirements;  see  the  prophet's  chamber,  his  concubines  and  wives;  see 
his  adultery,  and  hear  him  allege  revelation  and  hisdivine  commission  to  justify  his 
lust  and  oppression.  If  you  arc  weary  of  this  disgustmg  prospect,  turn  to  the  bles- 
sed Jesus,  bumble  and  meek,  doing  good  to  all  the  sons  of  men,  patiently  instruct- 
ing both  the  ignorant  and  the  perverse  ;  see  him  in  his  most  retired  privacies  ;  follow 
him  to  the  mount,  and  hear  his  devotions  and  supplications  to  God  ;  go  to  his  table, 
and  view  his  poor  fare  ;  hear  his  heavenly  discourse  ;  see  him  injured,  but  not  pro- 
voked ;  attend  him  to  the  tribunal,  and  consider  the  patience  with  which  he  endured 
the  cross  ;  view  him  in  the  agony  of  death  ;  hear  his  last  prayer  for  his  persecutors, 
"  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  Here,  then,  stand  still, 
and  judge  which  is  the  true  prophet  of  (iod.  Let  the  centurion  speak  your  language  : 
"  Truly  this  man  was  the  Son  of  God  .'" 

EXPOSITORY    COMMENT. 

The  excpllent  Afatthow  ITeiiry  fiM-iiislics  some  fine  specimens  of  com- 
ment, several  df  which  1  shoidd  be  induced  to  transcribe,  if  I  did  not  hope 
that  you  were  too  well  acquainted  with  his  exposition  to  render  this  neces- 
sary. One  extract  from  his  comment  on  the  prayer  of  .Jonah  (ch.  iv.  1-3) 
will  sufTificntly  show  Iiow  the  conuivut  staiuls  distinguished  from  the  expo- 
sition which  fiirnishes  its  groimdwork. 

How  unjustly  Jonah  quarrelled  with  God  for  his  mercy  to  Nineveh,  upon  their  re- 
pentance !     This  gives  us  occasion  to  suspect  that  Jonah  had  only  delivered  the 


COMMENT. 


575 


mes-^ao-e  of  wratli  against  the  Ninevites,  and  had  not  at  all  assisted  or  encouraged 
them  m  their  repentance,  as  one  would  think  he  should  have  done  ;  for,  when  they 
did  repent,  and  found  mercy—  ,,,.        tji         it       i 

I  Jonah  trudged  them  the  mercy  they  found  (v.  1.) :  "  It  displeased  Jonah  ex- 
ceedin^-lv  ^'^and  (would  you  think  it  ?)  "  he  was  very  angry,"  was  in  a  great  heat 
about  ft.  It  was  very  wrong— 1.  That  he  had  so  little  government  of  himself  as  to 
be  di-^pleased  and  very  angry  ;  he  had  no  rule  over  his  own  spirit,  and,  therefore,  as 
a  cilv  broken  down,  lav  exposed  to  temptations  and  snares.  2.  That  he  had  so  little 
reverence  of  God  as  to  be  displeased  and  angry  at  what  he  did,  as  David  was  when 
the  Lord  had  made  a  breach  upon  Uzza.  Whatever  pleases  God  should  please  us, 
and  thouo-h  we  can  not  account  for  it,  yet  we  must  acquiesce  in  it.  3.  That  he  had 
so  little  affection  to  men  as  to  be  displeased  and  very  angry  at  the  conversion  of  the 
Nineviies,  and  their  reception  into  the  divine  favor.  This  was  the  sin  of  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  who  murmured  at  our  Savior  because  he  entertained  publicans  and 
sinners  ;  but  is  our  eye  evil  because  his  is  good  ?  But  why  was  Jonah  so  uneasy  at 
it  that  the  Ninevites  repented  and  were  spared  ?  It  can  not  be  expected  that  we 
should  t^ive  any  good  reason  for  a  thing  so  very  absurd  and  unreasonable  ;  no,  nor 
anvthin'?  that  has  the  face  or  color  of  reason  ;  but  we  may  conjecture  what  the  provo- 
cation was.  Hot  spirits  are  usually  high  spirits;  only  by  pride  comes  contention 
both  wi  h  God  and  man.  It  was  a  point  of  honor  that  Jonah  stood  upon,  and  that 
made  him  angry.  (1.)  He  was  jealous  for  the  honor  of  his  country.  The  repentance 
and  reformation  of  Nineveh  shamed  the  obstinacy  of  Israel  that  repented  not,  but 
hated  to  be  reformed  ;  and  the  favor  God  had  shown  to  these  Gentiles,  upon  their  re- 
pentance, was  an  ill  omen  to  the  Jewish  nation,  as  if  they  should  be  (as  at  length 
Ihey  were)  rejected  and  cast  out  of  the  church,  and  the  Gentiles  substituted  in  their 
room.  (2.)  He  was  jealous  for  his  own  honor,  fearing  lest,  if  Nineveh  was  not  de- 
stroyed within  forty  days,  he  should  be  accounted  a  false  prophet  and  stigmatized  ac- 
cordingly ;  whereas  he  needed  not  be  under  any  discontent  about  that,  for  in  the  threat- 
enino-  of  ruin  it  was  implied  that,  for  the  preventing  of  it,  they  should  repent,  and  if 
thev^lid  it  should  be  prevented.  And  no  one  will  complain  of  being  deceived  by 
Him  that  is  better  than  his  word  ;  and  he  would  rather  gain  honor  among  them,  by 
being  instrumental  to  save  them,  than  fliU  under  any  disgrace.  But  melancholy 
men^(and  such  a  one  Jonah  seems  to  have  been)  are  apt  to  make  themselves  un- 
easy by  foncying  evils  to  themselves  that  are  not,  nor  are  ever  likely  to  be.  Most 
of  our  frets,  as  well  as  our  frights,  are  owing  to  the  power  of  imagination  ;  and  those 
are  to  be  pitied  as  perfect  bond-slaves  that  are  under  the  power  of  such  a  tyrant. 

II.  He  quarrelled  with  God  about  it.  When  his  heart  was  hot  within  him,  he 
spoke  unadvisedly  with  his  lips  ;  and  here  he  tells  us  what  he  said,  verses  2,  3.  He 
"  prayed  unto  the  Lord/'  but  it  is  a  very  awkward  prayer,  not  like  that  which  he 
prayed  in  the  fish's  belly  ;  for  affliction  teaches  us  to  pray  submissively,  which  Jonah 
now  forgot  to  do.  Being  in  discontent,  he  applied  to  the  duty  of  prayer,  as  he  used 
to  do  in  his  troubles,  but  his  corruptions  got  head  of  his  graces,  and,  when  he 
should  have  beea  praying  for  benefit  by  the  mercy  of  God  himself,  he  was  complain- 
ing of  the  benefit  others  had  by  that  inercy.  Nothing  could  be  spoken  more  unbe- 
comingly. 

I.  He  now  begins  to  justify  himself  in  fleeinir  from  the  presence  oj  the  Lord, 
when  he  was  first  ordered  to  go' to  Nineveh,  for  which  he  had  before,  with  good  reason, 
condemned  himself:  ''Lord,"  said  he,  "  was  not  this  my  saying-  when  I  was  in  my 
own  countri/?  Did  I  not  foresee  that  if  I  went  to  preach  at  Nineveh  they  would  re- 
pent, and  thou  wouldst  forgive  them,  and  then  thy  word  would  be  reflected  upon  and 
reproached  as  7/ea  and  nay?"  What  a  strange  sort  of  man  was  Jonah,  to  dread  the 
success  of  his  ministry !  Many  have  been  tempted  to  withdraw  from  their  work  be- 
cause they  have  despaired  of  doing  good  by  it,  but  Jonah  declined  preaching  because 
he  was  afraid  of  doing  good  by  it  ;  and  still  he  persists  in  the  same  corrupt  notion, 
for  it  seems  the  whale's  belly  itself  could  not  cure  him  of  it.  It  was  his  saying 
when  he  was  in  his  own  country,  but  it  was  a  bad  saying  ;  yet  here  he  stands  to  it ; 
and,  very  unlike  the  other  prophets,  desires  the  woful  day  Avhich  he  had  foretold,  and 
o-rieves  because  it  does  not  come  !  Jonah  thinks'he  has  reason  to  complain  of  that, 
when  it  is  done,  which  he  was  before  afraid  of:  so  hard  is  it  to  get  a  root  of  bitter- 
ness plucked  out  of  the  mind  when  once  it  is  fiistened  there.  And  why  did  Jonah 
expect  that  God  would  spare  Nineveh  ?  "  Because  I  knew  that  thou  wast  a  gracious 
God,"  indulgent  and  easily  pleased,  that  "  thou  wast  slow  to  anger  and  of  great  kind- 
ness,' and  repentest  thee  of  the  evil."  All  this  is  very  true  ;  and  Jonah  could  not  but 
know  it  by  God's  proclamation  of  his  name,  and  the  experiences  of  all  ages  ;  but  it  is 
strange  and  very  unaccountable  that  that  which  all  the  saints  had  made  the  matter 


576  LECTURE    XXXII. 

of  their  joy  and  praise  Jonah  should  make  the  matter  of  reflection  upon  God  ;  as  if 
that  were  an  imperfection  of  the  divine  nature,  which  is  indeed  the  f^reatcst  glory  of 
it — that  God  is  irrucious  and  merciful.  The  servant  that  said,  "I  knew  thee  to  he  a 
hard  man,"  said  that  wliich  was  false,  and  yet,  had  it  been  true,  it  was  not  the  proper 
matter  of  a  complaint ;  but  Jonah,  thou^li  he  says  what  is  true,  yet  speaking  it  by 
way  of  reproach,  speaks  very  absurdly.  Those  have  a  spirit  of  contention  and  con- 
tradiction indeed  that  can  find  in  their  hearts  to  quarrel  with  the  goodness  of  God 
and  his  sparing  pardoning  mercy,  to  which  we  all  owe  it  that  we  are  out  of  hell. 
This  is  making  that  to  be  to  us  a  "  savor  of  death  unto  death,"  which  ought  to  be  a 
"  savor  of  life  unto  life." 

2.  In  a  passion  he  wishes  for  death,  ver.  3.  A  strange  expression  of  his  causeless 
passion  ?  "  Nov^,  O  Lord  !  take,  J  beseech  thee,  my  life  from  me.  If  Nineveh  must 
live  let  me  die,  rather  than  see  thy  word  and  mine  disproved,  rather  than  see  the 
glory  of  Israel  transferred  to  the  Gentiles,"  as  if  there  were  not  grace  enouirh  in 
God  both  for  Jews  and  Gentiles,  or  as  if  his  countrymen  were  the  further  tiff  from 
mercy  for  the  Ninevites  being  taken  into  favor.  When  the  prophet  Elijah  had  la- 
bored in  vain  he  wished  he  might  die,  and  it  was  his  infirmity,  1  Kings  xix.  4.  But 
Jonah  labors  to  good  purpose,  saves  a  great  city  from  ruin,  aiid  yet  wishes  he  may 
die,  as  if,  having  done  much  good,  he  were  afraid  of  living  to  do  more  ;  he  sees  of 
the  travail  of  his  soul  and  is  dissatisfied.  What  a  perverse  spirit  is  mingled  with 
every  word  he  says!  When  Jonah  was  brought  alive  out  of  the  whale's  belly  he 
thought  life  a  very  valuable  mercy,  and  Avas  thankful  to  that  God  who  brought  up 
his  life  from  corruption  (chap.  ii.  6),  and  a  great  blessing  his  life  had  been  to  Nine- 
veh ;  yet  now,  for  that  very  reason,  it  became  a  burden  to  himself,  and  he  begs  to  he 
eased  of  it,  pleading,  "It  is  better  for  me  to  die  than  to  live."  Such  a  word  as  this 
may  be  the  language  of  grace,  as  it  was  in  Paul,  who  desired  "to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ,  which  is  far  better;"  but  here  it  was  the  language  of  folly,  and  passion,  and 
strong  corruption;  and  so  much  the  worse,  (1.)  Jonah  being  now  in  the  midst  of  his 
usefulness,  and  therefore  fit  to  live.  lie  was  one  whose  ministry  God  wonderfully 
owned  and  prospered.  The  conversion  of  Nineveh  might  give  him  hopes  of  being 
instrumental  to  convert  the  whole  kingdom  of  Assyria  ;  it  was  therefore  very  absurd 
for  him  to  wish  he  might  die,  when  he  had  a  prospect  of  living  to  so  good  a  purpose 
and  could  be  so  ill  spared.  (2.)  Jonah  being  now  so  much  out  of  temper,  and  there- 
fore unfit  to  die.  How  durst  he  think  of  dying,  and  g(jing  to  appear  before  God's 
judgment-seat,  when  he  was  actually  quarrelling  with  him  ?  Was  this  a  frame  of 
spirit  proper  for  a  man  to  go  out  of  the  world  in  ?  But  those  who  passionately  desire 
death  commonly  have  least  reason  to  do  it,  as  being  very  much  unprepared  for  it. 
Our  business  is  to  get  ready  to  die  by  doing  the  work  of  life,  and  then  to  refer  our- 
selves to  God  to  take  away  our  life  when  and  how  he  pleases. 

Horsley  on  John  xlii.  34.  The  "  new  comtTianclment." 
It  was,  indeed,  in  various  senses,  a  new  commandment.  First,  as  the  thing  en- 
joined was  a  great  novelty  in  the  practice  of  mankind.  The  age  in  which  our  Sa- 
vior lived  on  earth  was  an  age  of  pleasure  and  dissipation  ;  sensual  ajipetite,  indulged 
to  the  most  unwarrantable  excess,  had  extinguished  all  the  nobler  feelings.  This  is 
ever  its  effect  when  it  is  suffered  to  get  the  ascendant,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  it 
is  said  by  the  apostle  to  war  against  the  soul.  The  refinements  of  luxury,  spread 
among  ail  ranks  of  men,  had  multiplied  their  artificial  Avants  beyond  the  proportion 
of  the  largest  fortunes;  and  thus,  bringing  all  men  into  the  class  of  the  necessitous, 
had  universally  induced  that  churlish  habit  of  the  mind  in  which  every  feeling  is 
considered  as  a  weak rvess  which  terminates  not  in  self,  and  those  generous  sympathies 
by  which  every  one  is  iinpelled  to  seek  his  neighbor's  good  are  industriously  sup- 
pressed as  disturbers  of  the  repose  of  the  individual  and  enemies  to  his  personal  en- 
joyment. This  is  the  tendt-ncy,  and  has  ever  been  the  effect,  of  luxury,  in  every 
nation  where  it  has  inih:ip])ily  taken  root.  It  renders  every  man  selfish  upon  princi- 
ple. The  first  symptom  of  this  fiital  corruption  is  the  extinction  of  genuine  piiblic 
spirit,  that  is,  of  all  real  regard  to  the  inlcrest  and  i;ood  order  of  society,  in  the  place 
of  which  arises  that  base  and  odious  counterfeit  which,  assuminc:  the  name  of  pa- 
triotism, thinks  to  cover  the  infamy  of  every  vice  which  can  disgrace  the  private  life 
of  man  by  clamors  fijr  the  public  good,  of  which  the  real  object  all  the  while  is 
nothing  more  than  tlie  gratification  of  the  ainbitic  n  and  rapacity  of  the  demagogue. 
The  next  stage  of  the  corruption  is  a  perfect  indillVrence  and  insensil)ility,  in  all 
ranks  (jf  men,  to  everything  Imi  the  gratification  of  the  moment.  An  idle  peasantry 
subsist  themselves  by  theft  and  violence,  and  a  voluptuous  nobility  stjuander,  on  base 
and  criminal  indulgences,  that  superfluity  of  store  which  should  go  to  the  defence  of 


COMMENT.  bll 

the  country  in  times  of  public  danger,  or  to  the  relief  of  private  distress.  In  an  age, 
therefore,  of  luxury,  such  as  that  was  in  which  our  Savior  lived  on  earth,  genuine 
philanthropy  being  necessarily  extinguished,  the  religious  love  of  our  neighbor,  which 
is  far  beyond  ordinary  philanthropy,  will  rarely,  if  ever,  be  found. 

Nor  was  it  missing  in  the  manners  of  the  world  only  ;  in  the  lessons  of  divines  and 
moralists,  mutual  love  was  a  topic  out  of  use  !  .  The  Jews  were  divided  in  their  re- 
ligious opinions  between  the  two  sects  of  Pharisees  and  Sadducees.  The  former  were 
the  infidels  of  their  age.  The  religion  of  the  latter  consisted  chiefly  in  form  and 
show — if  that  indeed  can  be  called  a  religion  of  which  the  love  of  God  and  man 
made  no  essential  part !  Judge  whether  those  taught  men  to  love  one  another  who 
taught  ungrateful  children  to  evade  the  fifth  commandment  with  an  untroubled  con- 
science, and  to  defraud  an  aged  parent  of  that  support  which  by  the  law  of  God  and 
nature  was  his  due  ! 

Horslej  on  Mark  vii.  37.  The  sentiments  of  those  who  witnessed  the 
miracles  of  Christ. 

We  read  in  Luke  that  our  "  Lord  was  casting  out  a  devil,  and  it  was  dumb  ;  and 
it  came  to  pass  that,  when  the  devil  had  gone  out,  the  dumb  spoke,  and  the  populace 
that  were  witnesses  of  the  miracle  wondered."  Theij  wondered,  and  there  was  an 
end  of  their  speculations  upon  the  business;  they  made  no  further  inquiry  and  their 
thoughts  led  them  to  no  further  conclusion  than  that  the  thing  was  very  strange. 
These  seem  to  have  been  people  of  that  stupid  sort  which  abounds  too  much  in  all 
ranks  of  society,  whose  notice  is  attracted  by  things  that  come  to  pass,  not  according 
to  the  difficulty  of  accounting  for  them  (a  thing  that  never  breaks  their  slumbers), 
but  according  as  they  are  more  or  less  frequent.  They  are  neither  excited  by  any 
scientific  curiosity  to  inquire  after  the  established  causes  of  the  most  common  things 
nor  by  any  pious  regard  to  God's  providential  government  of  the  world  to  inquire 
after  him  in  the  most  uncommon.  Day  and  night  succeed  each  other  in  constant 
vicissitude  ;  the  seasons  hold  their  unvaried  course  ;  the  sun  mg,kes  his  annual  jour- 
ney through  the  same  regions  of  the  sky;  the  moon  runs  the  circle  of  her  monthly 
changes,  with  a  motion  ever  varying,  yet  subject  to  one  constant  law  and  limit  of  its 
variations ;  the  tides  of  the  ocean  ebb  and  jf'ow ;  heavy  waters  are  suspended  at  a 
great  height  in  the  thinner  fluid  of  the  air — they  are  collected  in  clouds  which  over- 
spread the  summer  sky,  and  descend  in  showers  to  refresh  the  verdure  of  the  earth — 
or  they  are  driven  by  strong  gales  to  the  bleak  regions  of  the  north,  whence  the  win- 
try winds  return  them  to  these  milder  climates,  to  fall  lightly  upon  the  tender  blade 
in  flakes  of  snow,  and  form  a  mantle  to  shelter  the  hope  of  the  husbandman  from  the 
nipping  frost.  These  things  are  hardly  noticed  by  the  sort  of  people  who  are  now 
before  us  ;  they  excite  not  even  their  wonder,  though  in  themselves  most  wonderful, 
much  less  do  they  awaken  them  to  inquire  by  what  mechanism  of  the  universe  a*  sys- 
tem so  complex  in  its  motions  and  vicissitudes,  and  yet  so  regular  and  orderly  in  its 
complications,  is  carried  on.  They  say  to  themselves,  "  These  are  the  common  oc- 
currences of  nature,"  and  they  are  satisfied.  These  same  sort  of  people,  if  they  see 
blind  men  restored  to  sight,  or  the  deaf  and  dumb  suddenly  endowed  with  the  facul- 
ties of  hearing  and  of  speech,  without  the  use  of  physical  means,  wonder — that  is, 
they  say  to  themselves,  "  It  is  uncommon,"  and  they  concern  themselves  no  further. 
These  people  discover  God  neither  in  the  still  voice  of  nature  nor  in  the  sudden  blaze 
of  miracle.  They  seem  hardly  to  come  within  that  definition  of  man  which  was 
given  by  some  of  the  ancient  philosophers,  that  he  is  an  animal  that  contemplates 
the  objects  of  its  senses  ;  they  contemplate  nothing  ;  two  sentences — "  It  is  very  com- 
mon !"  "  It  is  very  strange  !" — make  at  once  the  sum  of  the  detail  of  their  philosophy 
and  of  their  belief,  and  are  to  them  a  solution  of  all  difficulties.  They  wonder  for  a 
while,  but  they  presently  dismiss  the  subject  of  their  wonder  from  their  thoughts. 
Wonder,  connected  with  a  principle  of  rational  curiosity,  is  the  source  of  all  knowl- 
edge and  discovery — and  it  is  a  principle  even  of  piety ;  but  wonder  that  ends  in 
wonder,  and  is  satisfied  with  wondering,  is  the  quality  of  an  idiot. 

This  stupidity,  so  common  to  all  ranks  of  men  (for  what  I  now  describe  is  no  pe- 
culiarity of  those  who  are  ordinarily  called  the  vulgar  and  illiterate) — this  stupidity 
is  not  natural  to  man  ;  it  is  the  effect  of  an  over-solicitude  about  the  low  concerns  of 
the  present  world,  which  alienates  the  mind  from  objects  most  worthy  its  attention, 
and  keeps  its  noble  faculties  employed  on  things  of  an  inferior  sort,  drawing  them 
aside  from  all  inquiries  except  what  may  be  the  speediest  means  to  increase  a  man's 
wealth  and  advance  his  worldly  interests. 

We  see  here  the  power  of  comment;  it  seizes  even  a  single  word,  tries 

37 


678  LECTURE    XXXII. 

it  upon  its  principles,  especially  on  qualities,  as  in  Topic  23,  examines 
and  condemns,  or,  on  another  subject,  commends  and  approves. 

kSome  may  get  into  a  miserable  habit  of  triflini;  upon  words  ;  but  when 
words  can,  as  in  this  instance,  be  turned  to  principles,  to  a  development 
of  character,  a  signal  honor  attends  the  examination. 

Jay's  Exercises,  on  Rom.  x.  12  :  "The  same  Lord  over  all  is  rich  unto 
all  that  call  upon  him." 

He  is  rich,  that  is,  he  is  plenteous,  to  all  that  call  upon  him.  Some,  if  they  are 
bountiful,  are  poor  in  bounty.  And  this  appears,  not  only  in  the  smallness  of  their 
gifts,  but  in  tlie  mode  of  giving:.  It  seems  done  by  constraint,  not  willingly  and  of  a 
ready  mind.  It  docs  not  drop  from  them  as  honey  from  the  comb  or  flow  like  water 
from' a  spring.  It  seems  an  unnatural  effort.  You  feel  no  more  respect  when  they 
give  much  than  when  they  give  little;  everything  like  nobleness  is  destroyed  by  the 
manner.  The  meanness  of  the  disposition  is  betrayed  ;  and  the  poor-spirited  mortal 
can  no  more  give  kindly  and  generously  than  a  clown  can  dance  gracefully.  But 
"  the  Lord  God  is  a  sun  ;  he  gives  grace  and  glory,  and  no  good  thing  will  he  with- 
hold." lie  is  "  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth."  He  "  abundantly  pardons  ;"  and, 
while  he  "  gives  liberally,"  he  "  upbraids  not." 

South  on  Gen.  i.  27.     Man  formed  in  the  image  of  God. 

Such  was  his  understanding,  his  noblest  faculty.  It  was  then  sublime,  clear,  as- 
piring, and,  as  it  were,  the  soul's  upper  re&ion,  lofty  and  serene,  free  from  the  vapors 
and  disturbances  of  the  inferior  affections.  It  was  the  leading  controlling  faculty; 
all  the  passions  wore  the  colors  of  reason  ;  it  was  not  consul,  but  dictator.  Discourse 
was  then  almost  as  quick  as  intuition  ;  it  was  nimble  in  proposing,  firm  in  conclu- 
ding ;  it  could  sooner  determine  than  now  it  can  dispute.  Like  the  sun,  it  had  both 
light  and  airility:  it  knew  no  rest  but  in  motion,  no  quiet  but  in  activity ;  it  did  not 
so  properly  apprehend  as  irradiate  the  object,  not  so  much  find  as  make  things  intel- 
ligible :  it  did  arbitrate  upon  the  several  reports  of  sense  and  all  the  varieties  of  im- 
agination, not,  like  the  drowsy  judge,  only  hearing,  but  also  directing  their  verdict. 
In  fine,  it  was  vegete,  quick,  and  lively,  open  as  the  day,  untainted  as  the  morning, 
full  of  the  iimocence  and  spriirhtlincss  of  youth  :  it  gave  the  soul  a  brisjht  and  full 
view  into  all  things,  and  was  not  only  a  window,  but  itself  a  prospect.  Briefly,  there 
is  as  much  difference  between  the  clear  representation  of  the  understanding  then,  and 
the  obscure  discoveries  that  it  makes  now,  as  there  is  between  the  prospect  of  a  case- 
ment and  of  a  key-hole. 

The  same  author  on  1  Tim.  vi.  2. 

The  teaching  part,  indeed,  of  a  Romish  bishop  is  easy  enough,  since  his  grand  busi- 
ness is  only  to  teach  men  how  to  be  ignorant,  to' instruct  them  how  to  know  noth- 
ing, or.  which  is  all  one,  to  know  upon  trust,  to  believe  implicitly,  and,  in  a  word,  to 
see  with  other  men's  eyes,  till  they  conu-  to  be  lost  in  their  own  souls.  But  our  re- 
ligion is  a  reliirion  that  dares  to  be  understood,  that  offers  itself  to  the  search  of  the 
inquisitive,  to  the  inspection  of  the  severest  and  the  most  enlightened  reason  ;  for, 
being  secure  of  her  substantial  truth  and  purity,  she  knows  that  for  her  to  be  seen  and 
looked  ujxm  is  to  be  embraced  and  admired,  as  there  needs  no  greater  argument  for 
men  to  love  the  liirbt  than  to  sec  it.  It  needs  no  legends,  no  service  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  no  inquisition  against  scrijiture,  no  purging  out  the  heart  and  sense  of  authors, 
no  altering  or  bribiiur  the  voice  of  antiquity  to  speak  for  it :  it  needs  none  of  those  la- 
borious artifices  of  ignorance,  none  of  those  cloaks  of  coverinu.  The  Romish  faith, 
indeed,  nmst  be  covered,  or  it  can  not  keep  warm.  And  their  clergy  deal  with  their 
religion  as  with  a  ijreat  crime:  if  it  is  discovered  they  are  undone:  but  there  is  no 
bishop  of  the  church  of  England  but  accounts  it  his  interest  as  well  as  his  duty  to 
comply  with  this  precept  of  St.  Paul  :  "  These  things  teach  and  exhort." 

Bradley  on  Eph.  iii.  8:    "Less  than  the  least  of  all  saints." 

We  can  not  take  even  the  most  hasty  glance  at  the  writings  of  the  apostle  without, 
at  the  same  time,  noticing  the  entire  submission  of  his  mind  to  the  <;nspcl  of  Christ, 
the  simple  and  hearty  reception  which  he  gave  to  divine  truths.  He  had  naturally 
the  same  proud  heart  that  we  have,  and  baud  the  humiliating  doctrines  connected 
with  the  cross  of  Christ  as  much  as  we  hate  them  ;  nay,  they  were  more  offensive  to 
him  than  they  can  be  to  us.     They  were  opposed,  not  only  to  those  common  work- 


COMMENT.  579 

ings  of  pride  which  we  all  feel,  but  to  a  multitude  of  prejudices  peculiar  to  himself 
and  to  the  age  and  country  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  Jew ;  he  Avas  a  scholar  of 
Gamaliel ;  he  was  a  man  of  strong  intellectual  powers ;  and  jet  all  the  prt^judices 
of  the  Jew,  all  the  pride  of  the  scholar,  and  all  the  dictates  of  worldly  wisdom,  were 
torn  out  of  his  heart,  and  the  once  proud  and  haughty  Saul  is  seen  sitting  at  the  feet 
of  the  carpenter's  son,  humble  and  teachable  as  a  little  child.  Read  his  Epistles  to 
the  Romans  and  Galatiaus,  brethren,  and  see  how  low  the  grace  of  God  can  humble 
the  proudest  mind.  We  do  not  find  him  endeavoring  in  these  epistles  to  accommo- 
date the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  to  his  former  opinions,  altering  and  qualifying  them 
to  make  them  scjuare  with  the  feelings  of  the  Jew  or  the  pride  of  the  philosopher; 
he  received  them  all  with  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity.  Every  imagination,  "  every 
high  thing,"  which  had  so  long  "  exalted  itself  in  his  mind  against  the  knowledge  of 
God,"  seems  to  be  utterly  cast  down,  and  every  thought  brought  into  subjection,  "  into 
captivity  to  the  obedience  of  Christ." 

The  importance  of  comment  must  have  been  so  apparent  from  the  pe- 
rusal of  the  foregoing  observations  and  examples,  that  any  additional  argu- 
ments to  enforce  a  careful  attention  to  its  cultivation  would  be  superfluous. 
The  apostle  Paul,  in  addressing  his  beloved  son  Timothy,  says  :  "  Medi- 
tate on  these  things  ;  give  thyself  wholly  to  them."  So  would  I  say  to 
you  ;  and  may  your  profiting  appear  to  all  your  people,  and  be  rendered 
subservient  to  their  present  peace  and  future  joy. 


APPENDIX. 


NO.  I. 
ON  PLAIN  LANGUAGE. 

•  Write  tlie  vision,  and  make  it  plain  upon  tables,  that  be  may  run  that  readeth  it." — Hab.ii.  2. 

"And  my  speech  and  my  preaching  were  not  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demon 
stration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power." — 1  Cor.  ii.  4. 

"  I  bad  rather  speak  live  words  wiih  my  understanding,  so  that  by  my  voice  I  might  teach  others 
also,  than  ten  thousand  words  in  an  unknown  tongue." — 1  Cor.  xiv.  19. 

"A  preacher  is  to  fancy  himself  as  in  tlic  room  of  the  most  vnlearned  man  in  tlie parish,  and  there- 
fore must  put  such  parts  of  his  discourse  as  he  would  have  all  understand  in  so  plain  a  form  of 
words  that  it  may  not  be  beyond  tlie  meanest  of  them.  This  he  will  certainly  study  to  do  if  bis 
desire  be  to  edify  them  rather  than  to  make  them  admire  himself  as  a  learned  and  a  highly- 
spoken  man." — Bishop  Binntt. 

"  Avoid  all  exotic  phrases,  scholastic  terms,  and  forced  rhetorical  figures,  since  it  is  not  difficult  to 
make  easy  things  appear  hard,  but  to  render  hard  things  easy  is  the  hardest  part  of  a  good  orator 
as  well  as  preacher." — Archbishop  Usher. 

The  spirit  of  the  above  quotations  clearly  points  out  what  ought  to  be  done  in 
reference  to  the  object  of  this  essay,  and  which  I  presume  will  be  a  powerful  aux- 
iliary to  the  intention  of  the  preceding  Lectures.  The  Lectures  were  intended  to 
assist  in  introducing  order  and  variety,  as  well  as  to  suggest  the  sources  of  thought 
available  in  the  construction  of  a  sermon  ;  the  design  of  this  Essay  is  to  recommend 
plain  words  fur  filling  it  up,  to  secure,  as  far  as  possible,  the  edification  of  the  most 
untaught  of  the  people.  In  the  Lectures  I  have,  in  several  places,  hinted  at  the  ne- 
cessity of  this  ;  and  now  I  wish  to  be  explicit,  forcible,  and  conclusive,  in  speaking 
my  sentiments  in  opposition  to  the  bad  practice  of  using  words  which  ninety  out  of 
every  hundred  do  not  understand,  and  at  the  same  time  highly  to  commend  those 
preachers  whose  good  sense  has  long  since  taught  them  that  the  words  of  the  speaker 
must  ever  be  on  a  level  with  the  comprehension  of  the  hearer,  to  meet  the  intention 
and  spirit  of  our  tenth  Topic,  and  the  example  of  our  Lord. 

Our  modern  polite  English  is  supposed  to  be  greatly  enriched  by  the  introduction 
of  an  uncommon  mass  of  Greek,  Latin,  and  French  terms,  which  are  compounded 
and  rccompounded  till  they  reach  eight  or  ten  syllables,  to  the  wonderful  delight  of 
well-educated  persons,  in  the  study  of  the  sciences,  or  in  the  i)erusal  of  works  of 
taste  ;  and,  that  this  may  nowhere  be  missing,  it  is  to  adorn  the  pulpit  and  establish 
the  reputation  of  the  preacher.  As  to  literature  and  science,  they  shall  have  quiet 
possession  of  our  modern  vocabulary  of  words,  but  the  pulpit  is  not  to  be  subject  to 
such  inntjvation  :  these  fascinating  unusual  sounds  ought  not  tiiere  to  be  heard, 
though  tlie  passion  for  introducing  them  may  be  manifest  enough,  and  though  many 
arguments  are  commonly  advanced  in  favor  of  maintaining  such  a  practice. 

It  will,  liowi'ver,  lie  admitted  that  the  words  so  imported  into  our  language  may 
be  introduced  into  the  jiulpit  where  ihc  congregations  are  almost  exclu.'-ively  well 
educated.  If  they  wish  for  this  refinement,  and  are  willing  to  pay  for  it,  lei  them 
have  it;  but  if  the  congregation  be  mixed,  partly  uneducated,  the  taste  of  the  for- 
mer must  give  way  to  the  necessities  of  the  latter  as  the  weaker  parly,  to  whom  our 
compassion  is  due :  we  must,  like  our  great  High  Priest,  "  have  compassion  on  the 
ignorant  and  those  that  are  out  of  the  way."  Christ  jiromised  the  poor  the  gospel 
in  perpetuum,  in  its  purity.  He  himself  preached  to  the  poor  in  a  style  of  address 
in  whicli  thev  received  it  gladly,  because  they  understood  it  perfectly  ;  nor  did  he 
alter  his  i)lain  style  when  learned  scribes,  critical  and  severe,  were  about  him. 
Therefore  of  what  Christ  has  promised  and  be(|ueatlH'd  to  the  poor  and  the  ignorant, 
and  left  them  as  their  patrimony,  let  no  one  deprive  them.  In  pity  and  compassioQ 
Christ's  servants  must  confirm  the  grant  in  its  fulness.  Many  of  this  order  of  our 
people  aresiiflering  all  the  calamities  of  poverty  and  ignorance  ;  therefore,  in  Chris- 


ON    PLAIN    LANGUAGE.  681 

tiari  ^peling,  which  will  cost  nothing-  but  a  little  humility  and  self-denial,  give  them 
a  countervailing  blessing :  better  seize  ihcir  goods  and  chattels  for  rent,  or  serve 
them  with  Irish  ejectments,  than  keep  from  them  a  plain  intelligible  gospel. 

To  this  view  of  things  one  would  think  no  objections  could  be  urged  ;  but  such  is 
the  ingenuity  of  man  to  evade  simplicity  that  superficial  pleas  are  advanced  of  ben- 
efiting the  gospel  by  what  is  called  improved  language.  It  is  said  that  the  cause 
of  religion  and  the  progress  of  the  gospel  are  promoted  by  it,  by  subduing  the  preju- 
dices of  unconverted  persons  who  are  disgusted  at  the  plainness,  simplicity,  and  sin- 
gular phraseology  that  accompany  it  in  plain  preachers.  It  is  said  that  the  modern 
style  will  remove  the  offence  of  the  Cross.  This  is  a  mere  figment  of  the  imagina- 
tion, and  experience  is  against  it ;  for  until  a  man  is  convinced  of  sin,  convinced 
that  he  is  a  guilty  creature  before  God,  and  justly  liable  to  eternal  death,  he  will 
ever  remain  prejudiced  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  though  he  may  attend  the  gospel, 
against  a  scheme  that  strikes  at  sin  and  self-sufficiency  in  all  their  forms,  and  that 
commends  Christ  as  a  complete  Savior  to  be  relied  on  for  salvation.  Against  this, 
let  it  be  considered  that  Paul,  who  was  as  zealous,  and  as  wise  also,  as  any  messen- 
ger of  truth  ever  was,  determined  not  to  proceed  upon  this  plan,  1  Cor.  ii.  i-5.  It 
is  urged,  again,  that  Paul  was  a  learned  man,  and  that  he  did  actually  use  the  wis- 
dom given  him  in  the  promotion  of  the  gospel  cause,  especially  in  his  epistles  to  the 
Romans,  Galatians,  and  Hebrews.  But  how  did  he  use  his  learning  ?  Surely  in 
throwing  his  divine  light  on  the  Old-Testament  scriptures,  in  his  elaborate  discus- 
sions on  difficult  points  of  divinity,  in  accumulating  evidences  of  truth,  and  in  tra- 
cing the  principles  of  things  (Topics  xii.  &  xix.)  ;  but,  as  to  the  medium  of  commu- 
nication by  language,  he  says  that  he  would  rather  speak  five  words  by  which  he 
might  teach  others  than  ten  thousand  words  in  an  unknown  tongue,  preferring  plain- 
ness and  simplicity  to  a  flowery  bewitchery  of  speech  that  betrays  the  sacred  cause 
to  the  misapprehension  of  the  unlearned.  No  one  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
real  state  of  society  will  deny  that  a  great  number  of  our  imported  adopted  words 
are  unintelligible  to  our  uneducated  English  people,  who  arc  ninety  out  of  every  hun- 
dred throughout  Great  Britain.  Here  then  the  wants  of  the  educated  and  the  un- 
educated do  actually  come  into  collision  ;  and,  surely,  as  Christians,  we  know  in 
whose  favor  we  are  to  decide  ;  certainly  in  favor  of  the  great  mass  of  our  population, 
whose  salvation  is  of  as  much  importance  as  that  of  the  hundreds  who  would  engross 
the  ministry  in  their  own  favor,  and  devote  the  property  which  they  are  blessed  with 
to  secure  that  object,  buying  up  the  ministry,  as  votes  have  too  often  been  bought  to 
support  an  unieeling  aristocracy  in  politics. 

I  am  no  enemy  to  real  eloquence  ;  but  foreign  words  are  certainly  not  essential  to 
it.  Learning  and  science  are  at  perfect  liberty  to  adopt  what  Avords  they  please  to 
promote  them:  if  a  minister  preach  to  assemblies  wholly  educated,  let  him  preach 
to  them  as  such.  If  he  must  enter  the  polite  circle,  I  suppose  he  must  be  like  others. 
If  he  address  a  letter  to  a  person  of  quality,  his  words  as  well  as  his  style  must  com- 
port with  the  occasion.  If  he  write  a  book  that  is  likely  to  pass  into  the  drawing- 
rooms  and  libraries  of  polite  people,  let  him  throw  all  the  ornaments  he  pleases  into 
his  composition.  But  if  he  condescend  to  preach  to  the  uneducated,  or  even  to  mixed 
congregations,  let  him  choose  speech  adapted  to  the  understanding  of  the  people. 
He  ought  so  to  speak  that  the  most  unlearned  person  in  his  presence  may  under- 
stand, nay,  may  not  be  able  to  misunderstand. 

In  opposition  to  this  it  is  urged  by  some  that,  for  the  benefit  and  honor  of  the  gos- 
pel, the  refinement  of  the  age  renders  refinement  in  ministers  an  aff'air  of  necessity. 
This  is  hardly  worth  a  serious  answer ;  every  spiritual  or  true  servant  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  very  well  knows  the  points  in  which  he  ought  to  excel,  and  will,  by  the 
grace  of  Christ,  do  his  utmost  to  meet  the  necessity  of  the  case. 

Oiher  pleas  might  be  noticed,  but,  "  laid  in  the  balance,  they  are  altogether  lighter 
than  vanity  ;"  and  I  dismiss  them  for  that  which  is  of  more  importance. 

The  plainest  language  is  the  old  anglicized  Saxon,  now  naturalized  by  the  sanction 
of  a  thousand  years,  and  mixed  with  words  of  the  ancient  Britons.  This  goes  by 
the  name  of  pure  English,  in  distinction  from  the  mixed  English  which  is  now  pre- 
vailing, and  has  been  since  the  introduction  of  such  cumbrous  commodities  as  are 
derived  from  the  Greek,  Latin,  and  French  schools  ;  the  progress  of  their  introduc- 
tion is  accurately  marked  by  Dr.  Johnson. 

The  inhabitants  of  England,  the  Britons,  when  subdued  by  Hengist  and  Horsa, 
the  Saxon  conquerors,  certainly  did  adopt,  after  a  lapse  of  years  (for  such  exchanges 
can  not  be  suddenly  realized),  a  large  share  of  the  Saxon  tongue,  a  dialect  of  the 
German,  and  here  we  find  the  origin  of  what  we  call  pure  or  plain  English.  Our 
English,  however,  though  improved  by  the  Saxon,  was  in  a  very  defective  state, 


582  APPENDIX. 

through  a  paucity  of  words.  It  was  not  for  a  very  considerable  time  committed  to 
writing,  because  tlie  people  were  not  able  to  write  ;  such  was  our  ancestors'  degra- 
dation. The  language  bore  all  the  marks  and  characters  of  having  originated  with 
a  rude  people  ;  still  it  discovered  a  high  capacity  to  express  the  feelings  and  passions 
of  natiu-e,  whatever  came  under  the  cognizance  of  the  senses  and  appetites, 
whatever  was  necessary  to  carry  on  war  and  bloodshedding.  It  Avas  ample 
enough  also  to  express  all  rural  and  domestic  employments,  the  endearments 
of  family  life,  the  intercourse  of  the  sexes :  some  of  their  expressions  of  this  kind 
are  said  'to  possess  exquisite  sensibility.  The  powers  of  friendship  had  no  need  to 
smother  in  their  breasts  for  want  of  expression.  With  such  a  language,  defective  as 
it  was,  the  poet  might  throw  his  genius  and  imagination  upon  it,  might  extol  the 
hero,  or  raise  enchantment  on  the  scenery  of  rural  blessedness,  to  which  their  rude 
music  might  be  added  :  and  highly  charmed,  I  suppose,  we  should  have  been  to  have 
heard  their  poetic  numbers  and  the  rude  clang  of  culinary  kettles  and  pans  ;  while 
these,  with  their  vocal  choruses,  would  make  the  woods  ring  and  frighten  the  wolves 
and  foxes  to  distant  retreats.  But  for  the  purposes  of  religion  there  was  a  total  lack 
of  words  to  clothe  such  ideas,  except  about  their  god  Woden  or  Oden. 

Time,  no  doubt,  would  effect  some  improvement ;  but  the  great  means  of  that  im- 
provement Avas  found  in  the  introduction  of  Christianity  and  the  labors  of  Augustine. 
The  Christian  religion  brought  with  it  its  own  language— a  mighty  accession  it  was 
to  the  stock  of  words  before  existing  in  our  country. 

It  then  became  necessary  to  give  this  scripture  language  a  visible  form  by  writmg, 
that  it  might  be  read  as  well  as  heard,  that  it  might  be  a  text-hook  and  a  book  of 
reference,  the  Saxon  and  ancient  British  being  the  vehicles  to  hear  that  form  (for  the 
Latin  version  then  extant  Avas  of  no  use  for  purposes  of  instruction)  ;  and  it  appears 
by  history  that  the  book  of  Psalms  was  translated  into  Saxon  (the  general  term) 
about  the  year  706.  After  this  the  four  gospels,  about  721.  Some  years  afierward, 
the  rest  of  the  Scriptures  Avcrc  completed  by  the  venerable  Bede.  This  trant^lation 
continued  till  the  fourteenth  century,  Avhen  a  new  version  better  suited  to  the  age, 
was  effected  by  the  revered  Wickliffe,  Avhich  AA^as  no  doubt  a  great  inriprovement. 
An  erroneous  notion  has  prevailed  that  Wicklifl'e  first  translated  the  Scriptures  ;  the 
truth  is,  his  zeal  against  the  church  of  Rome,  Avhose  avoAved  purpose  Avas  to  conceal 
the  Scriptures,  led  him  to  revise  and  improve  the  old  Saxon  copies.  He  amended 
the  style  to  meet  some  improvements  of  his  times.  He  also  Avent  further,  and,  con- 
sulting the  Vulgate,  he  introduced  many  Latin  terms,  which  are  brought  doAvn  to  the 
present  time,  to  the  injury,  as  I  think,  of  the  original  text.  Still  improvement  Avas 
effected. 

Without  noticing  other  subsequent  translations  (for  there  were  many),  Ave  shall 
close  the  list  Avith  Avhat  Ave  call  King  James's  Bible,  Avhich  is  that  now  in  use  among 
us.  This  Avas  produced  by  a  constellation  of  great  and  learned  men,  and,  it  seems, 
obtamed  the  title  of  a  neAV  translation  out  of  the  original  tongue.  I  can  not  but  look 
upon  this  title  as  a  fallacy,  for  these  translators  had  not  only  the  older  tran^latioa 
before  them  for  their  main  guide,  but  they  had  also  the  Vulgate  ;  and  the  venera- 
tion they  paid  to  the  Vulgate  is  evident  to  those  Avho  are  capable  of  comparing  the 
Vulgate  with  the  Hebrew  Bible.  It  is  true  that  the  Vulgate  Avas  not  blindly  fol- 
loAved,  so  that  the  damage  Avas  small  in  making  use  of  it ;  yet  the  title  Avas  wrong: 
but  the  protestantism  of  the  times  would  not  allow  the  least  public  hint  of  any  use 
made  of  a  Avork  essentially  catholic. 

We  are,  however,  under  no  uneasiness  as  to  our  present  translation ;  upon  the 
Avhole,  it  is  a  good  one,  and  noAV  forms  the  true  foundation  of  pure  English  language. 
We  are  not  likely  to  get  any  furtiier  improvement  in  our  text,  Avhile  the  imported 
words  are  neither  so  numerous  nor  difhcult  to  be  mulerstood  hut  that  our  conimon 
uneducated  jieople  can,  as  to  the  letter  of  scripture,  understand  it ;  but  further  inno- 
vations in  language,  in  our  day,  do  incalculable  mischief  if  brought  into  the  jiulpit. 
Among  other  reasons  for  discountenancing  such  innovations,  I  may  mention  the  fol- 
lowing:— 

1.  There  is  no  need  of  new  words ;  we  have  in  our  Bible  a  copia  verborutn  Avell 
adapted  for  all  religious  purposes.  Such  is  its  copiousness,  that  no  good  thing  re- 
mains untold.  Every  nation  that  has  read  the  Bible  in  its  pure  form,  if  it  has  not 
been  converted,  has  been  enlightened  above  all  other  people.  See  Avhat  it  did  by 
the  small  part  conveyed  to  the  Jews  in  their  infant  state.  God  gave  his  Avord  unto 
Jacob  (Ps.  cxlvii.  19),  or  they  Avould  have  remained  as  other  nations.  He  not  only 
gave  Egypt  national  and  political  power,  but  his  word,  Avhich  by  a  faithful  transla- 
tion Ave  also  possess.  Besides  what  it  hislorizes  or  narrates,  the  language  of  the 
law  brought  proper  conceptions  of  the  divine  character  and  government — the  ex- 


ON    PLAIN    LANGUAGE.  683 

pressions  of  the  divine  will ;  it  also  conveyed  intimations  of  mysteries  relating  to  re- 
demption. The  language  of  the  Psalms  brought  the  eloquence  of  piety.  In  the 
Proverbs  we  find  maxims  of  wisdom.  The  prophets  gave  sublimity  to  thought,  and 
views  in  anticipation  of  Jehovah's  acts  in  time  to  come.  In  the  language  of  the 
New  Testament  a  further  additional  vocabulary  was  introduced,  while  the  facts  con- 
tained therein  laid  a  foundation  of  faith  and  hope  through  the  mediation  of  the  Son 
of  God.  The  whole  is  conveyed  to  us  in  clear  characters  in  our  English  translation. 
Our  Bible,  therefore,  is  to  be  estimated  by  the  work  it  performs — blessing  the  life 
that  now  is,  and  pointing  to  the  future  world,  and  this  with  very  few  modern  impor- 
tations.    Hence  I  conclude  that  scripture  forms  a  fit  vocabulary  of  religious  words. 

2.  The  Scriptures  are  the  better  fitted  for  this  purpose  as  they  are  now  cleared,  or 
nearly  so,  of  vulgarisms  and  obsolete  words;  these  had  not  their  origin  from  the 
Hebrew,  but  in  the  translation,  which  followed  the  common  understanding  of  the 
times.  Further,  in  our  copy  of  Holy  Writ  the  rules  of  language  are  so  far  observed 
that  it  has  been  justly  said  the  Bible  adheres  more  closely  to  the  rules  of  composi- 
tion than  any  other  work  of  its  own  date. 

3.  The  stock  of  words  provided  in  the  Scriptures  will  enable  the  preacher  to  speak 
classically,  elegantly,  and  eloquently;  and,  though  deprived  of  foreign  stock,  he  will 
still  retain  his  utmost  skill  of  giving  advantage  to  his  conceptions  by  perspicuity  of 
arrangement,  happy  construction  of  sentences,  a  judicious  choice  of  words,  and 
agreeable  and  harmonious  periods.  He  will  still  beat  liberty  to  give  all  the  grace 
of  delivery,  as  suggested  in  my  remarks  on  the  fifteenth  Topic.  Thus,  while  he  de- 
lights his  audience,  he  will  only  use  such  words  as  common  people  understand. 

4.  As  this  plain  language  admits  of  beauty,  so  it  is  also  capable  of  strength,  for 
the  old  English  is  capable  of  expressing  the  most  violent  feelings  of  the  mind,  or  the 
most  pathetic.  Nay,  it  is  capable  of  sublimity  also,  for  sublimity  does  not  consist  in 
pompous  words,  but  in  the  thought  itself:  pompous  words  may  delight  the  ear,  but 
they  do  not  produce  such  a  true  elevation  of  soul  as  short  words,  mostly  monosyllables 
(and  of  such  the  old  language  generally  consists),  while  foreign  words,  compounded 
and  doubly  compounded,  impede  the  current  of  thought  and  rob  the  subject  of  its 
proper  energy.  The  least  attention  to  scripture  language  and  that  of  nature  will 
supply  all  the  evidence  that  is  necessary  to  the  proof  of  this  point.  Even  our  poets 
and  orators  of  feelinor  and  sensibility  have  always  been  aware  of  this  ;  and,  though 
the  common  strain  of  their  language  may  have  been  refined,  yet,  if  they  had  an  affair 
of  the  heart  to  treat  of  respecting  these  points,  they  turned  for  the  occasion  to  the 
wording  of  pure  nature  ;  and  here  they  pay  deference  to  what  I  recommend, 

5.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  as  water  is  purer  near  the  spring  so  language  is  the 
purer  the  further  it  is  traced  into  antiquity.  Here,  with  veneration,  we  approach  the 
Hebrew  language,  as  that  which  God  himself  taught  to  man  (for  this  opinion  Ave 
have  very  high  authority) ;  then  it  follows  that  that  which  God  taught  was  sure  to  be 
expressive  of  the  things  to  be  spoken.  For  language  to  be  expressive  is  its  highest 
praise  on  all  occasions ;  I  am  sure  it  is  so,  then,  in  the  pulpit.  The  principal  He- 
brew Avords,  terms,  names  of  animals  and  things,  found  in  our  Bible,  express  the 
qualities  which  the  words  stand  for,  or  some  supposed  relationship  Avhich  they  bear 
to  the  original  HebreAV  roots  under  consideration.  This  distinctness  of  identity 
might  be  supposed  to  be  lost  in  the  translation,  but  in  the  case  before  us  the  Saxon 
language  performs  the  duty  of  a  faithful  conveyancer,  to  preserve  the  true  sense  of  the 
original  and  convey  it  to  our  OAvn  translation  ;  for  it  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  the 
Saxon  and  the  Avhole  of  the  German  dialects  do,  in  like  manner  Avilli  the  HebreAV, 
convev  in  their  Avords  and  appellatives  the  properties  and  qualities  of  the  things  rep- 
resented by  such  words.  So  then  the  original  expressiveness  of  the  HebrcAV  is  not 
lost,  but  retained,  to  give  a  proud  pre-eminence  to  our  old  English. 

Next  to  such  words  as  are  found  in  the  Scriptures,  theAvhole  range  of  plain  Avords, 
as  furnished  by  our  dictionaries,  and  plain  compositions  in  general,  such  as  I  may 
point  out,  are  to  be  adopted  ;  and,  Avhen  these  are  ranged  together  in  sentences,  the 
light  of  truth  is  seen,  and  its  power  is  felt,  to  the  great  advantage  of  nearly  ninety 
out  of  every  hundred  throughout  England.  From  such  preaching  the  uneducated 
derive  information,  edification,  and  consolation,  through  a  medium  of  communica- 
tion suited  to  the  slender  acquirements  of  their  state — high  and  heavenly  things  are 
brouorht  down  to  their  comprehension — the  plentiful  rain  of  divine  truth  descends  to 
refresh  a  Aveary  inheritance.     Ps.  Ixviii.  9. 

6.  As  a  further  arorument,  our  experience  convinces  us  that  there  is  an  indescriba- 
ble attraction  attending  the  study  and  reading  of  the  Avord  of  God:  it  steals  upon  our 
hearts,  or  distils  like  the  dew  upon  Mount  Hermon  ;  it  harmonizes  Avith  our  feelings; 
its  very  Avords  strike  out  extensive  meanings,  conveying  ideas  of  qualities  within  the 


•'>ft4  APPENDIX. 

words  themselves  of  vast  extent;  and  hence  it  is  so  well  adapted  as  a  text-book,  and 
opens  subjects  to  preachers  beyond  any  other  composition. 

7.  This  is  not  a  mere  weak  partiality,  or  the  overweening  of  a  pious  mind.  That 
consummate  critic,  Mr.  A.  Elackwall,  says:  "The  Old  Testament  is  the  richest 
treasury  of  all  the  sublimity  of  thoui^ht,  movino:  tenderness  of  passion,  and  vigorous 
strength  of  exj)rcssion  {\)y  means  of  its  most  fitting  words),  which  is  to  be  found  in 

all  the  language  by  which  mortals  convey  their  thoughts The  Hebrew  is  an 

original  and  essential  language,  that  borrows  of  none,  but  lends  to  all.  Some  of  the 
sharpest  pagan  writers,  inveterate  enemies  to  the  religion  and  learning  of  both  Jews 
and  Christians,  have  always  allowed  the  Hebrew  language  to  have  a'noble  empha- 
sis and  a  close  and  beautiful  brevity.  The  metaphors  in  that  admirable  work  are 
apposite  and  lively;  they  illustrate  the  truths  expressed  by  tliem,  and  raise  the  ad- 
miration of  the  reader.  The  names  of  men,  animals,  kc,  kc,  are  very  significant; 
one  ivord  is  often  a  good  description,  and  gives  you  a  satisfactory  account  of  the  chief 
and  distinguishing  property  or  quality  of  the  thing  or  person  named."* 

You  will  observe  tliat  this  excellent  critic  fixes  upon  the  very  word  of  scripture, 
and  extracts  wonderful  sense  and  meaning.  Now  if  this  language  be  so  valuable, 
and  if  its  beauties  are  transfused  into  our  old  English,  and  the  essence  of  that  old 
stock  still  retained  in  our  King  James's  Bible,  we  have  there  a  language  of  unspeak- 
able worth.  The  preacher,  for  his  private  enjoyment,  if  a  man  of  taste,  may  indulge 
his  imagination  with  the  finest  poetry  in  the  world  in  the  most  simple  dress:  for  his 
public  use  he  can  siiow  most  intelligibly  how  to  make  all  nature  speak — to  speak 
instruction — to  speak  the  prai  cs  of  God  who  formed  things  to  be  signs  of  moral  and 
spiritual  ideas. 

It  will  not  much  diminish  the  student's  pleasure  to  find  that  the  most  material  part 
of  our  old  English  (next  to  the  Saxon)  is  derived  from  the  ancient  British.  We 
shall  never  doubt  the  energy  of  British  feeling  and  language:  this  is  associated  with 
the  love  of  our  country— of  our  fireside — of  all  our  social  endearments.  Never  then 
let  us  slight,  but  cherish,  a  vehicle  of  communication  recommended  by  such  high 
considerations,  the  British  part  descending  to  us  through  such  a  long  line  of  ancestry — 
the  wording  formed  of  British  and  Saxon  texture— the  truths  themselves  from  the 
everlasting  Jehovah,  by  him  given  to  Adam,  from  Adam  to  the  patriarchs,  passing 
down  to  Moses,  the  prophets,  apostles,  &:c.,  and  so  transfused  into  pure  English. 

If  I  had  the  eloquence  of  Demosthenes,  how  would  I  press  upon  every  true  minis- 
ter of  Jesus  Christ  immediately  to  commence  the  study  of  pure  old  English  !  Some, 
to  their  honor,  have  always  used  it.  Let  us  be  all  of  one  mind  to  establish  its  use 
by  our  practice,  accompanying  plain  words  with  a  superior  manner  and  an  ele- 
gant enunciation  (fifteenth  Topic),  free  from  an  antiquated  style.  I  wish  for  no 
peculiar  phraseology — not  a  quakerish  mode,  nor  an  attempt  at"  scriptural  sly/e,  be- 
cause that  style  could  not  be  maintained,  it  being  inimitable.  I  want  a  modern  me- 
dium, such  as  a  plain  man  now  commonly  speaks  to  another  upon  common  affairs; 
but  quotations  must  be  correct,  and  unvaried  from  the  text.  I  want  nothing  further 
in  this  direction.  I  Avish  this  plain  language  to  have  all  the  ornaments  of  modern  re- 
fineinent,  for  it  is  only  required  that  the  icords  be  as  pure  as  possible.  I  sav  pure  as 
possible,  for  some  of  another  class  of  words  must  be  admitted,  and  manv  new  words, 
we  are  sure,  can  be  perfectly  understood  by  their  long  use,  or  by  their  beloniring  to 
ideas  that  are  Aimiliarizcd  to  even  country  people  by  of'ten-talk'ed-of  inventions^  as 
about  railways,  steam  operations,  machinery  of  all  kinds.  But  to  make  doctrines 
plain  Avliich  are  expressed  by  Latinisms,  &c.,  they  must  ])e  fullv  unfolded,  or  turned 
into  plain  English.  I  can  not,  I  need  not,  mark  all  the  words"  which  will  require 
carcto  be  understood,  but  I  certainly  think  that,  in  the  view  of  this  essay,  you  would 
not,  in  speaking  of  the  adorable  perfeclions  and  attributes  of  the  Divine  nature,  per- 
plex ignorant  people  l)y  using  such  terms  as  uijimly,  immutahilitij,  omniprcsmce, 
and  onuiisriencp,  but  that  you  would  exchange  these,  however  uncouth  they  may  ap- 
pear, to,  nilhnul  bounds,  vnchanfrcablr,  rvcryn-hcrc  prcscnl,  all-pouTrfitl,  all-sceins:, 
all-knowins;,  &c.  Oilier  Avords  may,  wilhuut  explanation  or  exchange,  be  used  dis- 
creetly :  if  such  stand  in  a  sentence  connected  with  several  other  words  well  under- 
stood, the  words  known  will  intrepret  the  unknown,  or,  tbouiih  in  some  cases  a  for- 
eign word  occurs,  yet  if  it  has  had  a  long  standing  in  the  Bible  or  prayer-book  the 
diflficulty  will  not  be  felt. 

I  would  urge  the  adoption  of  pure  English  upon  you,  my  dear  companions  in  the 
service  of  the  best  of  Lords,  because  of  its  sterling  propriety  and  weight.  The 
matter  of  our  embassy  being  settled,  then,  in  point  of  order,  comes  the  words  by 
which  it  is  to  be  conveyed  ;  and,  while  regard  is  to  be  had  in  such  words  to  the  dig- 

*  Black  wall's  Sacred  ClassicB. 


ON    PLAIN    LANGUAGE.  5S5 

nity  of  the  Sovereign  who  sends,  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  character,  quality, 
and  understanding  of  the  nation  or  people  sent  to — that  the  words  used  may  be  well 
understood,*  not  merely  understood  by  the  court,  but  by  the  country,  since  both  are 
equally  interested  in  the  embassy.  If  th«  tidings  we  have  to  communicate  be  in- 
tended to  make  the  nation  happy,  the  nation  in  all  its  grades  should  be  made 
clearly  acquainted  with  them.  It  is  no  small  recommendation  of  this  practice  that 
the  necessary  acquaintance  with  plain  language  is  of  easy  attainment.  I  do  not 
recommend  to  you  the  study  of  Arabic,  that  you  might  collate  your  scriptures  with 
the  Arabic  bible  ;  this  would  be  a  task  of  some  difficulty,  and  you  might  plead  that 
you  had  not  time  for  it.  But  as  the  servants  of  Naaman  urged,  to  recommend  com- 
pliance with  the  prophet's  remedy,  that  the  thing  was  easy — it  was  only  a  step  down 
into  Jordan  and  a  cure  would  be  effected — so  here,  you  have  only  "  to  condescend  to 
men  of  low  estate,"  and  the  object  will  be  attained  ;  or  if  unexpectedly  this  plain  of 
pure  English  should  be  found  difficult  at  first,  all  the  difficulty  will  soon  be  overcome. 
Read  works  that  are  remarkable  for  plainness.  Do  not  object  to  them  because  not 
found  on  the  shelves  of  the  polite  or  learned,  nor  object  to  the  name  of  their  authors 
because  you  may  be  told  they  wrote  for  the  nursery  or  the  cottage.  Go  back  to  for- 
mer times — measure  your  steps  backward  from  the  degree  of  your  present  attain- 
ments, and  unlearn  what  has  cost  you  much  labor  to  learn,  and  thus  acknowledge 
that  you  have  misspent  much  time  as  well  as  labor.  Part  with  what  you  have  got ; 
let  it  go,  and  God  will  give  you  twice  as  much  in  true  wisdom  and  holy  zeal  for  the 
improvement  of  the  wretched  and  unlearned,  whom  you  can  not  see  perish  for  lack 
of  knowledge.  The  books  that  I  have  examined  for  this  purpose  are  the  following, 
which  I  recommend  for  your  perusal :  Bunyan's  first  part  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
Bunyan,  whom  Dr.  Johnson  highly  extols,  has  in  this  work  brought  vast  concep- 
tions, noble  thoughts,  and  ingenious  similitudes,  into  the  plainest  words  that  the  dic- 
tionary gives  us.  Next,  Defoe's  first  part  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  and  also  his  Family 
Instructor.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  these  works  are  recommended  chiefly  on  ac- 
count of  their  language.  Defoe  was  a  great  man,  a  wise  man,  a  good  man.  One 
part  of  his  Crusoe  was  a  true  history,  the  rest  allegory  ;  but  both  are  highly  in- 
structive. Dr.  Adam  Clarke  began  life  with  these  books  as  books  of  entertainment, 
and  ended  life  with  admiration  of  their  excellences.  Bishop  Beveridge's  sermons 
bring  you  nearer  to  the  pulpit  style,  and  are  most  admirably  plain.  A  moderate 
share  of  attention  to  these  and  similar  works  will  give  you  facility  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  pure  English. 

As  you  ought  fearlessly  to  adopt  pure  English,  so  you  stand  encouraged  to  it  by 
the  authority  and  practice  of  some  of  the  greatest  names  in  literature  and  divinity. 
Dean  Swift  was  a  man  of  gigantic  though  perverted  mind.  A  great  critic  said  that 
he  "  never  used  a  derived  or  foreign  word  where  an  English  one  could  be  found,"  and 
this  perhaps  accounts  for  the  great  popularity  of  his  works,  his  Gulliver's  Travels, 
his  Tale  of  a  Tub,  and  his  Drapier's  Letters.  I  have  some  of  his  letters  now  before 
me,  and  they  confirm  the  character  above  given  of  his  writings.  You  have  also  the 
nanie  of  the  great  Dr.  South,  who  was  a  true  Englishman.  He  disdained  to  use  a 
foreign  word,  unless  compelled  to  it.  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  I  may  claim  as  an  advocate 
of  pure  language.  Dr.  Watts,  in  his  poetry  and  psalms,  &c.,  often  uses  language 
as  plain  as  possible.  Next,  but  not  least,  I  have  Robert  Hall,  as  to  his  opinion  of 
plain  language,  though  he  did  not  avail  himself  very  often  of  its  aid.  In  Dr.  Olin- 
thus  Gregory's  Life  of  Hall  occurs  the  following  conversation : — 

"  In  one  of  our  interviews  with  Mr.  Hall,  I  used  the  won!  felicity  three  or  four 
times.  He  asked,  '  Why  do  you  say  felicity  ?  happiness  is  a  better  word,  more  mu- 
sical, and  common  English,  coming  from  the  Saxon.'  '  Not  more  musical,  I  think, 
sir.'  'Yes,  more  musical,  and  so  are  all  words  derived  from  the  Saxon  generally. 
Listen,  sir  :  My  heart  is  smitten  and  withered  like  grass.  There  is  plaintive  music 
for  you.  Listen  again,  sir  :  Under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings  tvill  I  rejoice.  There's 
cheerful  music'  '  Yes,  but  rejoice  is  French.'  '  True  ;  but  all  the  rest  is  Saxon, 
and  rejoice  is  almost  out  of  tune  with  the  rest.  Listen  again,  sir  :  Thou  hast  deliv- 
ered my  eyes  from  tears,  my  soul  from  death,  and  7ny  feet  from  falling — all  Saxon, 
except  delivered.  I  could  think  of  the  word  tear,  sir,  till  I  wept.  Then  for  another 
noble  specimen  of  the  good  old  Saxon  English  :  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall 
follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life,  and  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever.'  " 

And  now,  fellow-laborers  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus,  the  representa- 
tion is  before  you,  my  reasoning,  authorities,  and  examples.     The  ninety  out  of 

*  See  the  Marquis  of  Sli!;:o's  address  at  Jamaica,  pub!i.<liod  in  England,  in  the  public  papers,  ia  July, 
1834  ;  the  plainness  of  that  address  is  a  complete  illustration  of  the  point  in  hand. 


586  APPENDIX. 


every  hundred  immortal  beings  wait  to  be  blessed  with  truth  that  they  can  under- 
(5tand.  Fear  not  the  charge  of  singularity  ;  the  Redeemer,  whom  you  will  imitate, 
will  secure  your  reputation,  insure  your  usefulness,  and  own  your  name  with  honor 
in  the  solenm  day  of  account. 


No.  II. 
CONNEXION  BETWEEN  THEOLOGICAL  STUDY  AND  PULPIT  ELOaUENCE. 

It  has  not  fallen  within  the  plan  of  the  foregoing  lectures  to  trace  the  connexion 
between  theological  study  and  pulpit  eloquence,  though  some  occasional  hints  have 
occurred  which  bear  upon  it.  This  subject,  which  certainly  is  one  of  great  impor- 
tance to  the  student,  has  been  recently  discussed  in  a  very  luminous  manner  by  E. 
A.  Park,  Bartlet  professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  of  Andover,  United  States, 
and,  as  his  essay  is  not  likely  to  be  in  many  hands  in  this  country,  I  can  not  perform 
a  more  useful  service  than  that  of  giving  it  a  place  in  this  appendix,  without,  how- 
ever, pledging  myself  to  every  sentiment  it  contains  : — 

Every  art  is  founded  on  some  science,  and  every  science  is  connected  with  some 
other  science  ;  it  follows,  then,  that  every  art  is  connected  with  all  the  sciences,  and 
every  science  vdth  all  the  arts.  This  connexion  is  sometimes  almost  imperceptible, 
and  is  always  more  or  less  intimate  as  the  science  or  art  is  more  or  less  extensive. 
Theology  comprehends  all  other  sciences  as  its  tributaries,  and  with  a  generous  re- 
ciprocity diffuses  through  them  all  a  genial  influence  ;  it  derives  illustrations  from  all 
arts,  and  returns  a  singular  and  sometimes  scarcely  visible  aid  in  the  prosecution  of 
all.  The  intricate  and  complex  theory  of  law  would  be  more  clearly  elucidated  if 
our  lawyers  were  better  theologians,  and  their  pleas  would  be  more  perspicuous  and 
cogent  if  they  were  more  fully  based  on  the  science  of  the  God  of  equity.  The 
structure  of  the  human  frame  Avould  be  more  thoroughly  understood  if  our  physi- 
cians were  more  conversant  with  the  analogies  which  may  be  traced  between  the 
object  so  fearfully  made  and  Him  who  so  wonderfully  made  it ;  and  they  would  prac- 
tise with  more  safety  and  skill  if  their  minds  were  more  elevated,  and  their  hearts 
more  purified,  by  those  principles  which,  though  but  faintly  traced  in  all  the  emana- 
tions, are  exhibited  perfectly  in  the  universal  Source.  If  theology  renders  such  im- 
portant service  to  other  sciences  and  other  arts,  it  must  be  pre-eminently  serviceable 
to  the  science  and  the  art  of  pulpit  eloquence  ;  and  the  preacher  must  feel  that  his 
success  in  preaching  depends  not  on  his  graces  of  delivery,  or  his  beauties  of  style, 
so  much  as  on  his  enlarged  and  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  principles  of  religion. 

In  the  first  place,  theological  study  conduces  to  the  preacher's  eloquence,  because 
it  conduces  to  his  greatest  vigor  of  mind  and  heart.  If  the  mind  is  strengthened  by 
exercise,  it  must  be  strengthened  by  exercise  on  themes  of  theology  as  much  as  on 
other  themes.  If  it  is  invigorated  "by  grappling  with  intricacies  and  abstrusities,  it 
certainly  can  find  no  science  so  healthful  as  that  which  must,  from  its  very  nature, 
tax  and  task  the  whole  soul.  The  mathematics  will  yield  to  theology  in  their  ten- 
dency to  discipline  the  intellect.  A  distinguished  barrister  of  our  day,  who  has  but 
little  faith  in  evangelical  doctrines,  recommends  to  his  law-students  the  frequent 
perusal  of  the  volumes  which  discuss  those  doctrines ;  because  nowhere  else  can  be 
found  such  invigorating  argument  on  such  elevating  theories.  Indeed,  the  very  allu- 
.sion  to  the  ideas  of  God,  eternity,  holiness,  is  sufficient  to  show  that  whoever  comes 
mto  contact  with  them  must  be  intellectually  quickened  and  expanded.  If  intellec- 
tually, still  more  so  morally.  Religious  affections,  not  less  than  any  other,  are 
strengthened  by  exercise  ;  and  these  affections  are  exercised  only  upon  themes  di- 
rectly or  indirectly  theological.  He  who  communes  with  the  truth  of  God,  employs 
the  means  of  spiritual  growth.  This  truth  has  a  singular  and  various  use  ;  it  is  the 
soul's  sunshine  and  aliment,  its  rain  and  dew,  and  also  its  shelter  and  resting-place. 
It  is  not  by  the  bare  formation  of  his  sentences,  and  penning  of  his  paragraphs,  that 
the  writer  of  a  sermon  stimulates  his  religious  purpose  ;  it  is  by  incorporating  with 
himself  the  theological  ideas  which  constitute  the  gem  of  which  the  sermon  is  the 
casket.  An  excellent  clergyman  of  New  England,  who,  when  compelled  by  old  age 
to  abandon  pulpit  ministrations,  continued  to  write  his  two  sermons  every  week, 
simply  with  the  intent  of  preserving  the  warmth  of  religious  feeling  by  close  contact 
with  religious  truth,  illustrated  the  experience  of  every  faithful  pastor,  that  spiritual 


THEOLOGICAL    STUDY    CONDUCIVE    TO    PULPIT    ELOQUENCE.     567 

enlargefnent  results  from  no  study  as  it  does  from  the  study  of  pulpit  addresses  and 
It  results  not  from  the  rhetoric  of  these  addresses,  but  from\he  thedogn?them 

The  vigor  of  mmd  and  heart  which  is  gained  from  doctrinal  investigation,  is  the 
SouX'^^aIp' hr'^"'  r^'^^'^'S.  The  eloquence  of  the  pulpit  is  the  doqu^nce  of 
thouglit.  A  feeble  mind  can  no  more  wield  this  thought  than  the  stripling  shepherd 
cou  d  wield  the  armor  of  Saul.  Warmth  of  emotion°in  the  pulpit  will  not  dmSe 
Sv/SV*]'  PT^'"^'^^«  ;h«  Sre^'  object  of  that  emotioJ  be  distinct!  and 
vividly  exhibited  ;  and  he  preacher  can  not  exhibit  what  he  does  not  fully  possess 
He  can  not  write  with  mterest  and  zeal,  nor  can  he  with  earnestness  and  energy 
fhlZV    t\  'V'"T;  ""*"''  ^  understand  and  feel  the  great  bearings  of  his 

theme.  He  may  goad  up  his  animal  susceptibilities  to  an  intense  excitement  •  he 
may  saw  the  air,  and  distort  his  visage,  and  beat  the  pulpit  cushion,  and  s^a^'  his 
foot,  and  thunder  with  his  voice  ;  but  this  is  not  the  animation  which  hearerTwis^^ 

rlZT  ^^''Tl'  '"^""T^^  ^^•"'^^  ^""  ^"^^^^  ^^  ^i^  ^^^^«"«  agitation  anTvS 
remark,  and  will  demand  the  excitement  which  is  kindled  by  thought,  and  will  svrJi- 
pathize  profitably  with  none  but  intelligent  emotion.  When  he  is  preacSinJon  liZ- 
n  ty,  on  the  judgment  on  the  divme  justice  in  eternal  retributions,  it  will  be  easy  to 
distmguish  between  his  antic  gestures  or  vehement  contortions  of  face,  and  that 
serious  solemn  eloquence  which  would  be  breathed  into  him  by  the  deep  study  of 
those  doc  rmes.  Nothing  but  such  deep  study  can  impart  the  true  sober  energy  the 
considerate,  reasonable  excitement,  which,  wherever  seen,  is  power.  The  speaker 
may  practise  before  his  mirror,  and  learn  to  raise  his  hand  gracefully  and  eSode 
rZftnT'^^-\Y''T^'''''  intense  thought  on  the  matter  of  his  discourses,  all  the 
klfnl  '""^^  '"^^  "''^''  f ''*'"  ^^^^  eloquent,  and  with  this  intense  thought  awa- 
keftmg  appropriate  emotion,  he  will  be  eloquent  without  a  single  other  rule?  Other 
rules  are  usefu  :  they  make  the  body.     This  rule  is  essentia!:  it  makes    he  soul 

b'othtl^^th^'^nlLrerhfman.'^^  ''''''  '''  ^°^^  ^^  ^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^'^ 
,,V^'"'^r"'''i'"'^^''''^'V^°''^^''^^°t«^"^e'"ly  cursed  during  a  long  sickness  at 
the  house  of  a  friend,  and  who  felt  sincerely  grateful  for  the  kind  attentions  of   ha 
friend  was  asked,  on  the  morning  of  his  departure,  to  lead  in  social  praye?      He 
prayed  with  his  wonted  boisterousness,  until  he  began  to  pour  out  his  thanksc;iving 

nsn  np/ST'  'T  "u  ^''  ^^°'' '  ^^^"  ^  ^"bd^^d  manner  and  a  still,  sma  f  vofcf 
usurped  the  place  of  vehemence  and  noise.  "  I  knew,"  said  his  friend  '' ?bnt  rnf- 
guest  lelt  thankful  and  attached  to  me  ;  and  it  was  his  deep  feeing  that  io.Sed  hil 

cZm  TtreZ'nV\'  l"'"^''^^'^'  °^  ^l'  rj'''  When,^therefore,  he  w^s  not  so 
calm,  1  inferred  that  he  had  not  so  much  feelmg  ;  and  the  part  of  his  prayer  which 

7eUeT  TT:tTr  '^^'^'"^^^^^^^-^^M^^  iml)etuous."  let  us  notVerewrour- 
thehJnrt  tL/^T''°^,T'^°"'i  excitation  is  distinct  from  the  sober  emotion  of 
exnounder  of  rrn.^  pl!  f  f '  '"  '^'  P"^P''  ^^  "^^^^^  distinguished  from  the  eloquent 
exj^ounder  of  tru.h.  Children,  young  or  old,  may  be  amused  with  a  vociferous  de- 
claimer,  as  they  would  be  with  a  fire-eater  or  wire-tumbler,  but  even  children  will 
feelinlTh ?;'  ^^  1  ""  ^^''^'  f  ^''"'"  conviction,  but  will  turn  from  him  with  the  vague 
eeling  that  somethmg  or  other  is  Avanting,  and  can  only  say  of  their  preacher's  ora- 

m7Zr\  '7ir'  '^"^  ?^  ^'^"^^^^^  l^^^d  of  disturbance  of  the  peac  J  '  A  tumuli 
hJiZ  ;.  /•?  • '"?''^ ''°'  '^'  "'?^^^-  ^h"^^f- "  If  Campbell's  definition  of  eloquence 
P.n^^'.'n  ' '' '',  'V  "  ^"  °'  't^-'^'  ^y  ^^hi^b  ^  discourse'^is  adapted  to  its  end,"  theJe 
morPtbn?t'tw'l  T''''y^T^'  ^°''  not  more  than  amuse,  more  than  interest. 
Se  heat  which  melis     """      ^""^^^^te,  and  with  its  light  which  cheers  must  emit 

nrJ.^h'''  '"f  -'.^^°nd  "lode  in  which  theological  study  increases  the  eloquence  of  the 
E  cK  i^  ^'\^'  ^''"^  ""  P'^P*",'  confidence  in  himself  and  his  ministrations.  A  min- 
rrlvpn  "t  """^  be  arrogant  and  presumptuous,  neither  should  he  be  crest-fallen  and 
craven.  True  self-respect  is  the  ground  of  true  humility,  and  the  same  knowledge 
^..no./^^^  fr  '"^  ^^'"''''"  '"'P.^'^'  ^^'°  ^be  latter.  A  man  is  as  much  entitled  to 
nspecthimse  fas  to  respect  others,  and  a  minister  has  as  much  right  as  any  other 
m  rpinr.l'r  'be  merited  estimate  of  his  own  character.  Besides,  he  is  authorized 
to  regard  himself  as  a  messenger  from  God,  and,  in  imitation  of  that  inspired  model 
fn  hfnfr^  who  never  disparaged  his  high  calling,  he  is  bound  to  sav  in  word  and 
Li'  V"'^^r  1^  ™^  ''^'^y  ^bo  among  his  hearers  can  vie  in  importance  with 
WnLT  ^°'^.^*'^^°'P''^•  Physicians,  jurists,  statesmen,  must  bow  themselves 
before  the  pulpit,  and  must  yield  their  dignified  obeisance  to  him  who  is  distinguished 
by  the  appellation,  "  the  mouth  of  God."  He  who  is  the  instructor  of  hisaudience, 
the  spiruuallatner  perhaps  of  many  of  them,  the  guide  and  counsellor  of  all,  should 
not  appear  beiore  them  m  a  crouching  posture,  as  if  it  were  a  great  favor  and  honor 


588  APPENDIX. 

to  him  that  they  will  deign  to  lend  their  ears  ;  he  should  not  speak  as  if  he  were 
about  to  apologize  for  troubling  them  with  his  words,  or  "  beg  pardon  for  having  been 
born."  No ;  he  should  stand  up  like  a  man,  and  speak  like  a  man,  and  let  it  be 
known  that  he  is  a  man,  yea,  more  than  a  man,  a  preacher.  Then  will  his  words 
come  with  authority.  Then  will  the  hearers  look  up  to  him.  But  no  minister  will 
speak  with  that  confidence  which  is  neither  too  great  nor  too  small,  but  just  right, 
unless  he  have  the  mastery  of  his  subject. 

There  is  something  in  the  very  consciousness  of  understanding  his  doctrine  which 
gives  him  the  appropriate  boldness  of  utterance.  He  feels  that  he  can  teach  his 
hearers.  However  striking  their  superiority  over  him  in  many  things,  he  feels  that 
in  the  most  important  of  all  things  he  has,  as  he  ought  to  have,  superiority  over  them, 
tie  can  make  the  wisest  of  them  more  wise.  He  can  reprove  the  most  learned  of 
them  for  their  ignorance  of  the  one  thing  needful.  It  Avill  be  a  feast  for  the  oldest 
of  them  to  hang  upon  his  lips,  even  though  he  be  on  the  green  side  of  mature  age. 
This  will  not  make  him  vain  ;  if  so,  he  has  peculiar  reason  to  be  humble,  and  may 
be  sure  that  he  has  not  the  qualifications  for  an  occupant  of  his  high  office.  The 
truth  properly  proportioned  never  ministers  to  vanity ;  truth,  whatever  it  be,  does 
good  and  no  evil  at  all  to  him  who  comprehends  it;  and  it  is  one  great  requisite  of  a 
preacher  that  he  be  able  to  look  at  truth  just  as  it  is,  the  whole  truth  respecting  him- 
self, and  be  quickened  by  it  to  cry  aloud  and  spare  not,  and  be  emboldened  to  "  show 
himself  a  man." 

Again,  theological  knowledge  gives  the  proper  degree  of  confidence  to  the  preacher 
because  it  discloses  the  adaptedness  of  his  themes  to  the  moral  nature  of  his  hearers. 
By  fully  understanding  a  doctrine  the  minister  may  understand  how  it  operates  on^he 
heart,  and  by  understanding  how  it  operates  he  feels  confidence  in  the  utility  of 
preaching  it.  He  is  like  a  mechanic  using  sharp  tools  in  broad  daylight ;  if  he  were 
in  the  dark,  he  would  move  with  faint-hearted  and  wavering  uncertainty,  but  in  the 
sunshine  he  knows  how  and  where  he  is  cutting,  and  strikes  his  chisel  Avilh  confi- 
dence that  it  will  cleave  not  merely  the  thin  air.  When  a  preacher  sees  the  nature 
and  the  tendency  of  his  doctrine  he  feels  a  mysteriously-imparted  expectation  of  suc- 
cess in  enforcing  it.  He  feels  a  rational  animating  faith  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
comply  with  the  laws  of  mental  action,  and  accompany  the  means  Avhich  are  so 
happy  in  their  tendencies  with  the  influence  which  is  needed  to  develop  those  ten- 
dencies in  saving  results.  He  feels,  Avhen  he  enters  the  sacred  desk,  that  he  is  to  do 
something,  and  this  assurance  of  success,  as  it  increases  his  reliance  upon  the  ultimate 
source  of  all  success,  increases  also  his  vigor,  and  manliness,  and  life. 

Still  further,  there  is  something  in  the  very  nature  of  theological  truth  Avhich  gives 
confidence  to  the  preacher.  It  opens,  enlarges,  and  vivifies  the  mind.  There  is  a 
clearness  in  truth,  a  directness  and  a  freshness  in  it,  which  strangely  disenthralls  the 
spirit,  and  gives  free  full  scope.  Truth  favors  freedom,  freedom  of  thought,  freedom 
of  speech,  freedom  of  act.  Revealed  by  the  same  God  who  made  the  soul  and  all  the 
laws  of  the  soul,  it  harmonizes  with  these  laws,  moves  along  with  them  easily  and 
happily,  and  jars  with  the  mind  only  when  the  mind  puts  constraint  upon  itself  and 
jars  with  its  own  principles.  The  mind  was  made  for  truth,  and  of  course  sympa- 
thizes with  it  wherever  found.  AVhen  wounded  and  bruised,  it  glides  instinctively  to 
truth,  as  the  serpent,  when  self-poisoned,  is  said  to  hasten  for  the  curative  leaf  It 
has  a  kindly  feeling  toward  all  truth,  and  rejoices  in  it  as  a  brother,  and,  when  torn 
from  it,  pines  away  as  a  dove  mourning  its  mate.  It  is  the  heart  only  which  is  dis- 
loyal and  disorganizing,  and  impresses  the  intellect  into  a  rebellion  as  injurious  to  it 
as  unnatural.  Still  the  mind,  even  when  carried  captive  by  a  depraved  will  looks 
back  with  yearnings  to  its  native  land ;  and  wherever  truth  points  there  the  mind 
points,  unless  forcibly  held  down  ;  and  wherever  truth  stays  there  the  mind  stays, 
unless  forcibly  driven  on.  The  words  of  the  philosophical  poet  may  be  well  applied 
to  the  secret  union  between  the  mind  and  evangelical  doctrine,  two  emanations  from 
ihe  same  source : — 

"'Twas  tlius,  if  ancient  fame  tlic  truth  unfolcJ, 
Two  faithful  needles  from  th'  informing  touch 
Of  the  same  parent  stone,  together  drew 
Its  mystic  virtue,  and  at  first  conspired 
With  fatal  impulse  quivering  to  the  pole  ; 
Then,  though  disjoined  hy  kingdoms,  though  the  main 
Rolled  its  broad  surge  betwixt  and  diti'rent  stars 
Beheld  their  wakeful  motions,  yet  preserved 
The  former  friendship,  and  remembered  still 
Th'  alliance  of  their  birth.     Wliatc'er  the  line 
Which  oue  possessed,  nor  pause  nor  quiet  knew 


THEOLOGICAL  STUDY  CONDUCIVE  TO  PULPIT  ELOQUENCE.  589 

The  sure  associate  ere  with  trembling  speed 
He  found  its  path,  and  fixed  unerring  there."* 

Point  to  any  man  who  in  his  preaching  is  fettered  with  doubts,  trammelled  with 
consciousness  ol'impotency,  moves  with  halting  step,  utters  his  doctrine  in  long  peri- 
phrases, and  explains  about  it  and  ab(jut  it,  and  well  nigh  bespeaks  pity  for  it,  and 
never  thrusts  it  home  with  energy  and  courage  upon  the  conscience  and  the  heart ; 
and  I  strongly  suspect  that  the  man  does  not  understand  the  gospel.  "  You  shall 
know  the  truth,"  says  Jesus,  "  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free,"  and  "  where  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,"  says  Paul,  "  there  is  liberty."  I  love  to  see  a  preacher  deeply 
imbued  with  the  impression  that  he  is  a  moral  being  and  his  hearers  are  moral  be- 
ings, and  that  he  must  aim  at  moral  effects  by  moral  means,  that  he  has  something 
to  do  and  his  hearers  have  something  to  do,  and  that  they  must  do  their  duty  imme- 
diately and  he  must  do  his  duty  fearlessly  ;  for  this  impression  is  in  harmony  with 
actual  fact,  and  he  who  makes  this  impression  a  part  of  his  own  soul  "  shall  be  free 
indeed."  It  is  an  old  proverb,  "  Men  will  praise  thee  when  thou  doest  well  for  thy- 
self;" and  so  when  a  minister  looks,  and  speaks,  and  acts,  as  if  he  respected  himself 
as  a  moral  agent,  and  reverenced  his  official  elevation,  and  had  full  faith  in  the  effi- 
cacy of  that  sword  which  he  wields,  but  which  is  nevertheless  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  and  when  he  applies  doctrine  with  an  untied  hand  and  trustful  heart,  as  well 
as  with  meekness  and  love,  then  Avill  his  people  praise  him ;  and  the  way  to  praise 
a  minister  is  to  attend  to  him  and  profit  by  him. 

There  is  a  third  mode  in  which  the  minister  improves  his  eloquence  by  extensive 
theological  investigation ;  he  acquires  by  it  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  people. 
A  bishop,  says  Paul,  "  must  have  a  good  report  of  those  Avho  are  without ;"  and  an 
orator,  says  Cicero,  must  be  confided  in  as  a  good  man,  or  his  oration  will  exert  but 
diminished  influence.  The  preacher  must  make  objective  as  well  as  subjective  prep- 
arations ;  for  the  most  finished  sermon  will  fall  upon  an  unprepared  audience  as 
Priam's  spear  upon  the  buckler  of  Neoptolemus.  It  is  a  wise  remark  of  Hooker, 
"  Let  Phidas  have  rude  and  obstinate  stuff  to  carve,  though  his  art  do  that  it  should, 
his  work  will  lack  that  beauty  which  otherwise  in  fitter  matter  it  might  have  had. 
He  that  striketh  on  an  instrument  with  skill  may  cause,  notwithstanding,  a  very  un- 
pleasant sound,  if  the  string  whereon  he  striketh  chance  to  be  incapable  of  harmony."t 
When  an  audience  depreciate  their  minister's  ability  to  instruct  them,  their  very 
prejudice  will  convert  his  eloquence  into  inanity;  and,  moreover,  he  will  find  it  be- 
yond his  power  to  attain  such  eloquence  before  hearers  who  turn  the  cold  shoulder  to 
the  pulpit  as  before  those  who  turn  the  eager  eye  and  the  open  breast.  If,  therefore, 
the  preacher  aim  at  efficiency  in  the  pulpit,  he  must  divert  the  power  of  popular 
prejudice  to  his  own  favor,  as  the  skilful  pilot  watches  wind  and  tide,  so  as  to  be 
wafted  along  by  the  same  elements  which  would  otherwise  resist  him.  The  preacher 
must  appear  to  be  pious  and  intelligent,  and  the  only  way  of  appearing  to  be  so  is  to 
be  so.  It  is  more  than  one  age  too  late  to  acquire  the  respect  of  a  congregation  by 
superficial  and  common-place  teaching.  Simple  truths  are  on  the  wings  of  the  wind. 
Our  popular  religious  literature  has  carried  them  to  every  man's  fireside.  The 
churches  demand  a  higher  instruction  and  an  ampler  reasoning  from  the  pulpit  than 
can  be  gleaned  from  the  narratives  of  the  nursery.  They  may  be  pleased  for  a  time 
with  the  pleasant  voice  and  the  pathetic  tale,  but  like  the  prodigal,  they  will  soon 
turn  away  from  the  husks,  and  long  for  more  nutritive  aliment  though  presented  in  a 
homelier  dish.     Even  the  child  who  early  learns  to  sing — 

"  I  hate  that  drum's  discordant  sound, 
Parading  round,  and  round,  and  round," 

will  soon  loathe  the  emptiness,  and  inflation,  and  circumvolutions  of  the  discourse 
which  rings  in  his  ears  just  as  monotonously  as  the  drum,  because  it  is  filled  with 
just  the  same  substance.  The  bare  belief  that  a  preacher  has  no  excellence  but  that 
of  elocution,  and  no  grace  but  that  of  attitude,  will  soon  degrade  his  authority,  while 
the  bare  belief  that  he  is  a  consummate  theologian  will  invest  his  teachings  with 
commanding  importance.  Men  who  are  not  thinkers  wish  to  be  addressed  as  if  they 
were.  Unlettered  men  do  not  wish  to  have  their  minister  imply  by  his  style  that  he 
is  making  a  great  effort  to  become  simple  enough  for  their  comprehension.  The 
preacher  who  appointed  a  service  for  the  lower  classes  and  the  ignorant  of  his  flock 
had  "  fit  audience  though  few."  The  hearer  who  complained  that  he  did  not  receive 
his  "  money's  Avorth"  at  church,  because  his  pastor,  instead  of  preaching  in  the  Greek 
language,  which  he  had  understood  to  be  a  superior  one,  preached  only  in  the  Eng- 

*  Akenside's  Pleasures  of  Imagination,  b.  iii. 
t  Hooker's  Ecclesiastical  Polity,  vol.  i. 


690  APPENDIX. 

lish,  which  even  poor  mea  used  without  salaries,  uttered  the  language  of  many,  who 
demand  that  a  sermon  be  elaborate,  even  if  they  be  less  capable  than  they  choose  to 
be  reputed  of  comprehending  its  instructions.  But  1  do  not  wish  to  underrate  the 
popular  intelligence.  It  is  a  fact  that  all  mind  craves  thcwght.  Even  indolent  men 
love  excitement,  and  even  wicked  men  are  interested  in  logical  and  eloquent  exhibi* 
tions  of  evangelical  doctrine.  All  the  faculties,  reason,  judgment,  imagination,  mem- 
ory, find  congenial  exercise  on  the  truths  which  God  has  fitted  to  them,  as  he  has 
fitted  food  to  the  stomach  and  light  to  the  eye.  When  Dr.  Griffin  was  preaching  his 
most  pungent  discourses  in  Boston,  on  such  themes  as  election  and  free  will,  the  de- 
pravity of  man  and  sovereignty  of  God,  his  church  was  frequented  by  men  who  dis- 
believed and  disliked  his  doctrine.  As  they  retired  from  one  service  they  would 
resolve  not  to  expose  themselves  to  the  excitements  of  another,  but  the  next  sabbath 
eve  would  find  the  opposing  yet  eager  listeners  again  at  Park  street,  not  because  they 
wished  to  go,  but  because  they  could  not  stay  away,  because  their  consciences  found 
something  vigorous  to  grapple  with  and  their  whole  moral  nature  was  met  exactly 
in  its  importunings.  So  urgently  and  ceaselessly  does  the  human  constitution  de- 
mand the  truth  for  which  it  was  originally  framed  that  nothing  but  a  varied  and 
harmonious  exhibition  of  this  truth  can  be  permanently  satisfying.  If  error  satisfy 
in  sickness,  it  will  not  in  health  ;  if  in  prosperity,  not  in  adversity.  Those  old  prin- 
ciples of  mind  which  rejoiced  together  before  the  fall,  though  they  may  slumber  for 
a  season  after  they  have  bidden  farewell  to  truth,  Avill  yet  rise  up  at  last  with  a  voice 
of  lamentation  and  mourning,  as  Rachel  rose  in  Eama,  weeping  for  her  children  be- 
cause they  were  not. 

The  preacher  Avho  is  but  poorly  indoctrinated  may  write  on  a  single  subject  with- 
out an  exposure  of  his  poverty:  but,  when  he  writes  on  some  other  subject,  he  will 
be  apt  to  show  that  his  mind  has  no  capacity  to  contain  more  than  one  thing  at  a 
time,  and  he  Avill  forfeit  the  confidence  of  his  more  discerning  hearers  by  his  self- 
contradictions.  He  does  not  discern  the  relations  of  truths,  sees  but  a  small  distance 
before  him,  disparages  to-day  what  he  magnifies  to-morrow,  and  preaches  on  one 
doctrine  so  as  to  nullify  another.  When  expounding  the  text,  "  my  yoke  is  easy," 
he  represents  the  ease  of  religion  in  terms  so  unqualified  that  repentance  seems  like 
the  facile  movement  of  the  eyelid  ;  but  when  expounding  the  text,  "  sirive  to  enter  in 
at  the  strait  gate,"  he  represents  the  agonizing  of  religion  as  surpassing  even  the  fa- 
bled labors  of  Sisyphus.  When  preaching  on  the  unicorthiness  of  Chrisiivins,  he  de- 
scribes them  as  meriting  no  praise  for  their  piety,  because  all  piety,  being  exercised 
under  an  influence  from  Heaven,  must  be  ascribed  to  that  influence  and  not  at  all  to 
the  active  subjects  of  it.  But,  when  preaching  on  the  <fM?y  of  Christians,  he  will  say 
that  they  are  free  in  their  holy  as  well  as  their  sinful  feelings,  that  all  their  acts  are 
their  own,  and  that  their  moral  agency  is  not  suspended  or  mutilated  by  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Spirit.  If,  then,  they  are  moral  and  not  passive  Christians,  if  their  acts 
are  their  own,  if  their  repentance  is  not  God's  repentance,  "  why,"  the  hearer  will 
ask,  "are  they  not  praiseworthy  ?"  And  then  this  same  preacher,  when  portraying 
the  guilt  of  shiners,  will  describe  them  as  the  bond-slaves  of  Satan,  and  will  declare 
that  the  influence  of  the  fallen  spirit  does  not  in  the  least  exculpate  those  who  yield 
to  him,  but  that  sinners  are  moral  creatures,  and  their  guilt  can  never  be  transferred 
from  themselves,  the  agents,  to  him,  the  tempter.  "  But  why,''  the  hearer  will  again 
ask,  "does  a  foreign  influence  leave  a  man  unworthy  of  praise  and  yet  worthy  of 
blame  ?  Why  does  not  the  same  cause,  an  extraneous  operation,  prtjduce  in  cither 
case  the  same  eff'ect,  the  destruction  of  moral  accountability?"  In  almost  every  au- 
dience there  are  some  who  will  detect  this  tergiversation,  and  will  complain  of  their 
pastor  as  one  who  sacrifices  truth  to  popular  eff'ect,  and  bends  all  science,  human 
and  divine,  to  his  purpose  of  moulding  in  his  own  way  the  hearts  of  his  people. 
These  discerning  hearers  will  diff'use  their  objection  through  the  undiscerning  mass  : 
and  many  will  learn  to  look  upon  their  religious  guide,  not  as  a  vicegerent  of  Jeho- 
vah, standing  on  the  sure  word  of  revelation,  but  as  a  personal  adviser  and  reprover, 
standing  on  his  own  ingenuity  ;  they  will  lose  their  respect  for  him  so  soon  as  they 
divest  him  of  the  divine  mantle,  and  will  parry  his  self-invented  remonstrances  as 
with  a  shield  of  brass. 

Fourthly,  theological  study  is  important  for  the  preacher's  eloquence  because  it  se- 
cures to  his  ministrations  appropriateness  and  variety.  Appropriateness  depends  upon 
variety  ;  for  the  wants  of  the  soul  are  varied,  and  sermons  adjusted  to  these  wants 
must  be  correspondently  varied.  Not  only  must  divers  characters  be  diversely  treat- 
ed, but  the  same  individual  must  have  diff'erent  susceptibilities  appealed  to,  different 
emotions  excited,  so  that  the  entire  soul  may  be  edified.  By  various  instruction  he 
will  be  trained  not  a  Christian  monster,  but  a  Christian  man.     Is  it  not  a  law  of  in- 


THEOLOGICAL    STUDY    CONDUCIVE    TO    PULPIT    ELOQUENCE.       591 

lellectual  education  to  exercise  all  the  faculties  ?  So  it  is  the  law  of  moral  educa- 
tion to  exercise  all  the  graces,  and  they  can  not  all  be  exercised  by  one  style  of 
preaching,  more  than  all  the  mental  faculties  by  one  subject  of  study.  Dieteticians 
tell  us  that  we  must^have  variety  in  our  food  or  lose  vigor  of  body,  and  that  those  tribes 
who  confine  their  diet  to  a  single  article,  however  nutritious  it  be,  are  stunted  and 
short-lived.  What  must  be  the  state,  then,  of  the  spiritual  system  which  is  led  from 
some  pulpits,  sabbath  after  sabbath,  year  after  year,  by  one  and  the  same  kind  of 
nutriment  ?  It  will  be  thought  so,  but  it  is  not  extravagant  to  say  that  there  are 
ministers  who  discourse  nearly  fifty  sabbaths  of  the  year  on  only  two  or  three  sub- 
jects. Whatever  their  text,  whatever  their  introduction,  whatever  their  purpose, 
they  slide  into  the  same  hackneyed  strain.  Their  minds  have  worn  a  channel,  and 
flow  into  it  naturally  and  of  course.  Not  that  they  always  use  the  same  words,  or  adopt 
the  same  plan,  but  the  whole  genius  of  their  sermons  is  the  same,  and,  losing  the  in- 
dividual characteristic  of  every  doctrine,  they  merge  it  into  one  tiresome  generality. 
A  late  president  of  a  college  in  New  England  said  that  he  sat  seventeen  years  under 
a  very  pious  preacher,  yet  heard  from  him  only  four  sermons,  one  thanksgiving  ser- 
mon, one  fast  sermon,  one  funeral  sermon,  and  one  general  sermon.  The  hyperbole 
of  this  criticism  is  not  so  great  as  may  at  first  appear  ;  for  perhaps  there  is  no  depart- 
ment of  literature  which,  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  mind  professedly  devoted  to 
it,  is  so  monotonous  as  the  homiletic.  Our  inquisitive  laymen  too  often  complain 
that  their  pastor  bri_  gs  out  of  his  treasury  things  old  and  old.  It  is  well  that  their 
Athenian  restlessness  "  to  hear  some  new  thing"  be  sometimes  rebuked,  but  some 
ministers  rebuke  it  by  continually  disappointing  it.  Their  public  prayers  are  but  one 
prayer,  which  many  in  their  parishes  have  learned  by  rote,  and  an  analysis  of  their 
sermons  would  develop  a  want,  greater  than  any  one  suspects,  of  individuality,  fresh- 
ness, and  that  fertile  variety  without  which  the  speaker  can  not  be  appropriate  and 
the  hearer  will  not  keep  awake. 

Let  us  analyze  three  sermons,  which  are  no  caricatures,  but  sober  specimens  of  a 
style  of  preaching  exhibited  in  more  than  one  pulpit  or  even  printed  volume. 

The  subject  of  the  first  sermon  is  sorrow  for  sin  ;  and  the  divisions  are  three :  first, 
the  duty  is  commanded  ;  secondly,  the  neglect  of  it  will  be  punished  ;  thirdly,  the  per- 
formance of  it  will  be  rewarded ;  and  under  the  last  division  are  depicted  the  beatific 
glories  which  will  ensue  from  this  sorrow.  Every  idea  which  the  author  advances 
is  correct,  but  yet  a  minute  and  thorough  analysis  of  his  theme  would  have  shown 
him  that  he  had  overlooked  the  peculiar  sympathies  of  it,  and  that  his  cheering  por- 
traiture of  paradi&t  must  be  abridged,  or  else  be  out  of  keeping  with  his  good  design. 
How  can  he  raise  tears  of  distress  by  a  bright  painting  of  happiness  as  the  reward  of 
distress?  For  the  next  sermon  he  selects  a  different  theme — the  duty  of  Christian 
cheerfulness — and  advances  the  three  positions:  first,  God  has  commanded  the  duty; 
secondly,  will  reward  the  performance  of  it ;  thirdly,  will  punish  the  neglect  of  it ; 
and  he  portrays  the  misery  of  despair  as  the  result  of  refusing  to  obey  the  command, 
'•  Rejoice  in  the  Lord."  If  this  be  not  true,  what  is  ?  Doubtless  it  is  all  true  ;  but  a 
more  radical  study  of  the  truth  would  have  detected  more  of  its  genius  and  harmo- 
nies. Had  the  preacher  penetrated  into  the  recesses  of  his  doctrine,  and  lived  there, 
breathing  its  peculiar  spirit,  he  might  indeed  have  glanced  at  the  woes  of  those  who 
would  neglect  this  duty,  but  he  would  not  have  held  his  hearers  long  in  an  atmo- 
sphere so  ill  suited  to  diffuse  the  glow  of  cheerfulness.  Every  subject  has  its  finger, 
and  the  finger  points  to  something  congenial  with  it  ;  and  certainly  the  subject  of 
Christian  tranquillity  does  not  point  to  the  lake  of  gloom  and  the  gnawing  worm  as 
the  things  with  which  it  is  most  congenial.  Nor,  indeed,  does  it  point,  first  and  fore- 
most, to  the  idea  that  God  has  commanded  cheerfulness.  The  nature  of  a  command 
is  not  so  homogeneous  as  that  of  some  other  objects  with  the  nature  of  serenity.  To 
bring  down  all  at  once  the  imposing  ideas  of  law  and  duty  upon  the  delicate,  sponta- 
neous, unchained  emotion  of  joy,  is  like  cherishing  the  growth  of  a  sensitive  plant 
by  grating  on  it  with  a  file  and  saw.  It  is  like  calling  forth  the  whispering  music 
of  an  ^olian  harp  by  dashing  it  with  an  iron  bar.  It  is  all  right  and  all-important 
that  the  preacher  should  tell  men  of  the  law  of  rejoicing  and  of  the  penalties  of  diso- 
bedience ;  but  this  is  not  the  sympathetic,  natural,  and  easy  development  which  will 
leave  the  hearers  rejoicing,  and  thus  perfect  the  persuasion  of  the  preacher.  His  ser- 
mon may  have  other  aims,  but,  if  its  aim  be  to  excite  the  commended  emotion,  it 
should  be  a  placid,  sunny  sermon,  the  topics  and  the  style  in  sweet  harmony  with 
the  theme,  and  every  sentence  should  be  penned  with  the  feeling  that  whatever  else 
men  may  be  scolded  into,  they  will  perhaps  be  scolded  into  petulance  as  soon  as  into 
cheerfulness. 

But  for  the  third  sermon  the  preacher,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  selects  a  third  theme 


592  APPENDIX. 

as  different  as  need  be  from  the  two  preceding,  but  again  calls  in  the  rhetorician's 
charmed  number  of  topics,  "  three:"  God  has  commanded  the  duty,  will  punish  the 
neglect,  reward  the  performance  of  it.  But  what  is  the  subject  which  is  to  be  laid 
down  upon  this  standard  triangle  ?  It  is  this :  the  duty  of  men  to  make  their  chief 
object  of  pursuit  neither  their  own  joy  nor  their  own  sorrow,  but  the  glory  of  God. 
Where  now  is  the  propriety  of  urging  us  to  regard  our  own  joy  as  subordinate  by  a 
prominent  reference  to  the  eternal  joy  which  will  reward  disinterestedness  ?  and  how 
does  the  instruction  that  we  comparatively  overlook  our  own  sorrow  sympathize  with 
the  protracted  threatening  of  everlasting  sorrow  as  a  punishment  for  undue  self-love  ? 
It  is  nothing  but  a  severe  meditation  on  the  nature  of  this  subject  which  will  disclose 
its  rhetorical  as  distinct  from  its  theological  truth.  The  fact  is  that  though  the  third 
sermon  should  have  a  peculiar  identity,  it  is  in  its  essential  spirit  a  repetition  of  the 
second,  as  the  second  is  of  the  first.  The  three  sermons  are  one  in  their  main  out- 
line ;  the  duty  of  obeying  God,  avoiding  misery,  obtaining  happiness,  is  the  one  sub- 
ject ;  and  although  the  subject  is  differently  illustrated  in  each  of  the  sermons,  as  it 
would  be  in  thirty  more,  it  renders  each  a  stiff,  formal,  mechanical  discourse.  There 
is  not  a  duty  in  the  whole  moral  code  but  may  be  and  often  is  recommended  by  the 
same  stationary  divisions.  But  why  stretch  everything  on  one  bed  ?  Why  not  de- 
tect the  idiosyncracy  of  a  doctrine,  its  spirit,  aptitude,  and  peculiar  suggestions?  Na- 
ture has  not  given  Avater  a  red  color  or  a  sweet  taste,  because  this  sameness  would 
annoy  us.  Physicians  say  that  a  change  even  from  the  better  to  the  good  is  often 
necessary,  because  it  is  a  change.  But  we  ask  of  a  preacher  merelythat  he  vary 
with  his  subject,  that  he  watch  its  flowings  forth  and  follow  them,  that  he  wait  and 
muse  until  he  be  borne  along  by  the  tendencies  of  his  doctrine  over  all  his  plans,  and 
skeletons,  and  technicalities.  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  another  of  the  moon, 
and  one  star  differeth  from  another  star  in  glory.  There  is  in  man  an  innate  love  of 
novelty,  which,  so  far  as  constitutional,  should  be  conformed  to  by  the  preacher.  He 
need  not  fear ;  for  there  is  a  richness  and  abundance  in  theology  which  will  answer 
to  every  cry  of  the  soul.  No  chord  vibrates  in  our  bosoms,  but  a  chord  of  scriptural 
truth  may  vibrate  in  imison  or  else  in  fitness.  It  is  the  study  of  this  truth,  then,  that 
is  to  uncover  the  springs  of  eloquence,  and  it  is  the  first  rule'of  sacred  rhetoric  to  rec- 
ommend this  study.  A  complete  theologian,  one  who  takes  in  the  essence,  and  the 
bearings,  and  the  inspiration,  and  the  life  of  theology,  is  the  only  model  of  pulpit  elo- 
quence. He  can  not  open  his  mouth  on  his  favorite  science  without  showing  that  he, 
rather  than  Plato,  was  the  man  "upon  whose  lips  the  bees  dropped  honey  as  he  lay 
in  his  cradle."  Cicero  says  that  "  if  Jupiter  should  converse  with  men  he  would 
talk  in  the  language  of  Plato ;"  but  we  know,  for  the  phenomenon  has  been  ob- 
served, that  when  Jehovah  converses  with  men,  he  speaks  in  the  language  of 
the  theologian,  or  rather  the  theologian  but  re-echoes  the  eloquent  words  of  the  Di- 
vinity. 

Fifthly,  theological  study  is  essential  to  sacred  eloquence  because  it  discloses  the 
precise  truths  which  are  fitted  to  renovate  the  heart.  Truth  is  God's  ;  the  soul  is 
God's.  One,  being  made  for  the  other,  is  adapted  to  it  as  the  tenon  to  the  mortice. 
A  surgeon  may  as  well  overlook  the  distinction  between  a  scalpel  and  a  forceps  as  a 
preacher  overlook  the  distinction  between  doctrines  every  one  of  which  is  an  instru- 
ment aptly  and  beautifully  shaped  for  a  special  purpose ;  and,  if  the  surgeon  should 
use  the  saw  when  he  ought  to  use  the  lance,  he  would  operate  less  harmfully  than 
the  preacher  who  applies  one  doctrine  when  he  ought  to  apply  another.  If  God  re- 
quire us  to  use  the  hammer,  we  should  not  use  the  fire  instead  thereof;  and,  if  he  re- 
quire us  to  administer  the  oil  of  consolation,  we  should  not  in  lieu  thereof  administer 
the  wormwood  of  reproof  It  is  the  truth  which  the  Spirit  blesses,  the  truth  as  it  is  ; 
riot  half  the  truth,  not  the  whole  truth  Avith  some  additions,  not  maimed  and  distort- 
ed truth,  not  truth  which  is  involved  in  doubt  and  may  perhaps  after  all  be  proved  a 
lie,  but  clear,  plain,  prominent  truth.  This  it  is  which,  because  adapted  in  itself  to 
convert  men,  the  Spirit  makes  effectual  in  converting  them.  This  it  is  which,  be- 
cause it  harmonizes  with  the  commanding  sentiments  of  our  moral  nature,  is  harmo- 
nized with  by  the  Spirit  in  renovating  that  nature  ;  for  the  Spirit  is  a  God  of  harmo- 
ny, and  employs  no  instruments  which  arc  not  congenial  witli  the  feelings  of  the 
operator  and  the  nature  of  the  agent  operated  upon.  It  is  this  truth,  and  only  this, 
which  the  minister  is  commissioned  to  unfold.  If  he  would  unfold  it,  he  must  study 
it,  for,  save  in  an  age  of  miracles,  how  knoweth  any  man  letters,  having  never 
learned  ?  If  he  do  not  study  it,  he  may  speak  with  eloquence  indeed,  but  can  never 
preach  with  sacred  eloquence  ;  for  to  speak  is  not  to  preach,  and  it  is  not  mere  elo- 
quence, but  sacred  eloquence,  which  is  adapted  to  secure  the  great  effect  of  preach- 
ing on  the  heart  of  man. 


THEOLOGICAL    STUDY    CONDUCIVE    TO    PULPIT    ELOQUENCE.      593 

Let  the  minister  unfold  the  true  doctrine  of  repentance,  and  declare  that  his  ua- 
converted  hearers  are  bound  to  repent  now,  on  the  spot,  and  that  they  are  able  to  do 
whatever  they  are  bound  to  do,  and  let  him  unhesitatingly  and  earnestly,  just  as  if 
he  expected  they  would  do  it,  urge  them  to  make  their  election  sure  before  they  leave 
their  seats,  they  will  feel  that,  if  able  to  repent,  they  are  guilty  more  than  unfortu<- 
nate  in  not  repenting  ;  and,  if  able  and  pressed  to  repent  now,  they  will  try,  and  their 
trial  will  show  how  strong  is  the  resistance  of  their  voluntary  selfishness,  which  trans- 
forms the  easy  into  the  difficult  :  and  this  discovery  of  their  obstinate  sin  will  be  at 
least  a  salutary  conviction  of  guilt,  and  perhaps  the  first  step  in  their  progress  from 
sin  to  holiness. 

On  the  contrary,  let  the  preacher  misunderstand  the  first  principles  of  moral  agen- 
cy, and  he  will  exhort  his  hearers  to  repent  when  they  go  home,  or  to  use  the  means 
of  repentance,  or  to  form  the  fixed  resolution  of  repentmg  at  some  future  time  ;  and 
they  will  feel  that  they  are  not  invited  to  repent  immediately,  and  will  be  glad  to 
enjoy  for  a  season  the  sin  which  they  arc  not  urged  to  leave,  and  to  enjoy  the  quiet 
which  they  drink  in  from  their  purpose  of  avoiding  hereafter  the  end  which  they  are 
now  approaching.  They  verify  the  remark  of  Luther,  that  "  the  road  to  hell  is 
paved  with  good  resolves  !"  Sometimes  the  preacher,  while  he  exhorts  his  hearers 
to  future  repentance,  assures  them  that  their  duty  even  then  will  transcend  their  abil- 
ity, and  thus  instead  of  profiting  them  with  an  incentive  to  obedience,  he  only  amazes 
them  at  the  injustice  of  requiring  bricks  without  straw. 

Or  perhaps,  in  the  same  discourse,  and  without  such  qualification  as  the  nature  of 
the  doctrine  demands,  he  will  perplex  them  with  the  farrago  of  figurative  and  literal 
statements  that  they  are  able  and  unable,  have  at  the  same  time  power  and  no  pow- 
er, to  do  as  they  should. 

But  even  when  the  confounding  of  moral  certainty  with  natural  inability  does  not 
lead  to  a  seemuig  paradox,  which  impairs  the  persuasive  influence  of  the  preacher, 
it  leads  him  either  to  omit  exhortation  altogether,  and  abandon  his  hearers  to  be  con- 
verted as  and  when  God's  sovereignty  shall  choose,  or  else  to  utter  a  lifeless  and  je- 
june appeal,  which  has  as  much  tendency  to  prostrate  the  walls  of  Jericho,  or  per- 
form any  other  miracle  on  matter,  as  it  has  to  effect  a  renovation  of  the  heart.  The 
appeal  is  "  as  good  as  dead."  The  worst  that  can  be  said  of  its  rhetorical  complex- 
ion is  that  it  is  in  keeping  with  the  theology  from  which  it  emanates.  The  best  that 
can  be  said  of  any  exhortation  which  springs  from  error  is  that  it  is  useless.  Ex  ni- 
liilo,  nihili  Jit.  It  is  indeed  a  pleasant  thought  that  if  the  preacher  have  a  peculiar 
liveliness  of  temperament,  or  warmth  of  piety,  he  may  shake  off  his  speculations  for 
an  hour  and  preach  as  a  man,  though  he  will  have  it  that  he  is  a  machine.  In 
the  main,  however,  his  necessarian  faith  will  trammel  his  eloquence,  and  he  will 
feel  as  under  an  incubus  when  he  invites  men  to  accomplish  impossibilities.  The 
difficulty  is,  he  has  substituted  for  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  repentance  a  theory  of 
his  own  ;  but  this  theory,  as  it  will  not  bear  inspection  when  in  a  cold  thesis,  is  pe- 
culiarly awkward  in  a  sermon  ;  and,  as  it  is  a  poor  thing  in  the  study,  so  it  is  exactly 
the  thing  which  ought  not  to  be  in  the  pulpit.  The  man  is  possessed  with  the  feel- 
ing that  his  hearers  are  more  than  morally  disabled,  and  he  can  not  harangue  before 
dry  bones  as  he  would  before  living  beings :  and  so  he  utters  cold  words  to  a  cold 
assembly,  uses  sepulchral  tones  to  gravestones  of  men  ;  and  dead,  dead,  is  the  wholc- 
obiluary  of  himself  and  his  people.  His  doctrine  is  ill-contrived  for  the  innate  sus- 
ceptibilities of  his  hearers ;  and  they,  waiting  for  God's  time,  sleep  on,  till  his  time 
come,  not  indeed  of  regeneration,  but  of  sentence. 

The  doctrine  of  prayer  may  also  be  noticed,  as  adapted,  when  correctly  preached, 
to  produce  the  effect  for  which  all  doctrine  was  designed,  but  operating,  when 
preached  incorrectly,  as  a  sharp  sickle  operates  when  applied  as  and  where  it  should 
not  be.  A  prayer  is  a  request  offered  Avith  appropriate  feeling.  A  request  discon- 
nected with  love,  and  humility,  and  faith,  is  no  more  a  prayer  than  the  mimic  rep- 
resentations of  the  stage  are  the  living  realities  which  are  only  represented.  A  theo- 
logian will  exhort  sinners  to  pray,  not  to  mock,  to  pray  immediately,  and  not  defer 
the  service  until  they  are  better  fitted  for  it,  to  play  just  as  they  are  to  plough  and 
reap,  eat  and  drink,  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  not  for  their  selfish  advantage.  Unless 
they  pray,  they  are  in  immediate  and  grievous  peril ;  and,  if  they  pretend  to  pray 
while  they  are  impenitent,  they  add  hypocrisy  to  their  other  sins,  and,  as  if  tired  of 
modestly  profaning  the  outer  court,  press  forward,  with  a  novel  boldness  to  profane 
the  holy  of  holies.  The  truth  makes  them  see  on  their  right  hand  and  their  left  the 
impassable  mountains  ;  it  shows  them  the  hosts  of  the  avenger  crowding  on  from 
the  rear  ;  it  agitates  them  with  the  conviction  that  to  escape  sidewise  from  duty  i* 
to  perish  like  sheep  on  the  mountains,  to  stand  still  is  to  be  cut  down  ;  straightfor- 

38 


594  APPENDIX. 

ward  is  their  only  course,  and  if  Jordan*  is  before  them  they  must  swim  the  flood  ; 
and  it  is  when  the  sinner  sees  himself  thus  shut  up  to  one  right  line,  which  he  must 
pursue  exactly  or  die,  that  he  feels  his  guilty  impotence,  and  sinks  down  in  such 
despair  of  himself  and  such  a  fitness  to  depend  on  the  aid  of  another  that  divine 
grace  interposes  at  this  precise  critical  point,  and  takes  to  himself  the  glory  of  the 
passage  which  the  sinner  should,  and  therefore  could,  long  since  have  made.  Thus 
honoring  to  God,  abasing  and  yet  stimulating  to  man,  is  the  suasory  influence  of 
truth  as  applied  by  the  Spirit. 

But,  when  a  minister  misunderstands  this  doctrine  of  prayer,  he  bewilders  the 
impenitent  by  assuring  them  that  they  can  not  repent,  Avhich  in  the  literal  sense  they 
can  do,  and  yet  that  they  can  please  God  by  praying  for  repentance,  which  in  the  mdul- 
gence  of  their  selfish  spirit  they  can  not  do — that  their  prayers  are  abomination  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  yet  should  be  offered  to  him  who  says,  "  My  soul  hateth  them"— 
that  they  have  no  right  to  sin,  yet  may  commit  the  iniquity  of  bending  the  rebellious 
knee  at  the  mercy-seat,  and  thus  avert  the  penally  of  their  less  sacrilegious  sins  com- 
raittcd  in  less  solemn  positions.  They  are  told  to  do  that  for  which,  if  they  die  as 
soon  as  they  have  done  it,  they  will  be  condemned  to  eternal  wo.  They  receive  such 
advice  as  may  encourage  them  to  say  at  the  judgn)ent— "  We  are  punished  for  follow- 
ing m  letter  and  in  spirit  the  advice  of  our  minister."  When  they  are  exhorted  to 
pray  for  their  conversion  they  are  exhorted  to  pray  for  iheir  first  right  feeling;  and, 
when  they  pray  for  their  first  right  feeling,  the  prayer  must  precede  this  feeling  and 
must  of  course  be  off'ered  with  a  feeling  which  is  not  right;  they  pray  Avickedly,  that 
their  wickedness  even  in  this  very  prayer  may  give  place  to  the  piety  which  they  at 
the  same  time  hate,  and  are  virtually  exhorted  to  remain  in  sin  until  they  receive 
some  gift  from  on  high,  though  it  may  be  that  their  spirits  will  be  called  up,  follow- 
ing hard  after  their  praying  breath,  to  the  God  who  abhorreth  the  smoke  of  strange 
offerings. 

To  exhort  sinners  to  pray  as  sinners,  that  they  may  be  enabled  to  pray  as  Chris- 
tians, is  indeed  common,  and  in  its  first  impression  is  not  so  unseemly  ;  yet  this  is  in 
its  true  implications  to  recommend  their  continuance  in  sin  until  that  future  period  - 
a  period  which  under  such  treatment  is  slow  in  coming— when  a  celestial  influence 
shall  render  wicked  prayers  no  longer  necessary,  and  absolve  from  the  anomalous 
requirement  that  a  man  carry  his  rebellion  up  to  the  altar  before  he  can  satisfy 
his  God.     It  is  at  his  peril  that  a  preacher  allows  his  necessarian  philosophy  to  in- 
culcate such  procrastination  of  repentance  even  for  an  instant ;  he  overlooks  the  im- 
pulses of  man's  moral  nature,  and,  if  he  produce  any  impression  on  his  hearers,  it 
will  be  the  mischievous  one  that  their  sin  is  a  misfortune  which  Omnipotence  in  pity 
must  remove,  that  so  long  as  they  pray  against  their  calamity  and  perform  so  well 
the  condition  of  repentance  they  do  all  which  can  be  expected  of  them,  and  must 
ileave  the  results  to  him  who  Will  not  withhold  the  piety  which  his  compassion  loves 
to  bestow  and  who  has  promised  to  hear  even  the  young  raven  when  it  crieth.  They 
•  lull  themselves  with  the  dream  that  their  prayer  will  be  efl'ectual  with  a  prayer- 
hearing  God,  and  that,  though  not  Christians,  yet  they  have  ceased  to  be  obstinate 
like  other  sinners,  and  are  raised  to  a  distinct  class,  seekers,  and  are  performing  an 
intermediate  kind  of  obedience,  just  what  it  should  be  in  its  exterior,  just  what  it 
should  not  be  in  everything  essential.     The  men  who  abide  day  after  day  m  this  am- 
phibious attitude  are' certainly  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bible,  which  was  writ- 
ten when  there  Averc  only  two  classes  of  men  in  existence,  one  who  served  God, 
another  who  served  him  not ;  they  are  engaged  in  a  course  of  obedience  which  their 
Master  knows  nothing  of,  for  he  never  recognises  neutrals,  and  has  given  no  com- 
mand which  can  be  obeyed  without  full  and  instant  love  ;  they  therefore  elude  the 
humbling  influence  of  truth,  which  profits  the  penitent  and  the  impenitent,  but  passes 
by  without  touching  the  species  of  men  who  lie  midway  between  something  and 
nothing  ;  and  they  often  receive,  as  the  positive  recompense  of  their  negative  service, 
a  blunt  conscience,  a  self-complacent  and  self-confident  heart,  and  an  inveterate  habit 
of  waiting  for-God  to  do  what  he  requires  them  to  do.     Thus  prolific  of  mischief, 
and  unsuited  to  the  tendencies  of  the  moral  constitution,  is  the  philosophy  which 
describes  repentance  as  something  to  be  prayed  for  rather  than  something  to  be  per- 
formed, and  teaches  man  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  his  duty  rather  than  do 
his  duty.     The  truth  of  God  is  "  quick,"  "  Cease  to  do  evil,  learn  to  do  well  ;"  and 
not  hypothetical  and  circumainbulatory,  "  Try  to  pray  that  you  may  be  enabled  to 
begin  the  right  course." 

No  other  luminary  than  that  which  God  has  made  can  enlighten  the  earth;  no 

*  The  allusion  seems  to  be  rather  to  the  lied  sea  than   to  Jordan,  and  the  notion  of  swimming  the 
:flood  seems  somewhat  incongruous. 


THEOLOGICAL    STUDY    CONDUCIVE    TO    PULPIT    ELOQUENCE.        595 

Other  doctrine  than  that  which  God  has  revealed  can  meliorate  the  heart.  It  is  then 
almost  a  truism  to  say  that  he  who  would  eloquently  persuade  men  to  godliness  must 
make  his  eloquence  a  vivid  presentation  of  the  great  motives  to  godliness,  and,  as 
these  motives  are  all  involved  in  divine  truth,  he  may,  without  understanding  that 
tru;h,  write  elegantly  and  speak  gracefully,  but  what  he  writes  will  he  no  sermon, 
and  his  speaking  will  be  a  declamatory  profanation  of  the  pulpit,  which  is  not  the 
orator's,  but  the  "  preacher's  throne,"  and  should  exhibit  nothing  but  the  life  and 
life-giving  spirit  of  evangelical  doctrine. 

I  remark,  in  the  last  place,  that  sacued  eloquence  depends  essentially  on  theologi- 
cal study,  because  this  study  discloses  the  essential  truths  which  glorify  God.  The 
preacher  is  commanded  to  declare  all  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  to  declare  them 
variously,  explicitly,  thoroughly  ;  and  he  who  obeys  this  command  honors  not  only 
the  government  but  also  the  character  of  Jehovah.  To  represent  the  divine  excel- 
lences so  that  they  shall  be  apprehended  is  the  sacred  eloquence  of  thought,  so  that 
they  shall  be  loved  is  the  sacred  eloquence  of  feeling :  for  if  the  heathen's  remark 
be  true,  that  to  know  God  is  to  glorify  him,  then  to  make  him  known  is  to  glorify 
him  more  extensively ;  and,  if  to  make  him  known  be  glorious  to  him,  to  make  hira 
loved  is  still  more  glorious.  Whether  an  audience  adore  or  despise  the  character  of 
Jehovah,  their  very  apprehension  of  the  character  will  eventually  honor  it ;  and 
their  contempt  even  will  illustrate  the  boundlessness  of  his  mercy  or  the  purity  of 
his  justice.  It  is  a  thought  which  may  always  add  solemnity  to  the  preacher's  emo- 
tion, and  energy  to  his  eloquence,  that  when  he  portrays  the  divine  attributes  his 
words,  if  they  be  understood,  shall  not  one  of  them  be  lost,  but  shall  for  ever  elicit 
new  praise  to  him  who  maketh  even  sin  the  occasion  of  new  and  honorable  devel- 
opments. If  this  thought  be  impressive,  there  is  another  still  more  animating  to  the 
faithful  preacher,  that  by  his  vivid  delineations  of  the  Divinity  he  may  multiply 
copies  of  that  infinite  perfection,  and  by  transfusing  the  divine  image  may  call  forth 
the  glory  which  comes  not  barely  from  the  knowledge,  but  also  from  the  love  and 
resemblance  of  God. 

But  how  can  men  love  an  object  which  they  do  not  apprehend  ?  How  can  souls 
be  converted  without  a  notion  of  the  Being  to  whom  they  are  converted  ?  To  make 
Christians  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world.  Constantine  made  them  by  thousands 
in  the  day.  The  popes  have  made  whole  nations  true  to  the  faith  by  a  single  decree. 
A  smgle  sermon  may  convert  an  audience  without  the  aid  of  an  interposing  spirit, 
save  perhaps  the  spirit  of  darkness.  When  Christians  are  multiplied  at  a  protracted 
meeting,  the  great  query  is,  Are  they  lovers  of  that  excellence  which  constitutes 
Christ  ?  Are  they  converted  to  that  holiness  which  is  the  moral  sum  of  Jehovah  ? 
From  Avhat,  to  what,  are  they  transformed  ?  There  is  often  the  most  lamentable 
ground  for  fear  that  they  are  changed  from  the  worship  of  one  form  of  sin  to  that  of 
another.  The  Deity  is  not  glorified  by  conversions,  but  by  conversions  to  the  truth. 
It  is  not  the  three  letters  God,  which  make  the  object  of  adoration,  but  a  pure  spirit 
of  excellence.  The  indefinite  preacher  speaks  of  a  something  who  is  naught  but 
kindness  and  mercy,  and  he  calls  that  something  God,  and  then  asks  his  hearers  to 
love  it,  because  it  is  so  full  of  love  to  them.  They  love  it,  and  are  proclaimed  as- 
converts.  But  they  have  loved  it,  in  another  form,  ever  since  they  loved  themselves. 
Every  sinner  loves  it  so  long  as  he  remains  a  sinner.  They  are  converted  only  to 
the  love  of  a  new  conformation  of  their  own  depravity.  This  something,  it  may  be 
called  God,  but  remains  the  same  in  essence  by  whatever  cognomen  it  be  designated, 
and  is  the  likeness  of  nothing  in  the  heaven  above,  but  is  the  image  of  its  makers  on* 
earth,  selfish,  partial,  and  sinful.  Their  love  to  it  is  love  to  an  idol.  Their  prayers, 
and  praises,  and  songs,  and  obedient  service  to  it,  are  all  to  their  own  creature  rather 
than  their  great  Creator.  The  true  spiritual  Divinity  is  the  discerner  of  the  thoughts, 
and  sees  that  this  homage  is  mistaken  and  misapplied,  was  meant  for  another  being, 
who  wears  his  name  indeed,  but  none  of  his  attributes,  and  who  has  only  a  fictitious 
existence.  Oh,  there  are  many  anthems,  and  solemn  dedications,  and  devout  obser- 
vances, which  go  up  from  nominal  worshippers,  but  go  by  God's  throne,  and  wander 
about  in  search  of  their  shadowy  object,  which  exists  anywhere  rather  than  in  the 
regions  above.  Even  in  the  true  church  of  Christ  there  is  much  idolatry.  Inter- 
mingled with  devotion  to  Jehovah,  there  is  much  devotion  to  an  ethereal  figment  of 
our  own  fancies.  Secular  eloquence  may  persuade  men  to  love  the  gold  of  God's 
throne,  but  he  does  not  feel  praised  unless  we  love  the  holiness  of  it.  A  meager 
system  of  theology  will  suffice  for  the  preacher  who  inculcates  the  love  of  many 
things  connected  with  religion,  but  God  does  not  feel  glorified  unless  we  love  religion 
itself.  He  has  no  corporeal  ears  to  be  pleased  with  the  sound  "  God  :"  but  heareth 
with  the  Spirit,  and  acknowledgeth  no  name  save  his  true  character,  inwardly  ap- 


596  APPENDIX. 

preciated  and  loved.  With  wrong  views  of  his  character  we  can  not  actively  glorify 
him.  The  first  duty,  then,  of  the  preacher  is  to  publish  this  character  so  that  an  as- 
similating influence  may  flow  forth  from  it  upon  those  who  hear,  to  hold  up  this 
living  and  life-imparting  mystery  of  perfection,  so  that  it  may  reflect  its  own  like- 
ness upon  the  lookers-on.  The  more  conspicuously  and  properly  a  preacher  deline- 
ates the  divine  character  in  a  sermon,  so  much  the  more  hope  may  be  entertained 
that  the  Spirit  will  use  that  sermon  as  an  instrument  of  good  to  souls  and  glory. to 
God.  This  interposition  of  the  Spirit  is  the  only  source  of  hope  ;  this  hope  is  the 
great  spring  of  eloquence.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  preacher  must  understand 
the  whole  system  of  revealed  truth  if  he  would  faithfully  describe  the  divine  perfec- 
tions ;  for  these  perfections  embrace  the  whole  system.  Sacred  eloquence,  then, 
which  is  the  power  of  speaking  so  as  to  glorify  God,  is  the  power  of  speaking  well 
on  all  the  truths  of  God,  and  peculiarly  on  those  attributes  which  in  themselves 
make  up  his  essential,  and  in  their  exhibition  his  declarative  glory.  As  the  sacred 
is  the  top-stone  of  all  eloquence,  so  it  ultimately  rests  on  the  broadest  of  all  bases,  a 
complete  theological  science. 

The  rule  that  a  preacher  defer  writing  his  discourse  until  we  have  a  distinct  ap- 
prehension of  the  topics  which  he  means  to  introduce  into  that  discourse  is  elemen- 
tary. With  this  distinct  apprehension  he  may  not  always  write  with  clearness  ;  for 
he  may  be  so  deficient  in  his  power  of  language,  his  mind  may  move  so  quickly  over 
premises  which  he  glances  at  but  does  not  mark  for  remembrance,  to  results  which 
he  seizes  at  strongly  and  holds  too  nakedly  for  plain  communication  to  others,  or  he 
may  have  formed  a  habit  of  association  elevated  so  far  above  all  communion  with 
the  common  intellect,  that  he  is  unable  to  utter  intelligibly  what  he  very  vividly  con- 
ceives. But,  if  a  writer  can  not  always  express  with  clearness  the  ideas  which  he 
has,  he  can  never  so  express  the  ideas  which  he  has  not ;  and  he  may  nearly  as  well 
preach  in  a  foreign  language  as  in  a  style  which  does  not  emanate  from  his  distinct 
conceptions.  "  Those  orators,"  says  one,  "  who  give  us  much  noise  and  many 
words,  but  little  argument  and  less  wit,  and  who  are  most  loud  when  they  are  the 
least  lucid,  should  take  a  lesson  from  the  great  volume  of  nature:  she  often  gives  us 
the  lightning  even  without  the  thunder,  but  never  the  thunder  without  the  lightning." 

It  is,  however,  by  no  means  sufficient  that  a  man  investigate  barely  those  parts  of 
his  subject  which  he  wishes  to  discuss  in  his  sermon.  He  must  investigate  all  parts 
before  he  can  safely  decide  which  to  discuss  and  which  to  exclude.  He  must  be 
able  to  take  the  Avhole  subject  into  his  hands,  as  a  ball  of  ivory,  and  turn  it  over  and 
over,  and  present  all  sides  of  it.  Even  if  he  deem  a  particular  branch  to  be  inappro- 
priate to  the  pulpit,  still  it  must  be  analyzed.  The  analysis  will  give  impulse  and 
acumen  to  his  mind,  suggest  the  most  suitable  and  eloquent  collocation  of  his  more 
popular  thoughts,  and  often  initiate  him  into  new  fields  of  practical  reflection.  Every 
part  of  his  doctrine  has  its  collateral  parts,  its  dependences,  its  intimations;  and,  if 
he  explore  the  circumjacent  ground  as  well  as  the  spot  on  which  he  intends  to 
build,  he  will  often  discover  a  fruitful  spot  in  the  very  darkest  corners,  under  the 
most  tangled  shrubbery.  "Even  a  Russian  steppe  has  tumuli  and  gold  ornaments; 
also  many  a  scene,  that  looks  desert  and  rock-bound  from  the  distance,  will  unfold 
itself,  when  visited,  into  rare  valleys."  Our  clergymen  commit  an  injurious  error 
when  they  neglect  and  repudiate  all  discussion  Avhich  promises  no  immediate  prac- 
tical bearing.  They  should  reflect  that  in  a  great  buijding  there  are  rough  and  un- 
sightly foundation-stones,  which  are  not  to  be  wholly  dispensed  Avifh,  because  they  are 
unsuitable  for  a  place  in  the  parlor,  on  the  sofa,  or  the  piano.  They  should  reflect 
that  in  a  finished  picture  there  are  some  colorings  which  will  disgust  if  presented  in 
bold  relief,  but  will  leave  the  picture  yet  more  disgusting  if  excluded  from  the  back- 
ground, where  perhaps  only  a  connoisseur  will  be  able  to  explain  their  eff'ect.  A 
sermon  is  incomplete  unless  its  arrangement,  its  allusions,  its  whole  spirit,  betray  the 
author's  familiarity  with  the  fundamental  and  even  suppressed  branches  of  his  theme. 
A  minister  need  not.  in  these  days,  be  afraid  of  study.  He  can  not  know  too  much 
of  truth.  He  must  remember  that  all  sacred  rhetoric  is  but  a  new  arrangement  of  the 
materials  of  theology,  and  in  proportion  to  the  abundance  of  his  materials  may  be  the 
felicity  of  his  selection.  In  vain  will  he  labor  to  polish  his  discourses  unless  he  have 
given  them  the  firm  solid  contexture  which  is  derived  from  sacred  science.  Disin- 
tegrated sand-stone  can  not  be  polished.  In  vain  will  he  hope  to  elevate  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  by  fervent  appeal  unless  he  himself  be  borne  aloft  by  his  subject,  his 
whole  subject,  and  nothing  but  his  subject — unless,  I  say,  his  subject  raise  him,  and 
he  be  relieved  from  forcing  his  own  j)rogress  upward,  like  a  bird  of  prey,  dragging 
his  subject  along  after  him.  In  vain  will  he  decorate  his  style  with  tropes  when  his 
dof.trine,  like  a  poor  stray  child,  is  lost  amid  a  forest  of  similes.     A  neat  shroud  is 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHING.  597 

very  neat,  and  a  white  fillet  is  very  white  ;  but  a  carcase  is  still  a  carcase  notwith- 
standing the  shroud,  and  the  vacant  face  is  still  vacant  notwithstanding  the  fillet. 
In  vam  will  he  strive  to  impart  a  becoming  energy  to  his  sermons  unless  he  have 
that  enthusiasm  which  nothing  but  sacred  study  can  inspire,  an  enthusiasm  which  is 
but  another  name  for  a  fervent  love  of  truth,  and  which  is  more  essential  for  a 
preacher  than  even  secular  enthusiasm  is  for  a  secular  orator.  It  is  mild  to  say  that 
a  preacher,  unskilled  in  the  word  of  righteousness,  will  inflict  upon  his  audience  ser- 
mons ephemeral,  unimpressive,  emitting  their  first  and  only  light  when  his  adminis- 
trators  shall  perform  the  duty,  which  he  should  have  anticipated,  of  consigning  them 
to  the  flames ;  the  severe  fact  is  that  he  will  not  only  fail  to  teach  the  truth,  but  will 
teach  error,  error  in  the  substance  of  his  doctrine,  error  in  the  shading  of  it,  error  at 
least  m  the  moral  impressions  of  it ;  and  whoever  has  computed  the  mischiefs  of  one 
error  under  sacerdotal  sanction  may  estimate  the  influence  of  one  man  instructing  by 
conjecture,  warning  at  random,  mutilating  at  hap-hazard  the  doctrines  which  an 
angel  would  not  dare  to  touch  save  with  a  delicate  hand,  and  after  a  wary  circum- 
spect survey. 


No.  III. 
ON  EXTEMPORANEOUS  PREACHING. 

After  having  said  so  much  on  the  subject  of  composition,  the  choice  of  language, 
and  the  different  modes  of  constructing  sermons,  it  may  be  thought  that  I  can  have 
no  occasion  to  refer  to  extemporaneous  preaching  except  for  the  purpose  of  condemn- 
ing It.  Those  who  come  to  such  a  conclusion  have  not  however  entered  into  my 
views,  nor  appreciated  my  design,  in  the  foregoing  lectures.  Anxious  as  I  am  that 
the  student  should  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  various  sources  of  thouo-ht 
which  may  assist  him  in  the  exhibition  of  truth,  that  he  should  be  flxmiliar  with  the' 
rules  of  composition  and  attain  facility  by  practice,  and  that  he  should  fully  under- 
stand the  mechanism  (if  I  maybe  allowed  the  term)  of  the  various  kinds  of  discourse, 
I  am  by  no  means  less  solicitous  that  the  preacher  should  appear  before  his  audience 
free  from  the  constrained,  formal,  uninteresting  mode  of  address  which  keeps  him 
from  immediate  contact  with  the  hearts  of  his  fellow-sinners.  This  can  be  accom- 
plished only  by  the  habit  of  freely  expressing  his  immediate  thoughts  and  feelin^rs, 
and  I  am  persuaded  that  one  cause  of  the  inefficiency  of  preaching  may  be  traced^o 
the  practice  of  reading  sermons,  or  delivering  them  memoriter,  which  prevails  at 
present  to  a  great  extent.  I  am  aware  of  the  difficulties  which  in  the  first  instance 
attend  the  extemporaneous  method,  but  I  can  not  believe  that  they  are  so  formidable 
as  IS  commonly  supposed.  Professor  Ware,  of  Boston,  America,  in  his  pamphlet  on 
extemporaneous  preaching,  presents  the  subject  in  a  verv  clear  and  forcible  lio-ht.  I 
shall  here  transcribe  the  substance  of  his  remarks,  condensed  and  somewhat  altered, 
which  will  better  express  my  own  views  than  anything  I  could  now  write:— 

As  regards  merely  the  use  of  unpremeditated  language,  it  is  far  from  b'eino-  a  dif- 
ficult attainment.  A  writer  whose  opportunities  of  observation  give  weio-ht^to  his 
opmion  says,  m  speaking  of  the  stvle  of  the  younger  Pitt:  "This  profuse°and  inter- 
minable flow  of  words  is  not  in  itself  either  a  rare  or  remarkable  endowment.  It  is 
wholly  a  thing  of  habit,  and  is  exercised  by  every  village  lawyer  with  various  de<^rees 
of  power  and  grace."*  If  there  be  circumstances  which  render  the  habit  more  dif. 
ticult  to  be  acquired  by  the  preacher,  they  are  still  such  as  may  be  surmounted  ;  and  it 
may  be  made  plain,  I  think,  that  the  advantages  which  he  mav  thus  insure  to  him- 
self are  so  many  and  so  great  as  to  off"er  the  strongest  inducement  to  make  the  at- 
tempt. 

That  these  advantages  are  real  and  substantial  may  be  safely  inferred  from  the 
habit  ot  public  orators  in  other  professions,  and  from  the  eflfects  which  they  are 
known  to  produce.  There  is  more  natural  warmth  in  the  declamation,  more  ear- 
nestness in  the  address,  greater  animation  in  the  manner,  more  of  the  lighting  up 
ot  the  soul  in  the  countenance  and  whole  mien,  more  freedom  and  meaning  in  the 
gesture;  the  eye  speaks,  and  the  finger  speaks,  and,  when  the  orator  is  so  excited 
as  to  forget  everything  but  the  matter  on  which  his  mind  and  feelings  are  acting, 
the  whole  body  is  att^ected  and  helps  to  propagate  his  emotions  to  the  hearer.  Amid 
all  the  exaggerated  coloring  of  Patrick  Henry's  biographer,  there  is  doubUess  enough 
*  Europe,  &c.,  by  a  Citizen  of  the  United  States. 


598  APPENDIX. 

that  is  true  to  prove  a  power  in  a  spontaneous  energy  of  an  excited  speaker,  superior 
in  its  effects  to  anything  that  can  be  produced  by  writing.  Something  of  the  same 
sort  has  been  witnessed  by  every  one  who  is  in  the  habit  of  attending  in  the  courts 
of  justice  or  the  chambers  of  legislation.  And  this,  not  only  in  the  instances  of  the 
most  highly  eloquent ;  but  inferior  men  are  found  thus  to  excite  attention  and  pro- 
duce effects  M^hich  they  never  could  have  done  by  their  pens.  In  deliberative  assem- 
blies, in  senates  and  parliaments,  the  larger  portion  of  the  speaking  is  necessarily  un- 
premeditated ;  perhaps  the  most  eloquent  is  ahvays  so,  for  it  is  elicited  by  the  groAV- 
ing  heat  of  debate  ;  it  is  the  spontaneous  combustion  of  the  mind  in  the  conflict  of 
opinion.  Chatham's  speeches  were  not  written,  nor  those  of  Fox,  nor  that  of  Ames 
on  the  British  treaty.  They  were,  so  far  as  regards  their  language  and  ornaments, 
the  effusions  of  the  "moment,  and  derived  from  their  freshness  a  power  Avhich  no  study 
could  impart.  Among  the  orations  of  Cicero  which  are  said  to  have  made  the  great- 
est impression,  and  to  liave  best  accomplished  the  orator's  design,  are  those  delivered 
on  unexpected  emergencies  which  precluded  the  possibility  of  previous  preparation. 
Such  were  his  first  invective  against  Catiline  and  ihe  speech  Avhich  stilled  the  distur- 
i)ances  at  the  theatre.  In  all  these  cases,  there  can  be  no  question  of  the  advantage 
which  the  orators  enjoyed  in  their  ability  to  make  use  of  the  excitement  of  the  occa- 
sion, unchilied  by  the  formality  of  studied  preparation.  Although  possibly  guilty  of 
many  rhetorical  and  logical  faults,  yet  these  would  be  unobserved  in  the  fervent  and 
impassioned  torrent  which  bore  away  the  minds  of  the  delighted  auditors. 

It  is  doubtless  very  true  that  a  man  of  study  and  reflection,  accustomed  deliberately 
to  weigh  every  expression  and  analyze  every  sentence,  and  to  be  influenced  by  noth- 
ing which  does  not  bear  the  test  of  the  severest  examination,  may  be  most  impressed 
by  the  quiet  unpretending  reading  of  a  well-digested  essay  or  dissertation.  To  some 
men  the  concisest  statement  of  a  subject,  with  nothing  to  adorn  the  naked  skeleton  of 
thought,  is  most  forcible.  They  are  even  impatient  of  any  attempt  to  assist  its  effect 
bv  fine  writing,  by  emphasis,  tone,  or  gesture.  They  are  like  the  mathematician,  who 
read  the  Paradise  Lost  without  pleasure,  because  he  could  not  see  that  it  proved  any- 
thinsc.  But  we  are  not  to  judge  from  the  taste  of  such  men  of  what  is  suitable  to  af- 
fect the  majority.  The  multitude  are  not  mere  thinkers  or  great  readers.  From 
their  necessary  habits  they  are  incapable  of  following  a  long  discussion,  except  it  be 
made  inviting  by  the  circumstances  attending  it  or  the  manner  of  conducting  it. 
Their  attention  must  be  roused  and  maintained  by  some  external  application.  To 
them — 

"Action  is  eloqncnce,  and  tLe  eyes  of  the  ignorant 
More  learned  than  their  ears." 

There  is  one  mode  of  address  for  books  and  for  classical  readers,  and  another  for 
the  mass  of  men,  who  judge  by  the  eye  and  ear,  by  the  fancy  and  feelings,  and  know 
little  of  rules  of  art  or  of  an  educated  taste.  Hence  it  is  that  many  of  those  preach- 
ers who  have  become  the  classics  of  a  country  have  been  unattractive  to  the  multi- 
tude, who  have  deserted  their  polished  and  careful  composition  for  the  more  unre- 
strained and  rousing  declamation  of  another  class.  In  order  to  secure  the  attention 
of  men  they  must  be  addressed  according  to  their  actual  character,  and  in  that  mode 
in  which  their  habits  of  mind  may  render  them  most  accessible.  As  but  k-w  are 
thinkers  or  readers,  a  congregation  is  nut  to  be  addressed  as  such;  but,  their  modes 
of  life  being  remembered,  constant  regard  must  be  had  h)  their  need  of  external  at- 
traction. This  is  most  easily  done  by  the  familiarity  and  directness  of  extemporane- 
ous address,  for  which  reason  this  mode  of  preaching  has  peculiar  advantages,  in  its 
adaptation  to  their  situation  and  wants.  It  is  not  the  weight  of  the  thought,  the  pro- 
foundness of  the  argument,  the  exactness  of  the  arrangement,  nor  the  choiceness  of 
the  language,  which  interests  and  chains  the  attention  of  even  those  educated  hearers 
who  are  able  to  appreciate  them.  They  are  as  likely  to  sleep  throui^h  the  Avhole  as 
others.  And,  as  to  the  large  mass  of  the  people,  they  are  to  them  hidden  things,  of 
which  they  discern  nothing.  It  is  not  these,  so  much  as  the  attraction  of  an  earnest 
manner,  which  arrests  the  attention  and  makes  instruction  Avelcome.  Every  day's 
observation  may  show  us  that  he  who  has  tiiis  manner  will  retain  the  attention  of 
even  an  intellectual  man  with  commonplace  thouijhls,  while,  with  a  different  man- 
ner he  would  render  tedious  the  most  novel  and  inijenious  disquisitions.  Let  an  in- 
different reader  take  into  the  i)ulpit  a  sermon  of  Barrow  or  Butler,  and  all  its  excel- 
lence of  argument  and  eloquence  would  not  save  it  from  l)eing  accounted  tedious; 
while  an  empty  declaimer  shall  collect  crowds  to  hang  upon  his  lijjs  in  raptures. 
And  this  manner,  which  is  so  attractive,  is  not  the  studied  artificial  enunciation  of  the 
rhetorician's  school,  but  the  free,  flowing  animated  utterance,  which  seems  to  come 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHING.  599 

from  the  impulse  of  the  subject,  which  may  be  full  of  faults,  yet  masters  the  atten- 
tion by  its  nature  and  sincerity. 

Every  man  expresses  himself  with  greater  animation  and  truer  emphasis  in  speak- 
ing than  he  does,  or  perhaps  can  do,  in  reading  or  reciting  what  he  has  learned. 
Hence  it  happens  that  we  can  listen  longer  to  a  tolerable  speaker  than  to  a  good 
reader.  There  is  an  indescribable  something  in  the  natural  tones  of  him  who  is  ex- 
pressing earnestly  his  present  thoughts  altogether  foreign  from  the  drowsy  uniformity 
of  the  man  that  reads.  We  have  all  witnessed  this  in  conversation,  when  Ave  have 
listened  with  interest  to  long  harangues  from  persons  who  tire  us  at  once  if  they  be- 
gin to  read.  It  is  verified  every  day  at  the  bar  and  in  the  legislature,  where  an  orato) 
will  maintain  the  unflagging  attention  of  hearers  for  a  long  period,  when  he  coulo 
not  have  read  the  same  speech  without  producing  intolerable  fatigue.  It  is  equall) 
verified  in  the  history  of  the  pulpit ;  for  those  who  are  accustomed  to  the  reading  of 
sermons  are  for  the  most  part  impatient,  even  of  able  discourses,  when  they  extend 
beyond  the  half  hour's  length  ;  while  very  indifi'erent  extemporaneous  preachers  are 
listened  to  with  unabated  attention  for  a  full  hour.  In  the  former  case  there  is  a  cer- 
tain uniformity  of  tone,  and  a  perpetual  recurrence  of  the  same  cadences,  inseparable 
from  the  manner  of  a  reader,  from  which  the  speaker  remains  longer  free.  This 
diff"erence  is  perfectly  well  understood,  and  was  acted  upon  by  Cecil,  whose  success 
as  a  preacher  gives  him  a  right  to  be  heard,  when  he  advised  young  preachers  to 
"  limit  a  written  sermon  to  half  an  hour  and  one  from  notes  to  forty  minutes."  For 
the  same  reason,  those  preachers  whose  reading  comes  nearest  to  speaking  are  uni- 
versally more  interesting  than  others. 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  there  is  an  attractiveness  in  this  mode  of  preaching  which 
gives  it  peculiar  advantages.  He  imparts  greater  interest  to  what  he  says  who  is 
governed  by  the  impulse  of  the  moment  than  he  who  speaks  by  rule.  When  he  feels 
the  subject  his  voice  and  gesture  correspond  to  that  feeling,  and  communicate  it  to 
others  as  it  can  be  done  in  no  other  way.  Though  he  possess  but  indifferent  talents, 
yet,  if  he  utter  himself  with  sincerity  and  feeling,  it  is  far  pleasanter  than  to  listen  to 
his  cold  reading  of  what  he  wrote  perhaps  with  little  excitement  and  delivers  with 
less. 

It  is  no  unimportant  consideration  to  a  minister  of  the  gospel  that  a  talent  for  ex- 
temporaneous speaking  is  held  in  high  estimation  among  men  and  gives  additional 
influence  to  him  who  possesses  it.  Fluency  of  language  passes  with  many,  and  those 
not  always  the  vulgar,  for  affluence  of  thought :  and  never  to  be  at  a  loss  for  some- 
thing to  say  is  supposed  to  indicate  inexhaustible  knowledge.  It  can  not  have  es- 
caped the  observation  of  any  one  accustomed  to  notice  the  judgments  which  are 
passed  upon  men  how  much  reputation  and  consequent  influence  are  acquired  by  the 
power  of  speaking  readily  and  boldly,  without  any  other  considerable  talent  and  with 
very  indifferent  acquisitions,  and  how  a  man  of  real  talents,  learning,  and  worth,  has 
frequently  sunk  below  his  proper  level  from  a  mere  awkwardness  and  embarrass- 
ment in  speaking  without  preparation.  So  that  it  is  not  simply  superstition  which 
leads  so  many  to  refuse  the  name  of  preaching  to  all  but  extemporaneous  harangues  ; 
it  is  in  part  owing  to  the  natural  propensity  there  is  to  admire,  as  something  wonder- 
ful and  extraordinary,  this  facility  of  speech.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  very  erroneous 
standard  of  judgment.  But  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  whose  success  in  his  important 
calling  depends  so  much  on  his  personal  influence  and  the  estimation  in  which  his 
gifte  are  held,  can  hardly  be  justified  in  slighting  the  cultivation  of  a  talent  which 
may  so  innocently  add  to  his  means  of  influence. 

Occasions  will  also  sometimes  occur  when  the  want  of  this  power  may  expose  him 
to  mortification  and  deprive  him  of  an  opportunity  of  usefulness.  For  such  emer- 
gencies one  would  choose  to  be  prepared.  It  may  be  of  consequence  that  he  should 
express  his  opinion  on  matters  connected  with  our  religious  institutions,  or  the  affairs  of 
the  denomination  to  which  he  may  belong,  and  give  reasons  for  the  adoption  or  rejection 
of  important  measures.  Possibly  he  may  be  only  required  to  state  facts  which  have 
come  to  his  knowledge.  It  is  very  desirable  to  be  able  to  do  this  readily,  fluently,, 
without  embarrassment  to  himself,  and  pleasantly  to  those  who  hear  ;  and,  in  order 
to  this,  a  habit  of  speaking  is  necessary.  In  the  course  of  his  ministrations  among 
his  own  people,  occasions  will  arise  when  an  exhortation  or  address  would  be  season- 
able and  useful,  but  when  there  is  no  time  for  written  preparation.  If  then  he  have 
cultivated  the  art  of  extemporaneous  speaking,  and  attained  to  any  degree  of  facility 
and  confidence  in  it,  he  may  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  to  do  good  which  he 
must  otherwise  pass  by  unimproved.  A  sudden  providence  on  the  very  day  of  the 
sabbath  may  suggest  most  valuable  topics  of  reflection  and  exhortation,  lost  to  him 
who  is  confined  to  what  he  may  have  previously  written,  but  choice  treasure  to  him 


600  APPENDIX. 

who  can  venture  to  speak  without  writing.  If  it  were  only  to  avail  himself  of  a  few 
opportunities  like  these  in  the  course  of  his  life,  or  to  save  himself  but  once  the  mor- 
tification of  being  silent  when  he  ought  to  speak,  is  expected  to  speak,  and  would  do 
good  by  speaking,  it  would  be  well  worth  all  the  time  and  pains  it  might  cost  to  ac- 
quire it. 

It  is  a  further  advantage,  not  to  be  forgotten  here,  that  the  excitement  of  speaking 
in  public  strikes  out  new  vicAvs  of  a  subject,  new  illustrations,  and  new  arguments, 
which  perhaps  never  would  have  presented  themselves  to  the  mind  in  retirement. 
"  The  warmth  which  animates  him,"  says  Fenelon,  "  gives  birth  to  expressions  and 
figures  which  he  never  could  have  prepared  in  his  study."  He  who  feels  himself 
safe  in  flying  off  from  the  path  he  has  prescribed  to  himself,  without  any  fear  lest  he 
should  fail  to  find  his  way  back,  Avill  readily  seize  upon  these,  and  be  astonished  at 
the  new  light  which  breaks  in  upon  him  as  he  goes  on,  and  Hashes  all  around  him. 
This  is  according  to  the  experience  of  all  extemporaneous  speakers.  "  The  degree 
in  which,"  says  Thomas  Scott,  who  practised  this  method  constantly,  "after  the  most 
careful  preparation  for  the  pulpit,  new  thoughts,  new  arguments,  animated  addresses, 
often  flow  into  my  mind,  while  speaking  to  a  congregation,  even  on  very  common 
subjects,  makes  me  feel  as  if  I  were  quite  another  rnan  thanAvhcn  poring  over  them 
in  my  study.  There  will  be  inaccuracies  ;  but  generally  the  most  striking  things  in 
ray  sermons  were  unpremeditated." 

Then,  again,  the  presence  of  the  audience  gives  a  greater  seeming  reality  to  the 
work  ;  it  is  less  like  doing  a  task,  and  more  like  speaking  to  men,  than  wiien  one 
.sits  coolly  writing  at  his  table.  Consequently  there  is  likely  to  be  greater  plainness 
and  directness  in  his  exhortations — more  closeness  in  his  appeals — more  of  the  earnest- 
ness of  genume  feeling  in  his  expostulations.  He  ventures,  in  the  warmth  of  the  mo- 
ment, to  urge  considerations  which  perhaps  in  the  study  seemed  too  familiar,  and  to 
employ  modes  of  address  which  are  allowable  in  personal  communion  with  a  friend, 
but  which  one  hesitates  to  commit  to  writing,  lest  he  should  infringe  the  dignity  of 
deliberate  composition.  This  forgetfulness  of  self,  this  unconstrained  following  the 
impulse  of  the  affections,  while  he  is  hurried  on  by  the  presence  and  attention  of 
those  whom  he  hopes  to  benefit,  creates  a  sympathy  between  him  and  his  hearers — 
a  direct  passage  from  heart  to  heart— a  mutual  understanding  of  each  other,  which 
does  more  to  effect  the  true  object  of  religious  discourse  than  anything  else  can  do. 
The  preacher  will,  in  this  way,  have  the  boldness  to  say  many  things  Avhich  ought 
to  be  said,  but  about  which,  in  his  study,  he  would  feel  reluctant  and  timid.  And, 
granting  that  he  might  be  led  to  say  some  things  improperly,  yet  if  his  mind  be  well 
disciplined  and  well  governed,  and  his  discretion  habitual,  he  will  do  it  exceedingly 
seldom  ;  while  no  one  who  estimates  the  object  of  preaching  as  highly  as  he  should 
will  think  an  occasional  false  step  any  objection  against  that  mode  which  insures 
upon  the  whole  the  greatest  boldness  and  earnestness.  He  will  think  it  a  less  fault 
than  the  tamencss  and  abstractedness  Avhich  are  the  besetting  sins  of  deliberate  com- 
position. 

Another  consideration  which  recommends  this  method  to  the  attention  of  preach- 
ers, though  at  the  same  time  it  indicates  one  of  its  difficulties,  is  this,  that  all  men, 
from  various  causes,  constitutional  or  accidental,  are  subject  to  great  inequality  in  the 
operations  of  their  minds — sometimes  laboring  with  felicity  and  sometimes  failing. 
Perhaps  this  fact  is  in  no  men  so  observable  as  in  preachers,  because  no  others  are  so 
much  compelled  to  labor,  and  exhibit  their  labors,  at  all  season?,  favorable  and  unfa- 
vorable. There  is  a  certain  quantity  of  the  severest  mental  toil  to  be  performed  every 
week  ;  and,  as  the  mind  can  not  be  always  in  the  same  frame,  they  are  constantly 
presenting  proofs  of  the  variation  of  their  powers.  An  extemporaneous  speaker  is 
of  course  exposed  to  all  this  inequality,  and  must  expect  to  be  sometimes  mortified 
l)y  ill  success.  When  the  moment  of  speaking  arrives  his  mind  may  be  slow  and 
dull,  his  thoughts  sluirgish  and  impeded  ;  he  may  be  exhausted  by  labor,  or  suffering 
from  temporary  indisposition.  He  strives  in  vain  to  rally  his  powers,  and  forcis  his 
way,  with  thorough  discomfort  and  chagrin,  to  the  end  of  an  unprofitable  talk.  But 
then  how  many  men  write  under  the  same  embarrassments,  and  are  ttjually  dissatis- 
fied, with  the  additional  mortification  of  having  spent  a  longer  lime,  and  of  being  un- 
able to  give  their  poor  preparation  the  interest  of  a  forcible  manner,  which  the  very 
distress  of  an  extemporaneous  effort  would  have  imparted. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  mind  is  bright  and  clear,  and  the  animal  spirits 
are  lively,  a  man  will  speak  much  better  after  a  suitable  premeditation  than  he  can 
possibly  write.  "Every  man,"  says  Bishop  Burnet,  "may  thus  rise  far  above  what 
he  could  ever  have  attained  in  any  other  way."  We  see  proof  of  this  in  conversa- 
tion.    When  engaged  in  unrestrained    and    animated    conversation  with   familiax 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHING.  601 

friends,  who  is  not  conscious  of  having  struck  out  brighter  thoughts  and  happier  say- 
ings than  he  ever  put  upon  paper  in  the  deliberate  composition  of  the  closet?  It  is 
a  common  remark  concerning  many  men  that  they  pray  much  better  than  they  preach. 
The  reason  is  that  their  sermons  are  made  leisurely  and  sluggishly,  without  excite- 
ment ;  but  in  their  public  devotions  they  are  strongly  engaged,  and  the  mind  acts  with 
more  concentration  and  vivacity. 

It  is  upon  no  different  principle  that  we  explain  what  all  scholars  have  experienced, 
that  they  write  best  when  they  write  rapidly,  from  a  full  and  excited  mind.  One  of 
Roscommon's  precepts  is — "  To  write  with  fury  and  correct  Avith  phlegm."  The 
audior  of  Waverley  tells  us,  that  "  the  works  and  passages  in  which  he  has  succeeded, 
have  uniformly  been. written  with  the  greatest  rapidity."  Johnson's  best  Ramblers, 
and  his  admirable  Rasselas,  were  hurried,  wet  and  uncorrected,  to  the  press.  The 
celebrated  Rockingham  Memorial,  at  the  commencement  of  the  late  war,  is  said  to 
have  been  the  hasty  composition  of  a  single  evening.  And  it  will  be  found  true,  I 
believe,  of  many  of  the  best  sermon-writers,  that  they  revolve  the  subject  until  their 
minds  are  filled  and  warmed,  and  then  put  their  discourse  upon  paper  at  a  single 
sitting.  Now  what  is  all  this  but  extemporaneous  writing?  and  what  does  it  re- 
quire but  a  mind  equally  collected  and  at  ease,  equally  disciplined  by  practice  and 
interested  in  the  subject,  to  insure  equal  success  in  extemporaneous  speaking  ?  Nay, 
we  might  anticipate  occasional  superior  success,  since  the  thoughts  sometimes  flow, 
when  at  the  highest  and  most  passionate  excitement,  too  rapidly  and  profusely  for 
anything  slower  than  the  tongue  to  afford  them  vent. 

There  is  one  more  consideration  in  favor  of  the  practice  I  recommend,  which  I 
think  can  not  fail  to  have  weight  with  all  who  are  solicitous  to  make  progress  in 
theological  knowledge,  namely,  that  it  redeems  time  for  study.  The  labor  of  pre- 
paring and  committing  to  paper  a  sermon  or  two  every  week,  is  one  which  neces- 
sarily occupies  the  principal  part  of  a  minister's  time  and  thoughts,  and  withdraws 
him  from  the  investigation  of  many  subjects  which,  if  his  mind  were  more  at  leis- 
ure, it  would  be  his  duty  and  pleasure  to  pursue.  He  who  writes  sermons  is  ready 
to  consider  this  as  the  chief  object,  or  perhaps  the  sole  business,  of  his  calling. 
When  not  actually  engaged  in  writing,  yet  the  necessity  of  doing  it  presses  upon 
his  mind,  and  so  binds  him  as  to  make  him  feel  as  if  he  were  wrong  in  being  era- 
ployed  on  anything  else.  But,  if  he  have  acquired  that  ready  command  of  .thought 
and  language  which  will  enable  him  to  speak  without  written  preparation,  the  time 
and  toil  of  writing  are  saved,  to  be  devoted  to  a  different  mode  of  study.  He  may 
prepare  his  discourses  at  intervals  of  leisure,  while  walking  or  riding  ;  and  having 
once  arranged  the  outlines  of  the  subject,  and  ascertained  its  principal  bearings  and 
applications,  the  work  of  preparation  is  over.  The  language  remains  to  be  suggested 
at  the  moment.  Preparation  for  the  pulpit  doubtless  demands,  and  should  receive, 
the  best  of  a  man's  talents  and  labors,  but  a  habit  of  mind  may  be  acquired  which 
will  enable  him  to  make  a  better  and  more  thorough  preparation,  at  less  expense  of 
labor  and  time  than  that  of  writing  his  discourses.  He  may  acquire,  by  discipline, 
that  ease  and  promptitude  of  looking  into  subjects,  and  bringing  out  their  prominent 
features,  which  shall  enable  him  at  a  glance,  as  it  were,  to  seize  the  points  on  which 
he  should  enlarge.  Some  minds  are  so  constituted  as  ''  to  look  a  subject  into  shape" 
much  more  readily  than  others.  But  the  power  of  doing  it  is  in  a.  great  measure 
mechanical,  and  depends  upon  habit.  All  may  acquire  it  to  a  certain  extent.  When 
the  miud  works  with  most  concentration,  it  works  at  once  most  quickly  and  most 
surely.  Now,  the  act  of  speaking  extempore  favors  this  concentration  of  the  poAvers 
more  than  the  slower  process  of  leisurely  writing,  perhaps  more  than  any  other  oper- 
ation ;  consequently  it  increases,  with  practice,  the  facility  of  dissecting  subjects,  and 
of  arranging  materials  for  preaching.  In  other  words,  the  completeness  with  which 
a  subject  is  viewed  and  its  parts  are  arranged,  does  not  depend  so  much  on  the  time 
spent  upon  it,  as  on  the  vigor  with  which  the  attention  is  applied  to  it.  That  course 
of  study  is  the  best  which  most  favors  this  vigor  of  attention  ;  and  the  habit  of  ex- 
temporaneous speaking  is  more  than  anything  favorable  to  it,  from  the  necessity 
which  it  imposes  of  applying  the  mind  with  energy  and  thinking  promptly. 

The  great  danger  in  this  case  would  be  that  of  substituting  an  easy  flow  of  words 
for  good  sense  and  sober  reflection,  and  becoming  satisfied  with  very  superficial 
thoughts.  But  this  danger  is  guarded  against  by  the  habit  of  study  and  of  writing 
for  other  purposes.  If  a  man  should  neglect  all  mental  exertion,  except  so  far  as 
would  be  required  in  the  meditation  of  a  sermon,  it  would  be  ruinous.  We  witness 
its  disastrous  effects  in  the  empty  wordiness  of  many  extemporaneous  preachers.  It 
is  wrong,  however,  to  argue  against  the  practice  itself  from  their  example  ;  for  all 
other  modes  would  be  equally  condemned,  if  judged  by  the  ill-success  of  indolent 


602  APPENDIX. 

and  unfaithful  men.  The  minister  must  keep  himself  occupied  in  reading,  thinking, 
investigating — thus  having  his  mind  always  awake  and  active.  This  is  far  better 
preparation  than  the  bare  writing  of  sermons,  for  it  exercises  the  powers  more  and 
kcbps  them  bright.  The  great  master  of  Roman  eloquence  thought  it  essential  to 
the  true  orator  that  he  should  be  familiar  with  all  sciences,  and  have  his  mind  filled 
with  every  variety  of  knowledge.  He,  therefore,  much  as  he  studied  his  favorite 
art,  occupied  more  time  in  literature,  philosophy,  and  politics,  than  in  the  composi- 
tion of  his  speeches.  His  preparation  was  less  particular  than  general.  The  same 
sort  of  preparation  would  insure  success  in  the  pulpit.  He  who  is  always  tlimking, 
may  expend  upon  each  individual  effort  less  time,  because  he  can  think  at  once  fast 
and  well.  But  he  who  never  thinks,  except  when  attempting  to  manufacture  a  ser- 
mon (and  it  is  to  be  feared  there  are  such  men),  must  devote  a  great  deal  of  time  to 
this  labor  exclusively ;  and  after  all,  he  Avill  not  have  that  wide  range  of  thought  or 
copiousness  of  illustration  which  his  office  demands  and  which  study  only  can  give. 

In  fact,  what  I  have  here  insisted  upoa  is  exemplified  in  the  case  of  the  extempo- 
raneous writers  whom  I  have  already  named.  1  would  only  carry  their  practice 
a  step  furtlier,  and  devote  an  hour  to  a  discourse  instead  of  a  day.  Not  to  all  dis- 
courses, for  some  ought  to  be  written  for  the  sake  of  writing,  and  some  demand  a 
sort  of  investigation  to  which  the  use  of  the  pen  is  essential.  But  then  a  very  large 
proportion  of  the  topics  on  which  a  minister  should  preach,  have  been  subjects 
of  his  attention  a  thousand  times.  He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  them ;  and  an 
hour  to  arrange  his  ideas  and  collect  illustrations  is  abundantly  sufficient.  The  late 
Thomas  Scott  is  said  for  years  to  have  prepared  his  discourses  entirely  by  meditation 
on  the  Sunday,  and  thus  to  have  gained  leisure  for  his  extensive  studies  and  great 
and  various  labors.  This  is  an  extreme  on  which  few  have  a  right  to  venture,  and 
which  should  be  recommended  to  none.  It  shows,  however,  the  power  of  habit,  and 
the  ability  of  a  mind  to  act  promptly  and  effectually,  which  is  kept  upon  the  alert 
by  constant  occupation.  He  who  is  always  engaged  in  thinking  and  studying,  will 
always  have  thoughts  enough  for  a  serinon,  and  good  ones  too,  which  will  come  at 
an  hour's  warning. 

Against  what  has  been  advanced  in  the  preceding  pages  many  objections  will  be 
urged,  and  the  evils  of  the  practice  I  recommend  will  be  declared  more  than  suffi- 
cient to  counterbalance  its  advantages.  Of  these  it  is  necessary  that  I  should  now 
take  notice,  and  obviate  them  as  well  as  I  may. 

It  should  be  first  of  all  remarked,  that  the  force  of  the  objections  coiiimonly  made, 
lies  against  the  exclusive  use  of  extempore  preaching,  and  not  against  its  partial  and 
general  use.  It  is  of  consequence  that  this  should  be  considered.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  he  would  preach  very  wretchedly  who  should  always  be  haranguing  with- 
out the  corrective  discipline  of  writing.  The  habit  of  writing  is  essential.  Many 
of  the  objections  which  are  currently  made  to  this  mode  of  address  fall  to  the  ground 
when  this  statement  is  made. 

Other  objections  have  been  founded  on  the  idea  that  by  eoclemporaneous  is  meant 
vnprcrrieditateJ  ;  whereas,  there  is  a  plain  and  important  distinction  between  them, 
the  latter  word  being  applied  to  the  thoughts  and  the  former  to  the  language  only. 
To  preach  without  premeditation  is  altogether  unjustifiable  ;  although  there  is  no 
doubt  that  a  man  of  habitual  readiness  of  mind  may  express  himself  to  great  advan- 
tage on  a  subject  with  which  he  is  familiar,  after  very  little  meditation. 

Many  writers  on  the  art  of  preaching,  as  well  as  on  eloquence,  in  general,  have 
given  a  decided  judgment  unflivorable  to  extemporaneous  speaking.  There  can  be 
no  fairer  way  of  answering  their  objections  than  by  examining  Avhat  they  have  ad- 
vanced, and  opposing  their  authority  by  that  of  equal  names  on  the  other  side. 

1.  The  objection  most  urged  is  one  which  relates  to  style.  It  is  said,  the  expres- 
sion Avill  be  poor,  inelegant,  inaccurate,  and  offensive  to  hearers  of  taste. 

To  those  who  urge  this,  it  may  be  replied,  that  the  reason  why  style  is  an  import- 
ant consideration  in  the  pulpit,  is  not  that  the  tasie  of  the  hearers  may  be  graiified, 
for  but  a  small  part  of  any  congregation  is  capable  of  taking  cognizance  of  this  mat- 
ter, but  solely  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  the  speaker's  thoughts,  reasonings,  and 
expostulations,  distinctly  and  forcibly  to  the  minds  of  his  hearers.  If  this  be 
effected,  it  is  all  that  can  reasonably  be  demanded.  And  I  ask  if  it  be  not  notorious 
that  an  earnest  and  appropriate  elocution  will  give  tliis  effect  to  a  poor  style,  and 
that  poor  speaking  will  take  it  away  from  the  most  exact  and  emphatic  style? 
Is  it  not  also  notorious  that  the  peculiar  earnestness  of  spontaneous  speech  is,  above 
all  others,  suited  to  arrest  the  attention  and  engage  the  feelings  of  an  audience  ?  and 
that  the  mere  reading  of  a  piece  of  fine  composition,  under  the  notion  that  careful 
thought  and  finished  diction  are  the  only  things  needful,  leaves  the  majority  uninter- 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREAOHING.  603 

ested  in  the  discourse,  and  free  to  think  of  anything  they  please  ?  "  It  is  a  poor  com- 
pliment," says  Blair,  "  that  one  is  an  accurate  reasoner,  if  he  be  not  a  persuasive 
speaker  also."  It  is  a  small  matter  that  the  style  is  poor,  so  long  as  it  answers  the 
great  purpose  of  instructing  and  affecting  men. 

Besides,  if  it  were  not  so,  the  objection  Avill  be  found  quite  as  strong  against  the 
writinsr  of  sermons.  For  how  large  a  proportion  of  sermon-writers  have  these  same 
faults  of  style  !  What  a  great  want  of  force,  neatness,  compactness,  is  there  in  the 
composition  of  most  preachers  !  What  weakness,  inelegance,  and  inconclusiveness ! 
and  how  small  improvement  do  they  make,  even  after  the  practice  of  years  !  How 
happens  this  ?  It  is  because  they  do  not  make  this  an  object  of  attention  and  study  ; 
and  some  might  be  unable  to  attain  it  if  they  did.  But  that  watchfulness  and  care 
which  will  secure  a  correct  aud  neat  style  in  writing  would  also  secure  it  in  speak- 
ing. It  does  not  naturally  belong  to  the  one  more  than  to  the  other,  and  may  be  as 
certainly  attained  in  each  by  the  proper  pains.  Indeed,  so  far  as  my  observation  has 
extended,  I  am  not  certain  that  there  is  not  as  large  a  proportion  of  extempore  speak- 
ers whose  diction  is  exact  and  unexceptionable  as  of  writers,  always  taking  into 
view  their  education,  Avhich  equally  affects  the  one  and  the  other.  And  it  is  a  con- 
sideration of  great  weight  that  the  faults  in  question  are  far  less  offensive  in  speakers 
than  in  writers. 

2.  A  want  of  order,  a  rambling,  unconnected,  desultory  manner,  is  commonly  ob- 
jected. Hume  styles  it  "  extreme  carelessness  of  method  ;"  and  this  is  so  often 
observed  as  to  be  "justly  an  object  of  dread.  But  this  is  occasioned  by  that  indolence 
and  want  of  discipline  to  which  we  have  just  alluded.  It  is  not  a  necessary  evil. 
If  a  man  have  never  studied  the  art  of  speaking,  nor  passed  through  a  course  of 
preparatory  discipline — if  he  have  so  rash  and  unjustifiable  a  confidence  in  himself 
that  he  will  undertake  to  speak  without  having  considered  what  he  shall  say,  what 
object  he  shall  aim  at,  or  by  what  steps  he  shall  attain  it— the  inevitable  consequence 
will  be  confusion,  inconclusiveness,  and  Avandering.  Who  recommends  such  a 
course  ?  But  he  who  has  first  trained  himself  to  the  work,  and  whenever  he  would 
speak  has  surveyed  his  ground  and  become  familiar  with  the  points  to  be  dwelt  upon 
and  the  course  of  reasoning  and  track  of  thought  to  be  followed,  will  go  on  from  one 
step  to  another  in  an  easy  and  natural  order,  and  give  no  occasion  to  the  complaint 
of  confusion  or  disarrangement. 

"  Some  preachers,"  says  Dinouart,  "  have  the  folly  to  think  that  they  can  make 
sermons  impromptu.  And  what  a  piece  of  work  they  make  !  They  bolt  out  every- 
thing which  comes  into  their  head.  They  take  for  granted  what  ought  to  be  proved, 
or  perhaps  they  state  half  the  argument  and  forget  the  rest.  Their  appearance  cor- 
responds to  the  state  of  their  mind,  which  is  occupied  in  hunting  after  some  way 
of  finishing  the  sentence  they  have  begun.  They  repeat  themselves ;  they  wander 
off  in  digression.  They  stand  stiff,  without  moving  ;  or,  if  they  are  of  a  lively 
temperament,  they  are  full  of  the  most  turbulent  action ;  their  eyes  and  hands  are 
flying  about  in  every  direction,  and  their  words  choke  in  their  throats.  They  are 
like  men  swimming  who  have  got  frightened,  and  throw  about  their  hands  and  feet 
at  random  to  save  themselves  from  drowning." 

There  is  doubtless  great  truth  in  this  humorous  description.  But  what  is  the  le- 
gitimate inference  ?  that  extemporaneous  speaking  is  altogether  ridiculous  and  rnis- 
chievous  ?  or  only  that  it  is  an  art  which  requires  study  and  discipline,  and  which 
no  man  should  presume  to  practise  until  he  has  fitted  himself  for  it  ? 

3.  In  the  same  way  I  should  dispose  of  the  objection  that  this  habit  leads  to  bar- 
renness  in  preaching,  and  the  everlasting  repetition  of  the  same  sentiments  and  top- 
ics. If  a  man  make  his  facility  of  speech  an  excuse  for  the  neglect  of  study,  then 
doubtless  this  will  be  the  result.  He  who  can  not  resist  his  indolent  propensities  had 
best  avoid  this  occasion  of  temptation.  He  must  be  able  to  command  himself  to 
think,  and  industriously  prepare  himself  by  meditation,  if  he  would  be  safe  in  this 
hazardous  experiment.  He  who  does  this,  and  continues  to  learn  and  reflect  while 
he  preaches,  will  be  no  more  empty  and  monotonous  than  if  he  carefully  wrote  every 
word. 

4.  But  this  temptation  to  indolence  in  the  preparation  for  the  desk  is  urged  as  m 
itself  a  decisive  objection.  A  man  finds  that,  after  a  little  practice,  it  is  an  exceed- 
ingly easv  thing  to  fill  up  his  half  hour  with  declamation  which  shall  pass  off  very 
well,  and  hence  he  grows  negligent  in  previous  meditation,  and  insensibly  degener- 
ates into  an  empty  exhorter,  without  choice  of  language  or  variety  of  ideas.  This 
is  undoubtedly  the  great  and  alarming  danger  of  this  practice.  This  must  be  tri- 
umphed over,  or  it  is  ruinous.  We  see  examples  of  it  wherever  we  look  among 
those  whose  preaching  is  exclusively  extempore.     In  these  cases,  the  evil  rises  to 


604  APPENDIX. 


its  magnitude  in  consequence  of  their  total  neglect  of  the  pen.     The  habit  of  wri- 
ting a  certain  proportion  of  the  time  would,  however,  counteract  this  dangerous  ten- 


dency. 


ueiicy. 

But  it  is  still  insisted  that  man's  natural  love  of  ease  is  not  to  be  trusted,  that  he 
will  not  long  contmue  the  drudgery  of  writing  in  part,  that  when  he  has  once  gained 
confidence  to  speak  without  study  he  will  find  it  so  flattering  to  his  indolence  tliat  he 
will  involuntarily  give  himself  up  to  it  and  relinquish  the  pen  altogether,  and  that 
consequently  there  is  no  security  except  in  never  beginning. 

To  this  it  may  be  replied  that  those  who  have  not  principle  and  self-government 
enough  to  keep  them  industrious  will  not  be  kept  so  by  being  compelled  to  write  ser- 
mon °.  I  think  we  have  abundant  proof  that  a  man  may  write  with  as  little  pams 
and  thinking  as  he  can  speak.  It  by  no  means  follows  that  because  it  is  on  paper  it 
is  therefore'the  result  of  study.  And,  if  it  be  not,  it  will  be  greatly  inferior  in  point 
of  efi'ect,  to  an  unpremeditated  declamation  :  for,  in  the  latter  case,  there  will  proba- 
bly be  at  least  a  temporary  excitement  of  feeling,  and  consequent  vivacity  of  manner, 
while  in  the  former  the  indolence  of  the  writer  Avill  be  made  doubly  intolerable  by 
his  heaviness  in  reading. 

5.  Many  suppose  that  there  is  a  certain  natural  talent  essential  to  success  in  ex- 
tempore speaking,  no  less  than  in  poetry,  and  that  it  is  absurd  to  recomniend  the 
art  to  those  who  have  not  this  peculiar  talent,  and  vain  for  them  to  attempt  its  prac- 
tice. 

In  regard  to  that  ready  flow  of  words  which  seems  to  be  the  natural  gift  of  some 
men,  it  is  of  little  consequence  whether  it  be  really  such,  or  be  owing  to  the  educa- 
tion and  habits  of  early  life,  and  vain  self-confidence.     It  is  certain  that  diffidence 
and  the  want  of  habit  are  great  hinderances  to  fluency  of  speech  ;  and  it  is  equally 
certain  that  this  natural  fluency  is  a  very  questionable  advantage  to  him  who  would 
be  an  impressive  speaker.     Those  who  at  first  talk  easiest  do  not  always  talk  best. 
Their  very  facility  is  a  snare  to  them :  it  serves  to  keep  them  content ;  they  make  no 
eff'ort  to  improve,  and  are  likely  to  fall  into  slovenly  habits  of  elocution.     So  that  this 
unacquired  fluency  is  so  far  from  essential  that  it  is  not  even  a  benefit,  and  it  may  be 
an  in  ury.     It  keeps  from  final  eminence  by  the  very  greatness  of  its  early  promise. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  who  possesses  originally  no  remarkable  command  of  lan- 
guage, and  whom  an  unfortunate  bashfulness  prevents  from  well  using  what  he  has, 
is  obliged  to  subject  himself  to  severe  discipline— to  submit  to  rules  and  tasks— to  go 
through  a  tedious  process  of  training— to  acquire  by  much  labor  the  needful  sway 
over  his  thoughts  and  words,  so  that  they  shall  come  at  his  bidding,  and  not  be 
driven  away  by  his  own  diffidence  or  the  presence  of  other  men.     To  do  all  this  is  a 
long  and  disheartening  labor.     He  is  exposed  to  frequent  mortifications,  and  must 
endure  many  grievous  failures  before  he  attain  that  confidence  which  is  indispensa- 
ble to  success.     But  then  in  this  discipline  his  powers,  mental  and  moral,  are  strain- 
ed up  to  the  highest  intenseness  of  action  ;  after  persevering  practice  they  become 
habitually  subject  to  his  control,  and  work  with  a  precision,  exactness,  and  energy, 
which  can  never  be  the  possession  of  him  who  has  depended  on  his  native  uiidisci- 
plined  gift.     It  was  probablv  this  to  which  Newton  referred  when  he  said  that  he 
never  spoke  well  till  he  felt  that  he  could  not  speak  at  all.     Let  no  one  therefore 
think  it  an  obstacle  in  his  way  that  he  has  no  readiness  of  Avords.     If  he  have  good 
sense,  and  no  deficiency  of  talent,  and  is  willing  to  labor  for  this  as  all  great  acquisi- 
tions must  be  labored  for,  he  needs  not  fear  but  that  in  time  he  will  attain  it.     Any 
man  with  powers  which  fit  him  for  the  ministry  at  all— unless  there  be  a  lew  extra- 
ordinary exceptions— is  capable  of  learning  to  express  himself  clearly,  correctly,  and 
with  method  ;  and  this  is  expressly  what  is  wanted,  and  no  more  than  this.     1  do 
not  say  eloquently  ;  for,  as  it  is  not  thought   indispensable  that  every  writer  ot  ser- 
mons should  be  eloquent,  it  can  not  be  thought  essential  that  every  speaker  shomd 
be  so.     But  the  same  powers  which  have  enabled  him  to  write  will,  with  sufficient 
discipline,  enable  him  to  speak,  with  every  probability  that  when  he  comes  to  speak, 
with  the  same  ease  and  collectedness  he  will  do  it  with  a  nearer  approach  to  elo- 
quence.    Without  such  discipline  he  has  no  right  to  hope  for  success  ;  let  him  not 
say  that  success  is  impossible  until  he  has  submitted  to  it.     Let  this  art  be  made  an 
object  of  attention,  and  if  any  of  competent  talents  and  tolerable  science  be  found  at 
last  incapable  of  expressing  themselves  in  continued  and  connected  discourse,  so  as 
to  answer  the  ends  of  the  Christian  ministry,  then,  and  not  till  then,  let  it  be  said 
that  a  peculiar  talent  or  natural  aptitude  is  requisite,  the  want  of  which  must  render 
effort  vain— then,  and  not  till  then,  let  us  acquiesce  in  this  indolent  and  timorous  no- 
tion,  which  contradicts  the  whole  testimony  of  antiquity  and  all  the  experience  ot 
the  world.     Doubtless,  after  the  most  that  can  be  done,  there  will  be  tound  the 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHING.  605 

greatest  variety  of  attainment;  "  men  will  difTer,"  as  Burnet  remarks,  "quite  as 
much  as  in  their  written  compositions,"  and  some  will  do  but  poorly  what  others  will 
do  excellently.  But  this  is  likewise  true  of  every  other  art  in  which  men  engage, 
and  not  least  so  of  Avriting  sermons,  concerning  which  no  one  will  say  that  as  poor 
are  not  Avritten  as  it  would  be  possible  for  aay  one  to  speak.  In  truth,  men  of  small 
talents  and  great  sluggishness,  of  a  feeble  sense  of  duty  and  no  zeal,  will  of  course 
make  poor  sermons,  by  whatever  process  they  may  do  it,  let  them  write  or  let  them 
speak.     It  is  doubtful  concerning  some  whether  they  would  even  steal  good  ones. 

Success  in  every  art,  whatever  may  be  the  natural  talent,  is  always  the  reward  of 
industry  and  pains.  But  the  instances  are  many  of  men  of  the  finest  natural  genius, 
whose  beginning  has  promised  much,  but  who  have  degenerated  wretchedly  as  they 
advanced,  because  they  trusted  to  their  gifts  and  made  no  effort  to  improve.  That 
there  have  never  been  other  men  of  equal  endowments  with  Demosthenes  and  Cicero 
none  would  venture  to  suppose  :  but  who  have  so  devoted  themselves  to  their  art  or 
become  equal  in  excellence?  If  those  great  men  had  been  content,  like  others,  to 
continue  as  they  began,  and  had  never  made  their  persevering  efforts  for  improve- 
ment, Avhat  would  their  countries  have  benefited  from  their  genius  or  the  world  have 
known  of  their  fame  ?  They  woiWd  have  been  lost  in  the  undistinguished  crowd 
that  sunk  to  oblivion  around  them.  Of  how  many  more  will  the  same  remark  prove 
true!  What  encouragement  is  thus  given  to  the  industrious!  With  such  encour- 
ageinent,  how  inexcusable  is  the  necligence  which  suffers  the  most  interesting  and 
important  truths  to  seem  heavy  and  dull,  and  fall  ineffectual  to  the  ground,  through 
mere  sluggishness  in  their  delivery  !  How  unworthy  of  one  who  performs  the  high 
functions  of  a  religious  instructor — upon  whom  depend,  in  a  great  measure;  the 
religious  knowledge,  and  devotional  sentiment,  and  final  character,  of  many  fel- 
low-beings— to  imairine  that  he  can  worthily  discharge  this  great  concern  by  oc- 
casionally talking  for  an  hour,  he  knows  not  how,  and  in  a  manner  which  he  has 
taken  no  pains  to  render  correct,  impressive,  or  attractive,  and  which,  simply  through 
want  of  that  command  over  himself  which  study  would  give,  is  inmiethodical,  ver- 
bose, inaccurate,  feeble,  trifling  !  It  has  been  said  of  the  good  preacher  that  "  truths 
divine  come  mended  from  his  tongue."  Alas!  they  come  ruined  and  worthless  from 
such  a  man  as  this.  They  lose  that  whole  energy  by  which  they  are  to  convert  the 
Si)ul  and  purify  man  for  heaven,  and  sink  in  interest  and  efficacy  below  the  level  of 
those  principles  which  govern  the  ordinary  affairs  of  this  lower  world. 

We  have  seen  the  advantages  attending  extemporaneous  preaching,  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  acquiring  the  art ;  let  us  now  attend  to  some  hints  respecting  the  mode  in 
whicii  the  study  of  it  is  to  be  carried  on  and  obstacles  are  to  be  surmounted. 

1.  The  first  thing  to  be  observed  is.  that  the  student  who  would  acquire  facility  in 
this  art  should  bear  it  constantly  in  mind,  and  have  regard  to  it  in  all  liis  studies  and 
in  his  whole  moc'e  of  study.  The  reason  is  very  obvious :  He  that  would  become 
eminent  in  any  pjrsuit  must  make  it  the  primary  and  almost  exclusive  object  of  his 
attention.  It  must  never  be  long  absent  from  his  thougfits,  and  he  must  be  contri- 
vinir  how  to  promote  it  in  everything  he  undertakes.  It  is  thus  that  the  miser  accu- 
mulates, by  making  the  most  trifling  occurrences  the  occasions  of  gain  ;  and  thus  the 
ambitious  man  is  on  the  alert  to  forward  his  purposes  of  advancement  by  little  events 
which  another  Avould  pass  unobserved.  He  who  proposes  to  himself  the  art  of  ex- 
temporaneous speakinfT  should  in  like  manner  have  constant  regard  to  this  particular 
object  and  make  everything  co-operate  to  form  those  habits  of  mind,  which  are  essen- 
tial to  it.  This  may  be  done,  not  only  without  any  hinderance  to  the  progress  of  his 
other  studies,  but  even  so  as  to  promote  them.  The  most  important  requisites  are 
rapid  thinking  and  ready  commaiid  of  language.  By  rapid  thinking  I  mean  the 
power  of  seizing  at  once  upon  the  most  prominent  points  of  the  subject  to  be  dis- 
cussed, and  tracing  out,  in  their  proper  order,  the  subordinate  thoughts  which  con- 
nect thetn  together.  This  power  depends  very  much  upon  habit — a  habit  more  ea- 
sily acquired  by  some  minds  than  by  others,  and  by  some  with  great  difllculty  ;  but 
there  are  few  who,  should  they  have  a  view  to  the  formation  of  such  a  hal)it  in  all 
their  studies,  miuht  not  attain  it  in  a  degree  quite  adequate  to  their  purpose.  This 
is  much  more,  indisputably  true  in  regard  to  fluency  of  language.  Let  it,  therefore, 
be  a  part  of  his  daily  care  to  analyze  the  subjects  which  come  before  him,  and  to 
frame  sketches  of  sermons.  This  will  aid  him  to  acquire  a  facility  in  laying  open, 
dividing,  and  arranging  topics,  and  preparing  those  outlines  which  he  is  to  take  with 
him  into  the  pulpit.  Let  him  also  investigate  carefully  the  method  of  every  author 
he  read  ,  marking  the  divisions  of  his  arrangement  and  the  connexion  and  train  of 
his  reasoning.  Butler's  preface  to  his  Sermons  will  afford  him  some  fine  hints  on 
this  way  of  study.     Let  this  be  his  habitual  mode  of  reading,  so  that  he  shall  as  much 


606  APPENDIX. 

do  this  as  receive  the  meaning  of  separate  sentences,  and  shall  be  always  able  to  give 
a  better  account  of  the  progress  of  the  argument  and  the  relation  of  every  part  to  the 
others  and  to  the  whole  than  of  merely  individual  passages  and  separate  illustrations. 
This  will  infallibly  beget  a  readiness  in  finding  the  divisions  and  boundaries  of  a  sub- 
ject, which  is  one  important  requisite  to  an  easy  and  successful  speaker.  In  a  simi- 
lar manner,  let  him  always  bear  in  mind  the  value  of  a  fluent  and  correct  use  of  lan- 
guage. Let  him  not  be  negligent  of  this  in  his  conversation  ;  but  be  careful  ever  to 
select  the  best  words,  to  avoid  a  slovenly  style  and  drawling  utterance,  and  to  aim  at 
neatness,  force,  and  brevity.  This  may  be  done  without  formality,  or  stiffness,  or  pe- 
dantic affectation  ;  and,  when  settled  into  a  habit,  is  invaluable. 

2.  In  addition  to  this  general  cultivation,  there  should  be  frequent  exercise  of  the 
act  of  speaking.  Practice  is  essential  to  perfection  in  any  art,  and  in  none  more  so 
than  in  this.  No  man  reads  avcU  or  writes  well  except  by  long  practice  :  and  he  can 
nbt  expect  without  it  to  speak  well,  an  operation  which  is  equivalent  to  the  other 
two  united.  It  would  not  be  too  much  to  require  of  the  student  that  he  should  exer- 
cise himself  once  a  day  at  least,  if  not  oftener  ;  and  this  on  a  variety  of  subjects,  and 
in  various  ways,  that  he  may  attain  a  facility  in  every  mode.  It  would  be  a  pleasant 
interchange  of  employment  to  rise  from  the  subject  which  occupies  his  thoughts,  or 
from  the  book  which  he  is  reading,  and  repeat  to  himself  the  substance  of  what  he 
has  just  perused,  with  such  additions  and  variations,  or  criticisms,  as  rnay  suggest 
themselves  at  the  moment.  There  could  hardly  be  a  more  useful  exercise,  even  if 
there  were  no  reference  to  this  particular  end.  How  many  excellent  chapters  of  val- 
uable authors,  how  many  fine  views  of  important  subjects,  would  be  thus  impressed 
upon  his  mind,  and  what  rich  treasures  of  thought  and  language  would  be  thus  laid 
up  in  store  !  And  according  as  he  should  be  engaged  in  a  work  of  reasoning,  or  de- 
scription, or  exhortation,  or  narrative,  he  would  be  attaining  the  power  of  expressing 
himself  readily  in  each  of  these  various  styles.  By  pursuing  this  course  for  two  or 
three  years,  "  a  man  may  render  himself  such  a  master  in  this  matter,"  says  Burnet, 
"  thathe  can  never  be  surprised  :"  he  adds,  that  he  never  knew  a  man  faithfully  to 
pursue  the  plan  of  study  he  proposed  without  being  successful  at  last. 

3.  When  by  such  a  course  of  study  and  discipline  he  has  attained  a  tolerable  flu- 
ency of  thoughts  and  words,  and  a  moderate  confidence  in  his  own  powers,  there  are 
several  things  to  be  observed  in  first  exercismg  the  gift  in  public,  in  order  to  insure 
comfort  and  success. 

It  is  recommended  by  Bishop  Burnet  and  others  that  the  first  attempts  be  made  by 
short  excursions  from  written  discourses,  like  the  young  bird  that  tries  its  wings  by 
short  flights,  till  it  gradually  acquires  strength  and  courage  to  sustain  itself  longer  in 
the  air.  This  advice  is  undoubtedly  judicious.  For  one  may  safely  trust  himself  in 
a  fvw  sentences  Avho  would  be  confounded  in  the  attempt  to  frame  a  whole  discourse. 
For  this  purpose  blanks  may  be  left  in  writing,  where  the  sentiment  is  familiar,  or 
only  a  short  illustration  is  to  be  introduced.  As  success  in  these  smaller  attempts 
gives  him  confidence,  he  may  proceed  to  larger  ;  till  at  length,  when  his  mind  is 
bright  and  his  feelings  are  engaged,  he  may  quit  his  manuscript  altogether,  and  pre- 
sent (/le  substance  oftchat  he  has  icrillenwilh  greater  fervor  and  effect  than  if  he  had 
confined  himself  to  his  paper.  It  was  once  observed  to  me  by  an  interesting  preach- 
er of  the  ba|)tist  denomination  that  he  had  from  experience  found  this  to  be  the  most 
advisable  and  perfect  mode,  since  it  combined  the  advantages  of  written  and  extem- 
poraneous composition.  By  preparing  sermons  in  this  way,  ho  said,  he  had  a  shel- 
ter and  security  if  his  mind  should  be  dull  at  the  time  of  delivery  ;  and,  if  it  were 
active,  he  was  able  to  leave  what  he  had  written,  and  obey  the  ardor  of  his  feelings, 
and  go  forth  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  wherever  his  spirit  might  lead  him.  A 
similar  remark  I  heard  made  by  a  distinguished  scholar  of  the  nieihodist  connexion, 
who  urged,  wliat  is  universally  assented  to  by  those  who  have  tried  this  matter  with 
any  success,  that  what  has  been  written  is  found  to  be  tame  and  spiritless  in  compar- 
ison with  the  animated  glow  of  that  which  springs  from  the  energy  of  the  moment. 

There  are  some  persons,  however,  who  would  Ije  embarrassed  by  an  effort  to  change 
the  operation  of  the  mind  from  reading  to  inventing.  Such  persons  may  find  it  best 
to  make  their  beginning  with  a  Avhole  discourse.  In  this  case  there  will  be  a  great 
advantage  in  selecting  for  first  efforts  expository  subjects."  To  say  nothing  of  the  im- 
portance and  utility  of  this  mode  of  preaching,  Avhich  render  it  desirable  that  every 
minister  should  devote  a  considerable  proportion  of  his  labors  to  it,  it  contains  great 
focilities  and  reliefs  for  the  inexperienced  speaker.  The  close  study  of  a  passage 
of  scripture,  which  is  necessary  to  expounding  it,  renders  it  familiar.  The  exposition 
is  inseparably  connected  with  the  text,  and  necessarily  suggested  by  it.  The  infer- 
ences and  practical  reflections  are  in  like  manner  naturally  and  indissolubly  associa- 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHINCi-  607 

ted  with  the  passage.  The  train  of  remark  is  easily  preserved,  and  embarrassment 
in  a  great  measure  guarded  against,  by  the  circumstance  that  the  order  of  discourse 
is  spread  out  in  the  open  Bible,  upon  which  the  eyes  may  rest,  and  by  which  the 
thoughts  may  rally. 

3.  A  similar  advantage  is  gained  to  the  beginner,  in  discourses  of  a  different  char- 
acter, by  a  very  careful  and  minute  division  of  the  subject.  The  division  should  not 
only  be  logical  and  clear,  but  into  parts  as  numerous  as  possible.  The  great  advan- 
tage here  is,  that,  the  partitions  being  many,  the  speaker  is  compelled  frequently  to 
return  to  his  minutes.  He  is  thus  kept  in  the  track,  and  prevented  from  wandering 
far  in  needless  digressions — that  besetting  infirmity  of  unrestrained  extemporizers. 
He  also  escapes  the  mortifying  consequences  of  a  momentary  confusion  and  cloudi- 
ness of  mind,  by  having  it  in  his  power  to  leave  an  unsatisfactory  train  at  once,  before 
the  state  of  his  mind  is  perceived  by  the  audience,  and  take  up  the  next  topic,  where 
he  may  recover  his  self-possession,  and  proceed  without  impediment.  This  is  no  Un- 
important consideration.  It  relieves  him  from  the  horror  of  feeling  obliged  to  go  on 
while  conscious  that  he  is  saying  nothing  to  the  purpose,  and  at  the  same  time  se- 
cures the  very  essential  requisite  of  right  method. 
,  4.  The  next  rule  is  that  the  whole  subject,  with  the  order  and  connexion  of  all  its 
parts  and  the  entire  train  of  thought,  be  made  thoroughly  familiar  by  previous  medi- 
tation. The  speaker  must  have  the  discourse  in  his  mind,  as  one  whole,  whose  va- 
rious parts  are  distinctly  perceived  as  other  wholes,  connected  with  each  other  and 
contributing  to  a  common  end.  There  must  be  no  uncertainty,  when  he  rises  to 
speak,  as  to  what  he  is  going  to  say,  no  mist  or  darkness  over  the  land  he  is  about  to 
travel  ;  but,  conscious  of  his  acquaintance  with  the  ground,  he  must  step  forward  con- 
fidently, not  doubting  that  he  shall  find  the  passes  of  its  mountains,  and  thread  the 
intricacies  of  its  forests,  by  the  paths  which  he  has  already  trodden.  It  is  an  imper- 
fect and  partial  preparation  in  this  respect  which  so  often  renders  the  manner  awk- 
ward and  embarrassed  and  the  discourse  obscure  and  perplexed.  ''Nemo  polcst  de 
en  re,  quam  non  nnvit,  no7i  turpissiine  dicere."  But,  when  the  preparation  is  faith- 
ful, the  speaker  feels  at  home  ;  being  under  no  anxiety  respecting  the  ideas  or 
the  order  of  their  succession,  he  has  the  more  ready  control  of  his  person,  his  eye, 
and  his  hand,  and  the  more  fearlessly  gives  up  his  -anind  to  its  own  action  and  casts 
himself  upon  the  current.  Uneasiness  and  constraint  are  the  inevitable  attendants 
of  uafaithful  preparation,  and  they  are  Altai  to  success. 

It  is  true  that  no  man  can  attain  the  power  of  self-possession,  so  as  to  feel  at  all 
times  equ.illy  and  entirely  at  ease.  But  he  may  guard  against  the  sorest  ills  which 
attend  its  loss,  by  always  making  sure  of  a  train  of  thought — being  secure  that  he 
has  ideas,  and  that  they  lie  in  such  order  as  to  be  found  and  brought  forward  in  some 
sort  of  apparel,  even  when  he  has  in  some  measure  lost  the  mastery  of  himself.  The 
richness  or  meanness  of  their  dress  will  depend  on  the  humor  of  the  moment.  It 
will  vary  as  much  as  health  and  spirits  vary,  which  is  more  in  some  men  than  in 
others.  But  the  thoughts  themselves  he  may  produce,  and  be  certain  of  saying  iv/iat 
he  intended,  even  when  he  can  not  say  it  as  he  intended. 

_  7.  Utter  yourself  very  slowly  and  deliberately,  with  careful  pauses.  This  is  at  all 
times  a  great  aid  to  a  clear  and  perspicuous  statement.  It  is  essential  to  the  speaker 
who  would  keep  the  command  of  himself,  and  consequently  of  his  hearers.  One  is 
very  likely,  when  in  the  course  of  speaking  he  has  stumbled  on  an  unfortunate  ex- 
pression, or  said  what  he  Avould  prefer  not  to  say,  or  for  a  moment  lost  sight  of  the 
precise  point  at  Avhich  he  was  aiming,  to  hurry  "on  Avith  increasing  rapidity,  as  if  to 
get  as  far  as  possible  from  his  misfortune,  or  cause  it  to  be  forgotten  in  the'crowd  of 
new  words.  But,  instead  of  thus  escaping  the  evil,  he  increases  it ;  he  entangles 
himself  more  and  more,  and  augments  the  difficulty  of  recovering  his  route.  The 
true  mode  of  recovering  himself  is  by  increased  deliberation.  He  must  pause,  and 
give  himself  time  to  think  ; — "  ul  tninen  deliberare  non  hossiture  videalur."  He  need 
not  be  alarmed  lest  his  hearers  should  suspect  the  difficulty.  Most  of  them  are  likely 
to  attribute  the  slowness  of  his  step  to  any  cause  rather  than  the  true  one.  They 
take  it  for  granted  that  he  says  and  does  precisely  as  he  intended  and  wished.  The 
change  of  manner  excites  their  attention  and  is  a  relief  to  them.  And  the  probability 
is,  not  only  that  the  speaker  recovers  himself,  but  that  the  effort  to  do  it  gives  a  spring 
to  the  action  of  his  powers  which  enables  him  to  proceed  afterward  with  greater 
energy. 

8.  In  regard  to  language,  the  best  rule  is  that  no  preparation  be  made.  There  is 
no  convenient  and  profitable  medium  between  speaking  from  memory  and  from  im- 
mediate suggestion.  To  mix  the  two  is  no  aid,  but  a  great  hinderance,  because  it  per- 
plexes the  mind  between  the  very  different  operations  of  memory  and  invention.     To 


608  .  APPENDIX. 

prepare  sentences,  and  parts  of  sentences,  which  are  to  be  introduced  here  and  there, 
and  the  intervals  between  them  to  be  filled  up  in  the  delivery,  is  the  surest  of  all  ways 
to  produce  constraint.  It  is  like  the  embarrassment  of  framing  verses  to  prescribed 
rhymes,  as  vexatious  and  as  absurd.  To  be  compelled  to  shape  the  course  of  remark 
so  as  to  suit  a  sentence  which  is  by-and-by  to  come,  or  to  introduce  certain  expres- 
sions which  are  waiting  for  their  place,  is  a  check  to  the  natural  current  of  ihought. 
The  inevitable  consequence  is  constraint  and  labor,  the  loss  of  everything  like  easy 
and  flowing  utterance,  and  perhaps  that  worst  of  confusion  which  results  from  a 
jumble  of  ill-assorted  disjointed  periods.  It  is  unavoidable  that  the  subject  should 
present  itself  in  a  little  different  form  and  complexion  in  speaking  from  that  which  it 
took  in  meditation,  so  that  the  sentences  and  modes  of  expression  which  agreed  very 
well  with  the  train  of  remark  as  it  came  up  in  the  study  may  be  wholly  unsuitt  d  to 
that  which  it  assumes  in  the  delivery.  The  extemporaneous  speaker  should,  there- 
fore, trust  himself  to  the  moment  for  all  his  language.  This  is  the  safe  way  fur  his 
comfort,  and  the  only  sure  way  to  make  all  of  a  uniform  piece. 

To  this  general  rule  there  may,  however,  be  some  exceptions.  It  may  be  well,  for 
example,  to  consider  what  synonymous  terms  may  be  employed  in  recurring  to  the 
chief  topic,  in  order  to  avoid  the  too  frequent  reiteration  of  the  same  word.  This 
will  occasion  no  embarrassment.  An  extemporaneous  preacher  may  also  prepare 
texts  of  scripture  to  be  introduced  in  certain  parts  of  his  discourse.  These,  if  per- 
fectly committed  to  memory,  and  if  he  be  not  too  anxious  to  make  a  place  for  them, 
willbe  no  incumbrance.  When  a  suitable  juncture  occurs  they  will  suggest  them- 
selves, just  as  a  suitable  epithet  suggests  itself.  But  if  he  be  very  solicitous  about 
them,  and  continually  on  the  watch  for  an  opportunity  to  introduce  them,  he  will  be 
likely  to  confuse  himself,  and  it  is  better  to  lose  the  choicest  quotation  than  suffer 
constraint  and  awkwardness  from  the  effort  to  bring  it  in.  Under  the  same  restric- 
tions he  may  have  ready  some  pithy  remarks,  striking  and  laconic  expressions, 
pointed  sayings  and  aphorisms,  the  force  of  which  depends  on  the  precise  form  of  the 
phrase.  Let  the  same  rule  be  observed  in  regard  to  such.  If  they  suggest  them- 
selves (which  thev  will  do  if  there  be  a  proper  place  for  them),  let  them  be  welcome  ; 
but  never  let  him' run  the  risk  of  spoiling  a  Avhole  paragraph  in  trying  to  make  a 
place  for  them.  Many  distinguifhed  speakers  are  said  to  do  more  than  this— to  write 
out  with  care,  and  repeat  from  memorv,  their  more  important  and  persuasive  parts; 
like  the  de  bene  esse's  of  Curran  and  the  splendid  passages  ol  many  others.  This 
may  undoubtedly  be  done  to  advantage  by  one  who  has  that  command  cf  himself 
which  practice  gives  and  has  learned  to  pass  from  memory  to  invention  without  irip- 
ping.  It  is  a  different  case  from  that  mtxture  of  the  two  operations  to  which  I  have 
referred,  and  it  is  in  fact  only  an  extended  example  of  the  exceptions  just  rriade. 

With  these  exceptions,  the  extempore  preacher  should  make  no  preparation  of  lan- 
gua"-e.  Language  is  the  last  thing  he  should  be  anxious  about.  If  he  have  ideas, 
and%e  awake,  it  will  come  of  itself,  unbidden  and  unsought.  The  best  language 
flashes  upon  the  speaker  as  unexpectedly  as  upon  the  hearer.  It  is  the  spontaneous 
gift  of  the  mind,  not  the  extorted  boon  of  a  special  search.  No  man  who  has  thoughts, 
and  is  interested  in  them,  is  at  a  loss  for  words— not  the  most  uneducated  man  ;  and 
the  words  he  uses  will  be  according  to  his  education  and  general  habits,  not  accord- 
m^  to  the  labor  of  the  moment.  If  he  truly  feel,  and  wish  to  communicate  his  feel- 
ings to  those  around  him,  the  last  thing  that  will  fail  him  will  be  language  ;  the  less 
he"  thinks  of  it  and  cares  for  it,  the  more  copiously  and  richly  will  it  flow  from  him  ; 
and,  when  he  has  forgotten  everything  but  his  desire  to  give  vent  to  his  emotions  and 
do  good,  then  Avill  the  unconscious  torrent  pour,  as  it  docs  at  no  other  season.  The 
entire  surrender  to  the  spirit  which  stirs  within  is  indeed  the  real  secret  of  all  elo- 
quence.  "True  eloquence,"  says  Milton,  "I  find  to  be  none  but  the  serious  and 
hearty  love  of  truth  ;  and  that  whose  mind  soever  is  fully  possessed  with  a  fervent 
desire  to  know  good  things,  and  with  the  dearest  charity  to  infuse  the  knowledge  of 
them  into  others— when  such  a  man  would  speak,  his  Avords,  like  so  many  nimble 
and  airy  servitors,  trip  about  at  command,  and  in  well-ordered  files,  as  he  Avould  wish, 
fall  aptly  into  their  own  places."  ,      ,  ,   ,  ,     • 

9.  In  order  to  the  best  success,  extemporaneous  efforts  should  be  made  in  an  ex- 
cited state  of  mind,  when  the  thoughts  are  burning  and  glowing,  and  long  to  find 
vent.  There  are  some  topics  which  do  not  admit  of  this  excitement.  Such  should 
be  treated  by  the  pen.  When  the  preacher  would  speak  extemporaneously,  he 
should  choose  topics  on  Avhich  his  own  mind  is  kindled  with  a  feeling  which  he  is 
earnest  to  communicate,  and  the  higher  the  degree  to  which  he  has  elevated  his  fcel- 
intrs  the  more  readily,  happily,  and  powerfully  will  he  pour  forth  whatever  the  occa- 
sion may  demand.     There  is  no  style  suited  to  the  pulpit  which  he  wfll  not  more 


EXTEMPORANEOUS    PREACHING.  609 

effectually  command  in  this  state  of  mind.  He  will  reason  more  directly,  pointedly, 
and  convincingly  r  he  will  describe  more  vividly  from  the  living  conceptions  of  the 
moment ;  he  will  be  more  earnest  in  persuasion,  more  animated  in  declamation, 
more  urgent  in  appeals,  more  terrible  in  denunciation.  Everything  will  vanish  from 
before  him  but  the  subject  of  his  attention,  and  upon  this  his  powers  will  be  concen- 
trated in  keen  and  vigorous  action. 

If  a  man  would  do  his  best  it  must  be  upon  topics  which  are  at  the  moment  inter- 
esting to  him.  We  see  it  in  conversation,  where  every  one  is  eloquent  upon  his  fa- 
vorite  subjects.  We  see  it  in  deliberative  assemblies,  where  it  is  those  grand  ques- 
tions which  excite  an  intense  interest,  and  absorb  and  agitate  the  mind,  that  call 
forth  those  bursts  of  eloquence  by  which  men  are  remembered  as  powerful  orators, 
and  that  give  a  voice  to  men  who  can  speak  on  no  other  occasions.  Cicero  tells  us 
of  himself  that  the  instances  in  which  he  was  most  successful  were  those  in  which 
he  most  entirely  abandoned  himself  to  the  impulses  of  feeluig.  Every  speaker's  ex- 
perience will  bear  testimony  to  the  same  thing  ;  and  thus  the  saying  of  Goldsmith 
proves  true,  that  "  to  feel  one's  subject  thoroughly,  and  to  speak  without  fear,  are  the 
only  rules  of  eloquence."  Let  him  who  would  preach  successfully  remember  this. 
In  the  choice  of  subjects  for  extemporaneous  efforts,  let  him  have  regard  to  it,  and 
never  encumber  himself  nor  distress  his  hearers  with  the  attempt  to  interest  them  in 
a  subject  which  excites  at  the  moment  only  a  feeble  interest  in  his  own  mind.  Let 
him  also  use  every  means,  by  careful  meditation — by  calling  up  the  strong  motives  of 
his  office — by  realizing  the  nature  and  responsibility  of  his  undertaking,  and  by  earn- 
estly invoking  the  blessing  of  God — to  attain  that  frame  of  devout  engagedness  which 
will  dispose  him  to  speak  zealously  and  fearlessly. 

10.  Another  important  item  in  the  discipline  to  be  passed  through  consists  in  at- 
taining the  habit  of  self-command.  I  have  already  adverted  to  this  point,  and  no- 
ticed the  power  which  the  mind  possesses  of  carrying  on  the  premeditated  operation 
even  while  the  speaker  is  considerably  embarrassed.  This  is,  however,  only  a  rea- 
son for  not  being  too  much  distressed  by  the  feeling  when  only  occasional  ;  it  does 
not  imply  that  it  is  no  evil.  It  is  a  most  serious  evil,  of  little  comparative  moment, 
it  may  be,  when  only  occasional  and  transitory,  but  highly  injurious  if  habitual.  It 
renders  the  speaker  unhappy,  and  his  address  ineffective.  If  perfectly  at  ease,  he 
would  have  everything  at  command,  and  be  able  to  pour  out  his  thoughts  in  lucid 
order  and  with  every  desirable  variety  of  manner  and  expression.  But,  when  thrown 
from  his  self-possession,  he  can  do  nothing  better  than  mechanically  string  together 
words,  while  there  is  no  soul  in  them,  because  his  mental  powers  are  spell-bound  and 
imbecile.  He  stammers,  hesitates,  and  stumbles,  or  at  best,  talks  on  without  object 
or  aim,  as  mechanically  and  unconsciously  as  an  automaton.  He  has  learned  little 
effectually,  until  he  has  learned  to  be  collected.  This,  therefore,  must  be  a  leading 
object  of  attention.  It  will  not  be  attained  by  men  of  delicacy  and  sensibility,  except 
by  long  and  trying  practice.  It  will  be  the  result  of  much  rough  experience  and 
many  mortifying  failures.  And,  after  all,  occasions  may  occur  when  the  most  expe- 
rienced will  be  put  off  their  guard.  Still,  however,  much  may  be  done  by  the  con- 
trol which  a  vigorous  mind  has  over  itself,  by  resolute  and  persevering  determina- 
tion, by  refusing  to  shrink  or  give  way,  and  by  preferring  always  the  mortification 
oi  ill  success  to  the  increased  weakness  which  would  grow  out  of  retreating. 

There  are  many  considerations,  besides,  which  if  kept  before  the  mind  would  oper- 
ate not  a  little  to  strengthen  its  confidence  in  itself  Let  the  speaker  be  sensible  that 
if  self-possessed  he  is  not  likely  to  fail,  that  after  faithful  study  and  preparation  there 
is  nothing  to  stand  in  his  way  but  his  own  want  of  self-command.  Let  him  heat  his 
mind  with  his  subject,  endeavor  to  feel  nothing,  and  care  for  nothing,  but  that.  Let 
him  consider  that  his  audience  takes  for  granted  that  he  says  nothing  but  what  he 
designed,  and  does  not  notice  those  slight  errors  which  annoy  and  mortify  him,  that 
m  truth  such  errors  are  of  no  moment,  that  he  is  not  speaking  for  reputation  and  dis- 
play nor  for  the  gratification  of  others  by  the  exhibition  of  a  rhetorical  model,  nor 
lor  the  satisfaction  of  a  cultivated  taste:  but  that  he  is  a  teacher  of  virtue,  a  messen- 
ger ot  Jesus  Christ,  a  speaker  in  the  name  of  God,  whose  chosen  object  it  is  to  lead 
men  above  all  secondary  considerations  and  worldly  attainments,  and  to  create  in 
them  a  fixed  and  lasting  interest  in  spiritual  and  religious  concerns.  Let  him,  in  a 
word,  be  zealous  to  do  good,  to  promote  religion,  to  save  souls,  and  little  anxious  to 
make  what  might  be  called  a  fine  sermon— let  him  learn  to  sink  everything  in  his 
subject  and  the  purpose  it  should  accomplish— ambitious  rather  to  do  good  than  to 
do  well— and  he  will  be  in  a  great  measure  secure  from  the  loss  of  self-command  and 
Its  attendant  distress. 

After  all,  therefore,  which  can  be  said,  the  great  essential  requisite  to  effective 

39 


610  APPENDIX. 

preaching  in  this  method  (or  indeed  in  any  method),  is  a  devoted  heart.  A  strong 
religious  sentiment,  leading  to  a  fervent  zeal  for  the  good  of  other  men,  is  better  than 
all  rules  of  art  ;  it  will  give  him  courage  which  no  science  or  practice  could  impart, 
and  open  his  lips  boldly  when  the  fear  of  man  would  keep  them  closed.  Art  may 
fail  him,  and  all  his  treasures  of  knowledge  desert  him ;  but,  if  his  heart  be  warm 
with  love,  he  will  "  speak  right  on,"  aiming  at  the  heart,  and  reaching  the  heart, 
and  satisfied  to  accomplish  the  great  purpose,  whether  he  be  thought  to  do  it  taste- 
fully or  not. 

This  is  the  true  spirit  of  his  office,  to  be  cherished  and  cultivated  above  all  things 
else,  and  capable  of  rendering  all  its  labors  comparatively  easy.  It  reminds  him  that 
his  purpose  is  not  to  make  profound  discussions  of  theological  doctrines,  or  disqui- 
sitions on  moral  and  metaphysical  science,  but  to  present  such  views  of  the  great  and 
acknowledged  truths  of  revelation,  with  such  applications  of  them  to  the  under- 
standing and  conscience,  as  may  affect  and  reform  his  hearers.  Now  it  is  not  study 
only,  in  divinity  or  in  rhetoric,  which  will  enable  him  to  do  this.  He  may  reason  in- 
geniously, but  not  convincingly;  he  may  declaim  eloquently,  but  not  persuasively. 
There  is  an  immense,  though  indescribable  difference  between  the  same  arguments 
and  truths,  as  presented  by  him  who  earnestly  feels  and  desires  to  persuade,  and  by 
him  who  designs  only  a  display  of  intellectual  strength  or  an  exercise  of  rhetorical 
skill.  In  the  latter  case,  the  declamation  may  be  splendid,  but  it  Avill  be  cold  and 
without  expression — lulling  the  ear,  and  diverting  the  fancy,  but  leaving  the  feeUngs 
untouched.  In  the  other,  there  is  an  air  of  reality  and  sincerity  which  words  cannot 
describe  but  which  the  heart  feels,  that  finds  its  way  to  the  recesses  of  the  soul  and 
overcomes  it  by  a  powerful  sympathy.  This  is  a  difference  which  all  perceive  and 
all  can  account  for.  The  truths  of  religion  are  not  matters  of  philosophical  specu- 
lation but  of  experience.  The  heart  and  all  the  spiritual  man,  and  all  the  interests 
and  feelings  of  the  immortal  being,  have  an  intimate  concern  in  them.  It  is  per- 
ceived at  once  whether  they  arc  stated  by  one  who  has  felt  them  himself,  is  person- 
ally acquainted  with  their  power,  is  subject  to  their  influence  and  speaks  from  actual 
experience,  or  whether  they  come  from  one  who  knows  them  only  in  speculation, 
has  gathered  them  from  books,  and  thought  them  out  by  his  own  reason,  but  without 
any  sense  of  their  spiritual  operation. 

But  who  does  not  know  how  much  easier  it  is  to  declare  what  has  come  to  our 
knowledge  from  our  own  experience  than  what  we  have  gathered  coldly  at  second- 
hand from  that  of  others,  how  much  easier  it  is  to  describe  feelings  we  have  ourselves 
had,  and  pleasures  we  have  ourselves  enjoyed,  than  to  fashion  a  description  of  what 
others  have  told  us,  how  much  more  freely  and  convincingly  we  can  speak  of  hap- 
piness we  have  known  than  of  that  to  which  we  are  strangers  ?  We  see,  then,  how 
much  is  lost  to  the  speaker  by  coldness  or  ignorance  in  the  exercises  of  personal  re- 
ligion. How  can  he  effectually  represent  the  joys  of  a  religious  mind  who  has  never 
known  what  it  is  to  feel  them  ?  How  can  he  effectually  aid  the  contrite,  the  despond- 
ing, the  distrustful,  the  tempted,  who  has  never  himself  passed  through  the  same 
fears  and  sorrows?  or  how  can  he  paint,  in  the  warm  colors  of  truth,  religious  exer- 
cises and  spiritual  desires,  who  is  personally  a  stranger  to  them  ?  Alas  !  he  can  not 
at  all  come  in  contact  with  those  souls  which  stand  most  in  need  of  his  sympathy 
and  aid.  But  if  he  have  cherished  in  himself,  fondly  and  habitually,  the  affections 
he  would  excite  in  others — if  he  have  combated  temptation,  and  practised  self-denial, 
and  been  instant  in  prayer,  and  tasted  the  joy  and  peace  of  a  tried  faith  and  hope — 
then  he  may  communicate  directly  with  the  hearts  of  his  fellow-men,  and  win  them 
over  to  that  which  he  so  feelingly  describes.  If  his  spirit  be  always  warm  and  stir- 
ring with  these  pure  and  kind  emotions,  and  anxious  to  impart  the  means  of  his  own 
felicity  to  others,  how  easily  and  freely  will  he  pour  himself  forth  !  and  how  little 
will  he  think  of  the  embarrassments  of  the  presence  of  mortal  man,  while  he  is  ron- 
«cious  only  of  laboring  for  the  glory  of  the  ever-present  God  ! 


KEY    TO    THE    STUDENT's    LIBRARY. 


611 


No.  IV. 
KEY   TO   THE   STUDENT'S  LIBRARY. 

The  following  plan  will  discover  in  a  few  minutes  what  the  library  affords  upon 
any  given  text  or  subject ;  and  thus,  with  the  addition  of  commentators  in  his  pos- 
session, concordances,  parallelisms,  and  private  memorandums,  the  preacher's  own 
thoughts  will  be  enriched,  and  his  matter  extended.  If  the  books  be  numerous,  this 
plan  will  at  first  cost  some  time  and  trouble ;  but  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive 
the  great  and  many  advantages  that  will  reward  the  labor.  In  many  cases  the  labor 
will,  however,  be  but  small  at  the  first,  and  the  plan  will  be  gradually  filled  up  as 
the  library  is  augmented.  Every  book  bought  should  add  something  to  the  stock 
either  for  texts  or  subjects.  I  can  only  trace  the  plan  to  the  late  Dr.  Bogue.  It  re- 
quires three  books  and  indexes. 

The  first  of  these  is  a  general  registry-book  or  text-look,  wherein  all  the  volumes 
of  sermons,  or  single  sermons,  are  to  be  entered.  The  numbers  on  the  left  are  the 
student's  private  numbers,  and  by  these  numbers  the  several  articles  are  to  be  trans- 
ferred into  the  other  two  books,  for  their  several  uses,  thus : — 


10 
11 
12 


BATES'S  SERMONS,  Vol. 
Existence  of  God        -        -        -        .        _ 
Immortality  of  the  Soul      -        -        _        . 
Resignation.     "  Not  my  will,"  &c.     - 

TILLOTSON,  Vol.  I. 

Sincerity.  "  Behold  an  Israelite"  - 
Faith  of  Abraham  in  offering  his  Son 
Moses's  Choice.     "He  chose,"  &c,    - 


BLAIR,  Vol. 
Piety  and  Morality  in  Cornelius 
Religion  in  Adversity         -        -        . 
Religion  in  Prosperity        _        .        . 


-  Ps.  xc.  2. 

-  Gen.  ii.  7. 

-  Matt.  xxvi.  39. 


John  i.  47. 
Heb.  xi.  17-19. 
Heb.  xi.  24,  25. 


Acts  X.  4. 
Ps.  xxvii.  6. 
Ps.  i.  3. 


BOURDALOUE,  Vol.  I. 

Birth  of  Christ Luke  ii.  12. 

His  Passion Luke  xxiii.  28. 

The  Trinity Matt,  xxviii.  29. 


Pagea  of 
Books. 

5 

37 
263 


1 
11 
21 


1 

25 
58 


1 
141 
476 


My  numbers  run  to  7,000,  besides  my  own  manuscripts,  the  accumulation  of 
thirty  years.  And,  besides  this  stock,  Mr.  Simeon  fm-nished  me  with  2,440,  which 
(except  skeletons)  have  such  an  order  in  themselves  that  no  registry  is  required.  The 
skeletons  I  mark  in  the  interleaved  Bible  (soon  to  be  named)  merely  with  the  num- 
ber of  the  skeleton,  in  red  ink,  to  distinguish  these  from  my  registry  numbers.  It  is 
from  this  large  source  that  my  examples  for  the  Preacher's  Manual  are  drawn. 
As  far  as  my  judgment  and  time  to  exercise  it  allowed,  I  selected  such  as  were  suita- 
ble to  the  several  objects  in  view,  and  I  humbly  hope  they  will  be  a  benefit  to  thou- 
sands who  can  not  make  the  same  research.  My  commonplace  books  were  also 
open  to  me. 

The  second  book  is  an  interleaved  Bible,  every  \esif  havmg  a  blank  page.  A 
Bible  should  be  bought  in  sheets  and  given  to  the  binder  with  orders  to  insert  the 
blanks ;  and,  that  the  whole  be  not  too  bulky,  let  all  the  books  before  Isaiah  form 
the  first  volume,  and  the  others  the  second  volume.  As  there  are  two  columns  of 
print  in  a  page  of  the  Bible,  so  a  line  should  be  drawn  down  the  middle  of  the  blank 
to  answer  thereto ;  and,  to  as  many  figures  of  verses  as  are  in  a  page  of  the  Bible,  so 
you  give  in  vpriting  figures  in  each  column  exactly  opposite,  as  in  the  following 
specimen : — 


'erses. 

Register  Nos. 

Verses. 

Register  N09. 

17 

-    -     5,    8 

23 

-    -  24,    8,    3 

18 

-    -  12,  17,  27,  26 

24 

-    -    9,    7,  10 

19 

-    -     8,  14,  19,  45 

25 

-    -    6,28,38 

20 

-    -    4,    6,28,32 

26 

-    -     8,  58,  20 

21 

-    -    6,    5,  12, 27 

27 

-    -  16,  72,  65 

22 

-    -    3,  12,  15,  19 

28 

-    -  17. 

612 


APPENDIX. 


Here,  then,  you  commence  your  operations.  Against  Ps.  xc.  2,  you  place  No.  1  of 
registry-book  ;  against  Gen.  ii.  7,  No.  2  :  Matt.  xxvi.  39,  No.  3  ;  and  so  on  to  the  end. 
Then  'follows  the  practical  use.  You  wish  to  preach  from  Ps.  xc.  2 ;  you  turn  to 
your  interleaved  Bible  for  Ps.  xc.  2,  and  find  against  it  No.  1  ;  to  know  what  this 
No.  1  means,  you  turn  to  your  registry-book  for  No.  1,  and  there  you  find  Bates  on 
the  Existence  of  God ;  and  perhaps  you  may  have  other  figures  directing  to  other 
works  in  your  interleaved  Bible,  as  in  the  index  just  given  you  find  several  numbers 
to  nearly  every  verse  ;  in  this  manner  you  proceed  for  other  texts.  Nothing  but  a 
plan  like  this  could  give  so  short  or  so  certain  a  way  to  know  what  you  have  on  a 
text ;  for  your  memory  may  fail  and  you  may  not  have  time  to  make  search.  While 
the  library  is  very  small,  it  may  be  sufficient  to  place  the  registry  numbers  in  the 
margins  of  the  Bible  m  common  use ;  but,  when  enlarged,  this  brief  way  must  be 
abandoned,  and  give  place  to  the  plan  now  recommended. 

Your  third  book  is  available  for  subjects,  and  may  be  formed  like  a  lawyer's  or 
book-keeper's  ledger  in  reference  to  book-keeping.  The  journal  contains  the  affairs 
transacted  with  every  correspondent  as  they  occur ;  it  is  a  general  record,  and  fills 
one  book  after  another.  But  if  it  be  required  to  know  all  that  has  been  transacted 
or  done  for  this  or  that  person,  and  no  other  book  be  used,  search  must  be  made 
throughout  the  whole  journal,  and  the  items  must  be  drawn  out  at  an  immense  labor. 
Now  to  save  this  monstrous  labor  a  ledger  is  provided,  and  particulars  of  each  cor- 
respondent's account  are  drawn  from  the  journal  to  distinct  folios  of  the  ledger. 
Such  pages  in  the  ledger  give  the  whole  account ;  but,  as  there  would  still  be  great 
trouble  in  turning  over  the  pages  of  the  ledger  to  find  particular  persons'  accounts,  aa 
alphabetical  index  is  provided  to  direct  to  the  pages  where  each  account  is  placed. 
This  comparison  answers  to  the  student's  commonplace  book.  The  pattern  of  this 
commonplace  book  I  shall  give  presently,  but  first  I  give  the  pattern  of  the  index, 
which  is  as  follows : — 


Attributes  (Divine) 

Adoption 

Assurance 

Angels  -        -        - 

Affections 

Afflictions 

Atonement    - 


B. 


Bible,  see  S.  S. 
Believers 
Benevolence  - 
Backsliders    - 
Bondage  (Spirit  of) 


Christ,  his  Divinity 

Covenants 

Creation 

Church 

Conceit  (Self) 

Christ's  Offices 


D. 


Desires  -        -        - 
Dedication  (Self)  - 


9 
10 
16 
19 
56 


18 
21 
48 
49 


29 
4 
56 
20 
51 
72 


37 
40 


Distress 
Deliverance   - 


E. 


Examples 

Envy 

Effectual  Calling 


Faith     - 

Form  of  Godliness 
Fortitude 
Forgiveness   - 
Fears     - 


Futurity 


G. 


God       -       -        - 
Gospel,  Power  of  - 
Godliness 
Grieving  the  Spirit 
Gratitude 


H. 


Holiness 

Happiness 

Hope 


25 
33 


90 

91 

105 


102 
57 
59 
60 
61 
89 


179 
69 
75 
76 
77 


39 

46 
93 


Here  then  the  course  of  proceeding  is  plain:  folio  1  of  the  commonplace  book 
receives  the  above  article.  Attributes  of  God:  whatever  the  library  has  upon  the 
divine  attributes  appears  at  folio  1,  and  so  on  for  other  articles:  but  in  this  case 
it  were   better,  after  mentioning   his   existence.  No.  1,  in  the  registry,  to  say,  see 


KEY    TO    THE    STUDENT's    LIBRARY.  613 

article,  God  in  the  above  index,  p.  179,  as  this  opens  to  a  great  variety  of  divinity 
matter. 
Here  follows  a  specimen  of  such  a  page : — 

Article,  God. 

Collect  the  material  of  this  page  from  anything  your  registry  furnishes  (say,  see 
registry,  for  shortness  R.  only,  No.  1),  from  such  divinity  books  as  you  possess. 
Hence  you  collect  Jehovah's  names,  his  Nature,  Immutability,  Infinity,  Omnipres- 
ence, Wisdom,  Will,  Sovereignty,  Love,  Grace,  Goodness,  his  Works  of  Creation, 
&c.,  &c.,  marking  down  at  each  particular  the  author,  volume,  and  page,  where 
each  is  to  be  found. 

You  may  again  divide  this  great  subject  and  transfer  them  to  other  pages  as  dis- 
tinct heads,  giving  in  the  index  such  titles  and  pages,  under  the  words  respectively. 

Another  page. 

Soul. — You  will  have  its  immortality,  nature,  spirituality,  &c.  Name  often  used 
for  spirit,  and  more  properly  so,  naming  such  authors  as  your  library  gives  ;  as 
Flavel  on  the  Soul.  You  will  see  the  registry.  No.  2,  Soul's  Immortality,  referring 
to  Bates's  Lectures,  p.  37. 

The  word  Mind  is  also  connected  with  the  subject,  and  sometimes  the  Heart  :  on 
all  these  several  words.  Soul,  Spirit,  &c.,  refer  to  Theological  Dictionaries — for  these 
give  ideas  as  well  as  words. 

See  more  particularly  Cruden's  Concordance,  under  the  words  Soul,  Spirit,  and  in 
his  explanations  you  get  much  information. 

You  will  also  collect  for  every  article  what  even  general  indexes  of  works  in  hand 
furnish  :  here  you  obtain  great  help.  When  you  purchase  books,  observe  that  those 
which  have  good  indexes  are  worth  twice  the  money  of  those  that  have  none.  The 
matter  obtained  through  indexes,  if  appropriate,  is  likewise  on  certain  accounts  to 
be  preferred  before  all  others,  for  such  matter  is  not  so  much  subject  to  the  recogni- 
tion of  knowing  persons,  as  if  taken  from  sermons,  &c.,  professing  to  treat  on  the 
subject. 

1.  In  the  examination  of  your  indexes,  you  first  observe  your  proper  subject,  as  by 
pattern  of  a  page  in  commonplace  book.  No.  2,  on  Soul. 

2  In  the  examination  you  meet  with  similar  ideas,  as  Spirit,  Mind,  &c.  Regard 
affinities  in  general  for  illustration  or  collateral  uses. 

3.  You  may  note  down  whatever  you  hear  in  the  preaching  of  other  ministers,  or 
what  they  say  in  conversation,  if  worth  noting,  or  what  is  found  in  magazines,  or 
such  works  as  the  Pulpit,  &c. 

4.  You  may  take  a  brief  abstract  from  the  books  you  borrow,  that  will  suit  many 
articles  in  your  index. 

5.  If  books  have  tables  of  contents,  examine  these  also. 

6.  Put  down  to  each  article  your  own  best  thoughts,  conceived  when  your  mind  is 
clear  and  vigorous. 

7.  Whatever  you  find  in  commentators  that  is  pertinent  to  any  subject,  note  down 
or  refer  to  the  volume,  page,  &c. 

8.  A  good  parallel  Bible  will  give  help,  and  some  of  these,  as  A.  Clarke's,  have 
general  indexes. 

9.  The  table  of  contents,  general  index,  and  table  of  scriptures  of  the  Preacher's 
Manual,  will  furnish  much  matter ;  but  facility  of  reference  will  be  best  secured  by 
noting  in  the  proper  pages  of  your  commonplace  book  what  you  meet  with  as 
strikingly  suitable. 

In  general  practice,  when  you  wish  to  preach  from  a  text,  besides  what  matter 
you  have  upon  such  text,  you  may  refer  to  the  subject  nearest  akin  to  the  text  in  your 
index  of  commonplaces.  In  all  divinity  subjects  the  doctrine  of  affinities  (or  of  re- 
lationship. Topic  iv.),  is  of  great  consequence  to  be  observed.  And,  e  con.,  if  you 
wish  to  preach  on  a  subject  you  will  choose  a  text  to  suit  it,  as  Dwight  does  in 
his  Theology,  so  that  your  registry  and  commonplace  book  mutually  assist  each 
other. 

It  is  my  constant  practice,  when  I  have  preached  from  a  text,  to  mark  the  year 
when  it  was  used  in  the  margin  of  my  study  Bible :  if  you  do  so  it  will  prevent 
your  preaching  inadvertently  on  tlie  same  text.*  At  the  end  of  six  or  seven  years  I 
do  not  hesitate,  as  circumstances  may  dictate,  to  preach  a  second  time  on  any  text, 
for  in  that  time  what  was  before  said  is  forgotten,  and  the  congregation  is  in  general 

*  A  friend  of  mine  once  took  a  certain  text ;  this  done,  it  darted  into  his  mind  that  he  had  used  it  a 
few  weeks  before  at  the  same  place ;  this  was  not  the  fact,  but  he  thought  so,  and  his  distress  waa 
great. 


614  APPENDIX. 

gixatly  changed ;  but  even  in  such  cases  I  endeavor  to  improve  my  old  skeleton,  and 
then  nobody  can  justly  complain. 

How  ministers  can  go  on  with  credit  without  an  arranged  library  I  can  not  con- 
ceive ;  yet  I  know  some  that  have  several  thousands  of  volumes  and  often  know  not 
what  they  contain  nor  where  to  go  for  helps.  If  any  can  go  on  so  it  must  be  by  the 
assistance  of  an  amazing  memory  (such  as  I  have  not),  but  I  suspect  that  the  poverty 
of  thousands  of  sermons  is  owing  to  the  want  in  question.  But,  though  I  recommend 
so  many  sources,  yet  I  would  not  have  you  to  overcrowd  your  sermons,  or  rather 
overcharge  them  with  matter,  as  some  persons  do,  by  which  they  often  discuss 
nothing  eflfectually. 


SCRIPTURE    INDEX. 


PAGE 

Gen.  i.  27 578 

iii.  15 54,203,434 

iv.  3-5 225 

V.  6 225 

vi.  5..., 34,267 

xviii.  24-32 434 

xix.  20 226 

XX.  9 490 

xxii.  14 94 

xxviii.  17 259 

xlii.  21,  22 166,479 

xlvii.  2,  3 229 

xlix.  22-24 201 

Exod.  iii.  14 124 

ix.  20,  21 157 

xiii.21 481 

XX.  4 453 

xxxiii.  14 53 

xl.  2 497 

Lev.  xvi.  21,  22 90 

Num.  X.  29 148 

xiv.  20,21 534 

-    24 382 

Deut.  xxvii.  25 326 

xxxii.  6 54 

—  29 519 

xxxiii.  25 525 

Josh.  vii.  19,20 528 

xxiii.  11 495 

Judg.  viii.  34,  35 563 

Ruthi.  15-17 471 

iSam.  vii.  12 107 

xiii.  11-13 423 

xiv.  24,  &c 84 

xxiv.  4-6 244 

2  Sam.  vi.  20 393 

xxii.  1 99 

1  Kings  xviii.  12 488 

xviii.  36 517 

xviii.  21 530 

xix.  13 510 

2  Kings  V.  13 540 

viii.  12,  13 480 

iChron.  iv.  10 322 

xxii.  9,  10 92 

xxix.  5 519 

—  17 502 

2Chron.  v.  13, 14... 506,  541 

xxxii.  25 543 

Neh.  viii.  8 55 

Esther  V.  13 495 

Job  V.  26 88 

viii.  13 509 


PAGE 

Job  ix.  33 565 

X.  1 494 

xxii.  5 572 

xxiii.  13 166 

xxix.  18 422 

xxxiv.  29 44 

xxxvi.  21 500 

Psalm  i 64,  65 

iv.6,7 33 

X.  13 86 

XV.  5 517 

xvi. 8-11 91 

—  11 521 

xix.  13 698 

xxiii.  5 497 

xxiv.  5,  6 31 

XXV.  11 530 

xxvi.  8 40,168 

xxvii.  3 166,540 

—  8 77 

XXX.  5 529 

xxxi.  15 214 

xxxii.  6 246 

xxxix.  9 493 

—  12 494 

xlv 290 

xlvi.  4 176 

1.  2 251 

1.  14 163 

li.  11 64 

li.  15 520 

Ixv.  4 171 

Ixviii.  15-17 499 

Ixxiii.  23,24 530 

—  28 519 

Ixxvi.  10 482 

Ixxxv.  7 36 

Ixxxix.  15,16 54 

xc.  8 153 

—  12 476 

xcvii.  7 345 

cxiii.  5-8 528 

cxviii.  15 486 

cxix.  4-6 534 

—  66 214 

—  77 172 

—  129 483 

cxxiii.  2 168 

cxliv.  15 170 

cxlv.  16 42 

cxlvii.  11 31 

Prov.  iv.  18 182 

iv.  23 516 


PACK 

Prov.  v.  22 ...  528 

vi.  6,  7 248 

viii.  29,  &c 532 

xi.30 518 

xix.  3 523 

—  21 343,383 

xxiii.  26 512 

Eccl.  1.  9 464 

iii.  1 246 

vii.  2-4 318,486,496 

viii.  11 63 

ix.  10 247 

xii.  5 521 

—  8 169 

Isai.  i.  2,  3 494 

i.  4,  5 504 

V.  4 278 

V.  12 501 

V.  20 522 

vi.  5-7 491 

xiv.  32 483 

xxii.  24 92 

XXX.  26 248 

XXXV.  8-13 34 

xlii.  6 64 

—  16 527 

xliii.  1-3 506 

xlv.  9 533 

xlviii.  1,  2 32 

—  16 391 

liii.  3 568 

—  10 170 

Iv.  1 261 

—  1-3 502 

—  6 53,213 

Ixiii.  10 274 

Ixvi.  2 327,381 

Jer.  ii.  31 524 

V.  3 531 

V.  23,  24 32 

vi.  10 531 

viii.  7 246 

—  15 438 

—  20-22 248 

ix.  22-24 53 

X.  23   166 

xiii.  21 54 

—  27 437 

xvii.  9 523 

xxii.  29 216 

XXV.  15-29 100 

xxviii.  16 246 

xxxi.  9 195 


616 


SCRIPTURE    INDEX. 


PAGE 

Jer.  xlix.  11 502 

li.  10 73 

Lam.  iii.  22 501 

Ezek.  viii.  15 522 

xxix.  17-20 103,478 

xxxvi.  25-27...  47,  90,529 
xxxvi.  32 167 

Dan.  ii.  31-35 190 

V.  27 566 

ix.  7 68 

—  24 91 

Rosea  vi.  4 425 

viii.  12 88 

X.  12 246 

xiv.  8 327,  508 

Joel  ii.  12-14 535 

iii.  13 246 

Amos  vi.  1 168 

Jonah  iv.  1-3 574 

Micah  vi.  2-3 533 

vi.  6-8 424 

vii.  18-20 92 

Hab.  ii.  3 529 

ii.  20 533 

Zeph.  iii.  17 435 

Zech.  vii.  3-7 424 

xii.  10 53 

Mai.  iii.  8 533,561 

iii.  16 325 

—  18 529 

Matt.  i.  21 92,  97 

ii.  2 461 

iv.  2-11 170 

iv.  19,  20 76,81 

V.  4 509 

V.  6 444 

V,  9 445 

V.  48 491 

vi.  19,  20 504 

—  24 386 

—  33 85 

ix.  12 385 

s.  8 492 

xi.  7 332 

xii.  10-13 460 

—  20 445,446 

—  30   493 

—  36,37 485 

xiii.  3-23 266 

—  30 317 

—  52 267 

xvi.  3 247 

—  16 324 

—  22 420 

—  24 390,572 

xviii.  20 513 

XX.  6 508 

xxii.  16 461 

xxiii.  37 211,216 

xxvi.  24 485 

—  28 323 

—  29 496 

—  35 511 

—  47 486 

—  58 567 

Mark  ii.  17 514 

V.  25-29 210 

vii.  32-36 95 

—  37 577 


PAGE 

Markx.  49,50 ...  490 

xii.  6 437 

xiv.  31 423 

xvi.  7 566 

—  15,  16 514 

Luke  ii.  14 461 

iv.  18 35 

—  18,  19 289 

—  28,29 95 

vi.  19 34,  209 

—  47-49 490 

vii.  42 103 

viii.  50 95 

ix.  29-32 95 

X.  30-36 205 

—  36 563 

xii.  21 100 

—  35-37 503 

—  40 88 

—  47,48 515 

xiii.  8 105 

xvi.  8 369,374 

—  31 436 

xviii.  14 509 

xix.  37-38 498 

—  41-44 248 

xxi.  19 506 

xxii.  22 514 

xxiii.  12 461 

—  29 69 

—  42 244 

—  43 136 

xxiv.  34 169 

John  i.  1 515 

i.   14 325 

—  17 36,61 

—  21 325 

—  38 501 

iii.  3 51 

—  14,  15 202 

—  16 35,216,439 

iv.  16 269 

—  41,42 467 

V.  14 269 

vi.  28,  29 531 

—  54 475 

vii.  27 167 

—  46 89 

viii.  9 382 

—  24 515 

ix.  4 247 

X.  11 325 

xi 230 

—  16 423 

xii.  27 50 

—  43 426 

xiii.  7 520 

—  34 497,576 

xiv.  1 45 1 

—  8-11 529 

—  16   452 

—  18 560 

XV.  5 130 

—  15 87 

xvi.  13 471 

—  22 267 

xvii.  1 520 

—  9,  10 88 

—  15 35,  520 


PAGE 
John  xvii.  22 69,  91 

XX.  11,12 520 

Acts  i.  1 343 

i.  6 451 

—  9 270 

—  10 100 

ii.  1 100 

iii.  9,  10 570 

V.  20 323 

vii.  2 343 

—  22 170 

ix,  4 104,535 

X.  34,35 513 

—  38 223,  493 

xi.  23 53,  104,482 

—  24 558 

xiii.  36 226 

xvi.  24-33 343 

—  30,  31 423,538 

xvii.  28 331 

—  30 498 

XX.  22 561 

—  26,  27 454 

xxiv.  16 218 

—  25 536 

Rom.  i.  8 459 

ii.  11 46.'? 

—  15 489 

—  17-23 523 

iii.  19 505,  540 

iv.  25 525 

V.  5 169,  382 

—  10 511 

—  21 180,540 

vi.  1-4 455,511 

viu.  1 470 

—  13 54,134,516 

—  26 92 

—  28 318 

—  32 557 

—  37 325 

X.  12 578 

xi.  2-4 524 

xii.  17 211,219,260 

xiii.  11,  12 247 

xiv.  12 525 

1  Cor.  iii.  7 528 

iv.  1,  2 349,511 

—  30 569 

V.8 316 

vii.  31 516 

ix.  24 38 

—  27 569 

xii.  4 29 

xiii.  4 539 

—  5 486 

—  16 276 

XV.  31 509 

2Cor.  iv.  5 507 

iv.  7 59 

—  18 385 

V.  1 518 

—  7 129 

—  10,  n 48 

—  10,  12 503 

—  11 247 

—  17 506 

—  19,20 54 

vi.  1 144 


SCRIPTURE    INDEX. 


617 


!PAGE 

2Cor.-vi.  1,2 246 

vii.  10,  II 53,  95 

viii.  9 482 

xi.  2 484 

—  29 455 

Gal.  i.  4 455 

i.  8 457 

iii.  10 272 

iv.  22-24 92,200 

V.  17 421 

vi.  4 327 

—  7 295,437 

—  9 86,  128,492 

Eph.  i.  3 46 

i.  4-7 524 

ii.  4 175,470 

—  4-7 89 

iii.  8 578 

V.  14 53 

—  16 247 

vi.  10 215 

Phil.  i.  6 132 

i.  27 498,  500 

ii.  1 85 

—  5-11 239 

—  12 138 

—  13 75 

iii.  12 492 

—  13 250 

iv.  5 170 

—  13 35 

Col.  i.  13 76 

i.  15-19 36 

—  16-19 20 

—  19 58,79,148! 

—  27 481  ! 


PAGE 

Col.  i.  28,29 65,66 


ii.  8,  9 

—  9 

IThess.  ii.  4. 

iii.  8 

V.  6 

—  16 


84 
....  463 
....  385 
....  561 
....  383 
238,  515 

2Thess.  i.  11 465 

iii.  5 175,393 

ITim.  i.  5 454,  505 

i.  16 488 

ii.  1-3. 243 

iii.  16 514 

iv.  8,  9 454 

vi.  2 578 

2Tim.  ii,  1 517 

ii.  10 74 

Tit.  i.  16 454 


ii.  6 

—  11,  12. 
Heb.  i.  1..., 

ii.  3 

—  10 

—  14,  15. 
iii.  7 

—  13 


■ 499 

47 

345 

86 

524 

463 

246 

.62,  91,  180 

87 

280 

455 


IV.  y 

—  11 

—  12 

ix.  28 47 

X.  10 77 

—  36 274 

xi.  4 434,  435 

—  13 169 

—  24,  25 243 

xii.  14 505 


PAGE 

Heb.  xii.  16,  17 169 

xii.  23 515 

—  29 543 

xiii.  5 325,  504 

—  n =  512 

James  i.  9 165 

ii.  18 385 

iii.  17 508 

iv.  13-15 275,327 

—  14 247 

—  17 132 

V.  10 239 

IPet.  i.  6,  7 95,490 

ii.  4,  5 92 

—  13-17 392 

—  11 350 

—  19 86 

2Pet.  i.  4 95 

i.  11 495 

—  14 47 

iii.  3 534 

—  10 542 

—  13 248 

—  18 513 

1  John  ii.  15 185 

iv.  8 559 

—  18 31 

V.  11 47,  84,523 

—  13 518 

Rev.  i.  7 185 

iii.  15,  16 573 

—  17,  18 80 

—  18 501 

—  20 47,  50 

vi.  15-17 35,542 

X-  5,  6 247 


INDEX    TO    THE    AUTHORS 

aUOTED   IN   THIS  VOLUME. 


Akenside,  588. 
Aristotle,  119. 
Atterbury,  486. 

Baine,  540. 

Balfour,  285. 

Beddome,  47,  103,  214,  248,  382,  385,  437, 
481,  483,  489. 

Beveridge,  129,  513. 

Blackwall,  584. 

Blair,  129,  166,  169,  170,  214,  223,  317,  318, 
426,  427,  479,  480,  482,  486,  492,  493, 
494,  495,  496,  499,  501,  502,  505,  506, 
508,  516,  517,  520,  521,  523,  534,  539, 
540,  542. 

Blunt,  400. 

Bogue,  68. 

Bonomeo,  329. 

Boston,  247. 

Bradley,  566,  578. 

Burder,  47,  89,  169,  344,  382,  423. 

Burkitt,  65. 

Burn,  247. 

Burnet,  23,  170,  600,  605. 

Carpenter,  309. 

Caryl,  44,  373. 

Chalmers,  185,  418,  565,  569,  571,  573. 

Cicero,  82. 

Clarke  (Dr.  Adam),  55. 

Clarke  (Dr.  J.),  283. 

Clarke  (Dr.  S.),  295,  558. 

Claude  (quotations  too  numerous  to  specify). 

Cooke,  509. 

Cooper,  386. 

Crabbe,  115. 

Davies,  216,  246,  316,  327,  385,  437,  498, 

528,  531,  543,  559,  573. 
Dinouart,  603. 
Doddridge,  536. 
Doolittle,  85. 
Draper,  590. 
Dwight,  166,  248. 

Erskine,  64. 

Farquhar,  515,  563. 
Fenelon,  600. 
Flavel,  136. 
Foster,  386,  536. 
Fuller,  42. 

Gill,  58,  148. 
Gregory,  585. 

Hall,  124,  564. 

Henry,  32,  64,  69,  99, 100,  217,  424,  530,  574. 

Hill  (of  Scotland),  230. 

Hill,  506,  515. 

Hooker,  589. 

Home  (Bishop),  112.  t 


Home  (T.  H.),  208,  209. 
Horsley,  102,  289,  497,  576,  577. 
Howe,  274,  276,  383,  423,  572. 

Jay.  85,  103,  168,  169,  340,  382,  422,  478, 
486,  488,  490,  497,  502,  510,  520,  524, 
560,  567,  570,  578. 

Jones  (W.),  187. 

Jones  (of  Nayland),  367,  370,  371, 

Jortin,  369,  373,  463. 

Josephus,  400. 


Lavington,  83,  85, 
512,  513,  519. 
Lawson,  229. 
Leighton,  246. 


105,  216,  434,  462. 


Manton,  248,  465. 

Mason,  196. 

Massillon,  167,  170,  461,  487. 

Moss,  100. 

Newton,  436. 

Park,  586. 

Payson,  153,  189,  566,  572. 

Porter,  122. 

Potts,  349. 

Reed,  546. 

Robinson,  48,  84,  100,  225,  512. 

Romaine,  450. 

Roscommon,  601. 

Rousseau,  417. 

Sanderson,  343,  383. 

Saurin,  69,  425,  464,  543. 

Scott,  498,  600. 

Sherlock,  127,  128,  434,  439,  513,  568,  574. 

Simeon  (quotations  too  numerous  to  specify). 

Smith,  402. 

South,  278,  493,  509,  559,  563,  578. 

Sterne,  84,  562. 

Taylor,  397. 
Tillotson,  63,  247. 

"Van  Mildert,  344. 
Volney,  397. 

Walker  (of  Edinburgh),  47,  53,  63,  84,  327, 
349,  482,  500,  501,  503,  505,  506,  507, 
508,  509,  523,  541,  557,  561,  567,  570. 

Walker  (of  Truro),  538. 

Ware,  597. 

Watson.  444,  445. 

Watts,  35,  247,  542. 

Wesley,  247,  267. 

Wilberforce,  127,  277,  427. 

Wilkins,  116. 

Wilks,  354. 

Witherspoon,  62. 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Abhorrence  (see  Hatred). 

Abraham,  Character  of 293 

Accentuation 330 

Adaptation  of  the  Gospel  to  Man 415 

Admiration  excited  by  Grandeur,  &c. . . .  335 

how  expressed 335 

Affability  of  Christ 223 

Affliction,  Design  of 319 

Examples  of  Patience  under 139,  &c. 

Aids  of  the  Spirit  (see  Holy  Spirit)  . . .   527 

Alcibiades,  Anecdote  of 476,  525 

Ambiguity  of  Scripture  alleged  by  Papists  286 

Amen,  Force  of  the  Term 326 

Analogy 118 

Anecdotes 254,  476,  525,  590 

Cautions  concerning 321 

Angels  interested  in  Human  Affairs 574 

Anger 340 

•  Anglo-Saxon   Language,    its   Power  of 

Impression 582 

Anglo-Saxon    Language,    its    peculiar 

Harmony 585 

Appeal  to  Persecutors 535 

Application,  continued,  Importance  of. .    137 

Examples  of 138,  &c. 

Applicatory  Exordiums 487 

Apostacy 65 

Argument  necessary  in  every  Discourse  126 

Argumentative  Comment 570 

Argumentative  Exordiums 485 

Art  founded  on  Science 586 

Assiduity  of  Christ  in  doing  Good 223 

Atheism,  Absurdity  of 124 

Atonement  (see  Sacrifices). 
Authenticity  of  Scripture,   no  Reasons 

for  suspecting  the ;  .   408 

Authenticity  of  Scripture,  positive  Proofs 

of 408 

Aversion 337 

how  expressed 340 

Baptism 313^  316 

Benefit  of  Visiting  the  Afflicted 318 

Benevolence,  Divine  (see  Goodness  and 
Love). 

Benevolence  of  Christ 206 

Biography,  Sacred 220 

Authors  on , 226 

Blessings  connected  with  Pardon 152 

Bounty  of  Providence 42 

Cadence 334 

Candor jjl 

Captivating  Power  of  Sin 528 

Captivity  of  Sinners 35 

Cartoons  of  Raphael 71 

Casuistic  Divinity,  Defence  of 442 

Specimens  of 444,  &c.,  541 


Cause  and  Occasion  distinguished 463 

Censoriousness 109 

Character,  Methods  of  delineating.  .221,  263 

Character  of  Christ 223, 232,  280,  337 

contrasted  with  that  of  the  Jews  281 

C haracter  of  the  Apostles 232 

of  Abraham 293 

of  David 226,  244,  494 

of  Haman 495 

of  Hazael 480 

of  Joseph 7ij  229 

of  Lazarus  and  his  Sisters 230 

of  Paul 561 

Characters  of  a  Virtue  or  Vice  (Top- 
ic iii.) 173, 491 

Charity,  Christian,  its  Nature 181 

enforced 1 10,  486 

Choice  of  Texts 19 

Christ,  the  Source  of  Saving  Benefits. . .     34 

the  Gift  of  God 34 

the  Good  Samaritan 206 

Character  of  (see  Character). 

Divine  Dignity  of 148,  346 

contrasted  with  Moses 574 

Grace  communicated  by 149 

Mediation  of 565 

Qualifications  of 149 

Crucifixion  of 562 

Nature  and  Providence  in  his  Hands  149 

Guilt  of  rejecting. . . .' 565 

despising , 558 

Christian  Experience 530 

Christianity,  Evidences  of 127 

Objections  against 439 

Claims  of  God 519 

Commands  and  Promises  reconciled. . . .   354 

Commendation 340 

Comment,  Importance  of 545 

its  Nature 553 

different  Kinds  (see  Contents), 

Commentaries,  Use  of 288 

Commonplace  Book 612 

Common  Sense,  Illustrations  of 289 

Comparison  (Topic  xvi.) 342,  506 

of  different  parts  of  a  Text  (Topic 

xxvii. ) 470,  518 

Compassion 492 

of  Christ 225 

Comprehensive  Knowledge  of  Truth  es- 
sential to  consistent  Preaching 590 

Condescension  of  God 502,  528 

Confessing  Christ 466 

Conscience 489 

Distinctions  respecting 382 

Consequences  (Topic  xiii.) 293,  503 

Attention  to,  necessary  in  all  our 

Pursuits 300 

as  affecting  Ourselves 300 


620 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Consequences,  as  affecting  Others 302 

must  not  deter  from  known  Duty. .   305 

Contemplative  Comment 572 

Contrast  (Topic  xviii.) 379 

with  Comment 573 

Exordiums  founded  on 508 

Conversions  to  the  Truth  the  only  Con- 
versions pleasing  to  God 595 

Convictions,  resisting  or  stifling 133 

Natural  and  Spiritual 382 

Correlative  Truths 194 

Courage 340 

Covenant  of  Works,  Adherence  to  it  a 

Rejection  of  Christ 201 

Creation,  its  Emblems  of  Spiritual  Things  363 
Critical  Remarks,  Cautions  respecting  20,  27 

Criticism 456 

Crucifixion  of  Christ 562 

Damnation  of  the  Impenitent  inevitable  134 

David,  Character  of 226,  244,  494 

Death 139 

Fears  of 541: 

the  End  of  Sin 180 

Deceit,  Comment  on 563 

Deceitfulness  of  Sin 62 

Deceivers,  Self 437 

Definition  of  Terms 57,  468 

Degeneracy  of  Israel 501 

Degrees  (Topic  xxiv.) 457,  517 

Degrees  of  Blessedness 171 

Deism  exposed ...  1 24,  125 

Delight  felt  in  contemplating  boundless 

Objects 173 

Delight,  Manner  of  expressing 340 

Delight  in  God 572 

Deliverance  effected  by  Christ 35 

Delivery  of  Discourses,  Cautions  and 

Directions  concerning 328 

Demonstration  of  the  Divine  Existence.  124 
Dependence  on  the  Spirit  in  Preaching  ,  72 
Description,  Rules,  and  Directions,  for 

Preaching 190 

Descriptive  Discourses 174 

Design  of  Affliction 319 

Devices  of  Man  compared  with  God's 

Counsels 343,  383 

Differences  on  different  Occasions  (Top- 
ic xvii.) 374,  508 

Different  Characters,  Mode  of  addressing  530 

Different  Interests  (Topic  xxv.) 460,  517 

Different  Views,  Texts  considered  in. . .   533 

Diligence 143 

Directness  in  Preaching 144 

Discipline  of  Affliction 317 

Discontent 492,  504 

Discrimination  of  Character 263 

Diseases,  bodily  and  spiritual,  compared  210 

Distinctions  in  Character 226,  227 

Divers  Characters  of  Virtues  and  Vices 

(Topic  iii.) 173,  491 

Diversities  of  Gifts 29 

Divine  Teaching 39 

Grace,  Necessity  of 130 

Influence 528 

necessary  to  the  Success  of 

Preaching 546 

Divinity  of  Christ 463 

Divisions  of  a  Discourse 28 


Divisions,  nine  Kinds  in  one  View 161 

Doctrine,  Sermons  should   not  be  over- 
charged with 25 

Doctrines  may  be  taught  to  Children. . .  391 

Domestic  Felicity 487 

Double  Sense  of  Scripture 285 

Doubts  and  Fears  of  weak  Christians. ,   443 

Dreams,  Remarks  on 383 

Duties,  relative 196 

Early  Piety 488 

Earthern  Vessels,  why  the  Apostles  are 

so  called 62 

Egotism,  Cautions  against 320 

Elocution  (see  Manner). 
Eloquence  promoted  byTheological  Study  586 
its  chief  Requisite  a  devoted  Heart  610 
Emotion,     Necessity    of,     to     efiicient 

Preaching 546 

Emphasis,  Illustrations  of 330,  331 

Emphatic  Words 324 

Encouragement  to  Spiritual  Exertion...  257 

End  proposed  (Topic  xiv.) 306,  503 

in  the  inspired  Volume 306 

in  Christ's  Coming 135 

Enquirers,  Address  to 53 1 

Enthusiasm    essential    to   a   successful 

Preacher 597 

Envy,  the  Offspring  of  Vanity 565 

Eternal  Happiness 135 

Evidence 453 

several  Kinds  of 115 

Evidence  of  Analogy 118 

Authority 116 

Comparison  and  Contrast 117 

Experience 116 

Fact 118 

Inference  and  Induction 118 

Resemblance 118 

the  Senses 117 

Testimony 116 

Evidences  of  Christianity,  Statement  of  396 

Variety  of 127 

Example  of  Christ  (see  Character)  . . .   239 

Examples  of  Patience 239 

Excesses,  Cautions  against  various  ....     25 

Existence  of  God  demonstrated 124 

Exordiums,  Design  of 472 

Vices  of 476 

Rules  to  be  observed  in 473 

Method  of  preparing 477 

Experience  (see  Christian). 

Exposition,  Importance  of 55 

Dr.  Clarke's  Views  of 55 

Expository  Discourses 58-69 

Comment 574 

Exordiums • 481 

Explanation  of  Terms 20,  285,  292,  322 

of  General  Expressions 215 

Expostulation,  Example  of 121 

and  Entreaty 536 

with  Comment 568 

Extemporaneous  Preaching,  Advantages 

of 597 

Extemporaneous  Preaching,  Objections 

against 602 

Extemporaneous  Preaching,  Means  of 

acquiring  Facility  in 605 

Eye,  Commerce  of  Sin  carried  on  by. . .    109 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


621 


PAGE 

Faith,  true 462 

Necessity  of 516 

a  living  and  a  dead 532 

Object  and  Subject  of 461 

Work  of,  internal  and  external. . . .   466 
Faith  and  Assurance  distinguished.  .465, 518 

False  Ease 168 

False  Hope 169 

False  Notions  of  Divine  Mercy 273 

Falsehood 154 

Family  Worship,  Duty  of 393 

Fear,  Manner  of  expressing 340 

Fear  of  God 488 

Fear,  slavish 143 

filial 143 

Fears,  religious 442 

Fervent    Zeal    better    than    Rules   in 

Preaching 610 

Fidelity  of  Scripture  Biography 421 

Figurative  Language  of  Scripture 283 

Figures  must  not  be  overstrained 25 

Filial  Piety  exemplified  in  Ruth 471 

Forbearance  of  Christ 224,  282 

Foreign  Words  not  essential  to  Eloquence  58 1 

Forgiveness,  Blessedness  of 146 

Fortitude 540 

Fraud 155 

Free-Agency  of  Man 485,  515 

Friendship 563 

Friendship  of  Christ 223,  230 

Fulness  of  Christ 58,  148 

Futurity,  Proneness  to  anticipate 503 

Garrick's  Sentiments  on  Public  Speaking  335 
General  Expressions  often  require  Lim- 
itation     215 

Gentleness  of  Christ 223 

Gesture,  Remarks  on 338 

Gifts,  ministerial 29 

Glory,  Hope  of 481 

Glory  of  God 534 

God  a  Father  to  his  People 195 

Eternity  of 124 

Glory  of 534 

Goodness  of 502,  559 

Government  of 196 

Immutability  of 124 

Justice  of 197 

Unity  of 125 

his  Word  and  Works  compared. ...   361 

Godliness  exemplified 471 

Godly  Jealousy 484 

Good  Works,  alleged  Merit  of 433 

Goodness  of  God 502 

displayed  in  his  Works 559 

Goodness,  imperfect 425 

Gospel,  vsrhy  called  a  Treasure 60 

why  called  Grace  and  Truth 61 

Obligations  to  send  out 257 

Universal  Adaptation  and  Energy  of  258 

how  to  be  preached '. ". . .  65,  66 

its  Motives  to  Holiness 136 

Government,  civil.  Duty  of  Christians 

toward 392 

Grace  described 482 

communicated  by  Christ 149 

compared  to  a  River 176 

to  the  Sun 183 

Grace,  Necessity  of 130  ; 


Grammatical  Remarks,  when  admissible 

in  Preaching 26 

Gratitude 107 

Manner  of  expressing 340 

Greek  Articles,  Force  of 323 

Grief 340 

Grieving  the  Spirit 274 

Griffin,  Dr.,  Anecdote  of  his  Preaching. .   590 

Grounds  (Topic  xix.) 389,  510 

of  Faith 510 

of  Christianity  (see  Evidences). 

Haman,  Character  of 495 

Happiness  of  a  Religious  Life 387 

secured  by  the  Gospel 146 

derived  from  Christ 560 

Hatred 336 

natural  Expressions  of 340 

Hazael,  Character  of 480 

Historical  Observations,  when  proper  in 

the  Pulpit 27 

Historical  Texts,  Manner  of  treating. . .     99 

Holiness  enforced  by  the  Gospel 136 

Holy  Spirit,  Dependence  on 72 

Names  of 275 

Grieving  the 274 

Work  of  the 75 

Hope  of  Glory 481 

False 169,  294,  297 

Hope  and  Fear,  Springs  of  Christian  Ac- 
tivity     360 

House  of  God,  Attractions  of 40 

Human  Nature,  Necessity  of  knowing..   108 

Hyperbolical  Comment 572 

Hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees 281 

Ideas,  how  to  trace  out 43 

Idleness 508 

Idolatry  among  professed  Christians. . . .   595 

Image  of  God,  Man  created  in 578 

Imagination  (see  Description  and  Sup- 
position). 

Implied  Truths 211 

Incarnation  of  Christ , 389 

Inconstancy  in  Religion 425 

Indefinite  Preaching 595 

Industry  urged  on  Preachers 302 

essential  to  Success  in  any  Under- 
taking     605 

Inferences 298 

Directions  concerning 370 

Infidelity,  Refutation  of 398,  440 

Comment  on 564 

Infidels,  Impropriety  of  Prosecuting. ...   318 

contrasted  with  Angels 573 

Inflexion ^ 333 

Ingratitude,  indignant  Comment  on. . . .   563 

of  Israel 278 

of  rejecting  Christ 568 

Inquirers,  Address  to 53 1 

Insensibility  to  the  Miseries  of  others. 

Comment  on 563 

Insignificance  of  Man 142 

Insufficiency  of  Natural  Religion 127 

Interests,  different  (Topic  xxv.) 470,  517 

Interrogations,  Utility  of 82 

Interrogative  Divisions 86,  &c. 

Interrogatory  Exordiums 523 

Invitation,  Gesture  appropriate  to 340 


632 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Jews,  present  Condition  of,  an  Evidence 

of  the  Truth  of  Christianity 417 

Jonah's  foolish  Passion 576 

Joseph,  History  of 71,  229,  479 

a  Type  of  Christ 201 

Judea,  its  instructive  Locality 187 

Judgment,  the  last 157,  185,  503,  542 

Junius's  Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Grafton.  564 

to  the  Duke  of  Bedford 564 

Justification,  Doctrine  of. 152,  307 

by  Faith 525 

apparent  Difference  between  Paul 
and  James  reconciled 261 

Knowledge  of  Human  Nature 108 

Knowledge  an  Aggravation  of  Guilt ....    132 

Law,  Man  naturally  under 134 

Lazarus  and  his  Sisters,  Narrative  of  . .   230 

Learning,  Use  and  Abuse  of 170 

Legislation  incapable  of  securing  Moral 

Order 486 

Library,  Key  to  a 611 

Life  a  Journey 530 

Light,  the  Gospel  compared  to 369 

Light   of  Reason,   Impropriety   of  the 

Phrase 112 

Literal  Meaning  of  Texts 19 

Logic,  Remarks  on 119 

Long-Suffering  of  God 146 

Lord's  Supper,Nature  and  Design  of  313,  316 

Love,  Importance  of 336,  559 

Manner  of  expressing 340 

to  God 175 

of  God 175 

Loyalty,  Christian 392 

Lukewarmness 573 

Lusts,  sensual 568 

Luxury,  Evil  of 576 

Lying 154 

Mahomet  and  Christ  contrasted 574 

Man,  an  imitative  Being 242 

compared  with  God,  Vanity 142 

natural  Helplessness  of 130 

original  Dignity  of 578 

under  a  Law 134 

Management  of  Texts,  general  Rules  .  •     20 

Observations  on 22 

Manner  (Topic  xv.) 321,  506 

Importance  of  in  the  Preacher.  .328,  598 

Maxims,  or  Proverbs 273 

Means  of  Grace,  Diligence  urged 143 

Mediation  of  Christ,  Folly  and  Guilt  of 

neglecting  the 565 

Meditation,  how  to  be  pursued 42 

Meetings,  public,  Speeches  at 320 

Mercies,  various  Kinds  of 172 

Mercy  of  God  displayed 175,  488,  529 

false  Notions  of 273 

Method  of  Divine  Revelation 557 

of  Authors  should  be  carefully  noted 

in  Reading 605 

Mind,  State  of,  to  be  cultivated 110 

Ministers,  Remarks  on  unholy 567 

Ministry,  Design  of  the  Christian 311 

Duties  of 511 

Nature  of 349,  350 

Fidelity  in  the 385 


PAc; " 

Miracle 570 

Miracles,  Remarks  on 207 

Evidence   of  Christianity  derived 

from 410 

Misery  of  Sinners 145 

Monotony,  Cautions  against 333 

Moral  Agency,  Principles  of 593 

Moral  Impotence  of  Man , 537 

Morality,  a  dangerous  Ground  of  Depend- 
ence     565 

Morality  of  the  Gospel,  Superiority  of. .  415 

Moses,  History  of. 71 

Choice  of 243 

Motto,  Text  not  to  be  used  as 19 

Narrative  Exordiums 478 

Nature  and  Providence  in  the  Hands  of 

Christ 149 

Natural  Religion 365 

Insufficiency  of 127,  144 

Negative  Religion  insufficient 132 

Interrogatives 85 

Negatives,  Importance  of 217 

New  Command 497,  576 

Nominal   Worshippers   mock   God   and 

deceive  themselves 595 

Obadiah,  Character  of 489 

Objections  should  be  answered  directly, 

forcibly,  and  fully 439 

Objections  of  Infidels  refuted 440 

Observational  Preaching 98 

Exordiums 485 

Observations  foreign  from  Theology  to 

be  avoided  in  Preaching 26 

Observations,  critical,  when  proper. . .  20,  27 

grammatical,  when  proper 26 

Occasion  and  Cause  distinguished 463 

Occasion,  Topic  for  Exordiums 520 

Occasions,  Differences  of  Things  on  dif- 
ferent  373,  508 

Oracle,  the  Term  explained 350 

Parables,  Mode  of  treating 204 

Parallel  Passages,  how  to  be  used 40 

Importance  of  noticing  them. .   285 

Parallels,  Lists  of,  their  Utility 344 

Pardon,  Doctrine  of 103 

Pardoning  Grace  in  Christ 151 

Passions,  Illustrations  of  the 335 

Manner  of  expressing 340 

Passions,  evil,  Comment  on 568 

Patience  under  Suffering 239 

Paul,  Character  of 561 

Pauses  in  Speaking 332 

Penitence,  Gesture  expressive  of 340 

Perjury,  Guilt  of 155 

Perorations,  general  Remarks  on 525 

various  Kinds  of 527 

Persecutors,  the  Eye  of  Christ  upon  them  104 
Persuasion,  Importance  of,  in  Preaching   158 

Peter,  Conduct  of 566 

Philosophical  Remarks  generally  inad- 
missible in  Preaching 27 

Phrases  of  Scripture  explained 21 

Pity,  Gesture  expressive  of 340 

Place,  Importance  of  considering 249 

Examples 256,  498 

Plain  Language,  Importance  of 580 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


623 


PAGE 

Popular  Applause,  alleged  Value  of. ...   426 

Popularity  Deceptive 432 

Positive  Institutions 312 

Power  of  God 142 

Practical  Religion  enforced 534 

Praise,  the  Love  of,  censurable 426 

Prayer,  Mistakes  respecting 594 

Preacher  (see  Ministry). 
Preachers  may  be  lost  while  instrument- 
al in  saving  others 569 

Predestination 514 

Presumptuous  Sins 570 

Pride  of  Haman 495 

of  the  Pharisees 282 

Principles  (Topic  xii.) 264,  501 

false,  considered 273 

of  Interpretation 283 

Procrastination 140,  536,  543 

Promises  of  God 529 

Promises,    conditional,    consistent   with 

God's  unchangeable  Purposes 357 

Prophecies,  and  their  Accomplishment. .   203 
Prophecy,  a  Proof  of  the  Divine  Origin 

of  Christianity ~. .   413 

Prophets  and  Apostles  Examples  of  Suf- 
fering    239 

Propositional  Discourses,  Rules 113 

Prepositional  Discourses  should  consist 

mainly  of  Reasoning  and  Evidence..    114 
Propositional  Discourses,  Examples. . . .    130 

Propriety  of  an  Expression 519 

Providence,  universal 483 

Bounty  of 42 

Mysteriousness  of 527 

Prudence 140 

Public  Meetings,  on  Speaking  at 320 

Worship 40,  168,  259 

Punishment,  future,  Certainty  of 134 


Religion,  false  Views  of. 386 

Scoffing  at 534 

Remarkable  Expressions 321 

Remonstrance  (see  Expostulation). 

Remorse,  Gestures  expressive  of 340 

Renovation,  moral,  Truth  the  Instrument 

of 592 

Repentance,  Necessity  of . . . .    142,  535 

how  to  be  Preached 593 

Long-Suffering  of  God  a  Motive  to  146 

Reproof,  Gestures  adapted  to 340 

Resurrection, its  Illustrations  fromNature  371 

Resurrection  of  Christ 389 

Revenge 282 

Rewards  and  Punishments,  Doctrine  of  296 

Rewards  of  Grace 356 

River,  an  Emblem  of  Grace 176 

Righteousness  of  the  Church 73 

Romaine's  Views  of  Faith 450 


Qualities  of  Things 173,  453,  515 

of  the  Word  of  God 455 

of  human  Writings 456 

Questions  (see  Interrogations). 

Quotations,  Use  of,  in  Exordiums 524 

Reading,  Importance  of  Discrimination 

„  in 456,  605 

Reading  in  Public,  Manner  proper  for..  341 

Reason,  Light  of 112 

Use  of,  in  Religion 373 

Reasoning II9 

must  not  be  carried  too  far 26 

Recapitulation,  how  to  be  managed 533 

Rechabites,  how  distinguished 494 

Reconciliation  with  God 141 

Reconciling  Passages  apparently  opposed  286 

Refutation,  Cautions  respecting 122 

Rules  to  be  observed  in 123 

Examples  of 124 

Regeneration,  Doctrine  of 51 

Registry,  or  Text-book 611 

Rejecting  Christ,  Guilt  of ,  . .    568 

Relation  (Topic  iv.) 193   492 

Relative  Obligations '  196 

Religion,  natural,  insufficient 127,  440 

Revealed 441 

Happiness  connected  with 388 

always  the  same 367 

Restraints  of 386 


Sabbath,  End  of  its  Appointment 312 

perpetual  Obligation  of 571 

Sabbath-breaking 155 

Sacrament,  improper  Use  of  the  Term. .  314 

Sacred  Biograph  y 220 

Sacrifices,  Design  of 163 

Instruction  conveyed  by 366 

Salvation,  Nature  of 35 

how  to  work  out  our  own 139-144 

Samaritan,  Christ  the  good 205 

Sarcasm 564 

Science,  Art  founded  on 586 

Scripture  Phrases  explained 21 

Scriptures,  the  Study  of,  recommended. .     39 

alleged  Ambiguity  of 286 

Principles  of  interpreting 284 

descriptive  Beauties  of 187 

Secret  Sins 155 

Scope  and  Design  of  Scripture,  how  to 

ascertain 308 

Self,  the  worst  of  Idols 572 

Self-confidence 511 

Self-contradictions  in  Preachers 590 

Self-deception 297 

Self-denial,  Christian  Doctrine  of 390 

Pleasure  found  in 572 

happy  Effects  of 301 

Self-righteousness  exposed 205,  565 

Selfishness,  the  Offspring  of  Luxury  . . .   576 

of  the  Pharisees 281 

Sense  of  a  Text  should  be  made  clear. .     31 

Senses,  Ideas  received  by  the 284 

Sensoriousness 109 

Sensuality,  Comment  on 568 

Sermon,  general  Rules  of 22 

five  Parts  of 28 

Shame,  Gestures  expressive  of 340 

Simeon's  Openings  for  Enlargement,  Re- 
marks on 44 

Simplicity  of  Patriarchal  Times 478 

Sin,  a  Captivity 35 

Deceitfulness  of 61 

aggravated  by  Knowledge 132 

viewed  in  the  Light  of  God's  Coun- 
tenance     153 

Sincerity  no  valid  excuse  for  Error 277 

Sinners,  Obstinacy  of 572 

how  to  Address  (see  Uniform  Ap- 
plication and  Unconverted). 


624 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


PAGE 

Sins,  gross  and  open 154 

secret 155 

against  Light 132 

of  Omission 132,  156 

Sion  (see  Zion). 

Slothfulness,  Reproof  of 134 

Sobriety  of  Mind  recommended 499 

Society,  Man  formed  for 427 

Spirit  (see  Holy). 

of  a  Text 31 

of  a  Subject 591 

Spiritualizing  Scripture,  Impropriety  of     19 

Squirrel,  Anecdote  respecting  the 254 

Studies,  Cautions  respecting 304 

Stupidity  of  many  who  witnessed  the 

Savior's  Miracles 577 

Subdivisions,  of  what  they  should  con- 
sist   33,  &c. 

Subjects,  Parallelisms  of 349 

Success  the  Reward  of  Industry 605 

Sufferings  for  Christ 239 

Sun,  Grace  compared  to  the 183 

Supposition  (Topic  xxi.) 433,  512 

Sympathy  of  Christ 225 

Teaching  (see  Exposition). 

Temper,  steady  Command  of,  exemplified 

in  Christ 224 

Temptations  of  the  Ministry 170 

Temperance,  happy  Efiects  of 301 

Tenderness  toward  the  Faults  of  others  109 

Terms  to  be  avoided  in  Preaching 320 

Testimonies,  divine 483 

Testimonv,  Evidence  of 116 

Texts,  Rules  for  the  Choice  of 19  | 

Theology  comprehends  all  Sciences  ....   586 

Theological  Study,  its  Importance 586  j 

Theological  Study  strengthens  the  Mind  586  , 
Theological  Study  promotes  Variety  and 

Appropriateness  in  Preaching 590 

Threatenings  and  their  Execution 351 

Time  of  Messiah's  Advent 97 

of  a  Word  or  Action  (Topic  viii.)  243, 497  i 

a  Talent  to  be  improved  245  1 

and  Eternity,  Outlines  of  Sermons  I 

on 246; 

Titles  of  Discourses 454  i 

Tone,  proper,  in  Speaking 333 

Tongue,  Sins  of  the   154 

Topics,  Importance  of  the 162 

extensive  Illustrations  of  (see  Con- 
tents). 

Topical  Exordiums 489 

Tranquillity  of  Mind 517 

how  expressed 340 


PAGE 

Transitory  Nature  of  human  Affairs  . . .  464 

Treasure,  the  Gosptl  a 60 

Trials,  general  Design  of 504 

discover  Character 228 

Trinity,  Doctrine  of  the 39 1 

Truth  opens  and  enlarges  the  Mind. . . .  588 

the  Instrument  of  spiritual  Renova- 
tion    592 

Unbelievers,  Credulity  of 570 

Unchangeableness  of  God 124 

Unconverted,  Address  to  the 530 

Unction  of  the  Spirit 546 

Understanding  of  Man  in  Innocence  . .  .  578 

Uniform  Application 137 

Union  of  Christ  and  his  People 481 

Unity  of  Discourse 72,  527 

of  God 125 

Vanity  leads  to  Arrogance  or  Envy  ....   565 

Vanity  of  earthly  Good 464 

Variety  in  Preaching,  Necessity  of  The- 
ological Study  to 590 

Variety  of  the  Christian  Evidence 127 

Veneration,  Gesture  expressive  of 340 

Virtues  and  Vices,  Characters  of  (Topic 

iii.) 173,  491 

Voice,  proper  Management  of 330 

Wisdom  of  Christians,  in  what  respects 

inferior  to  that  of  Worldlings 374 

Wit,  not  to  be  indulged  in  the  Pulpit. . .    110 

Words,  when  to  be  explained 20 

Anglo-Saxon,  most  generally  under- 
stood    581 

Words,    foreign,    not   essential   to  Elo- 
quence    581 

Work  of  the  Spirit  (see  Holy  Spirit).  .     75 
of  Faith,  internal  and  external   . . .   466 
Works  of  God  compared  with  his  Word  361 
their  Fitness  to  convey  Instruc- 
tion    364 

Worship,  family 393 

public 40,  168,  259 

Worshippers  (see  Nominal). 

Wrath  of  Man  divinely  controlled 482 

Writing,  the  Habit  of  essential  to  Cor- 
rectness     602 

Youth  exhorted  to  fear  God 488 

to  be  Sober-minded 499 

Zeal,  Importance  of 337 

fervent,  better  than  all  Rules 610 

Zion,  natural  and  typical 251,  499 


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